After one particularly humbling experience on a trail in the Atlas Mountains — and a few closer calls on trails around the DFW area — — I won't go into the full story, but it involved a navigational error, a failing phone battery, and a four-hour detour in the dark — I stopped improvising my pack list. Every hike since then has started with the same 10 items. No exceptions.
This isn't a gear catalogue. I'm not sponsored by anyone. This is simply what Fawaz Sheikh has learned works, through years of hiking across four continents, from the Dolomites to the Drakensberg to the trails outside Chiang Mai.
The 10 non-negotiables
01
Navigation — map + compass, not just a phone
Phone batteries die. Signal disappears. A physical topo map and a compass cost almost nothing and have saved me twice. Learn to use them before you need to.
02
Headlamp with spare batteries
Even on day hikes. Especially on day hikes. The most common hiking emergency is simply going slower than expected and running out of daylight. A headlamp turns that from a crisis into an inconvenience.
03
Sun protection — SPF 50+, sunglasses, hat
Elevation amplifies UV exposure significantly. At altitude, even overcast days can burn. I've seen experienced hikers get caught out by this on cloudy mountain days.
04
First aid kit — personal and compact
Blisters, cuts, rolled ankles — these are the real trail emergencies. A small kit with blister patches, bandages, an elastic wrap, and ibuprofen handles 90% of situations.
05
Knife or multi-tool
More useful than you'd expect. Cutting moleskin for blisters, preparing food, emergency repairs, cutting cord. I carry a small Leatherman on every hike.
06
Fire starter
Waterproof matches and a lighter. If you're ever stuck overnight unexpectedly, warmth becomes your primary concern fast. This weighs almost nothing.
07
Emergency shelter — space blanket or bivy
A foil space blanket folds to the size of a playing card. In a cold emergency it can be the difference between serious hypothermia and a cold but manageable night.
08
Extra food — more than you think you need
I carry an extra day's worth of calorie-dense food on every hike. Nuts, dried fruit, energy bars. If something goes wrong and I'm out longer than expected, I want fuel.
09
Water — and a filter or purification tablets
I carry more water than recommended and a Sawyer Squeeze filter as backup. On long trails with stream access, the filter means I'm never actually at risk of running dry.
10
Insulation — an extra layer, always
Mountain weather changes fast. I carry a packable down jacket on every hike regardless of the forecast. It weighs 200g and takes up no room. It's been essential more times than I can count.
The item most people skip (and shouldn't)
If I had to pick the single most underestimated item on the list, it's the emergency shelter. People hear "space blanket" and think it sounds dramatic — like something you'd only need in a survival film. But temperature drops happen fast at elevation, and an unexpected night out isn't as rare as you'd think. The blanket weighs nothing. Pack it.
"A good pack list isn't about worst-case thinking — it's about freeing your mind to enjoy the trail knowing you're prepared for whatever it throws at you." — Fawaz Sheikh
What I've dropped from my pack over the years
Experience taught me what I don't need as much as what I do. Heavy camp cookware on day hikes. Duplicate items. Gadgets I thought were clever. The best pack is a light pack. Everything above earns its weight — nothing else should.
For more from Fawaz Sheikh, read about solo travel, building a fitness habit, or eating well on the road.