What to take with us on a trek?

Trekking backpack

The backpack is your portable home and a good backpack is essential : it is the major element of all your equipment. It should not be chosen lightly and its capacity must be sufficient: opt for a volume of 35 liters to 70 liters depending on the duration of your trip and the type of accommodation. Osprey / Gregory are good brands.

Sleeping bag

For treks in tents or bungalows: a good sleeping bag is absolutely essential. The choice between temperature / weight / comfort depends on your trek. Be sure to check the weather conditions on your trek. A final criterion is important: the compaction of the sleeping bag or number of liters in volume. A bag that is not very compact will invade your backpack. Valandre is a good brand.

Sleeping sheet

For people who are chilly or not equipped with Merino wool-type clothing, the sleeping sheet or meat bag (depending on the name) is an object that will save you 5°C. In a refuge or bungalow, it allows you to sleep in sheets that you know are clean.

Compact tent + pegs

There are many tent models, but it is still important to ensure the essential criteria: self-supporting, lightness, moisture-resistant, spacious, compact. The lighter and more compact you stay, the further you will go, but be careful not to sacrifice your comfort too much because your rest time is also important to go the distance. MSR is very good...

For the stakes, provide strong stakes, which do not twist when driven in, while favoring a reduced weight (have one or two spares).

We do not recommend the use of tarp unless you are used to it and you do not fear the change of weather or the wild animals.

Bivouac mattress

Sleep is very important to go the distance: your mattress must therefore have a sufficient level of comfort while limiting its weight so as not to weigh you down : it must therefore remain light, compact and easy to store in your bag. Thermarest is a good brand.

Hiking stick

The 3-part retractable hiking poles are real assets to help you maintain good form over the long term, as you will ensure your walking postures and your pace / rhythm. Be careful to be able to integrate them into your bag when boarding the plane. Black Diamond is a good brand.

Favor aluminum poles with a light but resistant alloy so as not to bend under your weight in the event of a fall.

Cooking bowl

In aluminum if you prefer lightness. In stainless steel if you prefer robustness and ease of maintenance.

Stove

Essential, your stove must be light and compact, so that it can be housed, for example, inside your cooking pot. Optimus stoves meet all the criteria.

Gas Canister

Attention, it must be compatible with your stove. It is preferable to favor two small canisters to a large one. You can always get rid of them in a city if one of them were to be completely used.

Dishes

Cutlery, plate and cup in light and easily cleanable plastic.

Water bag

Useful for containing water for different meals or hydrating yourself with a tube while walking without having to put the bag down.

Blanket

In the case of hypothermia or in the case of sunstroke, it can save your life. If the tent is not equipped with an insulating groundsheet, it can also be used as a mat and save you 5°C in the tent. In case of cold, rain or wind, it is an additional protection. Other strengths : compact size, light weight, ease of use.

First aid kit

Although the guides will be equipped with a first aid kit : make sure you have the appropriate emergency and first aid equipment, especially if you are under medical treatment. Your first aid kit should be compact and light enough.

Emergency whistle

In the mountains, and whether you are seasoned or not, nature remains wild and events of the type: earthquake, landslide, fall, etc. can happen. An emergency whistle is an effective way to indicate your presence, alert the surroundings, make yourself heard without wasting your energy. Weighing only a few grams and taking up little space, it would be a shame to do without it.

Compass

A compass is a good asset for effective orientation throughout the trek but also in case of loss of the group to navigate without going in circles. Silva compasses are perfectly suited for long-distance hiking.

Solar cream

Your best ally in the high mountains or the light can be treacherous.

Insect repellent

Whether against mosquitoes, wasps or other happy insects, it is advisable to have insect repellent products, such as sprays, bracelets or other.

Light stick / distress beacon / survival bracelet / distress light / survival kit

This type of equipment is used in extreme environments, and will be reported to you if necessary.

Microfiber towel

A microfiber type towel has the advantage of compact size, light weight, quick drying and strong absorbency which allows you to dry yourself quickly after washing or after heavy rain.

Toilet stuff

There are solutions for light hiking without sacrificing comfort. This saves weight and volume :

Trekking technique :

• cut your toothbrush in half and keep only the upper part to save a few grams or use a retractable toothbrush.
• do not take all your travel toiletries on board: we will therefore skip perfume, make-up, shaving foam and razor, hairbrushes (we will favor combs or small retractable brushes with integrated mirrors ), avoid metal boxes and other heavy containers.
• there are trek soaps or trek cleaning gloves. A glove allows you to wash as if you had taken a shower. But they generate waste. However, they remain very practical on treks where it is not possible to reach a campsite equipped with a shower. We always indicate this in our description, so you can take the appropriate number of gloves.
• small pocket mirror

Hiking toilet paper

Often the last thing you think of and yet one of the essentials: outside the towns and villages, there will be few places where you will find real toilets (and not all of them offer the precious paper). Preferably biodegradable toilet paper will then be your best recourse in case of pressing desire.

