Essential baggage
Before you depart, whether it's a short or long trip, it's important to prepare the essentials for your trip, including:
- Map, compass
- Drinking water
- Food (Energy-Rich)
- Raincoat
- Ignition device
- First aid supplies
- Knife
- Flashlight
- Sunscreen/sunglasses
- Mosquito/insect repellent
- Thick tape in case your shoes fall (which can happen if you go long distances and don't wear specialized walking shoes)
- Support braces for joints, especially knee joints
- For longer trips, renting or purchasing a tracking transmitter such as a PLB (personal locator light) will come in handy in emergencies such as getting lost.
Keep in touch with relatives
Make sure at least one of your loved ones knows about the preliminary plan including the itinerary, where to stop, and when to go. This is necessary in case of incidents or emergencies, especially on solo trips.
Know your limits
If you are in good health, you can conquer a hike that lasts more than 2 weeks.
Do not exceed practical capabilities. For longer trips, you need to practice physical enhancement to prepare for the trip.
Walking or cycling will make it easier for your muscles to adapt to hiking. You also need to increase the pressure on your ankles by practicing walking on rough ground. In addition, know the weather, geography and topography of the destination so that you can prepare carefully and anticipate the difficulties you will experience.
Travel insurance
Even if you are a seasoned backpacker, you still have the possibility of getting lost. Therefore, you need to know the support policies in your travel insurance in case of emergency.
Depending on the destination, you need to check with local authorities to determine search and rescue procedures before your trip.
If you're not ready for a solo hike, get to know the communities, tour operators, and read reviews of guides, services, and how difficult the journey is to find an itinerary that suits your needs.
According to Zing