Sometimes the gear we’re most sceptical about owning winds up being the most favoured. Here’s to the gear that’s won me over.

Have you ever ruled out gear before trying it, only to eat your words later? I have, so without further ado, here are my favourite pieces of kit I swore I’d never carry.

Not just for weary knees

Walking poles are the ABBA of the hiking world. Both originated in Scandinavia and both have proved popular with anyone over 40. Yet they are panned – the poles – by macho males and a large portion of young people who think they’re uncool. That was me – an ignorant upstart convinced poles were for trampers with dodgy hips and knees. I changed my mind after climbing the notoriously muddy Pirongia with a pair of poles borrowed from my mum. On steep, slippery climbs they provided crucial pull-ups, and on gnarly descents they were like a reassuring handrail. I’ve now got my own pair and have used them on nearly every multi-day hike since. I’m convinced they’re the reason I’ve managed to avoid injury. Best of all, the reduced strain on knee joints will keep me tramping longer – gimme, gimme, gimme!

A necessary accessory

Sometimes you don’t recognise love until it’s gone or – more accurately – been left in your car boot. Such was the case on a three-day river ramble in Whirinaki Forest. So excited was I to get walking after hours of driving, I rashly decided gaiters were unnecessary. Retribution was swift. I don’t think there was a moment on any day I wasn’t irritated by stones, leaf litter or river grit rolling about in my boots. The ongaonga stinging nettle that whipped the back of my legs only added further insult to injury.

I was a late convert to gaiters and tramped without them for more than a decade. Even after I inherited a pair from Wilderness’s editor (thanks Alistair), it took me a long while to use them.

Gaiters provide warmth and protection to your lower legs without breaching the freedom provided by shorts. If well fitted, they’ll keep water from your boots on brief river crossings. I’ve learned my lesson on gaiters.

A flash in the pan?

Frying pans are a rare sight in huts, and every time I spot one it’s cooking a meal I’m jealous of. I tried to fight the pull of the pan. I was proud of my lightweight pot set and tried in vain to use it to fry onions, mushrooms and garlic, but a pot is a pot and a pan it is not. Hiking pots are designed to boil liquid; anything else is liable to burn in seconds. Bringing a pan on a hike is a game changer – especially for group meals. From pancakes and pizza to sausages and stir-fries, the meal potential is massive. There are some quality hiking-specific pans out there that are lightweight, non-stick and designed to distribute heat evenly from the middle – ideal for small gas stoves. While my pan may not make it on longer tramps, it’s an essential part of the camp kitchen for weekenders.

Return of a relic

Not all 90s relics are lucky enough to enjoy a revival, but the humble bum bag has found a new niche in the outdoors. It was a piece of kit I never expected to own, but after spying a retro-looking Patagonia bag online at clearance price, I made one of my best impulse buys to date. I’m constantly surprised at how many useful items I can fit into it: keys, PLB, sunscreen, snacks, pocket knife, earplugs, hand sanitizer, and any rubbish I pick up on the trail. For photography missions, it’s big enough to store a spare lens for my DSLR, and for summits or toilet stops, it saves diving into the pack to grab essentials.