If you re squinting, your eyes are taking a beating. To make sure you take enough water with you, bring along extra water bottles , or if you know you will be out for several hours you might want to bring along a water filter to refill your bottles. Sometimes just snacking along the trail may be enough. But, for those long days that cover long miles, you ll want to carry a big lunch and even bring extra food to snack on. I find it very frustrating to be hiking and see a flower or a bird I can t identify, and there I am left to only wonder.
Field guides are small, easy to pack, and real handy to have along on the trail.
Maps and a compass . The purpose of maps is to see where you re going - not see where you ve been. Always carry a map with you on your hike. I see too many hikers buying their maps after their trip. That doesn t make much sense.