What Do The 10 Essentials Accomplish?<\/h4>\n
The Ten essentials were designed to highlight the essential gear needed by every backcountry hiker.\u00a0 The list was designed to answer these two basic questions.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Do you have all the right gear to respond to an emergency?<\/li>\n
- Can you spend a night outside if necessary?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
It shouldn’t matter if you’re going on a day hike, or going on a week long trip, you’ll need the same basic gear.\u00a0 Certain equipment deserves space in every hiking backpack<\/a>.\u00a0 You probably won’t need every piece of gear on every trip, but this essential list should save you in a emergency.<\/p>\n
What’s The Essential Backpacking Gear?<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Essential-Backpacking-Gear.png\")
<\/p>\nThroughout the years the ten essentials have slightly changed with modern technology.\u00a0 Instead of a list of items to bring the Mountaineers<\/a>\u00a0recommend focusing on a list of systems.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Navigation<\/strong>: Maps, Compass, Altimeter, GPS(Cell Phone\/Dedicated Unit), Extra Batteries<\/li>\n
- Headlamp or Flashlight:<\/strong> Bring along a cheap headlamp like the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp<\/a><\/li>\n
- Sun Protection:<\/strong>\u00a0 Sunscreen, Proper Clothing and Sunglasses<\/li>\n
- First Aid:<\/strong>\u00a0 Basic First Aid Kit(Swiss Safe Kit<\/a>),\u00a0 Blister Prevention, Insect Repellent<\/li>\n
- Knife:<\/strong> Bring along one of my favorite survival knives<\/a>. A fixed Blade Kabar<\/a>\u00a0is a good place to start.<\/li>\n
- Fire:<\/strong> lighter, matches, camping stove<\/li>\n
- Shelter:<\/strong>\u00a0 Carry some form of shelter at all times.\u00a0 At the very least bring along an emergency Bevy Kit<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Extra Food:<\/strong> More food than you think you’ll need<\/li>\n
- Extra Water:<\/strong> Bring extra water and a way to purify water<\/a>. Water purification tablets<\/a> are cheap and lightweight.<\/li>\n
- Extra Clothes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Carry at least one extra change of clothes than you think you’ll need. You never know when your clothes will get wet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n1.\u00a0 Navigation<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Hiking-Map.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Navigating through the wild is going to require some serious navigation skills.\u00a0 You might be tempted to rely solely on GPS, but that’s a mistake.\u00a0Instead combine old school navigation techniques with modern technology.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Maps:\u00a0 <\/strong>It doesn’t matter if you have the most expensive GPS you can find, you also need to bring along a map.\u00a0 Unless you’re going out on a quick jaunt on a public footpath, you’re going to want a topographic map.\u00a0 Topographic maps with contour lines allow you to visualize three dimensional terrain from a flat piece of paper.\u00a0 On longer trips I also like to bring along a printout of the google maps satellite view for easier orientation.<\/li>\n
- Compass:<\/strong>\u00a0 A compass is only as good as the person who uses it.\u00a0 You need to have basic orienteering skills and know how to read a map. Smartphones and GPS all have compasses included, but I would highly recommend bringing along a basic compass. You never know when your batteries are going to die, so bring along a basic UST topographic compass<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- GPS:<\/strong>\u00a0 Everyone has a GPS nowadays on their smartphone, but most hikers will prefer a rugged backpacking GPS.\u00a0 Units like the Garmin GPSMAP 64st<\/a>\u00a0offer rugged functionality and High sensitivity antennas.\u00a0 Most of the units will work almost anywhere on earth.\u00a0 With topographic maps you’ll be able to visualize the terrain around you.\u00a0 The main downside to relying on a electronic GPS is a short battery life(remember to bring along extra batteries on long trips).<\/li>\n
- Altimeter:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mountaineers have long understood the importance of altitude, but most hikers completely ignore elevation.\u00a0 Altimeters are crucial when hiking through mountainous terrain.\u00a0 It doesn’t matter if it’s day or night a topographic map,compass and altimeter will give you a good bearing on your location.\u00a0 Most hiking GPS will give you an estimate of your altitude, or you can buy this cheap Casio watch<\/a>.\u00a0 When climbing to extremely high altitudes keep an eye out for altitude sickness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n2. Headlamps and Flashlights<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Hiking-Headlamp-1-e1537211087883.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Most hikers and climbers are going to prefer a headlamp over a flashlight.\u00a0Even with a cheap Black Diamond Headlamp<\/a> your hands will be free allowing you to climb, cook and perform tasks that would be impossible with a flashlight.<\/p>\n
It doesn’t matter if you plan on getting back before dark every hiker needs to bring along his own light source.\u00a0 You never know when you’re going to get delayed or injured forcing you to navigate in the dark.<\/p>\n
