What to pack for a hike in Fish River Canyon Namibia

What should you pack for your Fish River canyon Hiking adventure?

We know that packing for the Fish River Canyon hike requires a lot of careful planning to ensure you have everything you need for a safe and enjoyable experience. As such, we have put together a detailed packing list tailored for those hiking in Fish River Canyon.

Paperwork

Pick up a ziplock freezer bag or two from your local supermarket and put all your paperwork in two of these to keep them in good condition

Hiking/Park permit
Medical clearance certificate
Personal ID

Clothing

Preferably made from natural materiels like cotton, cotton mix or silk. Not too tight, comfortable clothing. Make sure all clothing is worn in and fits comfortably well before the hike.
The key to staying comfortable/cool when needed and warm when needed is layers.

Breathable base layers: First items to put on - Lightweight and quick-drying

T-shirts x 2
Underwear x5

Top Layer This layer needs to provide protection from the sun and is best if it is a little baggy not tight fitting. Remember to protect your legs from the sun if wearing shorts, especially on the first couple of days, trousers while not seeming as cool and breezy as shorts are still cooler than suncream covered legs or sunburn!

Long sleeve shirt x 2
Trousers x 1
Shorts x 1
Lightweight Fleece -for cooler evenings and early mornings.
Wide brimmed hat
Sunglasses

Footwear: The most important choice and preparation for the Fish River Hike! THE most common irritant on the Hike is sore feet, aching and swollen at best blistered at worst... preperation and correct footwear is essential to preventing unhappy feet.
Think about this, when did you last spend 6 to 8 hours walking? Let alone while carrying several kilo's weight on your back!

So good, well worn in, comfortable, sturdy footwear can make or break your experience. Make sure you have bought your hiking boots at least 6 months before the hike and that you wear them in until you can wear them 10 hours a day without knowing they are on your feet.
Start by wearing them for an hour a day at first maybe as part of your fitness preparation walks then each week wear them longer until they fit like a glove.
Wear them on a long hike while carrying your full backpack a few times to work out any kinks in thier fitting.

Worn in comfortable sturdy hiking boots
Flip flops/ crocs or sandals
Socks x 6

Socks are almost as important as your boots when hiking, wool socks are best as they air well, they need to be thick enough to pad your feet from the rough inside of your boot but not too thick to cause rubbing.
Take plenty - put on a pair to hike through the day, at camp in the evening change to a fresh pair for the evening , this will keep your feet and socks comfy and fresh. Wearing two pairs of thin socks will not work, it can cause rubbing, slipping and blisters.

Cooking on the Fish River Hike

Camping Stove

There are many choices but a simple campinggaz stove will do, more expensive options are smaller, lighter and cook quicker and more efficiently, bear in mind you may want to boil water midday from the river to top up water supplies.
NO OPEN FIRES are permitted inside Fish River Canyon for two reasons, one is the fire hazard, it is extremely dry in the canyon fires spread quickly, secondly the envoirnment in the canyon is a delicate balance and the sticks and branches that you see distributed along the way are home to small insects that provide food for small reptiles, they in turn are food for small animals and birds, we go to these exceptional places to enjoy the beauty and wildness of nature lets disturb it as little as possible because there are very few places left on this planet that are so prestine. Fish River Canyon and a lot of Namibia is a remarkable place lets make sure it is preserved for generations to come (end of rant...)

Lightweight portable camping stove and fuel

Pan(s)

For cooking your delicious pre-prepared hiking meals in. To keep packing light preparing one pan meals works best, make sure your pan is big enough to hold the meal (or meals if cooking for the group) but not too big that it doesn’t balance on your camping stove!
Aluminium pans are lightest and heat/cool quickly, make sure it has a lid as this will speed up cooking and use less water. (Also useful for scaring away elephants by banging the lid and pan together).

One or possibly 2 cooking pans

Cutlery, Mug, Plate and/or Bowl

Something to eat your food from, a bowl is more versatile, I take two with me. A plastic camping bowl works well, is light and tough enough to survive the hike. A plate can be handy for preparing things on like slicing fruit etc.
You can pack a knife, fork and spoon from the kitchen draw at home, try to pick light but strong ones, or you can go fancy and buy a lightweight special camping set.
Not advisable to take your favourite china mug from home (though I have seen hikers with these) but a metal travel mug is good for evening/morning drinks, you can also get mugs that you can put direct onto a stove to heat the water but these are special mugs, do not put a normal metal mug/travel mug direct onto a cooking stove!

