Whether you’re going for a day-long hike or a week-long one, you need to plan properly to make sure that you have the proper gear with you. The key to survival, especially in situations where you have limited contact with civilization, is having the right gear. Hiking is strenuous activity for even the most seasoned hikers, and camping out in the wild has its own set of risks, but the right gear can make any outdoors trip much easier and better. But you have to know what kind of gear you’ll need on the trip, and that depends on how long the trip is going to be and what time of year you’re planning the trip in. Because hiking is done all year round, it is very important to pack according the weather you might encounter – as that would have a drastic effect on the content of your pack.

The whole aim to having the right gear is that you should be in control of the situation and remain calm and collected in the face of any problem that you might encounter in the wild. Everything you might need to survive should be on your back.

You need to make a checklist of the things that you would need on any hiking or camping trip. The list gets added to if you plan on going on a hunting expedition. The list here is for medium length excursion that you can then adapt for different trip durations and weather conditions.

What you’ll need:

• Backpack
• Water Bottle
• Hydration Pack
• Boots
• Socks
• Headlamp
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Multi-Tool
• Knife
• Fire starter
• Matches
• Flashlight
• Map
• Compass
• GPS
• First Aid Kit
• Sleeping Bag
• Tent
• Emergency Blanket
• Cookware
• Rain Gear
• Weather Appropriate Clothing

These are the bare essentials that you need to keep with you when you are going on an outdoor trip. Some things can be dropped if you are planning a day hike, but for trips that include camping in the wilderness overnight or over longer periods, all the items need to stocked accordingly.

In addition to these you can take with you some reading material or even some music, like an iPod or other MP3 player to keep you company, but the latter is only feasible for shorter trips as there won’t be much chances of recharging them. Whatever you put in your bag, make sure that you don’t overload it. Travel with all the essentials, but travel light because whatever you’ll put in your bag will end up load on your back and will add to the already strenuous activity of hiking. So make sure you take only the essentials, and leave behind anything that you think you would not need.