Hiking and gear always go hand in hand. You really can’t go with one but without the other. On one hand, your gear includes all the essentials you need during the hike. While on the other, what’s the purpose of owning hiking gear when you don’t use them?

Below is a hiking and gear list to help you along the trail:

Boots

It’s not really hiking in the real sense if the trail is not all-natural. And by natural, we mean rocks and roots, definitely not pavement. So if you’re walking on that kind of rough terrain, the right hiking and gear item you need is a pair of sturdy boots.

You know when a boot is sturdy by the feel of its soles. Remember that your boots protect your feet from sharp rocks and their construction helps keep you from spraining your ankle when tripping over roots and other obstacles – something that’s bound to happen if you’re on a rough trail and you don’t watch your step.

Another thing, your boots should be more forgiving when it comes to getting dusty, dirty, and muddy. Imagine yourself wearing a pair of nice white athletic shoes and you’re walking over mud, crossing rivers, trekking along gorges…. Your feet won’t be a pretty sight afterwards. So what you need then is a pair of sturdy-soled boots with good ankle support.

Pack

Another hiking and gear item that makes it to the list is your pack. When you go out into the woods, you need to take along the 10 essentials and you need something to carry them in. Of course! You can’t very well carry them all with your bare hands. A hiking and gear backpack therefore is in order. And we don’t just mean any backpacks. Your pack should be one of those with wide padded straps and a waist belt as these two features greatly help in weight distribution.

Hiking Clothing

Now these depend entirely on the kind of trail you’re talking and the climate of the place. Most hikers in the North American woods tend to wear layers when going hiking. Their hiking and gear almost always include extra clothing as well.

The inner layer of your clothing should be made of wicking fabric or some other fabric that could keep the sweat off your body. The middle layer is for insulation, so it could be made from polar fleece or a high-tech knit. The outer layer is a waterproof and windproof but breathable jacket. For pants, you need a pair of sturdy ones to protect your legs from branches.

Insect Repellant

Yes, they are a necessity and should be included in your list of hiking and gear equipment. Mosquitoes love hikers. They just do, for very obvious reasons. So what does a hiker have to do to keep them away?

Bringing along a bottle insect repellant couldn’t be cumbersome, especially if they are specially made for travel. And you should always wear bug repellant no matter what time of the day.