Read about my experiences in Jordan and Oman.
Packing your backpack for a hike is sometimes difficult and a hike in a wadi is really different. I understand that you have all kinds of questions if you’ve never made a hike in a wadi before. What do you take with you in your backpack and what do you leave behind in your hotel room or in the car? Read in this packing list for wadi hiking what you really need to take into the wadi.
There are of course many different wadis and not in all wadis do you actually go into the water. My experience is that there’s actually always water to be found in the wadi. The first times I was in a wadi, I could have been better prepared if I had consulted such a packing list.
Are you going to hike in a wadi? Check this packing list for wadi hiking!
Nothing is more difficult than constantly checking whether everything is still dry and properly storing away your phone. If you want to have good photos, it’s a must to have a good waterproof case for your phone (and to check it each time before you use it again).
I have some good photos from those first times because I took my phone in a dry bag and took the risk of taking it out and taking photos.
In many wadis, the water is often shallow. Or photos can be taken from the bank, for example Wadi Bin Khalid. But then you need to have someone who doesn’t go into the water if you don’t have a waterproof case or bag.
I have created this packing list to ensure you are well prepared for hiking in a wadi with water.
So first, the preparation for the fact that you’re going to encounter water. And that you want to swim in it after a hike in the warm sun and that you naturally want to have photos of that. The beautiful rock formations you encounter and where you’ll swim through in the beautiful turquoise water.
Packing List for Wadi Hiking – Oman / Jordan
Waterproof bag or waterproof phone case
I have the Osprey waterproof backpack. Now that it’s a few years old, I don’t trust it anymore with a phone, but I do like the bag because it’s also very small. Also on snorkel trips, it’s handy to have such a waterproof bag in the boat. In recent years, I only travel with hand luggage and then it’s nice to have a multifunctional small backpack that you can fold into a small bag when you travel.
Order your waterproof backpack
A dry bag is also always handy. This is sturdier and thicker and you can use it well for this. A lot cheaper of course than the backpack, but I only use this for canoe/kayak trips and for swimming in a wadi.
Order your dry bag 3 liters
Water shoes for hiking in the wadi
In a wadi, you’ll probably walk through or in the water. And not just one step but long stretches. Good water shoes are a must then. The stones you walk on are often slippery due to deposits and so some grip is very welcome. The surface is irregular and sometimes with sharp points. I’ve had the barefoot runner shoes for a few years and I think they’re ideal. They have a good sturdy sole so I have good contact with the surface.
Order your quick-drying barefoot shoes
Quick-drying towel
When traveling, I always have a quick-drying towel with me. Because I regularly sleep in hostels and don’t always get a towel there.
But for hiking in the wadi, it’s naturally ideal that you can dry yourself off and that the towel is almost dry again by the time you pack it to walk back or continue.
Order your quick-drying towel
Packing List for Wadi Hiking – Sunny Area
Sunscreen
In summer destinations, it’s naturally always good to have a tube of sunscreen with you. I honestly admit that I almost never apply sunscreen. Fortunately, I don’t burn that quickly. If you do use sunscreen, do you take waterproof? Then you can use it while hiking in the wadi and it stays on when you go swimming. Also think about whether it’s biodegradable, some will always disappear into the water.
Sunglasses / Cap or hat
Do you often use sunglasses or a cap against the sun? Then you’ll definitely need to put them in your bag during your preparation for wadi hiking. You walk a lot in the sun in the wadi. There are shadow spots now and then, but assume that you mostly walk in the sun. In Wadi Mujib and Wadi Bin Hammad (both Jordan) it wasn’t too bad. There the sun didn’t come down into the wadi, but the other wadis I walked in Oman were all very sunny.
Clothing in the packing list for wadi hiking
Bring clothing in which you can hike well in warm weather. Special hiking clothing naturally has flat seams so you don’t get chafing spots and it ventilates well. You walk anywhere from an hour to a few hours in the different sunny wadis. For hiking, I’m still most a fan of yoga leggings. These always fit nicely and don’t chafe anywhere. Also a shirt that’s suitable for wearing during sports is the nicest. It ventilates a bit better, wicks away perspiration better, and dries a bit faster.
Set of dry clothing for after swimming
Not in all wadis in Oman are you allowed to swim in a bikini. Sometimes you’re required to swim in a shirt and shorts. So you need to bring a completely dry set of clothing for after your visit to the wadi. There’s often an opportunity to change clothes and the sun does the drying partly for you.
As a tip for a bikini, I do recommend that it should fit nice and tight. When jumping or diving, you don’t want to lose your top. Or you wear a swimsuit, that’s possible too of course.
Plastic bag
Make sure you have a plastic bag with you. You can take wet clothing or your bikini with you this way without the rest of the contents of your backpack getting wet.
Hiking shoes for wadi hiking
Make sure you have shoes that you can hike comfortably in. You can easily go into the wadi in sneakers, as long as you have grip on the rocks and slippery stones. The surface you walk on is almost always loose stones or large rocks. I often walk in sneakers when traveling and that goes fine. The last time in Oman, I wore the low red Salomon trail run shoes with which I also had good grip.
Do you also want the Salomon trail shoe? Order the Salomon trail run shoe
Energy bars / fruit
They’re mostly challenging hikes in which you use quite a bit of energy. So make sure you always have something to eat in your backpack. I make sure I always have some energy bars or nuts with me. A banana or some sweets can’t hurt of course.
Enough water
In Oman or Jordan, it can get very hot. In the different wadis, no drinking water is available for purchase. So make sure you have enough with you when you leave. In the wadis, there is plenty of water and so you could filter water if necessary. I once had the LifeStraw, I used it during my trip in Kyrgyzstan. Also in countries where you don’t completely trust the water, it’s naturally perfect. And therefore also in the wadi to refill water if you run out of water halfway through the hike.
Order your LifeStraw 2.0
Are you planning a trip to Oman or Jordan and are you going to hike in a wadi? Save this packing list for wadi hiking for your preparation.
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