Gear Tips For First-Time Adventurers

With every experience there’s always an adventure-specific gear list. And for every adventure that we lead, we always find a lot of wasted money on a lot of wasted stuff simply because, well, it’s likely this is the first time you’ve ever heard of half this stuff and that makes you a walking ATM to a store vendor tasked with telling you what you need when you don’t have a clue. So here are a few hints, tips and hacks to ensure that you get the right gear for your adventure and that the right gear you do get is actually useful to you when the time comes.

Headlamp

A headlamp is not a face projector! You don’t need a 1 KG lighting system attached to your forehead. It should be functioning lamp that enables you to easily wear it, pack it and see what’s in front of you with it. Make sure it’s actually working and you that you have spare batteries. An additional portable lamp can also be very handy on trips like Kilimanjaro or Aconcagua that you can hang in your tent or use in case the headlamp is not working or lost.

Gloves

Contrary to popular belief, gloves don’t come as a one size fits all. You need to try them on before you actually urgently need them. Some people don’t and then find they have a glove big enough to almost cover just their thumbs and BAM; hello frozen fingers and a miserable experience. Try them on before you buy!

Water Bladders

Test it before you need it. Fill it with water and try the tube several times. Check for any water leaks at the connections and around the bladder. Try it inside your backpack and make sure it doesn’t leave when a little pressure is applied because not doing this means discovering you have no water when you need it and also discovering that the water you had has now damaged other vital gear in your pack.

Thermal Layers

Just because it’s called merino wool doesn’t mean it won’t give you a skin rash. Try on your thermals. See how your body reacts. It may well be that synthetic fabrics are the only thing that don’t cause an allergic reaction forcing you to relive your itchy childhood chicken-pox trauma. There’s only so much we can do when it’s freezing and all you have is an allergy-generating warm layer.

Snacks

Take snacks that your stomach is used to. 5000 meters above sea level is not the place to try out a carbohydrate gel or a protein-packed bar for the very first time. Doing so may might trigger an upset stomach and may end your adventure all together. When in doubt, stick to the natural stuff like nuts, dates and chocolate.

Layering

Your layers need to work together. If everything fits you perfectly, chances are they won’t fit you perfectly when layered one on top of the other. When buying your layers, try them on together as you would do on the mountain. Wear your pants over your base layer. Try on your down jacket over a sweater or fleece layer. Your layers shouldn’t only fit. They should be comfortable and not restrict mobility. Slim fits aren’t a thing in the outdoors except maybe for your stretchy base layers.

Duffle Bags

Pack everything in the duffle bag once you’ve bought or rented all your gear. Get dividers and organize your things in a way that makes sense to you. Packing and unpacking is a fact of life on adventure trips so make sure buy a duffle bag that is easy to open and close and practice repacking your bag so that you know where you’d like to put things. It’ll save you tremendous energy when you already have a plan for you duffle bag rather than trying to figure it all out in your tent on Kilimanjaro whilst missing out on the great things happening outside.

Wet Wipes

It may be that cash is king in most circumstance, but on adventure trips, wipes and toiletries are the currency. S/He who holds the wipes holds the power! Consider the environment at all times. Buy bio-degradable products and pack your used wipes in a zip lock bags to deposit in purpose-built bins.

Sunscreen

If wipes are Gold on the trail, sunscreen is platinum. Make sure you have enough for the entire trip and don’t skip an opportunity to apply and reapply. Spots missed are usually the nose, behind the ears and the neck. A nice addition would be lip balm as well with SPF protection. It’ll prevent cracks and burns.

It’s the small hacks that can make all the difference on an adventure trip. Going on an adventure is meant to take us out of our comfort zones and expose of to new things that we aren’t already familiar with. And we will all make amateur mistakes. It’s part of being new to something. But, with these small tips, you can elevate your experience and maximize your you time.