>>2861316
Shoes, clothing, and a water bottle. It's not that hard.

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>>2861317
Haha, true. But there are a gazillion options, so I figured I ask around here to see what is actually worth buying instead of overspending or buying something with garbage quality.

Also, would 25L be enough for the backpack or should I go higher?

>>2861319
25L is the sweet spot for day hiking but too low for camping unless you go ultra minimal, which I would not recommend for a beginner. I'd get a separate pack for overnights though.
Appropriate shoes, clothes, first aid are most important. Also having enough water and bringing food you can enjoy while exercising. If you are alone, a garmin inreach or equivalent is nice but it'd singlehandedly blow through your budget. For me it was worth the peace of mind, I hike alone 99% of the time though. I only use it to have the SOS button.
>3-4 hour walks in the woods
That's really all there is to hiking, there's nothing magical that happens when you hit hour 5. It's just walking. Of course trails can be easy or hard, well maintained or bushwacking, but for what youre doing it's little more than walks. Enjoy.

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>>2861316
All my gear is from decathlon and I've slept in the Taiwanese tropical jungle more than an aboriginal. I've seen niggas carrying literal propane tanks on their back all the way to 4000m so I guess the important part is determation anon

>>2861316
all of decathlon tents are shit, even their more pricey ones. if you insist to get one from them be prepared to carry another set of flysheet and footprint

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>>2861316
The most important thing for hiking is having the right shoes. There's no need to spend a lot of money - they just need to fit your feet well. Also, don't take long walks in brand new shoes if your feet aren't used to them yet.

Clothing is important, too. If it's cold outside, you should wear a moisture-wicking thermal top, a fleece pullover, a jacket, and a hat if it's really cold. However, since you probably won't go hiking in the winter, a waterproof jacket will suffice against rain. Buy pants that dry quickly. Cotton is warm and comfortable, but once it gets wet, it stays wet.

Always check the weather forecast, but expect worse conditions because the weather is different in the mountains than in the city. Download CoMaps from F-Droid for maps. It's free, and downloads maps for the area, so it can be used without an internet connection.

I think you can find some nice things at Decathlon. I have a few items from there, too (pic related), and they're pretty good for us European weekend warriors.

>>2861350
Thanks for the detailed post! I’m thinking a basic cotton long sleeve shirt, a light fleece jacket on top and a rain jacket should be enough for the weather conditions in which I will be going out.

Would you say wool socks are also worth getting, or should I go with a different material?

>>2861351
Yes, this might be enough.

Wool socks are great for hiking. Merino wool socks are even better. They don't smell bad if you wear them for several days straight, and they keep your feet warm even when they're wet. However, they are expensive and don't last long.
Synthetic socks grow bacteria quickly and aren't suitable for this activity. They may find their use in the summer, but I personally don't like them very much.

Be sure to keep a spare pair of socks in your backpack. Wet socks can cause a lot of trouble. Also, it's a good idea to change the shoe inserts in your shoes at least 1-2x a year.

>>2861354
> However, they are expensive and don't last long.
I didn’t know that. I always thought wool is more durable than your average recycled-plastic type of socks, lol. It probably still is, but I was thinking more like multiple years at least.
>Be sure to keep a spare pair of socks in your backpack
I always keep 2 extra pairs in my day to day backpack :D

Regarding the topic of shoes, do you have any recommendations? Decathlon shoes would be great, but I wouldn’t mind buying from somewhere else if you have had good experiences with other brands.

>>2861356
check out the kiprun tr series. those are decathlon's own brand of shoes. They are too slim for my feet, but then I have very wide feet.

>>2861323
What the fuck why

>>2861351
>I’m thinking a basic cotton long sleeve shirt
Often a good idea to avoid cotton as a base layer unless you're exclusively going /out/ in warm weather. It soaks up water (whether from sweat, unexpected rain or stream crossings), dries slowly and loses all insulation when wet. That can be a recipe for hypothermia depending on your climate. Most people would recommend merino or synthetic baselayers.

decathlon is upping their game
everything has higher quality alternatives like titanium etc
probably not a big deal for consooomers for pragmatic bros it's a game changer

lol no

just get cheap stuff, figure out what you want to invest more of your money into. Get a decent backpack 20-30l (osprey is great) and a decent pair of boots (Salomon, Merrel) and spend whatever is left on what's cheapest.

Check out this guy's channel. He had a couple of good videos about exactly that, including Decathlon gear.
Obviously you can omit the camping equipment if you don't plan overnighters.

https://youtu.be/j7OFiAtMfdQ?si=hPQSUhlK5NkG-qW5

>>2861417
>Osprey
>Salomon
Overpriced boutique gear

>>2861369
gotta get that propane to his meth lab somehow.

>>2861316
Spend 250€ on shoes

>>2861319
merino wear or wool, sold wool.
Thin sold wool aka merino wool is the best.
Shoes above the ancle as height.

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>>2861316
>250€
Unless you are climbing actual mountains or spelunking you can just hike in old clothes. The only thing that matters is experience and boots/socks. The decathlon tennis socks are good, and the hunting boots are good for the money. But you don't need to spend 250€. Just buy a 20L backpack, pick the cheapest one because you won't notice the weight difference for casual hiking.

When hiking carry a poncho or rain jacket (ponchos are lighter but they suck with wind), a meal, a 2L water bottle, spare socks, a first aid kit and a knife. That's all you need unless you are doing technical stuff. Pic related are my favourite decathlon boots, unless you are walking on wet rock, because they are kinda slippery.

The Quechua shoes aint that bad if you are not doing mountains. I have a pair that have served me pretty well for just normal walks (~6 hour long treks through hills and woods and shit).