On a recent trip to Seattle I sprained my ankle climbing Mount Si, turning a 4 hour hike into a late night excursion.\u00a0 Even though the trail was pretty basic I probably couldn’t have navigated it without my headlamp.<\/p>\n
\n3.\u00a0 Sun Protection<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Hiking-Sun-Protection-e1537209824229.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Nobody wants to be out on the trail with a wicked sunburn.\u00a0 Make sure you protect your skin with the proper clothing, sunscreen and sunglasses. Not preparing for the sun will result in sunburn and a miserable trip.\u00a0 Don’t forget to protect yourself during the winter.\u00a0 Snow blindness is a real thing.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Sunscreen<\/strong>:\u00a0 I shouldn’t have to tell you why you need to bring along sunscreen.\u00a0 Your mother has probably been telling you to put on sunscreen your whole life.\u00a0 Unlike a trip to the pool most people don’t realize just how much sun you actually get while backpacking.\u00a0 Wearing sunscreen will reduce the amount of UV exposure you get.\u00a0 Sunsect sunscreen<\/a> both protects your skin and wards off mosquitos on long hikes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
While hiking and climbing use a broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks out both Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays.\u00a0 UVB rays are known to cause sunburn whereas UVA rays lead to skin cancer.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Sunglasses:<\/strong>\u00a0 On the trail sunglasses are absolutely critical.\u00a0 The eyes are really susceptible to the sun and burn easily.\u00a0 Don’t let cloudy conditions fool you, your eyes can easily burn resulting in painful snow blindness. Put on your sunglasses early and bring an extra pair, because they’ll eventually get damaged.\u00a0 I wear the same pair of polarized sunglasses<\/a> that I do while fishing.<\/li>\n
- Sun Protective Clothing:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Clothing offers more sun protection than any sunscreen.\u00a0 During the summer try to find sweat wicking clothing that reduces moisture.\u00a0 Many backpackers find that the discomfort of a long sleeve lightweight shirt is less of a nuisance than constantly putting on sunscreen.
\n
\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n4.\u00a0 First Aid Kit<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/First-Aid-Kit-e1537214504412.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Before you go out into the field try and learn the basics of first aid.\u00a0 Learning how to deal with a snake bite<\/a>\u00a0or severe cut in the field are must have skills.\u00a0 Buying a preassembled first aid kit like these kits made by Swiss Safe<\/a> take the guess work out of First Aid.\u00a0 Most kits have everything you need to handle basic injuries you might experience in the field.<\/p>\n
Your kit should include treatments for blister prevention,<\/a>\u00a0oversized bandages, disinfecting ointments, adhesive tape, basic pain medication and sterile gloves.\u00a0 I always throw in a tube of hikegoo<\/a> to prevent blisters and chafing.<\/p>\n
\n5.\u00a0 Knife<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Ka-bar-survival-knife-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Knives are a backpackers best friend out in the wilderness.\u00a0 Knives are crucial for gear repair, food preparation, handling emergencies etc..\u00a0 It should be no surprise that every adult out in the wilderness needs to carry a knife.<\/p>\n
Personally I like to carry my Brothers of Bushcraft survival knife<\/a>.\u00a0I prefer a plain edge fixed blade knife that’s sturdy and can be used for just about everything.\u00a0\u00a0You can learn about different styles of survival knives here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Other outdoorsman prefer a multi-tool that has a bunch of little tools inside.\u00a0 Plyers, screwdrivers, can openers and little tiny scissors that can aid you on a trip. There is a place for a multitool (I carry a Leatherman Wingman Multitool<\/a>) in my pack, but honestly I rarely use it over my regular knife.\u00a0 As the complexity of your needs increase the more a multitool will actually help you.\u00a0 You might also want to carry around a small ziplock bag size Coleman Tent repair kit<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n
\n6.\u00a0 Fire<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Camp-Fire-e1537317509281.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nEven if you’re only planning on a short day hike bring supplies to make a fire.\u00a0 In case of an emergency you need to have a disposable lighter or even matches if kept in a waterproof container.\u00a0 Just leave those cheap gas station matches at home, because they’re to poorly constructed for wilderness use.<\/p>\n
On longer trips you might want to bring along some firestarters to make building a fire easier.\u00a0 Wet wood is going to be very difficult to light without a firestarter.\u00a0 You can buy commercial firestarter Lightning Nuggets<\/a> or make your own by soaking cotton balls in petroleum jelly.<\/p>\n
On high altitude trips you aren’t going to have easy access to firewood.\u00a0 In these instances you’re going to have to bring along a small stove for emergency heat and water.<\/p>\n
