Gears WE USE ⚔️

TREKKING ESSENTIALS:

Even though we list the below, take it from me, the three main things that are required for a proper trek experience are - tough mind, tough body and good friends. Apart from these, these apparels will help you have a relatively easy experience, so yeah, here goes:

1. HIGH-GRIP TREKKING SHOES (The "Good Enough" Performer)

I don't know about you guys, but this baby has been my go-to for a lot of treks. I can personally vouch for these shoes, especially for their bottom grip. They have an excellent grip and can scale up steep rock faces. I have used this shoe since 2009 and scaled up mighty Kabbaladurga, Madhugiri, Makalidurga, Bhairavadurga, Shivagange, Tadiandamol - you name the place. Almost all the Navadurgas have been completed with these shoes (brown colour)

Also, I specifically chose a shoe that is at a good budget. These are "good enough" shoes at a great price point, which is why I recommend them. If you can stretch a little bit, go for the second option.- Quechua high ankle.

Trekking ain't a child's play or fun activity; getting back in one piece is the most important thing, and shoes are very critical. 

Shoes do play a very important role.

2. A GOOD BACKPACK (The "detachable" version)

Coming to backpacks. I used to carry a random bag I found. Well, does it work? Absolutely. But optimisation of the right size took some time. So, we (as in my friends and I) invested in a real sturdy yet comfortable backpack. 

We picked something that can be carried to the Himalayas, carried on long roadtrips (Badami, Hampi, Mangalore, 2-3days' worth of clothing and also a small backpack can be detached from the main bag for all our one-day trips. 

Also comes with a rain cover to keep your undies dry before you reach the hotel. I have carried this baby on 2+ Himalayan expeditions (Bali Pass, Mentok Kangri) above 21,000 feet, and trust me, it has served me really well. Also, if you refer to my Badami & Hampi tour, this was more of a companion. You can leave the main bag at the stay, and carry only the small bag on day tours. 

Complete backpack - Long trips, 2-3days of clothing.

Small backpack - for short one-day treks (all you need to carry is a 1L water bottle) 

Switch on "turtle" mode with bagpacks

3. A GOOD KNIFE (The "multi-purpose" version)

Coming to a good multi-purpose tool, a knife is a must. If you ask why, starting from cutting thickets in the forest to cutting butter or cheese or opening a bottle of beer, this baby comes in handy. A classic Swiss knife is what I carry. Fortunately, I have got an authentic Swiss Army knife (which I got as a gift), which I carry in the small detachable bag mentioned. And it has come in use on multiple occasions. And moreover over it's cool to carry one cause you never know in treks what you might face, right? So, yeah, I can vouch for this one! 

The Authentic Swiss knife would cost a bomb, hence my recommendation is a simpler one: stick to basics, which gets the job done. 

4. WATER BOTTLE (The "elixir carrier")

Coming to the elixir on the trails, it is "water".  And you must carry enough of it. Dehydration is a real thing, so please do not ignore it. And please do not get carried away by the fancy heavy duty flask and trail water bottles that organization promote. 

Water is dense and weighs a 1kg per litre, so be smart about it. You cannot carry 1litre fancy water bottle, as it would add a lot the weight on your back. Every gram matters if the trail is strenuous. Our advice, buy a 1litre normal plastic water bottle and keep reusing it. And all that "micro plastic" shit that people taunt you about, I am sure, they would be claiming it sitting on a sofa eating some potato chips.

For longer trails, it is advised to carry a 2-3 Litre sipper which can be embedded into you bag. For most of the treks we have done, a 1 litre water bottle per person was more than sufficient. 

5. STAPLER / SEWING KIT (The "dignity protector")

Coming to self-respect, during harsh trials and forest trials especially, it is quite common to rip your pants to shreds. By the end of the trek we were looking like absolute beggars. So, in order to preserve some level of dignity while riding back home, this became the latest thing we absolutely carry. You can read our chapters on Mallapadi, Mookanur Malai - where people were worried looking at us. BUT yeah, it was what it was. I started carrying a sewing kit initially, but then switched to stapler later as it was more surgical and fast.