A lot of people don’t realize that packing for hiking trips have a lot of things that you should consider. Where you go and when you go determines what items you should bring along with you.

If you are going with friends, ask them what the place is like and what kind of environment it is. Also, ask what the weather is usually at your destination and plan accordingly. If it’s rocky terrain, perhaps you might want to bring your climbing shoes. Is the area open fields? Maybe bringing a bandana or other headgear is a good idea.

Information found online as well. Hiking websites and hiking social media pages are a treasure trove of information, especially for beginners. The communities are generally very welcoming to newcomers, so do not be afraid to ask for advice.

IT might come as a shock to first-timers, but it is entirely possible to pack all the things that you need into one bag. Using one bag frees your hands to do other stuff like hold on to trees or climb up slopes.

The trick to make this work is to choose a bag that has a lot of compartments and is just right for your body type. Make sure that the bag is durable and designed for camping. Use packing cubes to organize your stuff. It does packing and unpacking easy as well as isolating items from one another to prevent leaks.

If this seems daunting to you, you can check out websites and forums for ideas and inspiration. Reddit’s r/onebag is a subreddit dedicated to this idea. In there, you see posts such as bag choices, packing tips, and many more. Redditors also frequently post guides and tutorials designed to help those who are still new to the idea.

Now that you have an idea of what you are going into, it’s time to pack! Most people would jump right into stuffing their bags with what they think they need and end up overpacking.

The key to this is to prioritize items that go into your bag. Start by packing the essentials first before anything else. These are things that you cannot live without, such as toiletries, medicine, and personal hygiene items. Put them all in a small container or organizer and put it in an easily accessible compartment in the bag.

Next, pack clothes and underwear for the trip. A good rule of thumb is to pack a shirt for each day of your trip plus an extra. The same goes for underwear. Pants, on the other hand, can be worn multiples times so packing one for every couple of days is enough.

After that is prepping your camping gear, these items are usually the heaviest, which is is why they need the most thought. If you are with friends, talk to them about what gear to bring along. You don’t all need to bring one camping stove each and others can even share tents.

When packing, put heavier stuff at the bottom of the bag stacking lighter items one on top of the other. It means your sleeping bag or blanket goes in first then your clothes and other smaller items etc. To make the bag bottom-heavy reducing the stress on your shoulders and making the bag more comfortable to carry.

Contrary to popular belief, hiking and camping do not need much fancy gear. The biggest mistake for beginners to the hobby is splurging on tons of stuff they think they need every chance that they get. Most of which only get used a couple of times and then forgotten. Limit gear this does not only add unnecessary weight to your pack, but you are also spending money which can be used on other stuff like hiking fees and airfare.

Before buying, ask yourself first how necessary the item will be a few years from now. Is the thing something you will use most if not all the time? Is this piece of equipment essential to camping out in the wild, or can you live without it? If your answer to all these questions is yes then go ahead and get it. If not, then you might have to reconsider buying.