People booking our walking holidays in Italy and Australia often ask us for information about walking kit - here is our advice on what to wear and what to bring with you.   In many cases on our tours technical walking gear cannot be easily bought en route so it is important to arrive well prepared.  NEW for 2012 order your own stylish Hedonistic Hiking shirt or fleece from our brand new range of hiking gear. Browse styles and place order.

Footwear

The most important thing to get right is your footwear.   We recommend a strong pair of walking boots with good ankle support.   These could be leather or a more modern lightweight waterproof fabric boot.   When trying them on in the store make sure you have on the right socks so that the fit is good and there is not too much movement of your foot inside the boot, as this may lead to blisters.   It is essential to "wear in" your boots before embarking on the full week's walking holiday.

Some people recommend wearing a thin inner pair of socks under a thicker pair to reduce the chance of blisters forming.

If you are a very experienced walker and feel comfortable in a walking trainer then by all means wear them but we strongly recommend, and always wear ourselves, a boot with good ankle support.

Clothing

The best advice for clothing is to wear layers.   Modern high-tec fabrics for shirts and walking trousers are windproof but also very quick drying, so if you get caught in a shower or rinse them through at night, they will be dry by morning.   Two walking shirts in this high-tec fabric should be sufficient for a week.  On top of the shirt a fleece or light wool sweater will keep you warm - especially as temperatures can change swiftly according to altitude and wind chill factors.

Walking trousers with zip-off bottoms which become shorts are extremely useful.   These can vary in price but the more expensive ones tend to be better designed, with zips which allow you to take off the lower section without removing your boots.

A good quality waterproof jacket with sleeves eg Gore-Tex is essential - the fabric is breathable as well as being watertight - and a hood will be useful too.    Waterproof over-trousers might also be considered.

Hats and Sunglasses

A broad brimmed hat to shade your face from hot sun is very important and, if you are walking in mountains, it is always a good idea to pop in a soft fleece or woolly hat and gloves.  If the temperature drops quickly you'll be glad you have them!

Sunglasses to protect your eyes from the glare are another essential.

Walking Poles

Walking with or without poles is a matter of personal preference but two strong lightweight poles can greatly improve your stability and reduce wear and tear on your muscles and joints.   The best ones are made of carbon fibre but all poles should have comfortable cork handles with adjustable wrist straps.   Think about how to pack your poles as they may be too long to fit in your hold luggage.

Day Pack

We recommend a lightweight back pack, with capacity of approximately 20 litres, to hold your water bottle, extra layers of clothing, a camera and sunscreen and insect repellant.   If you carry more sophisticated camera equipment, a GPS, binoculars etc you will need a slightly larger pack.   The most comfortable ones sit away from your back to allow a flow of air between you and the pack.  In all cases its a good idea to carry a large plastic bag to line the day pack and help to waterproof it, unless your back pack has a built-in waterproof cover.

Water Bottle

We offer you use of our stainless steel water bottles on the tours, as this helps to reduce the needless waste of plastic.  You can, if you wish, buy the bottle at the end of the tour.    Other people like to use platypus water carriers worn in the back pack with the drinking tube.   On the Italian tours we recommend that you carry a minimum of 1 litre per day, and on the Australian tours 1.5 - 2 litres depending on the tour.

First Aid and Food

As we accompany you every step of the way on the walks, we will always have a fully stocked first aid kit, extra water supplies and walking snacks to keep you going between meals!   Don't forget if you take any prescription medication to have sufficient to cover your holiday period, and have the names of the medicines written down should they need to be replaced.  Do remember to let us know if you have any special dietary requirements or food allergies.

Other things to remember:

Our dinners in the evening are usually relaxed and informal - they range from local trattorias to more elegant restaurants but very smart evening wear and jackets with ties will not be required.    

It is always lovely to read about an area when you are travelling through it on foot, as this can truly bring the region to life.   We have prepared a reading list for Italy and Australia  which you might like to peruse.

Many people on walking holidays like to record with paints or notebooks what they have seen and learnt during the day, so packing paper and pen or watercolours is another idea.

• An alarm clock
• A camera
• An umbrella
• Sunscreen and insect repellent
• A swimming costume if the hotels have spa or pool facilites
• A mobile phone (although we ask for considerate and discreet use of phones whilst walking or in restaurants)
• A photocopy of your passport and credit card information/telephone numbers kept separately

Things to leave at home:

We don't recommend you travel with expensive jewellery (or other high value items) - it will not be required in the evenings and you won't have to worry about securing it in hotel safes during the day.   It is a condition of walking with Hedonistic Hiking that you have adequate travel insurance for your belongings.

You will not need to worry about having a different outfit for every evening - we certainly don't!    If you are travelling with more than one medium-sized suitcase and your day-pack, we cannot absolutely guarantee that we will be able to transport excess luggage whilst on the tour, as the space in the vans is limited.

For added security leave a photocopy of your passport at home.