What to Pack for a Day Walking in the Hills

Start With Your Feet and Your Pack

Every good day on the hills is decided before you leave the cottage, and it comes down to two choices: what goes on your feet, and what carries the rest. Get those right and the miles pass pleasantly; get them wrong and even a gentle five-mile circuit can turn into a struggle.

Boots should be comfortable, properly broken in, and suited to the ground you are walking. For most British hill days that means decent ankle support, a tread with some bite to it — wet grass and loose gritstone are unforgiving — and a waterproof membrane if you would rather not spend the afternoon squelching. Never take a brand-new pair out on a long walk. Wear them around the village first, then on a short local loop, and only then trust them on the fells.

Socks matter almost as much as the boots. Wool or good synthetic blends wick moisture and cushion the foot; cotton holds water against the skin and is a reliable route to blisters. Pack a spare pair in a dry bag — changing socks at the halfway point is one of the small luxuries of a well-organised walker.

For a day out, a rucksack of around 20 to 30 litres is about right: big enough for layers, food and safety kit, small enough that you are not tempted to fill it with things you will never touch. Look for padded shoulder straps, a chest strap to stop it swinging, and a waist belt that takes some of the weight. Line the inside with a dry bag or a simple bin liner. Rucksack covers leak; liners do not.

Layers That Do the Work

The old advice holds: dress in layers rather than one thick coat. British hills can serve you sunshine in the valley, a cold wind on the ridge and a shower on the descent, all within the same afternoon. Layers let you adjust in seconds without stopping for long.

• Base layer: merino wool or a synthetic technical shirt. It should sit close to the skin and move sweat away from it.
• Mid layer: a fleece or light insulated jacket for warmth when you stop or when the cloud comes down.
• Outer layer: a waterproof shell with taped seams and a hood that stays up in wind.
• Spare warm layer: a second fleece or a lightweight down jacket, packed even in July. It weighs very little and you will be grateful for it if someone twists an ankle and you are stood about waiting.

Hat, gloves and a thin neck gaiter take up almost no room and make a surprising difference on an exposed tops day, particularly in a northerly wind. A light pair of gloves in summer is not over-cautious — it is just sensible. If you run warm, take a sun hat and a light long-sleeved shirt instead; you can burn quite badly on a breezy day when you do not feel the heat.

Waterproofs and the British Weather

Waterproof jacket and overtrousers, both, not one or the other. Trousers get left behind far too often and are exactly what you want when the rain arrives sideways across an open moor. Choose fabric that packs small and check that the seams are taped and the zips have storm flaps.

It is worth remembering that waterproofing fades. Reproofing a jacket with a wash-in or spray-on treatment once a season will bring back the beading and keep you dry far longer than you would expect. A small lightweight sit mat or a folded square of foam is another quiet hero — dry knees at lunchtime on wet ground.

Food, Drink and the Mid-Walk Flapjack

Eat little and often rather than saving everything for one sit-down lunch. Blood sugar dips quietly on a long climb.

• Flask of tea or coffee — a genuine morale item on a cold day.
• Sandwiches or a pasty, wrapped so they survive the rucksack.
• Flapjack, oatcakes, nuts, dried fruit — slow energy that travels well.
• Something salty, especially in hot weather when you sweat out more than you notice.

Take one to two litres of water for a full day, more in summer. Do not plan to drink from streams; what looks clear on a hillside above a sheep farm is not worth the risk. A small bar of chocolate is fine in winter, less so in a warm rucksack in August.

Navigation and Safety Kit

A paper map and a compass, plus the knowledge to use them, are still the gold standard. Phones run out of battery, lose signal in steep-sided valleys and dislike rain. Carry a map case or a laminated printout of your route, and know your escape options if the weather turns.

• Head torch with spare batteries — a short delay can mean walking out in the dark.
• Whistle and a small emergency shelter or foil blanket.
• Basic first aid kit with blister plasters, tape and a couple of painkillers.
• Charged phone and a power bank, kept in a waterproof pouch.

Tell someone at home where you are going and when you expect to be back. It is a two-minute job and the single most useful thing on this list.

Small Extras That Earn Their Place

Sun cream and lip balm, midge repellent in the warmer months, sunglasses, a tick removal tool, a bit of loo roll in a bag, and a carrier bag for your own litter. A lightweight folding walking pole helps on steep descents if your knees complain. Pack it all the night before, leave a note on the kitchen table, and the hills will do the rest.