While on holiday, you may want to spend your time doing more than just shopping and lazing around. If you and your family enjoy exploring, especially in a natural setting, you might opt for a hiking tour. Alternatively, some people enjoy taking entire vacations which involve hiking from one place to the next, or even sleeping amongst the wildlife. Outside of a tent and spare set of clothes, there may be other items that would benefit you when hiking, especially if you are not familiar with the area.
Sunglasses
During warm, bright weather, your vision may be impaired, especially if you are venturing in the direction of the sun. Your vision may be imperative to help you avoid any potential hazards, and generally see where you are going. A good pair of prescription sunglasses will limit the amount of light that can enter your eyes, while still enabling you to see clearly. Much like your usual set of frames, prescription sunglasses will be created with your specific facial measurements and cater to your eye needs, while helping to block the UV rays from causing damage to your face. To prevent losing them, you may also want to consider those that have a chain, which you can loop around your neck. This way, if they do get knocked, you are less likely to need to waste time trying to find them or have them suffer damage from the drop itself.
A Compass
While you may have navigational apps installed on your cellphone, these might be no good to you if you aren’t within a service area. In addition to this, there is no guarantee that you will have the means to charge your phone, leaving them inoperative. Due to this, you might want to go back to basics and get a small compass to keep in your bag. This could be especially useful if you are hiking alone, or get separated from a group. Learning how to read the compass before embarking on your trip can also give you some insight into the best way to use it. This can also be a great way to understand what is required should you be given any orienteering exercises.
Water Filters
You may have already figured out that you will need to stay hydrated throughout your trip. While you could take bottles of water with you, you may find that you cannot carry as many as you need. There is also the risk of them becoming damaged or lost while you hike. Due to this, you might need to source and filter your own water. Drinking straight from streams or rivers could cause you to ingest dirty, or even dangerous, water. At least this way you will be able to purify the contents until you get to an area with safe drinking water available.
Hiking can be incredibly fun; however, you may want to take due care. Sticking with a group, and only using designated trails, can help you to have a safer journey.