The major piece of hiking advice for solo walking / hiking in Mayo’s beautiful outdoors is to plan ahead and let somebody know where you are going and roughly when you plan to be back. Bring a detailed map and compass. If you are going into the mountains, it is always better to go with somebody else, plus a map, plus a compass.

Here is some hiking advice on what you will need in your rucksack, when you are out hiking / hillwalking in Mayo :

1. Water – No matter what the weather, you’ll need water. Vary the amount, depending on conditions, but don’t travel with less than 500 ml, while 1 litre would be better for a hike of over 4 hours duration. You can always top up in the mountains, but be smart : the higher up the mountain stream you take water from, the cleaner it is going to be. Also, don’t take water from a still pool – it will have gathered peat dust and worse, while stagnant.

2. Food – Again, no matter how short a walk, do bring some food with you. You never know – you might have a problem (twisted ankle, etc.) up the side of a mountain. If you’re packing some chocolate, or energy bar, etc., go without the wrapper. That way, you won’t lose it in a gust of wind. Bring your food in a re-usable plastic container, with a sound tight lid. Never bring cling film or tin foil – they will blow away in the wind.

3. Whistle – I never go anywhere without a good, loud whistle, in case of emergency. Wear it around your neck, so you still have it if you become separated from your rucksack.

4. Torch plus spare batteries – Bring a head torch. That way, your hands remain free, if ever you actually need to use it. Nobody knows when the batteries in a torch are going to run out. Always pack spares and ensure they are dry, by wrapping them in a water-tight bag. Test both those in your torch and the spares every time you are heading out.

5. Mobile phone – The suggestion, when out in the hills, is certainly to turn your mobile phone off. But have it with you, in case of emergency. Put it in your pocket, not your bag, for the same reason as mentioned above. But ensure it is far enough away from your compass not to interfere with the needle.

6. First aid supplies – While it would be nice to carry a load of first aid stuff around with you, in truth, it’s really not that practical. But do have the 4 essentials – plasters, for cuts on rocks; elastic crepe bandage, for twisted ankles; Leukosilk tape, for keeping said bandage in place; Medicare cold pack, for treatment of swelling, bruising, etc.

And please remember, bring back home what you brought out with you. Do not leave even the slightest remnants of your passage. You know the Leave No Trace maxim : Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. With two exceptions. First, do take out rubbish that you did not leave there yourself. You’ll feel good about yourself and help the natural environment. Second, do try to watch out for rare flowers, where you’re stepping. Even footprints in the wrong place can damage.

Here is what you need to wear :

Here is some hiking advice on what you should wear when hiking in the West of Ireland. Note that the main weather characteristics of this corner of the world are that we have a lot of rain, quite a bit of wind, not very hot temperatures and not very extreme conditions either (rarely below 0 Celsius, unless you’re climbing mountains in winter, where you’ll suffer wind chill factor, but rarely any snow worth talking about). Mind you, both winter 2009 / 2010 and 2010 / 2011 did indeed produce extreme weather conditions in Ireland, so check weather forecast on Met Éireann and Irish Weather Online.

From the point of view of terrain, much of the far west of Ireland (especially west Mayo) is covered in blanket bog, with pools and puddles on the waterlogged ground, much of it hidden under sphagnum moss clumps. Apart from bog, we have (mostly) limestone and quartzite rocks jutting from the ground all around, perhaps most famously in our scree covered mountain slopes, from about 400 – 500 m altitude up.

So, let’s go from the feet upwards.

1. Hiking boots – This is essential kit. Get ankle high, waterproof hiking boots. Buy a pair that is at least one half to one full size too big for you, compared to standard shoes, so you can wear two pairs of good thick socks and feel nice, comfortable and secure within. I wear Meindl.

2. Hiking socks - Do not try to wear your regular socks, no matter how thick you might think they are. I have tried and continue to use a wide variety of hiking socks inside my boots. I have absolutely no preference between synthetic and wool, nor between twin- and single-layer. I use all the pairs I have interchangeably. The only criterion for me is that they are thick and comfortable. What I do is wear a relatively short inner pair and an outer pair that are as long as possible, so I can pull them up to my knees if feeling cold, or fold back down as required.

If you have a stronger opinion on socks, I’d love to hear it!

2 bis. Gaitors – I had a pair, but gave up wearing them. They just annoyed me. Mind you, others swear by them.

3. Waterproof pants – I use a pair with a membrane, from The North Face, called HyVent. The pants are 100% nylon on the outside and the inner mesh (membrane) is 100% polyester. They’re brilliant in rain and wind, but truly terrible in dry, warm weather when you’re hiking up a hill, because your thighs get ‘stuck’ with each step. I made that mistake just once. In good weather, I wear a pair of Peter Storm zip-off to shorts outdoors pants in 100% nylon.

4. T-shirts - Definitely do not choose cotton, or indeed polycotton. Why ? They take in your sweat and the rain and hold on to them jealously. Cotton takes much too long to dry out and leaves you cold and wet, especially when the wind strikes. Wear 100% nylon or 100% polyester tees. They dry out quickly. I wear a light Regatta or a heavier O’Neill’s GAA t-shirt, both in 100% polyester.

The trick is to bring more than one t-shirt, perhaps including one that has long sleeves, and to peel them off or put them back on, depending on conditions. Wear the long-sleeved one under the short-sleeved others, if you think you’re going to be cold. That way, you can peel off the short-sleeved one and keep your arms covered, without having to go bare chested as you do so.

5. Sleeveless Softshell – I wear a Regatta 100% polyester fleece-type soft shell. As opposed to the boots, earlier, this should be a snug fit, so that when zipped up, it really does give you warmth. It’s sleeveless, so it doesn’t restrict movement and you can always allow for this by bringing along a long-sleeved t-shirt or sports jersey. Personally, I never feel the cold on my arms, so this one is perfect.

6. Waterproof Jacket - Very good to have. Getting wet on the chest and back is not pleasant. I have a Helly Hansen in 100% polyester / polyurethane, with water resistance to 10,000 mm and good breathability. In addition, I have a good 100% nylon outer, 100% polyester inner mesh (membrane) from O’Neill’s, which is no Berghaus, The North Face or Regatta, but I still like it.

7. Hats and Gloves - Woolly hats are best for warmth, but they do get wet. I actually prefer a baseball cap, but that does not keep your head as warm and cannot be pulled down over your ears, like the woolly hat can.  Gloves should be able to keep water out, but they won’t manage that forever. I always bring the woolly hat in my rucksack as a back-up, while wearing the baseball cap, but rarely bother with gloves unless it’s winter and I’m going above, say, 400 m.

8. Rucksack - Mine is a Eurohike, which I think is a brand of Millets outdoor shops. The model I have is a Weekender 35 litre and its most important feature is the rain guard that I can pull over it if the weather gets wet. My advice : start your walk with a half empty rucksack, so it has space to take the layers, as you peel them off.

As always, do enjoy the outdoors !