Whether you love hiking or mountain biking is your thing, it’s great to spend an extended amount of time outdoors. If you’re planning an outdoor trip, you want to be sure to bring all of the right things. Being prepared can ensure you have a peaceful and relaxed experience, so here are a few things to make sure you pack for your next trip:
A cooler
If you want to be sure to have fresh drinks and food while out camping or on your hike, you’ll want to bring a cooler. Of course, carrying your typical large cooler may be out of the question for an outdoor trip, where you have to be careful with how much you carry.
Soft coolers for a camping trip are ideal as they’re small and lightweight enough to carry with your tent and other things and can still provide the cooling effects you and your food need to stay cool.
Portable charger
If you plan on backpacking in nature for some days, a portable charger can be used for many things. Primarily, it can help ensure you have phone usage should you end up needing to call for emergency help.
It can also help you charge other things that you may need along the way, such as your flashlight or and you can easily find a small pack that fits easily into your backpack. Check out options that are solar powered that can get a charge from the sun but do be aware that if you end up with adverse weather conditions, you may not be able to get a charge.
Appropriate wear for the weather
Whether it’s summer or winter, do your best to pack for the weather. Thermal gear can be useful to sleep in while camping in the cold, but you’ll also want to make sure to bring rain gear, even if there is no rain expected.
Activewear that can both keep you warm and are waterproof is always a good idea for outdoor treks. In the summer, you want to be sure to carry cooling activewear that can help to keep you cool, even on the warmest of days.
Extra water and food
If you have a 2-day backpacking trip planned, you may plan your food for that day and carry the amount of water you think you’ll need. However, it doesn’t hurt to carry a bit extra just in case you end up needing more. .
While you’ll want to consider packaged powder that can be mixed with water for food or other types of lightweight nourishment, bringing extra of both food and water could make a difference should you end up needing it. Water is a must! An extra Hydroflask could make a world of difference.
Appropriate spray
If it’s mosquito season, you’ll want to be sure to carry bug spray, as there’s nothing worse than trying to enjoy the great outdoors and feeling like you’re being eaten alive. In addition to that, you’ll want to know a bugs life span like for example how long is the average ant lifespan? P.S. you’ll want some bug spray regardless.
Additionally, there is another kind of spray to think about carrying if you hope to backpack extensively in a place where predators are known to exist, such as mountain lions or bears: bear spray. Even if you never need it, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. This is another scenario where you don’t want to be eaten alive.
