[kk20]

you dont need expensive gear. i would spend noney on a set of boots that fit you, some good socks and a jacket. the rest can be cheap. my personal kit at the moment is a pair of asolo gortex boots that cost me £75, double lined thousand mile socks at a tenner and a berghaus gortex jacket from amazon at £70. the rest of my gear is cheap from go outdoors. a cheap daysack, cheap zip off trousers (dont get the ones with pocket holes), cheap walking cargo trousers that fit nice. cheap walking poles because my knees are more than twice his age a metal water bottle, stanley flask (these stay hot all day and luke warm after 24 hours when I wild camp).

get a paper map of the area you go walking, a waterproof one not paper, and a compass. if you want to get serious about walking in the hills then your own safety is important. dont rely on a phone or gps, that is a backup. practice on the map, practice your pacing to 100m and start to guess how long each leg will take you, then start looking at your surroundings and relate to map (rathet than other way round), finally start going off path and relocate yourself.

i prefer to walk in the lakes on my own so i always give my route to others.