Gear Guide for Your Ireland Hike

Walking trips in Ireland—the perceptive reader has no doubt already realized—take place out of doors and consequently in the weather, whatever it may be that particular day: hard rain, steady drizzle, delightfully cool, or, in rare cases, really damn Devil's Island hot. How do you prepare for that?

Layering is the key. Three tiers of clothing are what you want: the underlayer should be made of a fabric that "wicks," or pulls sweat from the body and deposits it on the outside of the garment, where it evaporates. Why is this important? Because moisture can pull warmth from the body as much as 25 times faster than temperature alone. Damp clothes are cold clothes. They are clammy, uncomfortable, and, in dire emergencies, even fatal.

In other words, do not wear cotton, which never, ever seems to dry, ever. Do not wear cotton t-shirts, or jeans, or even socks. In the backpacking and mountaineering communities there is a saying: "cotton kills."

Your second layer is a very light fleece jacket of some sort, finally topped off with a rain parka constructed of a material such as Gore-Tex that repels rain while allowing sweat to escape, which keeps you reasonably dry. For a summertime walking trip in Ireland, the lightest materials will be best. (You can find underlayers in "expedition" weights, suitable for treks to the North Pole, but you might find these a bit too warm for a 70-degree day on the Emerald Isle.)

I do not wear an underlayer of pants on this kind of trip, nor do I carry rain pants, reasoning that I can walk my wicking pants dry in half an hour after it stops raining. Some folks point out, quite cogently, that the foliage remains damp and for them rain pants are more comfortable. It's up to the individual.

A rain hat is essential, though I personally (gasp) wear a cotton baseball cap and use the rain hood on my parka when the heavens open up.

This brings us to the controversial matter of footwear. While no one disagrees that you must wear wicking socks, shoes are another story. Some people believe leather boots are best, and that is certainly the case if you have ankle issues or carry a heavy pack. (The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine says you need substantial footwear if you are carrying 35 pounds or more.) I have gone to the lighter, more nimble, trail runners made by such companies as New Balance, Saucony, and Montrail. I believe that I am faster in these shoes and they cause me considerably less fatigue. While Gerry Greensmyth, my guide in Ireland, wears heavy leather boots, over half of our party wore trail runners. There were no broken ankles or foot injuries of any description.

Blisters can ruin a walking trip in a matter of hours. There are numerous blister fix kits that one can buy, but I prefer to bring several weights of simple moleskin, which is available at most any drugstore. You should attack the blister immediately, when it is still just "a hot spot." What I do is cut off a square of moleskin, fold it in half, and cut out a circle with the small scissors on my Swiss Army knife. I now take that square of adhesive moleskin, fit the hole over the blister (or hot spot) and continue on my blissful way. The blister breathes freely while the moleskin keeps it out of contact with the boot.

Gerry Greensmyth also recommends gaiters. These are rather like a pair of spats that fit over the top lip of your boots and keep them free of mud. We did not encounter such boggy conditions that gaiters were necessary, but I'd bring a pair, just in case. Be certain that the gaiters fit the type of shoe you've chosen. Those intended for boots do not fit tightly around trail runners and are completely useless.

Finally, take all this gear out on the road or a trail near your home and use it. Recently, at an outdoors conference, a young lady asked me why she always got blisters and sore feet from every pair of every brand of shoes she bought. The woman explained that she had gone to specialty stores, that she'd purchased boots or shoes made specifically for the type of trip she'd planned, and each and every pair had let her down. She had never made a summit or completed a hike. Her feet constantly defeated her.

I had a certain suspicion at this point. "Did you wear any of the boots for at least 50 miles before you started the trips?" I asked.

Instead, she had plenty of time to sit on the side of the trail and literally sob.

Certain types of footwear may, in fact, not work for you, and you don't want to find this out in the middle of your vacation. I suggest that you walk a minimum of 50 miles in the shoes you intend to wear, including several brisk four-mile hikes. This will also help you get into shape for your trip, which, believe me, will make it much more enjoyable. If your feet don't hurt after a few of the longer hikes, they will not hurt on your ramble through Ireland. I promise.

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