What to pack for a day in Pecka

Pecka is a small village in the hills near Mrkonjić Grad, in the west of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a couple of hours south of Banja Luka. That matters for one reason before you pack: this is neither a mountain expedition nor a beach, and most people get it wrong in one of those two directions. They arrive with a rucksack fit for a two day trek, or in sandals as if they're heading to a river. A day in Pecka is walking on karst, in and out of beech shade and open sun, with water all around you and yet never quite where you want it.

If you remember one thing from this, make it footwear. Karst is uneven, sometimes sharp, and slick with damp near the springs. Trainers with a real tread on the sole will solve most of your problems. Leave the sandals and town shoes in the car, because in them you'll spend the whole day watching where you step instead of looking at the thing you came to see.

Dress in layers, even in summer. Mornings here are cool even when the afternoon turns hot, and the moment you drop into shade or down toward the water the temperature falls a few degrees. A light jacket or a hoodie you can tie around your waist earns its place; a heavy coat you carry in your hand all day does not.

Bring your own water even though the Sana is everywhere around you. The springs are about six kilometres from the center, and there's no shop or tap for a bottle at the source itself. Half a litre a person for a short walk, more if you're going further or the day is hot, plus something small to eat. Hunger has a way of arriving in exactly the spot you don't want to leave.

In the tall grass and meadows, count on ticks. It isn't cause for alarm, just two minutes of sense: longer socks, some repellent, and a quick check of your legs in the evening. Sun and a hat go together here, because the forest shade fools you and then the open meadow quietly burns you while you weren't paying attention.

Your phone will lose signal in places, especially lower toward the canyon and in thicker forest, so download any map you plan to rely on before you go. Bring a camera, of course. Don't fly a drone on a whim, since part of this area is protected, so ask first.

In autumn, add a basket if you mean to look for mushrooms. Pecka is known for them, and for its mushrooming school, but foraging without knowledge is no game. If you're not certain what you've found, ask someone who is. On warm days a swimsuit is worth it too, for a short dip lower down the river where the water is gentler.

And what will you carry for nothing? An oversized pack, three litres of water you'll never drink because there's always a household or the center to refill at, formal or beach kit that has nowhere to be here, and a pile of single use plastic that only rides home with you again. Pecka is best done lightly loaded and well shod. Most of what you add beyond that just gets in the way.