Essential Items to Bring on a hike
First, determine the difficulty of the hike. You'll need to bring more items for a 12-mile cross-country hike than a one-mile trail hike. Common sense plays an important part. You don't want to bring too many items, because it adds weight and slows you down.
Easy Hikes
- Cell phone
- Water (one quart)
- Running shoes or lightweight hiking shoes
- Proper clothing (see panel below)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Fanny pack
- This is all you need to bring, if you follow the number one safety rule:
- Hike in a group of four or more.
- It's unlikely that you would get hurt on an easy hike, but if you did, two people in your group could go for help.
- The above rule applies if you stay on the trail, it's good weather, and you don't have any medical problems.
Advanced Hikes
Water -Three quarts (more if it's hot).
Food - Complex carbs are the best.
Daypack - around 1,600 cu.in. Most daypacks are now hydration packs.
Boots - Lightweight or middleweight. Red Rock is better in a lightweight boot with sticky sole, called Stealth Rubber. Mt. Charleston is better in a middleweight boot if hiking cross country, but it's personal preference. Remember, a pound on the feet is like five on the back.
Proper clothing - Hot weather: cotton Cold weather: wicking clothing.
Sunscreen
Hat
Poncho- An inexpensive poncho weighs next to nothing and takes up little room. It will keep you warm in a rainstorm, not necessarily dry. It's the cold that will kill you, not the wet.
Cellular Phone - Will not work everywhere, but worth a try.
11 ESSENTIALS - cell phone, map, compass, extra food, extra clothing, first aid supplies, pocket knife, fire starter, matches, flashlight, and sunglasses.
The 11 Essentials in detail:
Cell phone: call for emergency; Smart phones: use the flashlight app, use the compass; use the first aid app.
Map- bring if you know how to use.
Compass - bring if you know how to use. (Don't need if you have a smart phone.)
Extra Food - most of the time you will not need it, but when you do you'll be glad you have it. Five miles of rock scrambling to reach your car and little daylight left, you're going to need to keep your energy level up.
Extra Clothing- it can turn cold fast in the mountains. Get chilled and you're in for problems. 30 degree temperature drops are not uncommon if hiking to a peak in Red Rock Canyon or Mt. Charleston.
First Aid Supplies - again bring them if you know how to use them. .
Pocket Knife - (Swiss Army Knife) useful in many situations.
Fire Starter - this is material that burns easily.
Matches - waterproof are best. If you can't find any, then put regular matches in a zip-lock bag.
Small Flashlight - If you're doing advanced hikes sooner or later you'll run out of daylight. A flashlight can make the difference between making it back to the car or spending the night in the mountains.
Sunglasses - protect your eyes both from the sun and brush.
Food - Complex carbs are the best.
Daypack - around 1,600 cu.in. Most daypacks are now hydration packs.
Boots - Lightweight or middleweight. Red Rock is better in a lightweight boot with sticky sole, called Stealth Rubber. Mt. Charleston is better in a middleweight boot if hiking cross country, but it's personal preference. Remember, a pound on the feet is like five on the back.
Proper clothing - Hot weather: cotton Cold weather: wicking clothing.
Sunscreen
Hat
Poncho- An inexpensive poncho weighs next to nothing and takes up little room. It will keep you warm in a rainstorm, not necessarily dry. It's the cold that will kill you, not the wet.
Cellular Phone - Will not work everywhere, but worth a try.
11 ESSENTIALS - cell phone, map, compass, extra food, extra clothing, first aid supplies, pocket knife, fire starter, matches, flashlight, and sunglasses.
The 11 Essentials in detail:
Cell phone: call for emergency; Smart phones: use the flashlight app, use the compass; use the first aid app.
Map- bring if you know how to use.
Compass - bring if you know how to use. (Don't need if you have a smart phone.)
Extra Food - most of the time you will not need it, but when you do you'll be glad you have it. Five miles of rock scrambling to reach your car and little daylight left, you're going to need to keep your energy level up.
Extra Clothing- it can turn cold fast in the mountains. Get chilled and you're in for problems. 30 degree temperature drops are not uncommon if hiking to a peak in Red Rock Canyon or Mt. Charleston.
First Aid Supplies - again bring them if you know how to use them. .
Pocket Knife - (Swiss Army Knife) useful in many situations.
Fire Starter - this is material that burns easily.
Matches - waterproof are best. If you can't find any, then put regular matches in a zip-lock bag.
Small Flashlight - If you're doing advanced hikes sooner or later you'll run out of daylight. A flashlight can make the difference between making it back to the car or spending the night in the mountains.
Sunglasses - protect your eyes both from the sun and brush.
Clothing
Clothing helps you stay dry and comfortable. How do you prevent becoming chilled? Wear layers of clothing. The secret to layering is combining the correct clothing in the proper order. Done correctly it traps air warmed by your body heat while wicking moisture away from your skin.
The first layer (the one closest to your skin) will wick moisture away from your skin while trapping body heat. Any of the wicking fabrics found under the trade names Thermax or Coolmax work well. They come in different thickness. The colder the climate, the thicker the material you will want.
The middle layer acts as insulation. Fleece sweats, polypro pullovers, or a long-sleeved flannel shirt are good choices. The middle layer can be more than one garment.
The final layer protects from wind. A windbreaker is fine in Las Vegas, except during winter months in Mt. Charleston. Jackets made from GORE-TEX are recommended during winter.
If you become hot, simply peel some of the layers. If you become cold, add layers.
In the summer I hike in shorts. Get the kind that do not bind your leg when stepping up. I also like deep pockets.
I bring a rain jacket when hiking at attitude (10,000 feet or above). It can double as a windbreaker.
Women wear long pants, even in the summer, if you're rock scrambling. Scrub oak, found in all the canyons in Red Rock, will scratch your legs.
You lose more heat from your head than any other part of your body. A Balaclava, sort of like a ski mask, will keep your head warm and is lightweight. In the summer a baseball hat is okay.
The first layer (the one closest to your skin) will wick moisture away from your skin while trapping body heat. Any of the wicking fabrics found under the trade names Thermax or Coolmax work well. They come in different thickness. The colder the climate, the thicker the material you will want.
The middle layer acts as insulation. Fleece sweats, polypro pullovers, or a long-sleeved flannel shirt are good choices. The middle layer can be more than one garment.
The final layer protects from wind. A windbreaker is fine in Las Vegas, except during winter months in Mt. Charleston. Jackets made from GORE-TEX are recommended during winter.
If you become hot, simply peel some of the layers. If you become cold, add layers.
In the summer I hike in shorts. Get the kind that do not bind your leg when stepping up. I also like deep pockets.
I bring a rain jacket when hiking at attitude (10,000 feet or above). It can double as a windbreaker.
Women wear long pants, even in the summer, if you're rock scrambling. Scrub oak, found in all the canyons in Red Rock, will scratch your legs.
You lose more heat from your head than any other part of your body. A Balaclava, sort of like a ski mask, will keep your head warm and is lightweight. In the summer a baseball hat is okay.
First Aid
Items you should have in a first aid kit:
Walmart sells a decent first aid kit for less than $20.
Blister Prevention
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- Triangular bandage
- Ace bandage
- Band-Aids
- Tape 1 inch roll
- Moleskin or Spiroflex (for blisters)
- Aspirin
- Sunscreen
- Tweezers
Walmart sells a decent first aid kit for less than $20.
Blister Prevention
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