Swiss knife

A maximum of functions in a minimum of space and weight.

Other knife as needed : Opinel or multifunction tool.

Water filter or filter bottle

The use of a filter or a filter gourd to guarantee your health and quench your thirst may be necessary when taking water from a river, lake or of unknown origin.

Headlamp

A headlamp is essential to see, be seen and simultaneously have your hands free. Whether it's setting up camp in the evening or finishing the day's stage at nightfall, the usefulness of a lamp is multiple. The Petzl or Black Diamond brands are ideal...

Fire starter

Matches, flint (high autonomy), simple lighter or storm lighter (considerable flame power), a firelighter is essential to start a campfire or light your stove.

Solar and nomadic energy

Whether you need to charge a phone or a GPS and whether you need to charge a lamp, a camera or a portable battery, using a solar panel, a solar charger or a solar battery is an excellent choice. Note that there are also dynamo systems.

Waterproof bag

A waterproof bag is strongly recommended to protect your water-sensitive equipment during sudden and intense rain.

Compression bag

Light but very effective in separating clean laundry from dirty while reducing the volume taken up in the bag.

Security or waterproof pouch

Useful to protect your documents and papers.

Sewing kit

Small kit with thread, needles and scissors to sew pants torn by a fall, thorns, or other.

Poncho

In case of change of weather and intense rainfall: a good poncho will provide waterproof protection not to be underestimated in terms of weight and volume.

Warm clothes and underwear

Essentially for the night, underwear such as leggings and a merino wool polo shirt will be assets to protect you from the cold. There are also merino wool underpants type underwear that are both warm and provide a good level of hygiene.

Similarly, the fleece, the down jacket will be two additional assets for evenings and cold days.

There are also technical t-shirts that guarantee good heat retention for cold days.

On treks that pass through glaciers or cold areas, we will favor trekking pants lined internally with warm material.

Day wear

It mainly depends on your degree of sweating, but a t-shirt can easily withstand two or three days of walking if it is sufficiently ventilated and made of synthetic fiber. We will favor technical t-shirts over cotton polo shirts. A shirt can last him a week.

There are trekking pants whose legs are detachable to switch to shirt mode. It is very practical to avoid bringing a shirt and pants.

We will favor double socks to limit blisters.

Windbreaker

The Poncho is a good rainproof product. But there are so-called waterproof or “gore tex” jackets in reference to the brand. They are excellent windbreakers and can replace the poncho. However, they are more bulky than a Poncho. Over a down jacket and a fleece, this type of jacket provides you with optimal protection in case of cold.

Hat / cap / sunglasses

Indispensable to protect yourself from the sun and avoid sunstroke.

The shoes

Preferably, semi-rigid, gore-tex and high-top hiking boots will be chosen to resist shock in a stony environment.

Lighter shoes of the non-climbing classic hiking type or slippers for the evening or on more leisurely days of walking.

Water slides or sandals for the beach and rivers.

Gaiters

Very useful in snowy, wet, muddy or hostile environments (snakes, scorpions)

Flash light

An emergency flashlight is advised

Pair of binoculars

The binoculars allow you to observe the fauna, the flora, the landscapes. In order to optimize the loading of your bag, opt for a pair of compact and light binoculars (type Silva binoculars).

Gourd

A second bottle for drinking water is always welcome.

Ground sheet

Convenient to sit anywhere without hurting yourself, light and compact.

AC adapter

Depending on the country, find out beforehand, the adapters are not the same, during our stops in town, it could however save the life of your mobile phone if you could recharge it with the appropriate adapter.

Sharpener

Always useful on long journeys, but we invite you to sharpen your knives beforehand to lighten your bag.

Pillow

Depending on your ability to fall asleep on the floor, this can bring you some comfort at the expense of weight and small volume.

Shovel / pickaxe / machete / hatchet

There are army models, which are very light and allow you to set up the tent, however this is not a priority.

Crampon / snowshoe / harness / harness / rope / carabiner

This type of material is more used in very steep environments, if necessary we will indicate it to you on the description sheet of the trek

Heater / Fuel

Unless you are chilly and want to warm your bag, this type of equipment is of little use.