Basic Health Essentials Every Multi-Day Hiker Needs

If you’re a hiker or distance walker, you’ll appreciate how important it is to carry certain essentials with you – especially if you’re hiking overnight, remotely, or for multiple days. Keeping your backpack as light as possible is also crucial.

This includes carrying some essentials for your health and well-being.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

·  Hikers must carry essential health items while keeping their backpack as light as possible. Much will depend on the trail, its length, and its remoteness.

·  Basic medical supplies include blister prevention and treatment, pain relief, prescription medicines, and emergency items such as snakebite kits (if walking in Australia).

·  Health and hygiene are also important, and this means carrying toilet supplies, dental supplies, sun protection, rain protection, and insect repellent.

Are You A Multi-Day Hiker?

Perhaps you’re planning an overnight walk with a stay in an Airbnb, pub, or guesthouse in a town, or camping on the trail. You might be walking Tasmania’s Three Capes Track and staying a few nights in huts along the way. Maybe you’re trekking the Northern Territory’s rugged Larapinta Trail over 12 days and need to carry everything, including a tent, sleeping bag, food, and cooking implements. Or you might be planning to walk England’s MacMillan Way or the iconic Camino de Santiago for up to 6 weeks or so.

No matter which route you’re taking or how long you’re expecting to be on the trail, there are essential health supplies you must not leave home without. Even while keeping the weight you will carry as low as possible, you need to ensure you don’t neglect – or forget – to include these.

Remote hikers need to carry a comprehensive first aid kit, distress beacon system, and survival kit, while those on less remote trails can get away with just the basics.

Basic First Aid Essentials

·  Blister Care. Walking, especially long distances or over multiple days, inevitably means blisters. Take blister blocks (Compeed) or Band-Aids of varying sizes and have them easily accessible. Consider strapping tape for taping the feet to help prevent blisters. This can double up as knee or ankle support if needed.

·  Snakebite Kit. This is crucial when walking in Australia. It primarily includes two compression bandages and can be bought online or in your local pharmacy.

·  Medications. A small supply of paracetamol/ibuprofen for pain relief, an antihistamine, and Gastrostop or Imodium for diarrhoea.

Also consider taking fine tweezers, safety pins, antiseptic wipes/cream, and a splinter needle. These are included in First Aid Kits.

Health Essentials

·  Prescription Medicines. An adequate supply of all regular prescribed medicines you need, with a buffer of a few days’ supply in case you take longer to complete your walk than expected.

·  Toilet paper/tissues. Some walks will have facilities along the way; many will not. You never know when you’ll need to go, and you should leave no trace. This means carrying it out with you (carrying dog waste bags is ideal for disposal later) or burying it deep where you do it; this must be well off the trail and not near any water source. Hand sanitiser gel is also a good idea.

·  The right footwear is critical. Comfortable, light hiking shoes are better than heavy hiking boots or sneakers, and you should wear them in well before you start your hike. Merino wool hiking socks are also highly recommended. Take a pair of light camp shoes or sandals (e.g. TEVAs) to wear after the day’s walking, and give your feet a break and to breathe.

·  Basic dental supplies. A small toothbrush, a travel-sized tube of toothpaste, and a small pack of dental floss. (If you wear dental retainers at night, it’s a good idea to take them too, as otherwise they may no longer fit once you get home.)

·  Soap/shampoo. An all-in-one bar is a great idea; otherwise, take travel sizes.

·  Comb/deodorant/hair tie.

·  Sun protection. This includes a hat or cap, sunglasses, a chapstick, and a small tube of SPF50+ sunscreen. You may also elect to wear long sleeves/long pants for added sun protection.

·  Rain protection. Take a lightweight rain jacket or poncho. A poncho can help keep not just you dry, but your pack as well.

Other basic essentials to support your health include a reusable water bottle or refillable hydration bladder, water filter or purification tablets if hiking remotely, insect repellent, feminine hygiene supplies as needed, and trekking poles (especially for rugged or mountain hiking or if you have knee/hip problems).

Conclusion – Stocking Up Along the Way…

Depending on where you’re going and how long you’re walking for, some items will be easy to pick up or restock along the way.  For example, if your walk passes through towns, villages, or cities (e.g. the Camino in Spain), you’ll have access to basic markets or pharmacies on many days and can get what you need as you go. If, however, you’re on a remote trail, walking primarily through bush, the Outback, countryside, mountains, etc, you do need to make sure you have enough of everything you might feasibly require from the outset. It’s always wise to be prepared.

Happy Walking!