Plate/bowl
Knife fork and spoon
Mug

Water and Hydration

Dehydration is a real problem when hiking in the Fish River Canyon, between the hot days, sweating as you hike and limited water supply it is very easy to not drink enough on this hike. Dehydration is the number one reason for people needing help on the Fish River Hike.

Carrying a water supply You will not be able to carry all the water you need for the hike, it is simply too much volume and weight, however you do need to carry enough for each day and refill from the river as you go along.

You will need 3 things

1/ A method for drinking water frequently as you hike, a water bottle or water bladder that you can easily access as you walk, taking frequent sips all through the day is best - not gulping down large quantities only when you stop every couple of hours. A one litre bottle that you can reach without having to take off your pack so you sip it as you walk, this should be refilled every two hours.

2/ Backup water supply In addition to your walking water you should carry an additional 3 or 4 litres of drinking water in your backpack this you use to top up your drinking water every two hours and refill via the river water as you pass water.

3/ Water Filter You will be getting your water from the river which is NOT drinkable straight from the river, it must be filtered either by tablet, or a water filter more on filters in the equipment section.

Drinking bottle
Larger water bottle/container
Water filter and/or water purification tablets

Navigation Equipment

You will need a map to follow the route, it is not a complicated route but you need to know where water is located and there are a couple of places where you can go the wrong way. A compass is also useful to keep the correct heading
A GPS can be very useful but only if you have GPS points to head to, A GPS without waypoints is useless! There is little to no cellphone reception in most of the Fish River Canyon so any mapping info must be downloadeed in offline mode on hyour phone

For many years people have hiked the Fish River Canyon simply with a paper map and a compass, If you can learn to navigate this way that would be best, they are light and require no power.

Map
Compass
GPS (optional)

Sleeping in Fish River Canyon

As a disclaimer I have never carried either a tent or a sleeping mat on the Fish River Hike, but I do know where the softest patches of sand to sleep on are located and I love to gaze up at the stars each night. However I understand that not everyone is comfortable sleeping out in the open with only mother earth as your bed so I have included this section.

Picking a good place to spend the night as you hike through Fish River Canyon determines the ground you will have, closer to the river and you can find sandy patches that are nice and soft but the sand can creep into the sleeping bag making it uncomfortable, towards the canyon walls there are rocky areas firmer then the best posturepedic bed, ideally you want something in between the two - a few inches of sand over a flat rock, something just right like Goldilocks. Having a decent bedroll can help either soften the rock or protect from sand invasion.

Suprisingly sometimes finding a flat level space can be a challenge so try and select your camping spot in the light so you can scout around a little, setup camp, wash, put on supper and enjoy the sunset.

A tent provides a shelter from the elements and gives a feeling of security and there are some lightweight tents available now. The other option is to take a large cloth with ties on each corner to secure a sort of roof over you for the night like a bivouac, this is lighter than a tent but needs places to secure the corners too, there are not any trees in the canyon so you will have to get creative. It can also be used during the midday heat as a shade.

Bedroll
Tent/Shelter

First Aid

You need to be able to deal with any small medical issues that arise along the hike, a full (heavy) first aid box is overkill (excuse the use of word) but you will need the basics and of course any personal medication you may need. Most of the medical problems along the hike will be cuts, burns, blisters and possibly a twisted ankle. The biggest thing to watch for is Dehydration, we cover this in more detail in the staying healthy on the hike section.

Pain relief tablets
Plasters (mixed size for small cuts to large blisters!)
Bandages
Antiseptic cream
Personal medication
Antiseptic wipes
Rehydration Salts

Washing & Personal Hygiene

Now some would say that going out into such remote area that washing is unnecessary but washing off the heat and dust of the days hike will make you feel so much better as you snuggle down for the nights sleep under the stars, especially your feet, they are doing all the carrying. At the end of each days hike after setting up camp I wash my feet, dry them thoroughly, powder them and put on fresh socks.

Biodegradable soap
Towel
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Toilet Paper
Personal Hygiene items

Other useful items

A few items that are also essential to making the hike a pleasant experience.

Headlamp/torch
Spare batteries
Pocket Knife/multitool
Sunscreeen lotion spf30/50
lip balm
Antiseptic wipes
Foot powder
Ziplock bags
Camera
Phone
Satellite phone (optional)
Sleeping Mat
Tent/Shelter
Spares, boot laces etc

This is a guide to help you consider different options, you will have your own personal requirements.
Remember you have to carry everything for the entire hike so you want to pack as light as possible while also having everything you may need to have a fun, safe, happy hike along Fish River Cayon.
By packing thoughtfully and considering the specific challenges of Fish River Canyon, you'll be well-equipped to enjoy the beauty and adventure of this remarkable hiking destination.