What to Carry with you on your First Trek

Today, I will be sharing with you five of the top necessities that I always carry and always suggest you carry with you. Some of them are obvious equipments and some are not. But, they do make a huge difference in the trekking experience. While carrying a bag and other essentials are always taught and even a list is given to most first timers, depending on your own needs and requirements, you should always personalize some items in addition to the mandatory things.

1. Water Bottle

This one is an obvious thing but I wanted to start with it because many people seem to overlook the importance of carrying your own water bottle when going on an organized trek. While the itinerary you receive might mention that bottled water is provided, it is always a good idea to carry your own as well. Having your own bottle means you won’t have to wait for the person who is passing out water or search for him during the trek, you will have a backup.

2. Snacks to Munch

When on a trek, you lose energy faster than you can anticipate, especially if you are a first timer you won’t be able to gauge how long your stamina can get you or how fast do you start feeling the effects. Munching something from time to time will keep your energy to the optimum and you won’t have much difficulty in completing the trek. Something like trail mix, nuts, chocolate bars, energy bars, or dried fruits should do the trick.

3. Trekking Shoes

While you think that the sports shoes you have are enough to get you by, you will soon realize that you are wrong. The quality, comfort, and protection that a good trekking pair can offer is worth every penny you spend on it. The more comfortable, lightweight, and sturdy pair you can invest in, the more you will thank yourself on every trek you go. The waterproof aspect of most trekking shoes nowadays is all you could have asked for to make it perfect.

4. Flashlight

If your trek is at night, it is a good idea to have a flashlight with you. Your phone might have a flashlight feature but what if your battery runs out and you are lost. First timers often slow down and when it is dark it is easy to lose track of the people around, having a flashlight with you is more of a safety precaution.

5. Sunscreen

When you are out the whole day in the sun, your skin can be damaged quite a bit by the sun. It is important to put on a layer of sunscreen with good SPF. If you can carry a small tube great. Because you sweat while trekking, most people tend to wipe off the sunscreen as well. If you have sensitive skin and are prone to sunburn then keeping on applying sunscreen in intervals is probably a good idea.

Along with these things, there are a lot more you should have but these are the things that I have seen most people forget.