Packing a Day Rucksack for Changeable British Weather

There is an old joke that Britain does not have a climate, only weather. Anyone who has set off up a dale under a clear blue sky and come back three hours later soaked to the skin knows the truth of it. The good news is that a properly packed day rucksack weighs little more than a bag of flour, and it will keep you comfortable through rain, wind, sudden sunshine and the grey, drizzly in-between that this island does so well.

Start With the Layers, Not the Bag

Most people pack for the weather outside the window. Better to pack for the weather two valleys away, two hours from now. Layering is the whole trick, because it lets you adjust without stopping for long.

• Base layer: a synthetic or merino long-sleeved top. Cotton is a poor friend on a wet day; it holds water and chills you when you slow down.
• Mid layer: a light fleece or thin insulated jacket, roughly 200 to 300 grams, that squashes into the bottom of the bag.
• Shell: a waterproof jacket with taped seams and a hood you can cinch. Waterproof overtrousers add very little weight and save a walk when the wind gets up on exposed ground.
• Warm extras: a thin hat and a pair of gloves, even in July. Wind chill on a Scottish Corbett or a Welsh ridge can feel like February by mid-afternoon.
• Spare socks: one pair, in a plastic bag. Wet feet cause blisters far more often than distance does.

Water, Snacks and a Flask

Two hours of walking in mild weather will use roughly half a litre of water, and more if it is warm or you are climbing. Carry a litre for a half-day and two for anything longer, and remember that a village tap, a churchyard, or a pub garden can top you up.

Food should be dull, sturdy and eaten before you feel hungry. Flapjack, oatcakes, a wedge of cheese, an apple, a handful of nuts and a few squares of dark chocolate all travel well and give you slow energy rather than a quick crash. A flask of tea or coffee is a genuine luxury at a summit cairn in a cold wind, and it costs you about a kilo of pack weight. On a short summer walk, a frozen bottle of water doubles as a cool pack and thaws by lunchtime.

The Basics You Hope to Leave Untouched

A first-aid kit for a day walk can be genuinely small. Build it once, keep it in a small dry bag, and check it each season.

• Plasters and blister plasters, plus a small roll of zinc oxide tape for hot spots.
• Antiseptic wipes and a couple of sterile dressings, because brambles and barbed wire are everywhere.
• Painkillers you know you tolerate, and any personal medication, with a spare dose.
• Antihistamine for bites, nettles and the occasional curious wasp.
• Tick removal card and fine tweezers, especially if you are walking through bracken or long grass in the summer months.
• A foil emergency blanket and a whistle. They weigh almost nothing and matter enormously if someone turns an ankle two miles from a road.

Waterproofing the Whole Thing

Even a bag sold as water-resistant will let water in through the zip and the seams. The cheapest fix is still the best: line the inside of your rucksack with a large plastic bag or a lightweight dry bag, then pack everything inside it. Put your phone, keys and any paper map in their own small dry bag. If the rain is set in for the day, a rucksack cover helps, but do not trust it alone; covers blow off in a gust and water pools in the folds.

Take a paper map and a compass as well as your phone. Signal in the hills is patchy at best, batteries drain quickly in the cold, and a laminated map does not mind being rained on. Add a small headtorch, even on a short summer walk, because a wrong turn at five o'clock in October turns a pleasant afternoon into a dark walk out.

A Few Kindnesses to the Countryside

Rural life and rural walking sit side by side, and small habits keep it that way. Close every gate behind you, even if you found it open. Keep dogs on a short lead anywhere near sheep and cattle, and give cows a wide berth if you are crossing a field with a calf in it. Take your litter home, including fruit peel, and leave nothing but boot prints on a stile or a stone wall.

Packing It So You Can Walk

A 20 to 25 litre rucksack is plenty for a day. Put the heaviest items, water and food, in the middle of the bag against your back, where they sit still and carry well. Waterproofs and the warm layer go near the top, so you can reach them without emptying the whole pack at a gateside. Small, frequently used items, a map, a snack, a lip salve, live in the hip pockets or lid. Aim for a bag that feels slightly underfilled when you set off; it will be exactly right by the time you have added a discarded fleece and a wet jacket.

Pack it the night before, leave it by the door, and the morning's only decision is where to walk.