Checklist for Saudi Arabian Trekking

Food Stuff

Balanced food is an important factor for a successful trek. Good trekking food should be tasty, nutritious, filling, easy to carry, easy to cook, and cheap. Trekking food is often all about weight and energy. You eat to survive, in serious situations, not to enjoy yourself.

Fresh fruits and fresh food are very good for shorter treks though not always the best thing to carry due to its weight and as it may get decayed soon during longer treks. Considering these, fatty food will be better to carry on trekking.

• Dates
• Chocolate
• Peanuts or Peanut candies
• Cookies
• Nuts and seeds (Cashews, Almonds/Badam, Walnuts, Pista…etc.)
• Powdered high-fat milk
• Water (10-15 liters per person per day) 

And, select any food that is comfortable to carry and gives good nutrition. Based on these, you can think of selecting your food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We found plantain (Cooking Banana or Indian Banana), potato, and sweet potato as a tasty and heavy meal that can be baked row directly in the campfire or by covering with aluminum foil.

Other Stuff

Hiking

• Backpack (Rucksack or Shoulder Bag)
• Trekking or running shoes
• Trekking Poles
• Money belt/travel document holder
• Hiking water bottle

Clothing & Body Protection

• Woolen jacket or sweater (during winter)
• Woolen cap (during winter)
• Light cotton shirt (during summer)
• Hiking shorts or pants
• T-shirts
• Sun hat
• Gloves
• Goggles or sunglasses
• Shemagh (a cloth to cover your face and head used by Arab males). Trust me, it will help you in many ways during a desert trip.

Cleaning & Skincare Items

• Toilet articles
• Tissues
• Scissors
• Bath soap/handwash
• Sunscreen (skin cream)
• Bath towel
• Toothpaste and toothbrush

Rest & Sleep

• Sleeping bag
• Travel pillow
• Pop Up tent (self-folding tent)
• Flip-flops or Sandals

Navigation Aids

• GPS unit with a desert map installed
  • Google Map will not be enough for off-roads as it depends on mobile towers
• Altimeter (optional)
• Compass (a manual compass would be perfect)

Photography & Electronics

• Camera & lenses
• Additional memory card
• Additional batteries & battery charger
• Lens cleaning equipment
• Tripod or Monopod
• Mobile phone
• Power bank

Added Entertainment (optional)

• Binoculars
• Snorkel (if the trek includes transparent sea with corals and/or colorful fish)
• swimming shorts (you may come across a water body, fit for bathing)

Your Vehicle Related

• Air pressure gauge
• Spare tire(s) (Stepney)
• Pulling rope (2+ tons)
• Jumper cable
• Air compressor
• A Jack (hydraulic jack would be perfect)
• A toolbox with essential tools and parts for temporary survival
• Engine oil
• Break oil
• Transmission oil
• Radiator water
• Industrial gloves

Miscellaneous Items

• Pen, pencil, and notepad
• Firelighter
• Torch (flashlight), with additional batteries & bulbs
• Headlamp
• Travel knife (folding knife)

Equipment for a Team

Navigation Aids

• Satellite phone (if the planned trip is off-roads with no network connection)
• A licensed wireless radio device

Cooking

• Cooking utensils (like Bowls, frying pan, plates, glass, big and small spoons, knives, cutting board…etc)
• Camping Stove (In most cases, firewood can be collected during your drive through off roads or else, you can buy a bunch of firewood for 25 Saudi Riyals which is good for one to two hours of fire. Firewood can be bought either at supermarkets near off-road entries or from the roadside sellers)
• Wind shade for the camping stove
• Kerosene to light firewood

Other Essentials

• Camping tents (preferably weatherproof) – size depends on the number of participants
• Travel chairs
• First Aid kit (that includes scissors, pain killer, adhesive dressing/plasters, antiseptic spray, diarrhea tablets and any medication you normally use)
• Paper/plastic bags for waste disposal

Note: The equipment listed above could be altered according to your requirements and the length of trekking and camping.