Hiking at all Coasts. Chapter 02.

Hiking the Fishermen’s Trail. What to bring.

The general rule for long distance hiking is to pack as lightly as possible, to bring only the bare necessities (the simple bare necessities, forget about your worries and your strife) and leave your baggage at home, emotional and otherwise. I always pick 1 or 2 luxury items, too. Something I can live without but prefer to have with me, as a bonus, a comfort, a treat of some sort. This may be your favourite pillow because you’re in an age where sleeping on the wrong pillow can ruin your life and neck. Or a talisman of sorts. A fancy dress for the evenings when you visit a nice restaurant for dinner. Some mascara to feel like a woman after battling the elements all day. Definitely bring a book (or kindle) – I’d never leave home without one.

Disclaimer: back when a certain pandemic hit, I was in the middle of preparing for a much more challenging long distance hike: the John-Muir-Trail (s. here). I got all the gear and equipment and decided to at least take it on a tour in Europe. So I purposefully packed more than I needed into my big ass Osprey©. I even brought the bear necessities, cause I packed my Bearvault BV500© . In Yosemite, you are required to put all edible and odorous supplies in a bear canister and mine’s been collecting dust up on the attic since I bought it on eBay. For the same reason, I packed a solar-powered power bank, a Garmin inReach©, 2 waterproof Osprey© clothes bags, a mini fold-up mosquito net, and an all-purpose knife. As previously mentioned, I also brought my iPad and external keypad, as well as an old-fashioned notebook and fountain pen, two books, more clothes than necessary, and an extra pair of shoes, my beloved Crocs© sneakers. All those ©ompanies should pay me for mentioning them. Seriously. All in all, I was at 12 kg, plus water and food (and my own body weight). Which is only half of what I would be carrying on the JMT. Most hikers had around 6 kg, if you want a more realistic approach to this particular hike. Despite the extra weight, my back was fine. Naturally, your back aches after a full day of hiking. Everything aches after a full day of hiking least several! However – and now, those ©s should REALLY pay me – the Osprey Women’s Aura AG 65l Trekkingrucksack, M, in challenger blue, is so comfy, you just sort of snuggle into it. It sits perfectly on your hips and distributes the weight equally. It has plenty of zippers and departments, ample space to store water bottles and random gems you find en route, front belt zipper pockets big enough to squeeze your phone in, and a detachable compartment on top you can use as a smaller daypack. Your back can still breathe, every strap is adjustable and the rain cover works perfectly. The only criticism I have (See? You should have paid me!) is that it takes some time to find your balance. I often felt like the top toppled over and whenever I sat down it was a bit of a juggle struggle to put the backpack back on.

What I didn’t bring: hiking sticks. I hardly ever use them anyway since I have severe problems with arm-leg-coordination. During my time on the trail, I met several people who said they would not bring them again, however, some were happy to have them. A mere question of personal choice, I guess.

I will not bore you with a detailed list of everything I brought, you can find links to better curated lists on what to pack at the bottom of this page. Nonetheless, here are some comments on certain items I’d like to share:

Hiking boots: I brought actual hiking boots, ankle height. Not the super sturdy alpine boots but ones with a GoreTex layer which turned out to be perfect when crossing little streams or walking through shallow waters. Lots of people hiked with trail runners or trekking shoes – definitely on the lighter side but they had to stop now and then and pour out the sand that had gathered inside.

Clothes: My Katmandu© rain jacket was a present from my brother. I’ve travelled Tambourine mountain in it, walked through jungles and forests, withstood nasty weathers. It has wind- and waterproven itself over and over. I also carried a long pair of GoreTex zip-on hiking pants which I only needed once and they did a great job. I was incredibly lucky with the weather and hiked 90 % of the trail in shorts and sunshine. So no need for my merino wool sport gloves or my woollen socks either. Always good to have them, though, just in case. I brought two sports bras and alternated between them, and I brought four worn-out cotton shirts. I always bring former favourite shirts before throwing them out, sort of one last hurrah before parting ways forever. Generally, I would recommend anything quick-dry, mesh sort of clothing. When it comes to socks and underwear, I like to be on the safe side – you never know if you accidentally shit yourself twice a day or not, so yeah, I will always bring too much underwear. The way I see it, it’s a few extra grams for a lot less anxiety.

My luxury item was a foldable wine glass and a corkscrew and it turned out to be essential. What better way to end a day of hiking watching the sunset from a cliff while enjoying a glass of rich, red Portuguese vino! Saúde.

I don’t think you know your list of essentials until after your first long distance hike. Items you thought indispensable end up never being used, others that seemed superfluous you will miss desperately. Remember those, make mental notes, adjust your packing list accordingly for the next time. Because there will be a next time. It’s quite common to already plan your next hike while currently hiking this one. It’s an addiction. A fairly healthy one. In the end, it is you who has to carry everything. You don’t owe anyone an explanation why you brought this or that item. Your back, your rules.