Before stating the interesting trekking gear available in the market, here is a brief video that shows the most common and essential equipment you will need for a long trek. 

Technology is progressing fast, and the trekking gear industry is coming up with several innovative products. Here are some interesting items you should consider buying before starting your trek. 

 

1. Lifestraw Personal Water Filter

While trekking to new destinations, you must be very careful about drinking water. Therefore, we advise you not to drink water from taps, wells, and rivers in trek regions. You can buy bottled water, but some trek regions do not allow plastic bottles. However, nowadays, you can buy Lifestraw Personal Water Filter. The manufacturer claims this device can filter 99.999% of contaminations, including bacteria, parasites, microplastics, and dirt. 

2. Mosquito Repeller

If you are trekking in the summer season at lower altitudes, you will have to face mosquitoes. There are various ways to repel mosquitoes, such as electric devices, sprays, and creams. However, you can now buy a heat-activated product like Thermacell MR300. Best of all, it does not need a battery or cords and has no smell.

3. Waterproof Bags

Though our professional porters will carry most of your luggage, we expect you to bring a regular backpack for your electronics, essential documents, and jewellery. So, we urge you to buy a waterproof bag. Just make sure to choose a suitable size.

4. Hydration Bladder

If you are looking for a convenient way of remaining hydrated throughout your trek, you can get yourself a hydration bladder. You can keep this bladder inside your backpack and use the mouthpiece attached to a long tube to drink water. This eliminates the need for reaching your backpack for water and also prevents water spills, which can potentially make you wet. Moreover, you can use this bladder to carry boiled/filtered water you can buy in the lodges/tea houses.

5. Foldable Sunglasses

You will often require sunglasses for most treks, especially while trekking to high altitudes covered with snow. Normal sunglasses have higher risks of breaking down while packing. Foldable sunglasses are inexpensive and can fold into a square. They can even fit in your pocket.

6. Headlamp

Standard flashlights can work too, but while trekking in difficult places, you will be better off with a headlamp. Having free hands on difficult trails is very important for safety and convenience. 

7. Compact First Aid Kit

It is always good to remain prepared for any mishaps. Safety should always come first. These days you can find plenty of compact mini First Aid Kits. Consider buying one. Choose the one that you can attach to your belt. 

8. Dedicated GPS Mapping Smartwatch

These days you can easily buy smartwatches with built-in GPS mapping. In addition to GPS, watches such as Garmin Epix come with altimeter, compass, and topographic maps. Garmin Epix also comes with a sleep tracker and fitness tracker. It is comparable to Apple Watch but built for outdoors enthusiasts. You can also consider Garmin GPSMAP 66 which works even in heavy rain and with gloves.

9. Hiking Backpack

if you are carrying a backpack, we advise you to choose a bag with a mesh “trampoline” so that your back stays dry. In addition, make sure that your bag is not heavy. We suggest the Gregory Zulu 30 for men and Jade 28 for women.

10. Comforting Footwear

For long treks, your primary requirement is comforting footwear. Look for light cushy shoes with good grip. You will probably need to balance comfort with durability. We recommend Altra Lone Peak 6, Topo Athletic Terraventure 3, or Hoka Stinson ATR 6.

11. Trekking Pole

Well, not everyone wants to use trekking poles, but trekking poles also come with their advantages. You can use it to dig in uphills, get stability down hills, and can use it to poke away wildlife. Diamond Z Poles are quite good.

12. Portable Charger

Modern life is unimaginable without electronic devices, your phone, GPS, Camera, headlamp and so on. So, for long treks, you need a suitable portable charger. You can get power banks that can even fit your pocket and are equally lightweight. We recommend you Ainope 18W power chargers.

So, as you plan your next long trek, we suggest you consider carrying at least some of these gear.