Beginners' Basics - Pack List

There's nowt worse than a grade one packing frenzy with piles of kit silently demanding to be stashed in your sack and dragged off for a day in the hills. But do you really need to pack a pair of spare wicking boxer shorts? And what about those boxing gloves your sister told you would come in useful for beating off hungry sheep?

Yep, it's a dreadful dilemma, but follow our Beginner's Basics kit list and advice and you'll have more of what you need and less of what you don't. Bear in mind that there are no hard and fast rules, as you gather more experience, you'll get a better idea of what you need and what's just a pointless burden...

You should always carry a map - preferably of the area you're walking in - and a compass. If you're part of a group, aim to have a spare of both, just in case. GPS is fine, but like anything with electrical components and batteries, it can fail leaving you helpless. Bear in mind too that GPS works less well with tree cover and sometimes under thick cloud.

If you're using a guide book, consider photocopying the relevant pages pages and popping them in a zip-lock bag for weather protection. Laminated maps are great for wet conditions, but an alternative solution is the excellent Ortlieb map case.

No one is saying you have to carry a mobile, but it's a fact that it can be a lifesaver in emergency situations and increasing numbers of mountain rescue call-outs are made using mobiles. Bear in mind though, that network coverage is patchy in many upland areas, so you can't rely on it. Again, batteries can run out.

If you do feel you need to call help, use some common sense. If it's a genuine emergency, call mountain rescue by using 999, but work out your location first to avoid the archetypal, 'hello, we're lost' conversation... Finally, be aware that many people enjoy the solitude of being in the mountains, so your call home from the summit of Ben Hopeless may not be appreciated by everyone else huddled in the summit shelter.

You should carry some form of emergency shelter, even if it's a group one, which in any case will allow you to share body heat. Forget about space blankets and bags, most are prone to tearing and instead opt for a classic emergency polythene bivvy bag. Not light, but very effective.

The next step up is a group shelter like the Karrimor KISSU or Vango's Storm shelter. Generally you sit on your pack and pull the umbrella-like shelter over the entire group. Combined warmth and shelter from wind and rain makes these very effective.

Big organised groups sometimes carry sleeping bags in winter conditions, but for individuals it's not really a realistic option, though a down jacket may be. The heavier your pack, the slower you're going to move, so be realistic about what you can carry.

A basic polythene bag-type liner will keep the contents of your pack dry in wet UK conditions. The next step up is a proper dri-bag style liner with roll-over seal like the ones from Berghaus which are more durable and seal better. If your pack has a waterproof cover you can get away without.

You should always carry a basic first aid kit to tend to minor injuries. You'll want to be able to cope with cuts, grazes and minor injuries, but not open heart surgery in the hills so be realistic. One answer is a made-up mountain kit from the likes of Gregson, but it's easy enough to make your own. Bascics include a selection of plasters, some antiseptic wipes to clean cuts and grazes, crepe bandage, some sterile dressings, zinc oxide tape, antiseptic cream and a triangular bandage in case you need to construct a sling.

Add to that some blister treatments - Compeed works well - and possibly some aspirin or paracetemol to cope with headaches and rehydration salts for, erm, rehydration.

A fraught business, spare clothing. Some people insist on bringing along most of their wardrobe, others will happily venture out with nothing at all. In serious winter conditons, we'd definitely carry some form of light, compressible, insulating garment - either a light fleece or a synthetically filled top using something like Primaloft in case you have to stop for an extended period.

We'd also, in serious winter conditions, carry a spare hat and gloves. The hat could make the difference between life and death in really cold conditions since you lose so much heat through your head and it'd be a shame to die just because you've dropped you hat off the edge of a cliff...

All the time you're out, you'll be burning calories and consuming water which you'll lose in the form of perspiration. What you eat is partly down to personal taste - dried fruit, fig rolls, muesli bars, bananas and so on - but try to avoid high fat snacks while actually walking. You should also carry some sort of emergency stash of high energy food. Chocolate is a good option, but too tempting in non-mergency craving scenarios. Kendal Mint Cake is so sicky that it'll lie undisturbed in your pack for years... A proper lunch, sarnies and fruit for example, is great for morale and an energy top up.

We reckon the optimum solution for water is a hydration system - aim to consume between 500ml and a liter per hour depending on how hot it is - and a three-litre bladder works well, though it won't fit in some packs, so check before buying. There's nothing wrong with a humble water bottle of course, try to remember to drink regularly - try setting a timer on your watch to go off every 15 minutes for example - but it is less convenient.

In the days when head torches were the same size as small cars, the decision to carry one was always borderline. Now that LED lights are tiny, there's no excuse not to. Ditto an emergency whistle to attract attention.

Speaking of which, the recognised 'I've ballsed up' signal is six successive quick blasts of the whistle or flashes of the torch, wait a minute, then repeat, until someone saves you.

Of course there are lots of other bits and bobs you can carry to some or no particular advantage. A Swiss Army knife is great for opening bottles of wine or skinning rabbits, duct tape - wrap it round a used 35mm film canister, often comes in handy, and you can, of course, always carry a camera to capture those classic sheep attack moments.

Sun cream and insect repellant as required should also be on your list along with chapstick / lip balm and possibly sun glasses, if you're an eternal optimist...

Hey, we were joking about the boxing gloves, if a sheep's after your lunch box, you're better off using your feet either on the sheep itself, or if things get really ugly, to run away...

Our advice is to treat all sheep with extreme caution, particlularly those evil bleaters who hang around Kinder Downfall preying on hapless walkers. See also first aid kit, above...

Hopefully this article will have given you some basic pointers. The good news is that there's a load more advice on OUTDOORSmagic:

• Ask on the gear forum about general issues or specific items.
  
• Check the member reviews section for user experiences of kit.
  
• See OM editorial reviews on the front of the site for our impressions.
  
• Ask Richard Gear if you have a specific question you need answering.