Equipment must be carefully selected according to the time of year and trail difficulty and length. In summer, under favorable weather conditions, absolutely necessary are shoes with tracking soles, and a raincoat or windbreaker. In colder weather, or on hikes to passes or peaks, you will need a sweater, hat or cap, some food and adequate drinks.

Tennis shoes or low-topped footwear will not protect your feet against injuries in rocky ground, and especially not on scree. Footwear of this kind is adequate only for walks in settled areas or immediately around them. Most accidents in the Tatras are caused by inadequate footwear -- by slipping on wet rocks, injuring legs and feet on scree and spraining ankles. A fall after such an injury, in steep and angular terrain, can have serious consequences.

No less important is protection against cold -- exacting climbs use a lot of energy, expending which makes a person feel tired, and cold. You can cope with this by wearing warm clothes, and bringing enough food and liquids. When tired, you will not have the flexibility and strength needed for the sudden moves required by steep grounds; you lose balance more easily, cannot measure descent carefully. Thus you increase the likelihood of something going wrong.

Appropriate equipment eliminates useless difficulties, saves effort and makes your tour more enjoyable.