Important Items to Bring Along When Hiking in Boundary Country

Hiking is a wonderful activity. It combines fresh air with healthy physical activity and rewards participants with rich scenes of landscape, wildlife, and flora that simply cannot be experienced in urban environments.

However, it can also be a potentially dangerous activity. From rugged terrain to animal encounters, in Mother Nature’s domain one is wise to expect the unexpected.

Woodfin & Co. has prepared the below list of items to ensure your enjoyment—and survival—of the myriad magnificent trails in Boundary Country and beyond.

“Important Items When Hiking” is part of Explorer’s Guide to Boundary Country, an ever-expanding resource published by the Midway Advance online and in print. Explorer’s Guide equips you with a complete toolkit to maximize fun, discovery, and safety across all seasons and activities throughout the region.

Multi-Tool and First Aid Kit: Anything can happen, and having the tools to respond to a variety of situations is critical when time is tight and resources scarce. A quality multi-tool and well-stocked first aid kit can be literal life-savers in across a wide spectrum of situations and don’t need to take up much space or weight in a backpack.

Trail Shoes and Trekking Poles: Many people hike in regular running shoes (or worse). This can increase risk of injury. Shoes outfitted for trails offer superior grip, stability, and durability. The use of one or two trekking poles can relieve pressure from the back and legs whether on an up, down, or even trail.

Offline Resources: Many of the best hikes in Canada approach regions of remote wilderness and are often on the outskirts of cellular range, if not devoid of service entirely. For this reason and others it is prudent to include offline resources, such as a map, first aid guide, overnight guide, etc.

Multi-Season Apparel: Weather can be fickle, especially at altitude. In anticipation of moody mountains (even on sunny summer days) we suggest at minimum a fast-drying base layer and rain-and-water-resistance outer layer. Hats serve multiple functions, providing sun protection in hot climates and preservation of head heat in cooler conditions. Merino wool is an excellent fabric for socks, base layers, and more.

Extra Food and Water: Bringing the bare minimum fuel and hydration for a hike creates risk should anything during one’s journey go astray—and often it does. Thus, pack more food than you think you need and ensure sufficient access to potable water. Backpacks with integrated water bladders can store several litres, while various water filter tools provide options for utilizing lakes and rivers.

Hiking is a richly rewarding endeavour and we are blessed with having many of the world’s best hikes right here in British Columbia. Hit your next trailhead fully equipped and prepared for any scenario.

Happy trails!

This content is provided by Woodfin & Co, a Great Canadian Wellness brand based in Boundary Country, BC.