Day hikes - What do you bring?

The Black Oil

Boots
Rain gear, top and legs. Soft shell top, light cover, or something more substantial depending on the season
Sun cap, glasses and cream
Gloves
Water - probably need to bring more than a litre
Food
Torch
High vis vest

I usually wear a merino base layer, a fleece and zip off leggings.

Looking at this list, I could probably bring a few other bits, such as the whistle and bivvy bag.

I've a 30 litre bag and it's not easy to pack it all in as rain gear top plus water can be a little bulky. Does anyone take a larger pack, or what's your approach?

Taxburden carrier

A platypus would be easier both for size and access. Don't forget your phone !

Surely...map and compass? They're pretty much the first things in my bag.

I do all my long hikes in South Kerry and have been up every summit many times. But still bring a map and compass for the long hikes. The world looks very different in mist.

The Black Oil

Yep, phone and compass go as well.

Have a platypus around somewhere.

I don't bother with gloves at this time of year, don't have hi viz gear, rarely bring head torch or any change of clothes, maybe one other long sleeve base layer just in case.

I always bring a first aid kit and small foil cover. Have only had to use first aid a couple of times, but when I've used it it's been very handy, including one badly cut hand when a barbed wire fence collapsed when I was getting over it and my hand got wrapped in barbs.

unkel

All of the above. Plus GPS device or phone with GPS app. Loaded with a reliable GPX for your route. And a back up battery / charger for it. Nothing is more useful when you're on the summit of a mountain and visibility is near zero.

unkel

Did nobody mention gaiters?

What's a platypus BTW?

Pat Mustard

I always bring raingear.

My phone goes into a waterproof case.

I bring map and compass, water, sandwiches, a hat and depending on the time of year, sunblock.

Also, either a lightweight fleece or softshell jacket.

I bring a hiking pole for the descent.

Most of the above goes into a rucksack.

fits

In addition to above I like to have a knife to hand. Never know when you'd need it. I always bring poles as well.

dogmatix

My basic summer gear list
• Binliners and ziplock bags (a 100 and 1 uses).
• Camelbak water pouch - minimum 2 litre capacity (better then a platypus).
• Camera.
• Emergency foil blanket.
• First aid kit (+ dextrose).
• Gaiters.
• GPS.
• A good floppy Hat (tilley).
• Map and compass.
• Mobile phone (fully charged).
• Monocular (or binoculars).
• Raingear - leggings, jacket or a basic poncho for the summer months.
• Spare batteries.
• Suncream.
• Swiss army knife or similar.
• Tissues and wet wipes.
• Thermos flask (hot tea in winter - cold mi-wadi orange and pineapple mix in summer)
• Torch.
• Whistle.
• Windproof fleece.
• Walking stick or collapsible pole).

edit - plus a small face cloth.

I usually have no problem fitting most of the above into my 28l deuter bag - some items such as the walking pole, camera, monocular etc I attach to belts and other parts of my body.

dogmatix

unkel wrote: »

Did nobody mention gaiters?

What's a platypus BTW?

A collapsible and tough water pouch that you can fit into your rucksack. Most have drinking tubes that enable the walker to sip water without having to take off their packs when they get thirsty. I prefer the camelbak brand myself.

ectoraige

One thing I haven't seen mentioned, I've a bag of glucose barley sweets shoved in the bottom of my bag.

dogmatix

ectoraige wrote: »

One thing I haven't seen mentioned, I've a bag of glucose barley sweets shoved in the bottom of my bag.

Dextrose sweets would fulfill the same role - although i'd prefer the glucose barley as they would taste better. Where can you buy them - I have not seen them in years!

ectoraige

dogmatix wrote: »

Dextrose sweets would fulfill the same role - although i'd prefer the glucose barley as they would taste better. Where can you buy them - I have not seen them in years!

Our local shop sells them, it's Oatfield that make them - if you search online for them tesco is the first result, but there's loads of sweet shops that do them too.

