A Packing List for Half-Day Island Hikes with Swim Stops

A half-day island hike with a swim in the middle is a different animal from a plain walk in the hills. The distance is modest, the rewards are out of proportion, and the kit list is short. But it is specific. Salt water gets into everything. Wet feet change how you move on rock. And the moment you decide to swim, your backpack stops being a bag and becomes a small boat. Here is what earns its place for four or five hours of coast, trail and sea.

Plan the swim before you plan the pack

Start with the map, not the gear. Where can you actually get in and out of the water? A pebble cove, a flat granite slab, a concrete slipway used by fishermen. Where can't you? Most of the island's coastline, as it happens. Steep cliffs, sea urchins, and rock that looks inviting until you are standing on it in bare feet.

Decide on your swim stop and a backup before you leave. Note the exit as well as the entry — a ledge that is easy to slide off can be awkward to climb back onto, especially with a swell running. Morning is usually calmer; afternoon wind builds chop on exposed headlands. Tide matters more than people expect: some platforms are only reachable at low water, and a route along the base of a cliff can close behind you as the tide comes in.

If you do not know the area, ask. A harbour office, a dive shop, or someone mending nets will tell you more in two minutes than any guidebook.

The dry bag earns its place

One roll-top dry bag of 10 to 15 litres, with taped seams, is the single most useful item on this list. Roll-top, not zip — zips fail quietly. Test it at home: put a tissue inside, seal it, sink it in the bath for a minute. If the tissue is dry, trust it. If not, take it back.

Inside goes the things that would ruin the day if they got wet: phone, keys, cards, a small first-aid kit, and a spare shirt and shorts. Two small pouches are handy — one for the phone, one for keys and cash — so you are not opening the main bag on a windy beach. Buckle the whole thing to your pack strap while walking, and when you swim, leave it high on the rock, in the shade, with a stone on the strap. Partly inflate it and it floats, which is a feature worth knowing if you ever fumble it near the water.

Clothing that dries fast and still keeps you warm

Leave cotton at home. It holds water, weighs you down, and chills you when the wind picks up. A synthetic or merino-blend tee, a light long-sleeve sun shirt, and quick-dry shorts worn over swimwear will cover most of the day. Board shorts dry in minutes; heavy cargo shorts do not.

Pack one dry set of clothes in the bag — a tee, shorts, and socks. The pleasure of pulling on something dry at the end of a swim-hike is out of all proportion to the 300 grams it costs you.

Do not forget a warm layer

Wet skin plus a 25 km/h wind on an exposed headland is cold, even in July. A light fleece or a windproof shell, around 200 grams, is cheap insurance. Add a brimmed hat, sunglasses with a strap, and a microfibre towel — or a bandana, or nothing, because sun on warm granite dries you faster than any towel. Swim in a rash vest if you plan to stay in the water a while.

Footwear: the choice that makes or breaks the day

Three setups work. Choose one and stop worrying about it.

• Trail shoes with real grip, worn wet. They protect your feet, handle rough ground, and dry overnight. They will be heavy for an hour and full of sand by lunchtime.
• Closed amphibious sandals with a stiff sole and a heel strap. Good on mixed rock and water, less support on loose scree and long descents.
• Trail shoes plus a pair of lightweight water shoes for rocky entries. The extra 250 grams buys you safe footing on urchin-covered rock.

What does not work: flip-flops on a trail, smooth-soled trainers on wet stone, and bare feet anywhere except sand. Wet rock — particularly dark, algae-covered rock and wet limestone — is genuinely slick. Test every step before you commit your weight, descend on your toes with a low centre of gravity, and use your hands. Nobody has ever looked undignified steadying themselves on a rock.

Socks and hot spots

Thin synthetic or merino socks, plus a spare dry pair for the walk back. If you wade, shake the sand out before you put your shoes on again. At the first hint of a hot spot, stop and cover it — a small blister at ten in the morning is a miserable last kilometre at two in the afternoon. Rinse your shoes in fresh water at the end of the day; salt stiffens them and quietly shortens their life.

Water, food and sun

Fountains on small islands are sparse and not always drinkable. Carry what you need rather than hoping. For a hot half-day, that means more than feels reasonable — a litre and a half at least, and electrolyte tablets if you sweat heavily. A frozen bottle is pleasant for the first hour and then it is just a bottle.

Food should survive heat and being sat on: bread, nuts, dried fruit, a couple of oranges, tinned fish. Skip chocolate and soft cheese. Eat before the swim rather than straight after, and give yourself twenty minutes on the rock before walking again.

Sunscreen goes on before you leave, not at the beach, and it goes on again after swimming. Hat on, shirt on. If you have a skin condition, a medical diagnosis, or you take medication that affects sun exposure, get proper advice from a pharmacist or doctor before planning a long day out — this is not something to guess at.

The leave-no-trace pocket

This weighs almost nothing and matters more than any gadget on the list.

• A stuff sack for rubbish. Everything you carry in comes out with you. Orange peel and apple cores are not "natural" in a maquis that has never grown oranges; they take months to break down and pull animals towards the path.
• Paper bag and a small trowel, or a sturdy stick. If you need a toilet, go at least 60 to 70 metres from water, dig a hole 15 to 20 centimetres deep, and carry the paper out. Better still, use the facilities at the trailhead before you set off.
• Nothing moved. Do not build cairns, do not shift rocks to make a seat, do not pick the plants — several island species grow here and nowhere else.
• No soap, no shampoo, no fires. Rinse off with fresh water when you get back. Keep your distance from goats and gulls, and do not feed them.

The pack, bottom to top

1. Dry bag with phone, keys, cards, spare tee and shorts, socks, first-aid kit
2. Water, one and a half to two litres for a hot half-day
3. Lunch, snacks, a small bag for rubbish
4. Light warm layer, microfibre towel, water shoes
5. Sunscreen, lip balm, hat, sunglasses on a strap
6. Goggles if you want to see where you are swimming, and a small headlamp in case the walk back takes longer than planned

The five-minute trailhead check

Water full. Dry bag sealed — press it and listen for escaping air. Route and swim exit known. Tide, wind and the time of sunset noted. Someone at home knows where you are going and when you expect to be back. Shoes on, laces snug but not tight.

Then set a turnaround time and stick to it, before the first swim rather than after the third. Half-day hikes have a way of stretching, and the best ones usually end with you still wanting a little more.

Photo: Engin_Akyurt / Pixabay