\n7.\u00a0 Emergency Shelter<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Camping-Tent-Shelter-e1537318142268.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nOn longer trips you’re probably going to have a tent so you won’t have to worry about emergency shelters.\u00a0 You need to always carry a type of emergency shelter to protect yourself if you run into danger in the woods.<\/p>\n
You could get lost in the woods<\/a> or even worse get injured and need to spend a night on the trail.\u00a0 Personally I have a small emergency bevy kit<\/a>, but you can also bring an ultralight tarp, emergency space blanket or even a large garbage bag.<\/p>\n
Just remember that a tent is only good if you’re carrying it.\u00a0 A tent left back at camp is going to do you no good if you break your leg or get lost. A small bivy sack weighs less than 1 pound and will insulate you from the weather.<\/p>\n
\n8.\u00a0 Extra Food<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Bringing-Extra-Food-e1537318970826.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nOn shorter day trips bring an extra one day supply of food.\u00a0 Carrying additional food is going to be heavy so you need to keep your emergency stockpile reasonable. You never know when foul weather, bad navigation or an injury will delay a backpacking party.<\/p>\n
On longer trips you may need to bring a little more food to provide a slight margin of error.\u00a0 Cold weather is also going to require additional supplies Food=Warmth.\u00a0 Check out my list of all the best camping cookware sets<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Your food should require little or no cooking and be easy to digest.\u00a0 Skip anything that requires a lot of water or has the possibility of causing stomach issues.\u00a0 I like to bring along a combination of jerky, nuts, granola bars and dried soups.\u00a0 Don’t forget your coffee and tea for a quick caffeine fix.<\/p>\n
\n9.\u00a0 Extra Water<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Lifestraw-Backpacking-Water-Filter-e1537324096687.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLugging around water while backpacking is a difficult proposition.\u00a0 Water is extremely heavy and it’s impossible to carry all you need for a multi day hike.\u00a0 You might be able to carry enough water for a day hike, but for extra days you’ll need t find some method to treat the water. (Check out my guide on water purification methods<\/a>)<\/p>\n
The rule of thumb is that you should go out in the field with a half liter of water per hour.\u00a0 On short day hikes a small water bottle will probably be fine, but longer trips will require a water hydration bladder. CamelBak Hydration Reservoirs<\/a> are the most popular, but I actually prefer a 3-Liter Platypus Reservoir<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Every time I go out in the field I bring some way to purify water.\u00a0 I always have a small container of water purification tablets<\/a> in my bag.\u00a0 They weigh almost nothing and only cost a few bucks.\u00a0 The only downside is that it takes about 35 minutes to fully purify your water.<\/p>\n
If you’re going on a longer trip with multiple people you should bring along a water filter.\u00a0 Big groups are going to need a gravity water filter<\/a>, whereas a single hiker might be fine with a lifestraw<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n10.\u00a0 Extra Clothes<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Hiking-Clothes-e1537325142771.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nConditions quickly change out in the woods so you need to bring clothes to handle every situation.\u00a0 Make sure you check the weather before going backpacking and pack accordingly.\u00a0 Always bring at least one extra set of clothes just in case.\u00a0 Normally I’ll bring a few extra pairs of socks, because wet feet will quickly get you miserable.<\/p>\n
Just try to remember all the extra clothes you need to provide additional layers.\u00a0 What extra clothes will you need to survive all night in a emergency shelter?\u00a0 During the summer you might be fine with a light sweatshirt, but the winter you’ll need to really come prepared.\u00a0 Even if it’s in the 70’s during the day a pair of long underwear could be huge when the nighttime brings colder air.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When you head into the backcountry on your next hiking trip make sure you bring all the right hking gear. It doesn’t matter if you’re going on a one day trip or plan on staying in the wilderness for a week, the same basic rules are going to apply. With the following essential hiking gear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[9,3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Essential Backpacking Gear For Your Next Hike - RangetoReel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Essential Backpacking Gear For Your Next Hike - RangetoReel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When you head into the backcountry on your next hiking trip make sure you bring all the right hking gear. It doesn’t matter if you’re going on a one day trip or plan on staying in the wilderness for a week, the same basic rules are going to apply. With the following essential hiking gear […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RangetoReel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-19T02:50:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Essential-Backpacking-Gear-1-e1537210880891.