Judge

Just want to add a spare pair of socks. Learned that lesson the hard way...

The Black Oil

unkel wrote: »

Plus GPS device or phone with GPS app. Loaded with a reliable GPX for your route.

A few of you've mentioned a GPS as a standalone device, I presume. Or if it's via a smartphone, is there a reliable app other than Google Maps?

unkel wrote: »

What's a platypus BTW?

On of these yolks.

dogmatix wrote: »

• Windproof fleece.

Do you mean windstopper type material, or how windproof are you talking about?

Spare socks - yes. Leatherman, if I remember. On the food situation, maybe these sort of bars would to the trick.

Thanks for the posts, btw.

dogmatix

Do you mean windstopper type material, or how windproof are you talking about?

Aye, that would be about right. That sort of fleece might not be much use on a wet day but good enough for a windy one.

As for food - I never liked cereal bars much, they all taste a bit cardboardy to me. I just make my own sandwiches and wrap them in tin foil. Banana sandwiches are great.

Alun

What do I bring? Waaaaaay too much

Seriously though, I think the more often you go out in the hills, the more you realise how you can get caught out even on what appears to be a totally benign day, and so the amount of 'stuff' you take along increases, especially clothing wise. I've just bought a new rucksack, so will probably have a few soul-searching moments when I start transferring all my stuff over from one to the other, and I may even leave a few small things out, but eventually I know it'll all just end up back in there

I never bring GPS or a smart phone. Don't even have either.

Have one of the old bombproof Nokias that has survived being dropped, getting wet etc., so bring that alright. Comfortable with my navigating, to the extent of being able to head in the right direction anyway and prefer the traditional compass and map thing when needed...though getting lost doesn't bother me that much either.

Tabnabs

Deleted User wrote: »

I never bring GPS or a smart phone. Don't even have either.

Have one of the old bombproof Nokias that has survived being dropped, getting wet etc., so bring that alright. Comfortable with my navigating, to the extent of being able to head in the right direction anyway and prefer the traditional compass and map thing when needed...though getting lost doesn't bother me that much either.

If you sprain your ankle badly and want to call in the mountain rescue, but the visibility is bad and night is drawing in, always a relief to be able to give an exact position, especially if the chopper is coming in too.

BarryD

Judge wrote: »

Just want to add a spare pair of socks. Learned that lesson the hard way...

Sure, if for use as a spare or extra pair of gloves, if not for the feet.

I don't know about yous, but I'd go nowhere on the hills without a decent close fitting 'woolly' hat - i.e. one that will keep the heat in and not blow off. You lose a surprising amount of heat from the old head and a good hat is the difference between a bit of comfort and misery, if not hypothermia eventually. Taking it on and off is also a quick way of regulating heat. Of course, on a hot day in summer, you might also want a lighter sun hat or cap. But if the day turns bad, you can't beat the woolly hat.

The Black Oil

I've a windproof jacket/fleece, but it's pretty bulky and I've not taken it hiking years. My soft shell is a good alternative. Knowing the near three seasons in 30 minutes approach of Irish weather, it's no harm to have a range of layers. I'm not big into cereal bars in general and don't buy the shop ones.

Re smartphone or not, having once had cause to contact mountain rescue, they sent me a text with a link to get grid reference. Of course, that'll only go if you get a signal, have a data connection, battery and credit. Useful if you get separated, lost and have flaky nav skills (map was with the other person), which is what happened to me.

At this stage, I think I'd rather have a bag that's a little bothersome in its weight (but not sore to carry) than be under equipped should something go wrong.

Tabnabs

Tabnabs wrote: »

If you sprain your ankle badly and want to call in the mountain rescue, but the visibility is bad and night is drawing in, always a relief to be able to give an exact position, especially if the chopper is coming in too.

There is no way I'd call mountain rescue for a sprained ankle! And I'd tell them to save the chopper for head and spinal injuries. I didn't even think it would do a call out for sprains.

