A comfortable backpack and a good water bottle are absolutely essential and comfortable strong shoes are also very important. The weight of your backpack (packed) should not exceed one third of your body weight.
Hikers must be fairly fit and should definitely get exercise before any hiking trail. Don’t carry too many things with you. Everything, even the smallest item, must be as light as possible.
Your backpack should always be packed to keep the load as close to your centre of gravity as possible. This lessens the “backward pull” you get when the bag is incorrectly packed.
General
- The map of the route
- Pencil and paper
- Whistle
- Plastic bags to use when raining
- Sun glasses (Optional)
- Camera, binoculars, mobile phone (Optional)
- National tree or bird list (Optional)
Other important articles
- Matches (try to get waterproof matches)
- Small torch with new batteries
- Pocket knife and tin opener
- Plate, mug and spoon
- Water bottle
- Candles
- Soap
- Crockery
- Tongs
- Container to shake powder milk in
- Cloth, dish washing detergent
- Gas-stove and gas-lamp (see that you have enough extra gas)
Food (make your own selection)
A hiking trip’s menu should always come to terms with personal taste and preference, although you should look at the following: Taste, nutritious value, is it filling, lightweight, prepared easily and is the cost reasonable?
One way of planning meals on a trail is to join with one or two more people and plan a joint menu. Everyone doing their own thing, or one person doing everything, (unless he/she is a qualified chef) can result in chaos.
- Rusks
- Instant soup and sauces
- Any breakfast cereal or muesli
- Salami
- Dried fruit
- Biltong (dried meat) and “droë wors”
- Nuts for e.g. peanuts and raisins
- Sweets (Super C’s or Vita C’s)
- Chocolates
- Powder cool-drink (Game or Clifton)
- Fresh fruit (Oranges and Apples)
- Cheese wedge’s and Yoghurt
- Pro-vitas
- Eggs or powder eggs
- Tin meat (Bully beef or Vienna’s)
- Dried mince (Dried in a microwave)
- Instant potato for e.g. Mash potato
- Tin tuna, sardines, Vienna’s and meat
- Vegetables (Carrots and Onions)
- Dried vegetables (Pick ‘n Pay)
- “Meal in one” or similar meals
- Fresh bread rolls
- Jam, Syrup and butter
- Meat can be used on the first night
- Smoked and vacuum-packed meat
- “Rooster koek” mix
- Instant milk pudding
- Woolworths ginger cake
Emergencies
- Vaseline lip-ice
- Sun tanning lotion
- Bandage and plasters
- Mercurochrome
- Headache tablets
- Voltaren (Ointment that loosens your muscles)
- Mosquito lotion (Tabard)
- Antiallergic medicine
- Malaria tablets (for trails in Malaria regions)
- Plaster, bandage and an ankle/knee guard
Clothes
- Cap or sunscreen
- Two sets of light clothes
- One sweater and/or a warm jacket
- A tracksuit for sleeping
- Walking shoes with thick woollen socks
- One short pair silk stocking
- Slip-on’s or light shoes for use after the days walk
- Swimming suit and towel
- Rain coat (Big plastic refuse bags can also be used)
- Sleeping bag and small pillow
- Washing-line and clothes-pegs
- Needle, string, scissors and extra lace
Requisites
- Soap, wash cloth, toothbrush, -paste and Shampoo
- Lip-ice and eye drops
- Light towel and washcloth
- Comb or brush
- Mirror
- Toilet paper (sometimes it is not provided)
- Other
Remember everyone doesn’t have to carry everything themselves, groups can divide items amongst each other.