If you are starting out in the world of hiking in Gran Canaria or wherever you travel, in this entry we mention what for us makes up the basic equipment to have a perfect hiking kit.
Hiking kit for beginners
✔ Footwear
Footwear is one of the most important elements for hiking. The terrain can be slippery, can get stones in your shoe and there may even be areas where you must go through puddles. Therefore, we recommend that you get some good trekking boots. If possible waterproof, mid-cut and anti-slip sole. Especially for the winter months. In summer, perhaps trekking sneakers and mid-calf socks will be enough.
We use the Blundstone boots. They are medium-high and waterproof. With what they are perfect for those rainy days or trails that pass through streams like the Azuaje ravine. To who Gran Canaria you can get them at Regaliz Funwear.
✔ Hydration
As you may know, many trails are far from stores where you can buy water to last the entire route, so it is important to carry enough water for the entire journey. For fairly short or intermediate routes, we recommend wearing a vest with a light bottle holder. You can see it in one of our videos. YouTube. Thus, you can walk comfortably and go light. In addition, it makes it easier for you to drink while you walk, without having to stop to open your backpack and grab a bottle of water.
For longer routes, such as the one that leads to the Güigüi beachInstead of the vest, we carry the Salomon hydration backpack with the camelbak of 1 l of water inside. In addition, this backpack has the capacity to hold enough food to last the route and spend a few hours on the beach.
✔ Navigation
If you want to follow a map to go hiking on your own without getting lost or having to go with a guide, the ideal is to get a watch with a navigator or GPS to follow the tracks. The best known brands are Garmin, Polar or Suunto. Although if you are tight on budget, you can also follow tracks with the app Guru Maps from your smartphone. If you consider the option of finally buying a watch, Make sure you can download the map to follow it on the watch.
✔ Technical clothing
Another important element for your hiking kit is technical clothing. For example, in the colder months and rainy days, a basic is a windproof jacket that is both waterproof and breathable. This way, If it's very cold, it will protect you. On the other hand, since you are going to be moving, being breathable, will allow you to walk without getting too hot on the climbs.
This jacket is the basic North Face jacket and the truth is that we have paid for it quite a bit, both for hiking routes through Gran Canaria, and as a companion to our Trip to Japan. In the end, when you take a long trip, it always rains some of the days and this cannot stop you from discovering places.
Another basic are the technical socks, breathable and insulating from the cold. The important thing is that they are not the typical short socks where all the stones are going to enter. We use the Lurbel or Stance brand, both running and mountain. Lastly, we recommend pants and breathable t-shirts and quick drying, both because of the possible rain and because of the sweat. And, for cold days, some gloves and a good buff.
✔ Sun protection
Finally, keep in mind that when you are hiking you are exposed to solar radiation. Therefore, it is important use sunscreen, protect your head and eyes. To protect your head from sunstroke, it is best to use a good hat or cap. If you are still one of those who find the sun bothering your eyes even if you are wearing a cap, we recommend some technical sports glasses. Finally, on days when you are going through trees or it is cloudy, you can also wear a visor. This will help keep sweat from getting into your eyes, in addition to slightly protecting you from solar radiation.
Video about our hiking kit
In the following video we give you all the details about this basic hiking kit. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive more content like this, as well as from the island here.
We hope that your intentions to start hiking become a reality and that this content has been helpful to you. Don't hesitate to leave us a comment here for any questions.
Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.
