-by Martyn Howe, author of Tales from the Big Trails
Over the years, my kit list has evolved from my early days of carrying almost everything I could need, to a honed collection of lightweight items, often with multiple uses. I spend the most on the big four: tent, sleeping bag, backpack and boots – balancing durability, weight and cost, but these five items will always be with me on a long backpacking trip:
1. Walking Poles – There are 101 uses for walking poles: fruit picking, psychotic dog defence, cow herding, tent poles, camera rest, nettle whacking, and puddle depth gauge – the latter finding a three-foot hole where a flagstone should have been on the Pennine Way. Apart from these, poles make a real difference to your walking posture and energy use, especially when carrying a backpack. I have found ascending and descending hills easier and safer, and they have arrested many a fall or stumble as I walk across rugged terrain – if you ever succumb to an injury, your walking poles will be your very best friend.
2. Multi-coloured dry bags – It has started to rain, the mist has descended, your waterproof trousers are at the bottom of your pack, and you cannot remember where you put your compass. I use different colour-coded dry bags for first aid, dry clothing, food, cooking stove, and gadgets to find what I need quickly. I have given up plunging my hand into a damp backpack to rummage around for that flapjack. No more will a hangry episode lead to upending the contents onto the moor side path in desperation to solve a sugar crisis.
3. Hypafix Tape – I have tried zinc tape, plasters, blister patches and even sheep wool to prevent or cure blisters, but nothing beats using Hypafix tape. It doesn’t glue itself to your skin and remains durable in wet conditions. Prevention is the way to go, so until my feet harden to the rigours of the trail, I cover my heels with two to three layers of tape from day one – even if my feet seem comfortable at first in new socks and dry boots.
4. Smartphone – walking the South West Coast Path in 2007, I carried a Sony Ericcson K750i candy bar phone and managed to take a few pictures and upload them to Flickr. A modern smartphone is a multi-function marvel: a fantastic camera, music player, GPS navigation (I use Viewranger), weather forecaster, and accommodation research tool, amongst many other functions. It has changed my approach to planning and navigation, but I do not rely on it in remote areas or when the temperature plummets (phones have a habit of shutting down in cold conditions). To manage battery life, I use aeroplane mode during the day and only use it for photography and check my position if my sixth sense tells me I have taken a wrong turn.
5. Square bits of cloth – A 12″ square microfibre cloth makes an excellent towel and, when dry, cleans glasses and smartphone screens efficiently. I usually carry two-three and wash them often. My other favourite piece of cloth is undoubtedly a Buff (or snood to use the non-brand name description) – not only do they keep a neck warm, but they make good eye masks and head caps at night. Some versions use fleece when it gets cold and fold into a warm hat: so I carry two on all walks.
Lastly, I wrap something to read in two layers of polythene. Can I recommend Tales from the Big Trails? I hope this book inspires you to further adventures, and it is something to do when you pitch early on those rainy days – weight only 98g.
Tales from the Big Trails is available to buy now for £9.99
Join us at Stanfords on Tuesday 23rd November when Martyn How will be talking about Tales from the Big Trails. More information and tickets available HERE.