Wild Kit Guide

Wild Kit Guide

Practical outdoor gear guides for car camping to trail.

Latest guides

  • Illustration of a pair of brown leather hiking boots on a rock beside a mountain stream, with a hand rubbing wax into one boot from a tin, pine trees and peaks under a warm cream sky
    How to Waterproof Hiking Boots
    The leather over your toes has gone dark and heavy two hours into a wet walk. Your boots are not leaking yet, they are drinking. Clean them, keep them damp, match wax or spray to the material, then dry them slowly. Here is how to waterproof hiking boots without wrecking them.
  • Illustration of a hiker on a mountain trail tightening the hip belt of a forest-green hiking backpack, with pine trees and layered mountains under a warm cream sky
    How to Fit a Hiking Backpack
    The hip belt has slid onto your ribs and one shoulder is burning before the first stile. Most of the time the pack is fine and the fit is not. Measure your torso, set the belt on your hip bones, then tighten the straps in the right order and the load settles.
  • Illustration of a green hiking backpack on a rocky trail overlook with pine trees, layered mountains and a warm cream sky
    Best Hiking Backpacks (2026)
    The wrong pack digs into your shoulders by mile one. Here is how to choose the best hiking backpacks for day hikes and weekends: measure torso and hips, match volume to the trip you take, and three packs worth a look from day to overnight size.
  • Illustration of brown leather hiking boots beside merino socks and a green daypack on a mossy rock, with pine trees and mountains behind
    How to Break In Hiking Boots
    New hiking boots dig into heels and ankles until they settle. Here is how to break them in with short walks, the socks you will hike in, sensible lacing and early hot-spot care, plus a few helpers worth packing and the break-in mistakes that ruin a first trip.
  • Illustration of green and cream merino hiking socks beside a pair of leather hiking boots on a mossy rock, with a backpack and trekking poles by a forest trail and mountains behind
    Best Hiking Socks (2026)
    Wet, bunched cotton socks ruin more hikes than bad boots. Here is how to pick the best hiking socks for your trips, from merino fibre and a snug heel to the right cushioning, plus three solid picks and a few simple care habits that keep a good pair going for years.
  • Illustration of a hiker sitting on a rock beside a trail applying a blister plaster to their heel, with wool socks, a backpack and trekking poles, pine forest and mountains behind
    How to Prevent Blisters When Hiking
    Blisters on the trail are mostly a fit and moisture problem, not bad luck. Here is how to prevent blisters when hiking with better socks, a heel-lock lacing trick, quick hot spot care and a tiny blister kit that weighs less than a sandwich and can save a whole trip.
  • Illustration of a green and gold sleeping bag airing over a wooden fence at a campsite beside a tub and two tennis balls, with pine forest and mountains behind
    How to Wash a Sleeping Bag
    A flat, stale sleeping bag is usually just a dirty one. Here is how to wash a sleeping bag by hand or machine, which cleaner to use, why low heat and tennis balls matter for drying, and how to store it so the loft lasts between trips.
  • Illustration of green, yellow and orange roll-top dry bags lined up beside an open green backpack on a riverside rock, with a canoe, pine forest and mountains behind
    Best Dry Bags for Hiking and Camping (2026)
    One slip on a river crossing is all it takes to turn a sleeping bag into a cold flannel. Here are the best dry bags for hiking and camping, how to choose between roll-top and zip, which sizes and fabrics make sense, and three picks in very different shapes.
  • Flat-vector illustration of a hiker with a green rucksack walking a mountain path using two trekking poles, layered pine forest and peaks under a cream sky
    How to Use Trekking Poles
    Most people hold new trekking poles like ski sticks and give up within ten minutes. Here is how to use trekking poles properly: set the right length, wear the straps from underneath, change length for climbs and descents, and handle mud, rock and stream crossings without wrenching a shoulder.