Boy Scouts of America - Troop 496

• School-Type backpack
• Rain suit of poncho ¹
• Baseball cap or cap with a visor
• Jacket (type depends on the weather) ²
• Knit cap (if hike is in the fall or spring, even if it is warm when you leave)
• Hiking boots - well-broken in ³
• Socks ⁴
• Extra pair of socks (especially if using cotton socks)
• Clothing appropriate for weather changes, think "layers" ⁵
• Gloves (good for temperature changes, and holding back branches)
• Toilet paper ⁶
• Filled water bottle/s ⁷
• Drinking cup
• Personal First Aid kit ⁸
• Watch
• Compass
• Sunglasses
• Sun Screen
• Lip balm for chapped lips
• Food/Snacks - (Suggestions for lunch could include a sandwich, fruit, nuts, raisins, cheese/crackers, Oreo cookies, small can of tuna/chicken with crackers, jerky, energy bars, trail mix/gorp, and an energy drink)
• Plastic garbage bag - Leave no trace!

Footnotes

1. The most ideal is a Gortex rain jacket with hood and rain pants, but a poncho or even disposable poncho may be adequate.

2. The ideal jacket might be a polarfleece jacket because of the light weight. The rain jacket could be worn over it if it gets cold or rains.

3. It is mandatory that the boots be well-broken before the hike. If not, you are better off using your gym shoes. Bring thick socks with you when you buy the boots. It is not unusual for the boots to be 1 to 2 sizes larger than you would normally wear.

4. The most ideal socks would be polypropylene (sometimes called Coolmax) sock liners covered by wool or synthetic blend hiking socks. This system helps prevent most blisters.

5. Wearing a few thin layers allows you to adjust to the weather. You will be warmer while hiking and get colder when you stop to rest. Experienced hikers wear clothes such as zipoff-leg nylon pants, nylon long-sleeve shirt with vents, and a polypropylene (Coolmax) t-shirt.

6. A few individual "wetnaps" work nicely. You never know if an outhouse will have toilet paper, and they are good for washing your hands before lunch.

7. How much water you will need depends on temperature, length and difficulty of hike. As a rule, pack 3 bottles (quart/liter size) per 5 miles. You can always empty them if you don't end up needing that much water.

8. Should include bandaids, antiseptic wipes, and moleskin as a minimum