Packing notes:

  • Make sure you are prepared for eventualities while also not overburdening yourself with too heavy of a pack
  • A backpack is preferable to a shoulder bag to distribute your load evenly

Items to consider: 

  • Packed lunch – The group may or may not decide to stop somewhere where lunch can be purchased; make sure you have adequate food to fuel you.
  • Water bottle(s) – 2 liters or more for a full day, especially if it’s hot!
  • Snacks and treats – Shareable snacks/treats are great to fuel your walk, and to fuel new friendships.
  • Pack of tissues or small roll of toilet paper
  • Shoes that are comfortable for long walks – beware of shoes that are brand new and not yet broken in, or too snug as your feet will spread/swell over a long day of walking. Consider waterproof ones just in case!
  • Fresh pair of socks
  • Seasonably appropriate layered clothing – you may get hot while walking, cold while staying put. Check the weather forecast & be ready for surprises
  • Long pants/sleeves for brambles, nettles, poison ivy etc… 
  • Raingear. Raincoats can be great, and so can rain-pants, but an umbrella can do double duty and provide shade on hot sunny days for on some of those longer paved stretches.
  • Medication / first aid supplies – band-aids for scrapes, tape and moleskin for blisters, gold bond friction defense for chafing, anything else that you might need
  • Index card with personal info – In-case-of-emergency contact information & allergies or health specifications easily findable in your pocket
  • Extra face masks
  • Notebook & pens
  • Camera (non-phone)
  • Smart phone – with map of philadelphia pre-downloaded for wayfinding help, GPS-tracker apps, emergency calls
  • Chargers and/or backup batteries for aforementioned devices
  • Pre-downloaded digital map of Philadelphia (SEPTA PDF, Google-maps-offline, Google Map of perimeter outline)
  • Cash + a credit card + ID
  • Compass / flashlight / headlamp
  • Hand warmers, a lighter and/or matches
  • Two medium sized plastic bags – grocery or kitchen, to keep your feet dry if fording a creek) plus rubber bands or tape to hold them in place
  • One larger plastic bag to keep your whole backpack dry if it rains (or to pick up trash along the route)
  • Bright scrap of fabric or item of clothing for visibility when walking near traffic
  • Trekking poles or walking stick for stability if desired, traction cleats for ice

Remember:

These are just suggestions. And you might not want to bring *all* of these things as that might lead to too heavy of a pack. Make the choices that are right for you!