Our Must Have Hiking and Outdoor Gear
It’s no secret that hiking is one of our favorite activities! From National Forests, to state parks, to National Parks, to even cities, we love seeing places by foot and getting off the beaten path.
Our Gear
Here is everything we take with us hiking, with some explanations for some of the larger items below!
BACKPACK
We each carry a different type of backpack and love both for different reasons. Kelley carries a REI Co-op Ruckpack 18 Recycled Daypack, which is great for hiking and everyday use. It isn’t super big & bulky, but is still large enough to fit so many things. She usually carries extra clothes/layers, lunch box/snacks, first aid kit, a water bladder, flashlight/headlamps, pack towels, and other essentials, which can be useful for day trail and in cities.
Carl carries a MCKINNON CAMERA PACK 25L , which he uses to carry all of our camera gear and equipment. The bag is sturdy and you can customize how you store your gear for easy access to all areas of the bag. This pack has especially made it so much easier when going through airport security as everything is organized and super easy to pull out. Laptops and any other larger electronics that always need to come out have always been a hassle in the past.
Footwear
Nike Pegasus Trail 4 GORE-TEX Running Shoe Instead of traditional hiking boots, these are Carl’s go to for hiking. They have great grip and stability, while also being as comfortable as a running shoe.
L.L. Bean Women’s Mountain Classic Hiking Boots These boots are sturdy and waterproof, while still being stylish. Kelley loves the Cream/Nautical Aqua colorway.
ALTRA Women's AL0A7R7J Lone Peak All-WTHR Mid 2 Trail Running Shoe These are Kelley’s new hiking shoe of choice. They are sturdy and waterproof, while remaining supper light weight.
WATER
Osprey Hydraulics Reservoir - 2 Liters This is a must for hiking as it makes it easy to stay hydrated on the go. We used to always just carry a couple water bottles with us but we never felt like we had enough water with us. Now we just fill up the bladder and we are able to stay hydrated while hiking without having to stop.
Stanley GO The Quick Flip GO Bottle 24OZ Lilac Carl brings this water bottle with him on short walks, when we aren’t using the Osprey Hydraulics Reservoir, or keeps it in the car for staying hydrated between destinations.
HEADLAMPS/Flashlights
Embark Headlamps We really like these because they have a red light feature which is useful for not attracting bugs. We purchased these specific ones from Target but any headlamp will do.
Embark Flashlight We always bring this with us even if we don’t intend on going on any early morning or late night hikes. It is really bright and doesn’t take up much room with its compact metal design. You never know when the power might go out in your airbnb or if you need a little extra light when searching for something you dropped in the rental car. We also purchased this from Target, but any small flashlight will do.
OUR OUTDOOR GEAR
KÜHL Apparel We love wearing our KÜHL apparel while we are out hiking. Carl loves their Renegade, Renegade Recon, and Transendr pants.
Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles We never fully understood the necessity of using trekking poles until our trip to the Canadian Rockies. Now, hiking poles are a must for any hike with elevation in order to fight fatigue and promote steadiness on the trail. These particular trekking poles don't break the bank and are fully customizable in terms of height and rubber end tips. They are also relatively lightweight and easily collapsible.
Snacks No matter how long the hike is, snacks are always a must. Being hangry on the trail is never a good idea… Our go tos are usually Nature Valley Bars and trail mix.
Bear Spray If hiking in brown/grizzly bear country, bear spray always gives us peace of mind. Keep in mind that most bears avoid humans if they hear you coming. Bear spray is used defensively to stop an aggressive, charging, or attacking bear. It is not a repellent so do not apply to your body or equipment. Bear spray uses a fine cloud of Capsicum derivatives to temporarily reduce a bear’s ability to breath, see, and smell, giving you time to leave the area. Make sure your bear spray is EPA approved and only use as necessary if the situation arises.
Pack Towl Easily compressible and so easy to fit into small spaces in our packs. These are great to bring if we think there is a possibility we might need something to dry off with. We also often use these like small blankets to sit on when we need to take a break or we reach a viewpoint.
Insect Repellent Bugs thrive in forests, mountain, lakes, and the general outdoors, so bug spray is a must, especially during the warm weather months.
Sun Protection As skin cancer runs in both of our families, sunscreen is a must for skin protection.
LERWAY Winter Warm Gloves Touch screen gloves are a lifesaver when using technology in colder weather environments. These particular gloves have thermal layers and are waterproof. They especially came in handy for us when we went to Iceland in September 2021.
Battery Pack Having a way to charge our cell phones and other technology on the go does give us peace of mind that we can be out all day without fear of running out of battery.
First Aid Kit On our recent trip to Maine, Kelley slipped and cut her finger on a barnacle. Blood was gushing, but Carl was able to quickly patch everything up. It is always best to be prepared for the worst.
AllTrails App Lastly, the AllTrails app is a lifesaver. When preparing for any hike, we make sure to download the offline map of the hike. This allows us to track our hikes, even without cell service. There are definitely times we would have gotten lost when hiking if we didn’t have the AllTrails app. A subscription is required in order to download offline maps, but we think it is 100% worth it as we have found this feature so useful over the years.
