It happens a lot. You go on a trek, take all kinds of gear with you, but during the walk you begin to realize that you took many unnecessary things while the essential things are missing from your backpack.

So let’s see the most important things that should be with you on a
real multi-day trek. And I am not talking here about backpack or tent. I
am talking about the the less obvious things but not less important.

1. Map! This is mostly a beginners mistake. People might think that if
the trek is marked and signed then there is no need to take a detailed
map. What you forget is that the marking on the trek can disappear or
the distance between two marks can be long and you might get lost in
between. This is where a map is vital.

2. Compass. If you do get lost due to a lack of marking or another
reason, then a map alone might not be enough. Compass will help you to
better position yourself on the map and choose the right walking
direction.

3. First aid kit. Don’t ever underestimate the importance of the first
aid kit. Most of the chances that you won’t sustain a serious injury on
your trip, but even a little cut can get infected  when you
don’t have a quick access to water and soap. Or if you will eat
something that wasn’t properly washed and get a stomach disorder.
Without proper medication that can ruin the whole trip for you.

4. Flashlight. You will sure notice the absence of it when you’ll need
to find something at night while laying in your tent or if you’ll need
to go to toilet. Remember that in the nature there are no street
lights, and don’t forget to take a spare set of batteries. Best
flashlights are using LEDs as a light source. They are very bright and
power efficient.

5. Lighter and Matches. I always take both, since matches are
generally better when lighting a fire but lighter is more waterproof.

6. Wet wipes. This is one of the most useful things for me at the
evenings and during breaks while trekking . When you take a break
from walking and want to eat something, first you’d like to have a
clean hands, and water for washing (as I said earlier) is not always
available. Wipes solve this problem for you. They are also good in
cleaning  gear.
Just one  important thing  - always take used wipes with you and dispose of them properly.

7. Thongs or other light footwear. After a long day of walking you
REALLY want to take off your trekking shoes, but you still need to move
around your tent (or a Hut if you tramping in New Zealand).

8. Trekking poles. Many people underestimate trekking poles. They can
take up to 20 percent of pressure off your knees and help your balance.
After getting used to my trekking poles I never go on a multi-day trek
without them. They are very helpful, for example when crossing rivers
and climbing hills. Highly recommended.

I didn’t write here about the obvious things such as food and water, or
spare clothes. I didn’t write here also about a survival equipment
because it should be adjusted to the area (and season) of your trek. Of course there
are always more things, which are also important and I didn’t mention
here, but I chose these eight because they are common to most of the
multi-day tracks.

I really hope that this list will save you some unpleasant situations
and bring up a smile on your face when you’ll use one of the things
mentioned here.

Greg.

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