“Any mug can be miserable” a wise outdoor leader of my acquaintance was fond of saying. To enjoy the outdoors, and be safe, misery should be carefully avoided whenever possible – and a very big part of this is having the right clothes. For these walks expensive kit is not required – most people will already have the basics – the trick is having what you need with you when you need it.
This is very closely related to weather – rain, wind, sun and, frequently in these parts, all three arrive on the same day with sleet and snow sometimes thrown in as well. The weather when you leave home is unlikely to be the weather when you start walking and even less likely to be the weather you get all day. So I always take a small rucksack with enough clothes to deal with the most extreme weather I might encounter. Carrying all your clothes on your back is a sure route to misery – and probably sooner rather than later. Being too hot can be as uncomfortable as too cold (take off a layer). Getting sweaty climbing up can lead to you getting chilled when stopping to rest or eat – so put on a layer. Rain or strong wind – get your waterproof on before you get wet or chilled. Temperature drop / wind chill – get your hat and gloves on.