Carawaystick

I suppose I'd bring a half litre of a drink, a foil blanket, compass and map, and a raincoat.
A Wolly hat and a camera if they were to hand.

Gaiters if the route was through heather or a soft day forecast.

I have been up the Lug in shorts, boots and a tshirt; probably had the car key too. There was nothing in the sky other than skylarks.
Can't reccommend this to others but it was a memorable day.

Losty Dublin

Not being as hardy or as prolific as some posters here but here's what I take...

• 2 500ML bottles of Water and some in the car for pre and post walk. If it's to hand then I take a bit of citrus fruit.
• Flask and lunch, if it's a day long trip. I keep a flask in the car afterwards as well. I bring powdered milk for my tea and I keep a few fun sized mars type bars in my pack as well. Hard boiled eggs and bananas are both compact and handy for the lunch. Not gone on pasta but I can see it's handiness.
• Map, compass and torch. I need a new compass; mines gone awol. I've a LED torch with colours on it. A back up one that isn't bad is the Ever Ready LED key ring torch; there's a lot of light from it and
• Phone. My iPhone 6 lives in it's Griffin Survivor; the belt clip is excellent. A long day and my charger comes with me in the car.
• Two caps, a windproof fleece/top or two, waterproofs and gloves. Long sleeves are always worn underneath, rain or shine.
• I have survival blankets that I ought to take, and walking poles live in the car.
• A change of clothes and footwear in the car. A towel on wet days is a plus.
• Wet wipes and sun block and even some bug spray.

I'm sure that some of this gets left out from time to time, especially if it's just a simple trot up the Hellfire or 3 Rock.

Carawaystick

Carawaystick wrote: »

I have been up the Lug in shorts, boots and a tshirt; probably had the car key too. There was nothing in the sky other than skylarks.

Yep, have set out across the Reeks in teeshirt and shorts and runners (albeit mountain runners, not road runners) on hot summers days, with just liquids, some energy bars and of course a hat and suncream. But still will bring the compass. But would certainly not recommend that to someone else, and I wouldn't necessarily do that in ranges outside Kerry where I wouldn't know all the features and how to descend quickly if mist rolled in.

One other thing I always bring, running or hiking, are a couple of buffs wrapped around the wrist. Can be very practical and easy to bring.

dogmatix

Carawaystick wrote: »

I suppose I'd bring a half litre of a drink, a foil blanket, compass and map, and a raincoat.
A Wolly hat and a camera if they were to hand.

Gaiters if the route was through heather or a soft day forecast.

I have been up the Lug in shorts, boots and a tshirt; probably had the car key too. There was nothing in the sky other than skylarks.
Can't reccommend this to others but it was a memorable day.

Depending on the length of walk, a half litre of drink might not be enough. I tend not to drink much while walking but on one occassion a good few years ago I walked from marley to enniskerry via the wicklow way and knockree with just a 500ml bottle. It's usually enough for me but on this occassion it was a very hot and sunny day and I was in a bad way by the time I reached knockree. Now I always take a 2 litre camelbak with me even though I will probably be throwing away half the contents at the end of the day. Better to err on the side of caution.

dogmatix

ectoraige wrote: »

Our local shop sells them, it's Oatfield that make them - if you search online for them tesco is the first result, but there's loads of sweet shops that do them too.

Spotted them in supervalue ballinteer yesterday and bought a pack. Cheers!

The Black Oil

Re Dextrose sweets, are these somewhat of an emergency burst of sugar/energy?

Alun

The Black Oil wrote: »

Re Dextrose sweets, are these somewhat of an emergency burst of sugar/energy?

Basically yes .. to be consumed before that final ascent of the day when you're starting to flag a bit

ectoraige

The Black Oil wrote: »

Re Dextrose sweets, are these somewhat of an emergency burst of sugar/energy?

Yes, the great thing with the barley sugars is in theory they could sit at the bottom of your bag for years until you actually need them. In practice though you'll come across them looking for something else and remember how yummy they are.