What to Pack for a Day Hike – The Essentials

A Guide for Essential Hiking Gear

Last Edited: 8/7/2025

This post is a guide that goest over what to pack for a day hike- only the essentials. I’ll go over every piece of gear you should bring as well as recommend my favorites. So if you’re new to hiking and are feeling lost about what to pack for you’re looking for updated gear recommendations, then this post is for you.

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Stop the overwhelm- these are the 9 items that you should bring hiking every time!

We’re going to keep this list simple and realistic so that you have the basics of what you need without feeling overwhelmed.

The classic recommendation for basic hiking gear is to pack the ten essentials in case of an emergency.

The Ten Essentials to Pack for Every Hike

Fire starting kit, shelter, compass and a map, a multitool or knife, insulation, light, first aid kit, water, and sun protection.

While you can absolutely pack those things, I have personally never packed all of them for a hike less than ten miles. Instead, I try to focus on these basic hiking gear.

So without further adieu, here is what I recommend packing for every hike:

• Navigation
• A Hiking Backpack
• Hiking Boots
• Hiking/Trekking Poles
• Layers
• Water/food
• Headlamp
• First aid kit
• Sun protection

Essential Hiking Gear for a Day Hike: Hiking Backpack

A good backpack will make a world of difference- I can say this from personal experience! When I was a teenager just learning the basics of hiking, I didn’t think I needed a good hiking backpack. By the end of hikes, my back would be soaked in sweat, my shoulders were screaming, and I had been thrown off balance by the thing many times.

This is why I recommend getting a good quality hiking backpack from the get go.

My favorite is the Osprey Tempest 20L. It has a big gap between my back and the bag so there’s lots of airflow, it’s easily adjustable to accommodate different bodies, and can hold a 2Liter or 3Liter bladder.

Although this is an investment, you will be grateful that you spent on a good bag for miles to come.

Essential Hiking Gear for a Day Hike: Hiking Boots

Hiking can mean spending miles and miles on your feet, so good footwear will make a hike far more comfortable. A good hiking boot will provide stability over rough terrain, keep your feet (mostly) dry, and overall keep your feet comfortable and your ankles stable.

You may be tempted to hike with a pair of good running shoes, but I caution you against this for several reasons.

1. Running shoes do not have the good quality grip that boots provide to get you safely over slippery rocks
2. They aren’t waterproof and if you have to cross a river you won’t have the protection that you need
3. Hiking boots provide ankle support to prevent you from a sprain.

So yes, you really do need a good pair of hiking boots!

Essential Gear for a Day Hike: Hiking/Trekking Poles

I used to be the person who refused to use trekking poles; I thought they were for people with bad knees.

But it turns out that they PREVENT you from being the person with bad knees! I cannot recommend using trekking poles enough; they are absolutely an essential piece of gear for hiking and should be brought on every trip! My favorite is the Black Diamond Trail Explorers. They don’t collapse on you and they’re lightweight but durable.

Quick tip on the poles: they should fit such that your elbow is at a 90-degree angle, and when you go down the hill you should make the poles longer, and shorter when you’re hiking uphill.

Essential Hiking Gear for a Day Hike: Layers

Depending on the season and the weather, what you pack for essential hiking layers will change.

Also keep in mind that the summit will be cooler and windier than the valley and you want to make sure that you have a layer to keep you warm and dry.

I never leave home without a quarter zip, an extra pair of socks (SmartWool are worth it), and a jacket.

My favorite jacket for fall hiking is the Marmot JENA jacket for women. And for the warmer days I always make sure I have a rain shell; I really like my Columbia.

Essential Hiking Gear for a Day Hike: Food and Water

Carrying your own water is an essential part of hiking. It’s suggested that you carry 1 liter of water for every 2 hours that you’re hiking. That’s a lot of water!! While I don’t follow this rule exactly, I always make sure that I have 2-3 liters for an all-day hike, and 2 liters for a smaller hike. You can get a bladder for hands-free hydration, or you can get a taller Nalgene or two to carry. I love my Camelbak 2 and 3 Liter bladder, and Nalgene for the extra water bottle. For food, it’s really up to you and the sky is the limit! Some of my personal favorite food to pack:

• Beef jerky
• PB&J sandwich
• Trail mix
• Granola bars

For longer hikes or when I know I’ll want to drink right from the stream, I usually pack a water filtration device as well. My favorite is the Sawyer; it’s affordable, it’s effective, and it packs up small and lightweight.

Essential Hiking Gear for a Day Hike: a Headlamp

You never know when you may need to see at night, so bring this along. It may be your best friend in an emergency. Or, you may need to start a long hike early in the morning before the sun has come up. Either way, you don’t want to leave home without this hiking essential.

My favorite is the Energizer LED headlamp; it’s comfortable and bright, and the batteries last a long time.

Essential Hiking Gear for a Day Hike: First Aid Kit

You don’t need a tourniquet kit, but some basic bandaids, wound-cleaning products and antibacterial cream never go amiss.

I usually pack an Adventure Medical Kit as the bag itself is waterproof and super lightweight, so it fits in my pack easily without adding too much weight.

Essential Hiking Gear for a Day Hike: Sun Protection

I used to be the person who refused to pack sunglasses and would just squint and complain about the headache, but then I got a pair of polarized sunglasses and it changed everything.

Bringing sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat will protect you from the intensity of the sun, especially at altitude, and prevent sunburn.

I never leave the house without putting Sunbum on my face and I always pack my polarized iSea sunglasses.

Essential Hiking Gear for a Day Hike: Navigation

You can bring a paper map or you can download a digital one, but having a reliable source of navigation is absolutely essential. Even a short hike could turn into a nightmare if you accidentally go off-trail or take a wrong turn.

You want to make sure that your ability to navigate doesn’t rely on having cell phone service as you may likely not have it out in the wilderness. I will usually pre-download a Google map or an AllTrails map and reference that along the way in addition to a paper map.

You do need a pro membership on AllTrails to be able to download it, but I find that I’ve gotten good use out of my membership.

Now that you know what to pack, we can go over some frequently asked questions.

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