What clothes and kit will I need?

This is one of the most common questions we get because the concept is still quite new! Much will depend on the route that to choose because the terrain of the hikes will dictate what equipment and clothes you should take and of course the Great British weather has a big part to play.   

Shoes

Typically you'd be looking at normal country walking shoes, we would advise lighter weight boots or trainers as opposed to heavy hiking boots.  We would actually recommend the trainers option because you could even swim in them if needed - sometimes the entry points can be rocky.

Clothes, warm weather gear

the same applies for any kind of country walk but we would recommend lightweight fleece type tops and light base layers. . If the weather is such that downpours are expected bear in mind that you will be getting in the sea anyway but it's always good to take a small packable rain jacket.

Rucksack

we don't recommend anything larger than a 20 litre backpack for day trips comma you certainly don't need a 30, 40 or 50 litre rucksack simply because you have to tow it in the water!

Food

Sure! Bring snacks, gels, flapjacks, chocolate bars or anything that you can eat as is. For the longer swim hikes you could also bring a jetboil stove and boil some water for some instant noodles and a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Swim gear

Depending on the sea temperature, length of the swims and other factors we would recommend either a shorty swimrun wetsuit, a triathlon shorty wetsuit or a full-size swimming wet suit. It is possible to do the swims with no wetsuit and we do this all the time but it will require some experience of cold water swimming and it does depend on the lengths of the swim legs and sea conditions.

Do I have to get changed multiple times?

This is completely up to you but it is why we suggest the swim run wetsuits because they have a front and back zip and are very quick to get on and off if you prefer to change into dry clothes.  However they also drain very well and you can be fairly dry within a few minutes and simply put a fleece over the top to keep you warm. You can decide to continue walking in your wetsuit or get changed on the beach each time, it doesn't matter and is your choice.

How do I tow my stuff in the water?

This is the other main question we get and this is where you will require some specialist equipment but don't worry we have a couple of them for higher or if you wish to purchase one we can put you in touch with the supplier directly.

The swim hiking toe float is called a Ruck Raft, see below. 

Any bow shaped flotation device such as freediving floats or even a rubberised inflatable bag can be used, depending on how much gear you have. The bow shaped front of the RuckRaft however does help reduce drag and especially in choppy water.

How far are the swim hike routes in Pembrokeshire?

This depends on what you are looking for.  We have explored and mapped several different routes based on graded levels of easy/medium/difficult swim hike challenges and you can pick from one of those, based on your fitness level and what you would like to see along the way.

Alternatively you could let us know what kinds of things you would like to see - for example: terrain, forests, cliffs or even castles and neolithic tombs - we can tailor the swim hike route to your needs.

If you would like more information on our swim hiking routes or what it involved, get in touch with us here.

Or...

If the above sounds like fun then you're already half way there - please click the button below to check out our swim hiking routes.

Thanks!

The RuckRaft also comes with a very well made dry bag. The dry bag is designed to store all your hiking gear and keep it dry when you tow the RuckRaft behind you in the open water. It is very well made, highly robust and will withstand a lot of abuse on the trails and in the water. And, of course, it is 100% waterproof!

We tested the RuckRaft in open sea, in the Autumn, in Wales.

If you know Wales at all you will know this can mean some rather unpredictable conditions!

On our initial swim / trek trip the RuckRaft performed extremely well, beyond expectations given the combined weight of the backpack, gear and the sea conditions at the time, which had taken a turn for the worse and had become quite choppy.

Here's a summary to give you an idea of what we were dealing with on the swim trek.

Pack: Osprey 65L rucksack

Kit: Hiking clothes, jetboil stove, brew kit, dried food, fruit, snacks, jacket, walking boots, kids gear

Kit weight: 23-25kg

Sea Conditions: choppy, open water sea, exposed to the elements

Average Swim Distance: 0.8 - 1.5 km

Total Swim Distance: 3 - 3.5km

Total Swim / Trek Distance: 12km

Despite the conditions the RuckRaft bobbed along nicely, floating over the waves and was extremely stable. At no point did it look like the raft would tip over and we did not feel as if we were towing 25kg at all, in fact we barely noticed the weight any more than a normal swim tow.

It's even stable enough to hold onto if you need to for a breather - we found it useful to face the point of the bow and use the two overhead straps on each side as hand grabs.

We were immediately struck by how well this kit is made. It's designed for hard core use and will take a major beating. The webbing is tough, well stitched and of ample length (there is nothing worse that cost cutting measures such as shortening webbing to save production costs!)  The buckles are military grade and very sturdy. Everything about the product oozes quality.

The RuckRaft is a great idea and is well-made with no scrimps on quality.

Yes, it is a specialised piece of kit and will not likely be in the average open water swimmers kit list or Christmas stocking, but it does open up a whole new world of wonderful adventures!

If you like being outdoors, enjoy wild swimming and want to try something different, we would thoroughly recommend investing in one.

• We run swim trekking activities year round, around the beautiful and rugged coast of Pembrokeshire.
• Route difficulty, length and level of 'extreme factor' can be tailored to your needs!
• Overnight swim trekking options are available upon request.