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What to Pack for a Day Hike: The Complete Checklist

What to pack for a day hike

There's a certain feeling that comes with a hike day. The gear laid out the night before. Boots by the door. That thrill of knowing you're about to spend a whole day outside. Getting your pack right is part of that. We've put together an easy guide for what to pack for a day hike so you can spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time stressing about what to pack.

Start with the right pack

Your pack does a lot of work, so it's worth getting right. For most day hikes, 20–30L is the sweet spot for a day hike, enough room for layers, food and water, without weighing you down.

The Trailhead 20L Pack is a great pick for shorter walks and half-day missions. If you're tackling longer days or want something that can flex between a light day out and a bigger mission, the XT Series Pack 40L is the answer. The roll-down top means you can cinch it right in when you're travelling light or pack it out more when doing a longer adventure. Not sure which size suits your hike? Our guide on choosing the right size backpack breaks it down.

Get your footwear sorted

Good footwear is what lets you stop thinking about your feet and start noticing everything else, the birdsong, the view, the smells. Choose boots for your foot shape, give yourself room for your feet to swell on longer days. Top tip, break in your shoes before you're relying on them for the big hike.

Explore our range of hiking boots and trail shoes to find the right fit for your next adventure.

Pack a waterproof rain jacket you can trust

Even under a blue sky forecast, a waterproof jacket earns its place in the pack, conditions on NZ trails can turn fast, and it’s important to be prepared. If you're not sure which jacket suits how and where you hike, our guide on finding your hiking level and choosing the right hiking jacket will point you in the right direction.

Our top picks for day hikes include.

• Trailhead 3in1 Rain Hooded Jacket

• Women's XT Series Cordura 3L Rain Jacket - Magma – Kathmandu NZ

• Women's Andulo 2-layer Rain Jacket - Black – Kathmandu NZ

Bring a warm layer, even in summer

Temperatures drop fast once you gain altitude, lose the sun, or stop moving for a break so a warm mid-layer is worth its weight even on a warm-looking day. A lightweight fleece packs down small and adds a lot of comfort for not much space. Browse our fleece jackets and warm layers to find one that'll live in your pack year-round.

Choose pants that move with you

Quick-drying, stretchy, built to shrug off mud and drizzle. The right pair disappears the moment you put it on, which is exactly what you want when you're scrambling over a root or picking up the pace on a downhill. These Trailhead pants combine performance, durability and comfort with plenty of pockets for storage, which is needed when hiking.

For added versatility, these convertible Trailhead Pants can zip off zip off above the knee to transform into 9" shorts as the temperatures rise throughout the day.

Don't skip sun protection

New Zealand's UV catches people out even on cloudy days. The Sun Stopper range is lightweight, breathable, and rated UPF 50+, so you can spend more time soaking up the view and less time reapplying sunscreen.

Pack a headlamp, even for a short walk

Hikes take longer than planned more often than you'd think a late start, a longer lunch stop, a track that's slower going than the map suggested. A compact headlamp means an unexpectedly late finish is a non-issue instead of a problem. Have a look through our headlamps and torches for something small enough to leave in your pack permanently.

Safety while out on the trail

Whether you're planning a day hike or a multi-day backcountry adventure, it's important to put a few safety measures in place before you set off. Carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). Hopefully you'll never need to use it, but taking one with you is a good habit to develop, especially in remote areas.

It's also important to let someone know your plans before you head out. Share details of your route, when you expect to start and finish, and when you plan to return home. Once you're safely back, send them a quick message so they know you've completed your hike.

A few small items make a big difference if something goes wrong. A basic first aid kit, any personal medication you rely on, a whistle, and a fully charged phone with your route saved or downloaded offline are all worth the extra grams. Our first aid and safety range has compact kits built for exactly this and our first aid kit checklist is a good read if you want to build your own from scratch.