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"RangetoReel\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/\",\"name\":\"RangetoReel\",\"description\":\"Fishing, Hiking, Camping and Hunting\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Essential-Backpacking-Gear-1-e1537210880891.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Essential-Backpacking-Gear-1-e1537210880891.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":700},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/\",\"name\":\"Essential Backpacking Gear For Your Next Hike - RangetoReel\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-19T02:50:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-09-19T02:50:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#\/schema\/person\/811d6198bcbfc695d9ffd8d4a216efc1\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Essential Backpacking Gear For Your Next Hike\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#\/schema\/person\/811d6198bcbfc695d9ffd8d4a216efc1\",\"name\":\"RangetoReel\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c3f34f2addb9e381388a068e0a157ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c3f34f2addb9e381388a068e0a157ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"RangetoReel\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Essential Backpacking Gear For Your Next Hike - RangetoReel","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Essential Backpacking Gear For Your Next Hike - RangetoReel","og_description":"When you head into the backcountry on your next hiking trip make sure you bring all the right hking gear. It doesn’t matter if you’re going on a one day trip or plan on staying in the wilderness for a week, the same basic rules are going to apply. With the following essential hiking gear […]","og_url":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/","og_site_name":"RangetoReel","article_published_time":"2018-09-19T02:50:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":700,"url":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Essential-Backpacking-Gear-1-e1537210880891.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"RangetoReel","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/","name":"RangetoReel","description":"Fishing, Hiking, Camping and Hunting","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Essential-Backpacking-Gear-1-e1537210880891.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Essential-Backpacking-Gear-1-e1537210880891.jpg","width":1024,"height":700},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/","name":"Essential Backpacking Gear For Your Next Hike - RangetoReel","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2018-09-19T02:50:41+00:00","dateModified":"2018-09-19T02:50:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#\/schema\/person\/811d6198bcbfc695d9ffd8d4a216efc1"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/essential-backpacking-gear\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Essential Backpacking Gear For Your Next Hike"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#\/schema\/person\/811d6198bcbfc695d9ffd8d4a216efc1","name":"RangetoReel","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c3f34f2addb9e381388a068e0a157ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c3f34f2addb9e381388a068e0a157ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"RangetoReel"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5462"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5462"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5528,"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5462\/revisions\/5528"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} - Sun Protective Clothing:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Clothing offers more sun protection than any sunscreen.\u00a0 During the summer try to find sweat wicking clothing that reduces moisture.\u00a0 Many backpackers find that the discomfort of a long sleeve lightweight shirt is less of a nuisance than constantly putting on sunscreen.
- Sunglasses:<\/strong>\u00a0 On the trail sunglasses are absolutely critical.\u00a0 The eyes are really susceptible to the sun and burn easily.\u00a0 Don’t let cloudy conditions fool you, your eyes can easily burn resulting in painful snow blindness. Put on your sunglasses early and bring an extra pair, because they’ll eventually get damaged.\u00a0 I wear the same pair of polarized sunglasses<\/a> that I do while fishing.<\/li>\n
- Compass:<\/strong>\u00a0 A compass is only as good as the person who uses it.\u00a0 You need to have basic orienteering skills and know how to read a map. Smartphones and GPS all have compasses included, but I would highly recommend bringing along a basic compass. You never know when your batteries are going to die, so bring along a basic UST topographic compass<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Headlamp or Flashlight:<\/strong> Bring along a cheap headlamp like the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp<\/a><\/li>\n
- Navigation<\/strong>: Maps, Compass, Altimeter, GPS(Cell Phone\/Dedicated Unit), Extra Batteries<\/li>\n