Hiking and climbing trips require a great deal of preparation from physical conditioning to gathering the equipment and supply needed survive the trip. Here are the lists of the important must have climbing equipment and hiking supply:
Rope, cord, and webbing.
The ropes used in climbing are different from ropes used on other purposes. There are two classes of climbing ropes: static ropes and dynamic ropes. Static ropes are non-elastic ropes which are usually used for rappelling since they reduce the bounce, which makes it easier for an individual to descent. Static ropes are also used in anchoring systems. Dynamic ropes on the other hand are used as belay ropes since they are elastic. The purpose of elasticity is to reduce the force and tension created to the ropes and the person should he or she falls.
Belay devices allow the control of the belay ropes, important to keep the climber safe during accent or descent. The mechanical friction brake devices lock the rope with a minimal effort making the climb safer for both the person and the device.
Draws or quickdraws
Quickdraws consist of non-locking carabiners linked by a short, pre-sewn, ring of webbing. They are used to attach ropes bolt anchors for protection which permit the rope to run through them with nominal friction.
Crab or carabiner
The crab, a climbing equipment usually made of aluminum, is a metal loop with spring-loaded gate, used as connectors. There are 2 type of crab: locking, and non-locking.
A harness is worn either around the pelvis or chest, which is connected to a rope. There are other ways to wear the harness other than the 2 mentioned and there are types of harness for a particular outdoor activity such as canyoning and caving. However, the principle remains the same: to keep the climber from falling to the ground.
Other climbing equipment are figure eight, rescue eight, rack, ascenders, nuts, tricams, etc.
Pocket knife or utility knife
Pocket knife is a small folding knife, usually between 3 to 5 inches in length. The skipjoint knife that contains more than just one blade is often used as a soft duty utility tool. Swiss Army Knife and United States Army knife are two of the more popular skipjoint knife varieties in the market. It contains an array of tool such as scissors, corkscrews, bottle openers, saws, plain edges, and serrated.
Food and Water
It may be obvious to bring food and water on the trip but it is still worth mentioning. If you are planning to cook during the trip, bring your own portable stove. An ample supply of clean drinking water keeps you from drinking water coming from lakes and rivers you came across, which can be unsafe.
GPS is good until it runs out of power. A small compass will not be a big weight to carry. Do not forget to bring and learn to use one along with the map.
Okay. It’s just hiking and you’ll find your way in and out of it through the trails. Still, you need to bring your map because you’ll never know when you will use it.
Clothes and raingear
Bring appropriate clothes on your hiking trip. No short and Capri pants. Just heel closed shoes, long-sleeved shirt, and a cap. Do not forget to bring raingear too.