Multi-Day Treks - What Kit do I Need? Our top 10 tips on day bag essentials

Spring is in the air and it’s about this time of year that we start to talk to our clients about what they need to take on their trek. We are asked all sorts of questions and are very happy to answer them individually, but feedback has taught us that with packing – less is definitely more and with advice the more the better!
Today I will cover the absolute essentials that you need to pack in your day bag – our website has a great guide for more information. Next time, we will go over what to clothes to wear and carry with you.

Top 10 Essential Tips for Equipment in the Day Pack!

1)    A 2-litre water bottle (or bladder). These come in all shapes and sizes and it’s up to you which you prefer, but you definitely don’t want to be in the glorious sunshine – at altitude without a bottle of water!

2)    Sun Barriers – cream, glasses and/or a hat. We will be walking for much of the day and only you know what you need to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun – then you can ensure you enjoy being outside in in it!

3)    Medication – don’t forget to carry your essential med’s and add in some blister cream and plasters, water purifying tablets and lip salve.

4)    Documents – we trek across countries! Don’t forget your passport, insurance and money

5)    Munchies – We eat well on our tours, but not necessarily at every moment you could do with an energy boost. Dry fruit and nuts, energy bars – think ahead to what works for you

6)    Head torch – the last thing you want to be doing is wandering on mountain trails holding your mobile out for torch-light!

7)    Tools for the route: A pocket knife – Everyone has a Swiss army knife or equivalent knocking about – now is the time to use it! And if you are self-guiding, you certainly need a map, compass, altimeter and route notes

8)    Wash kit – You and your overnight bag will always be re-united but a small wash kit (hand sanitizer?) and fast drying towel can be useful to freshen up when you need to

9)    Dry sack/ liner – we hope you don’t use it, but they weigh nothing and literally save everything in the event of a downpour.

10)Camera/phone – we know it’s all about living in the moment - but some of the sights you will encounter are “once-in-a-lifetimes” and surely worth recording too?

We are getting excited just recalling all of this – we hope you are too! Remember we are always here if you need advice. Here is to trekking 2019!

Am I ready for a Mountain Trekking Holiday?

Essential Tips and Guide to Preparing for and choosing your Mountain Trek
Anyone who has experienced a trek will remember the absolute thrill they felt having completed it, a wonderful feeling of triumph and true accomplishment. There is nothing quite it: preparing for the trail, embarking upon the journey, overcoming the unexpected along the way and finally walking over the “finish line” feeling like a super hero.
But what happens next? Luckily, there is always another fantastic route to follow, hill to hike, mountain path to meander your way through – but for serious walkers, how do you know when you are ready for the “next step” (pardon the pun).

Elevation
When choosing a mountain trek, besides the total number of miles hiked each day, you also need to consider the elevation gain. You are likely to be in good physical condition if you’re doing upwards of 20 miles a day. However, if that’s with 1000 metres or more (~3280 feet+) of elevation gain, you’ll require a higher level of fitness than you may expect.

Altitude
When walking at higher altitude, the air is thinner and has less oxygen, which obviously impacts walking. Dependant on where you live you may not be able to practice walking at a higher altitude, but everyone can take on board the following tips:
·       Aerobic Training: Aerobic activities will improve your VO2 max – the maximum volume of oxygen that your body can use.
·       Drink Water: At altitude you should be drinking water more frequently than you would normally, no matter what activity you are undertaking.
·       Breathe: Breathlessness comes quicker at a higher altitude, practice yogic breathing - breathing in a rhythm, taking deep, abdominal breaths.

Training
The best way to see what’s within your limits is to experiment on day trips. Do this before you book your trek. You want something that’s challenging, yet something that you can complete.  Although it may be hard to increase the altitude of your training treks (especially if you are training in Great Britain), one thing you can do increase the distance and time you walk as you train.
We recommend WalkingWorlds App, which gives you the ability to view local maps, zoom in tightly to see all the detail if you need to and you can also save as many walks as you like which are stored on your device. Whether you use an app or not, keep a record of the length of each walk, the time it took you and the elevation gain. Over time, you will see what you are capable of in a day.

Research
All good trekking companies provide guidelines on their treks. We grade ours from 1-10 and have detailed information on our website as well as wealth of information that we would gladly discuss in conversation with you – as every person is different. We have successfully guided Mums with babies (yes it’s true!) and people of all ages, experiences and disabilities. This is because we are not afraid to say “no” this walk isn’t right for you and instead work with you to provide a mountain trek that is the perfect option for you.

Choice
We have a wide range of treks, to suit all abilities and to ensure that you experience the walking holiday that you have been dreaming of.  We also split some of the treks into sections so that you can find a holiday that is the right length for you.  And if you don't find exactly what you want, we can create it or you can choose to guide yourself, safe in the knowledge that we have provided you with everything you need.  It is our job after all, to ensure that you both start and leave our mountains on top of the world!