Packing for a hike doesn’t have to be as complicated as many people imagine and at the Outdoors Man, we’ve spent years trying to perfect our packing so that only the most necessary equipment comes with us. We’ve put together a list of the sorts of things that you should expect to pack for your hike, so you can just check them off as you go.

Survival equipment -just in case the worst should happen, you’ll want to be prepared with bandages, matches, flashlights and batteries.

Plenty of clean water — you’ll want to stay hydrated outdoors so be sure to bring several litres of water and possibly a water purification system should you run out of water and need more hydration.

Spare clothes — It happens a lot; soaking your clothes through with mud and rain, so always bring a change of clothes should you need.

Emergency accessories — from flares to long range radios you’ll want to be fully prepared in case you find yourself in an emergency.

Food — high energy foods that contain plenty of carbohydrates are recommended as they’ll fill you up and keep you moving.

Compass — you’ll definitely need a compass for direction changes and so on. Always keep a spare in case anything happens to the first one.