Hiking is a superb way to move your body after a long week spent in your working chair, lying in bed watching Netflix, and eating a suspicious amount of junk food.
All it takes is your will to move and explore nature near your city or town.
Whether you’ll walk or cycle, you’ll need something to carry your things with you. Besides a pair of comfortable shoes and cozy clothes, you’ll need a hiking day pack. Your daypack shouldn’t be a massive thing, after all, you won’t have to pack half of your belongings. It should be big enough to store a few snacks, a phone and a wallet, bottled water, maybe even a camera or a pair of extra socks or a t-shirt.
Once you choose your model, let’s see what are the essentials you’ll need for your next hiking adventure.
You’ll Need a Good Backpack
If you’re going for an adventure, exploring new places in the wild, or a concrete jungle, you’ll need a suitable daypack. They’re excellent to gather all your essentials.
But, how do you choose the right one? If you’re looking for a hiking day pack and have no idea where to start, let us help you with a few tips.
So, that leads us the question… How do you choose the right one?
Just like travel backpacks, many various options will do the work. In fact, there isn’t one and only model of daypack for everyone. It depends on your personal preferences and what you plan to do with it.
First of all, it should be comfortable with adjustable straps. Make sure it’s lightweight so you can walk freely, without getting tired or feeling back pain. None of the things you carry shouldn’t poke your back, or damage the fabric.
The daypack should be light when it’s empty; if not, what’s the point of carrying a huge burden on your back? The simpler design the better; every extra zipper, pocket and other accessories will add extra weight.
You can go with a minimalist design with padded shoulders for extra comfort. Go for models that have built-in rain cover (you never know when the weather will change). Although your first choice will be to use this backpack for hiking, you could easily use it to carry your items for work or school (laptop, phone, wallet, snacks, a water bottle in the outside mesh pockets).
Go for models that have easy zip openings; this way you won’t lose time untangling and unzipping millions of things at once.
Cross-chest support and waist straps are also great options for a proper balance.
If you want to narrow your choice look for a daypack that is designed exactly for the purpose you need it.
Your daypack shouldn’t be too big; you’re going hiking, not mount climbing. You should feel comfortable and light, just as your daypack load.
Let’s see what are the main essentials you’ll need to carry with you.
Water
This is the first thing that you’ll need for your hiking adventure. You can carry a small bottle of 500 ml or a larger one of 750ml. Our suggestion is to stay lightweight. You wouldn’t need too much water for hiking of an hour or two. Store the bottle in the daypack pocket (they’re usually placed on the sides) so you can easily reach it and put it back, without even opening the daypack.
Food
You’ll get hungry after a while, so it’s a good idea to take something to eat. You can prepare sandwiches, or snacks such as potato chips, chocolate bars, biscuits, muffins, dry fruit, just anything that won’t go bad after a few hours in your daypack.
Phone & Wallet
Although you’re going in the nature, don’t forget about your phone and money. Your phone can help you with navigation, but you might also have to call people if someone gets lost. Or, let’s see on the bright side, you’ll want to take pictures for your social media, so your phone is a must.
Your wallet is a necessity. Although you might not need money where you’re going, still, carrying some cash or your cards won’t be a bad idea. You may need to buy extra water, pour some gas in your car, or simply buy a cup of tea or coffee in a bar.
Jacket
No matter how pleasant the weather is, carrying extra layers is always a good thing. Maybe in the city is hot and you can’t imagine wearing more than just sweatpants and a t-shirt, but in nature things are different. If you’re going in the woods, you’d be glad you got your jacket. It could be chilly, or you may get surprised by light rain.
Spare Clothes
Hiking is a physical activity so it’s entirely normal for you to sweat. Instead of letting that wet shirt dry on your body, carry extra pieces of clothes just in case. You can pack extra socks, a t-shirt, a small towel and even an extra pair of leggings or sweatpants. The grass may be wet from the dew, there may be a river or a puddle, the weather may change (light rain) so it’s better to have something to change instead to stay in wet clothes.
Camera
And finally, your day pack won’t be complete without your camera. Although most people usually use their phones to take photos and videos, and an actual camera would make excellent footage from your hiking adventure. If you have one, don’t forget to pack it. It would be a wonderful way to film every fun moment of your day, nature, even maybe some animal that crossed your way.
