The best walking accessories and hiking essentials (2023)

Here, we focus on the essential accessories you need for hiking, plus a few important non-essentials.

Photos of walking accessories

by Chris Williams |
Posted on

Outdoor hardware and walking accessories have proliferated beyond head torches and compasses. Sometimes that's for the better, sometimes for the worse. For the better because the useful items help keep us safe and our outings more enjoyable. For the worse because there are a lot of gimmicks and garbage out there.

The fundamental essentials for hiking haven't changed. They might have evolved and been refined over the years, but a compass, for example, is still a compass. No fancy outdoor smartwatch has replaced it yet. Some items, such as trekking poles, have become very popular in the last 20 to 30 years. Others, like high-SPF sunscreen, have become a must for hikers.

Hiker using walking poles
©Live For The Outdoors

The best walking accessories at a glance:

Best head torch: Black Diamond 500-R Headlamp - View on Black Diamond

Best first aid kit for hiking: Lifesystems Explorer First Aid Kit - View on Ellis Brigham

Best basic compass: Silva Starter 1-2-3 - View on Amazon

Best sunscreen for hiking: Lifesystems Mountain Sun Cream SPF50+ - View on Cotswold Outdoor

Given the absurdly broad category of walking accessories, in this article, we're looking at the key items you need beyond footwear, clothing, backpack, and sustenance, plus some useful but non-essential additions.

Best walking accessories in detail:

Best head torch

Black Diamond 500-R on a rockLive For The Outdoors

Description

This is a fantastic head torch if you're willing to pay the high price for it. It has dimmable

Pros

  • Light modes for map reading
  • Very bright
  • Great weatherproofing

Cons

  • Ergonomics takes getting used to
  • Hybrids can be more versatile

Best value head torch

Alpkit Qark on a rockLive For The Outdoors
Price: £33.99

alpkit.com

Description

Addressing the question of expense is Alpkit's Qark head torch. It's simple, comfortable, and

Pros

  • Good value
  • Lightweight
  • Comfortable
  • Hybrid

Cons

  • Not as tough as some
  • No battery level indicator

Best handheld torch for hiking and camping

Mini Maglite ProLive For The Outdoors

Description

American torch specialist Maglite produces everything from keyring lights to torches for emergency

Pros

  • Simple twist operation
  • Tough and water resistant
  • Bright without being overkill
  • Compact

Cons

  • Supplied AAs aren't rechargeable
  • Not the best run time

Best first aid kit for hiking

Description

First aid kit contents vary depending on the activity and how many people they're for.

The

Pros

  • Comprehensive list of contents
  • High-quality first aid kit
  • Nicely organised

Cons

  • More compact kits available

Best emergency blanket

Lifesystems Emergency Blanket
Price: £3.5

Description

Some of the most essential hiking accessories are also the smallest and least expensive, such as

Pros

  • Generous size
  • Can be used for signalling
  • Great value

Cons

  • None - ideal emergency blanket

Best basic compass

Silva Starter 1-2-3
Price: £10.4

Description

Basic knowledge of map reading and navigation is an absolute essential for hiking and trekking in

Pros

  • Rotatable housing
  • Waterproof
  • Detachable lanyard

Cons

  • No magnifier

Best water purifier

LifeSaver Wayfarer
Price: £94.99

Description

This pocket-sized water purifier is more effective than most options. Water filters remove cysts

Pros

  • Removes cysts, bacteria, viruses, and particulates
  • Tough
  • Also reduces chemicals and heavy metals

Cons

  • Not the fastest flow rate

Best water bottle

Sigg Water Bottle Traveller MyPlanet
Price: £18.99

Description

The tough metal water container is a timeless hiking classic. This option from Swiss brand SIGG is

Pros

  • Sustainable
  • Tough
  • Good value
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Only 2 volume sizes

Best flask

YETI Rambler Bottle
Price: £39.9

Description

It's a heavy thing, but the YETI Rambler bottle is a magnificent [insulated

Pros

  • Several volumes available
  • Suitable for hot and cold liquids
  • Durable

Cons

  • Heavy

Best sunscreen for hiking

Description

There are a few things you want from your sunscreen. One of them is Broad Spectrum, which helps

Pros

  • UVA and UVB protection
  • Sweat and water resistant
  • No parabens

Cons

  • Small(ish) volume

Best walking poles

Description

What made the Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork stand out to us above all the rest was their

Pros

  • Fantastic build quality
  • Spares for almost all parts easily available

Cons

  • There are even lighter poles out there

Best multisport smartwatch

Suunto 9 Peak ProLive For The Outdoors

Description

We liked the predecessor of this watch very much, but it had a couple of niggles regarding the

Pros

  • Excellent layout
  • Looks awesome
  • Great app

Cons

  • App is a little slow to sync

Best power bank for outdoors

RUGD. Power Brick

Rrp: £39.99

Price: £33.99

Description

Thanks to its small size, decent capacity and, crucially, a tough outer, the Power Brick is the

Pros

  • Very tough
  • Looks cool
  • Useful built-in light

Cons

  • Some offer better capacity for the money

Best tough phone case

Mous Limitless 5.0Live For The Outdoors
Price: £54.99

Description

The [tough phone

Pros

  • Really impressive impact protection
  • MagSafe compatible
  • Still slim and minimalist

Cons

  • Only available for the latest 'big 3' smartphones

Winter hiking accessories

Irrespective of whether you hike in winter for the scenery, solitude, or the sheer challenge, there are some accessories that are important additions to your inventory.

Best winter gloves

Description

The Mountain Equipment Guide [winter

Pros

  • Warm
  • Plenty of features
  • Protective
  • Good value

Cons

  • Some pricier options are tougher

Best crampons

Description

The C1-rated Grivel G10 is a robust and reliable go-to crampon for hillwalkers. It can be attached

Pros

  • Full strap and step-in versions
  • Ideal for most mountain trips
  • Very easy to use

Cons

  • There are better options for very technical terrain

Best ice axe

Description

The ice axe

Pros

  • Comfortable in the hand
  • Versatile
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Too light in axe head for some users

Walking accessory buying advice

Hiker at night using a compass
©Live For The Outdoors

There are only a few walking accessories we class as absolutely essential. These are a head torch, compass and map, sunscreen and a first aid kit (including an emergency blanket). If you're hiking in winter, an emergency shelter, ice axe, and crampons also need to go into your rucksack.

Beyond that, everything else is optional. Important, perhaps (like trekking poles), but optional nevertheless.

How you like to hike and your budget influence what hiking accessories you take with you. There are multiple options for different types of hiking that achieve the same thing. For example, people going on fastpacking trips won't want to take a heavy stainless steel flask but a lightweight water bottle or hydration bladder instead.

Multitools are a handy accessory to carry – a lot of hiking gear lists include them. If you're doing overnight or multiday trips, they're certainly useful to take. But a multitool doesn't just mean a knife. For example, you can get sporks with bottle openers, which makes this humble piece of cutlery a multitool.

Trekking poles are incredibly popular because they aid balance and reduce strain on the body. To find out all about trekking poles, read our guide we created in partnership with LEKI.

How we test

This wide collection of products come recommended following weeks, months, sometimes years of testing by our experienced gear testers.

We love getting our hands on walking accessories, both conventional and innovative options, to always stay on top of the very best products currently on the market and to filter the accessories from the gimmicks.

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Chris Williams is a Digital Content Writer for Live For The Outdoors. He trained as a journalist in New Zealand and has been working on Live For The Outdoors since 2021.

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