Friday Favorites: Favorite Hiking Gear & Supplies
My husband and I love to plan long weekend trips to New Hampshire for hiking. I am definitely a day hiker as I like to have a cozy hotel room, shower, and comfy bed to come home to at the end of a long hiking day. But the more we hike and the longer/ more difficult trails we tackle, the more I invest in the right gear as it really does make all the difference.
Today, I thought I'd share 10 of my "must have" hiking essentials.
1. My hiking boots-- I tried on so many pairs before settling on my hiking boots and now I just love them. In fact I've nearly worn them out and just ordered myself a second pair.
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| Ignore the pack; that's my husband's pack and much too big for me |
2. My little backpack-- I rarely carry much with me while hiking and hadn't thought to get myself a backpack but my husband bought this for me for Christmas and I find I use it on every hike now and just love it. I even used it the whole week walking around Disney/ Universal because it holds a lot more than you would think. Yet it is small and lightweight.
3. This sweatshirt-- I wore it on nearly every hike in New Hampshire back in June and came home to buy it in 2 more colors. It's soft and warm and yet folds up small enough to fit in my backpack when I warm up.
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| Notice I paired the sweatshirt with my hiking pants I mention in #6 (in a capri length) and my hiking boots. |
4. My raincoat-- I'm not 100% sure but I'm pretty sure that this is the one I have. I bought mine while I was in Maine and I don't remember what it was called but it was from The North Face and it is this beautiful color!
5. My Yeti-- I have a tumbler that I use in the car but for hiking I prefer something with a handle; while I almost always keep my drink in my backpack there are times I'll just carry it and the handle makes it so much easier to do.
6. These lightweight hiking pants are perfect for hiking in nearly every season-- I have them in a few colors.
7. By late fall/ early winter I much prefer these fleece lined leggings for hiking.
8. My absolute favorite snack for hiking is trail mix and these single serving packs are perfect! While we like to mix it up with what blend/ flavors we bring I am partial to something with dark chocolate and peanut butter! YUM
9. My first aid kit-- I have this 100 piece kit that claims it is perfect for camping, hiking, backpacking, etc... thankfully we have never had to use it but I do feel better knowing we have some basic first aid supplies on hand if we need it.
10. I bought a long sleeved hiking top before our trip to the Smoky Mountains and I love how it helped keep me from getting bug bites as well as keeping me nice and cool! I liked it so much I bought a second long sleeve hiking shirt this past month.
.. And now seeing these altogether in one post I just have to chuckle over how many of my hiking items are nearly the same shade of blue/green! LOL. I rarely have them all in one place long enough to realize this.
Linking up with: On the Edge,
I love all of your hiking pieces! That backpack might be my favorite! I will be trying out my new rainjacket this weekend, mine was an amazon find. I may look into your hiking pants and I usually wear my joggers but they are not full length.
ReplyDeletewww.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Even in summer I try to mostly hike in long pants-- ticks and tick borne illnesses are just so prevalent here that I feel most comfortable when I'm covered.
DeleteGreat post! I want to do more hiking this fall and I agree on day trips only! I have a friend who is doing parts of the Appalachian Trail and spends the night on the trail! Eeek! When our kids were little we all had Camelbacks that were little backpacks and held the water and you drank from a tube that came out of it - ha!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that has hiked the Appalachian (in pieces) a few weeks/ months at a time like 3 times now and I hear her stories and I just know there is no way on Earth I could do that!! One of my favorite books is A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson who makes the misery of hiking sound so funny. My oldest son and husband had Camelbacks and really only used them for dirt biking but I always got skeeved out trying to keep them clean and free of mold.
DeleteI like the backpack- stylish and practical so basically perfect. And the fleece lined leggings must be so nice for cold days. I have a pair of fleece lined leggings for running outside on cold days which are among the only things that make the idea of running in the freezing cold bearable ;). Do you guys worry about ticks? I associate the northeast with ticks which is why I'm asking but maybe that's something that was more prevalent in times past?
ReplyDeleteOh yes! At this point 3 of us have already had Lyme at least once (funny enough I got bit by a tick and contracted Lyme at the beach and not while hiking!)... and honestly I don't know many people that haven't had some form of tick borne illness. However, since they are so prevalent up here our doctors are great about starting medication right away at any hint of Lyme or tick bite without even waiting for test results. We do use spray too and it's also one of the reasons I tend to hike in pants and am enjoying my long sleeves.
DeleteLove this- you should do a hiking post every week with tips, tricks and suggestions- you are the pro- Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteLOL. I sure have come a long way over the last few years. I never used to hike at all until we started homeschooling and my sister wrangled us into joining a hiking group she met up with weekly.
DeleteMerrels are definitely the best hiking boot and that's what I have.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I didn't think to try their boots first as I have some other merrell slip ons that I just love.
DeleteWhat a great list. I think a good pair of boots is a must when hiking. Yours look great.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! Though I fully admit I have only owned a pair for the last year or two. It makes such a huge difference though.
DeleteMy husband is a hiker and he has so many similar items to what you've shared (the long sleeved tee shirts and the merino wool winter versions are favourites). His backpack is huge because he goes for a few days and carries a lot with him. It was fun seeing all your gear.
ReplyDeleteOOh! I am definitely going to have to look into a merino wool version for winter; I didn't even know they made them! My husband's pack is huge too but I used to only hike with my phone and my camera so even a tiny backpack for water, snacks, and a first aid kit it huge for me.
DeleteI love that backpack! It looks sleek and lightweight, but it definitely looks like it would hold a lot!
ReplyDeleteWhen hiking I can fit my first aid kit, water bottle and either my thick sweatshirt or my rain coat. Then I put bug spray and sunscreen in the outer mesh pockets and my phone in the front zipper. For Disney I managed 4 ponchos, sunglasses, my wallet, sunscreen, phone, etc.
DeleteI used to hike more often and wish I could still ! There aren't too many places here to do it. I have a foldable backpack like that one but I really like yours!
ReplyDeleteMy husband did a great job picking that out all on his own. I would never have thought of buying it but I do love it.
DeleteYou are the queen of hiking this was the perfect post!
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks!
DeleteI like all of the items you have for hiking. I like the backpack and the leggings. Enjoy the weekend Joanne.
ReplyDeleteThank you! We had a lovely weekend-- hiking!
DeleteWhat a great list and I like that backpack. Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Deletetrail mix and hiking go hand in hand!
ReplyDeleteThey sure do!
DeleteWonderful hiking gear. I have way too many rain jackets / outer shells. Yours is lovely. My feet really like Merrell shoes. I also better order a new pair. Happy Hiking!
ReplyDelete-Soma
I am just awful about wearing jackets/ rain gear but I am finding that I enjoy the weather so much more when I make sure to dress appropriately for it!
DeleteThat is funny with the shades of blue. That's way better than all black, I must say.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
jodie
www.jtouchofsytle.com
I think so too! Funny enough I just found some pants at LL bean yesterday and my husband joked that they had them in my color. I HAD to buy them!
DeleteI'm with you--the outdoors are nice, but I definitely don’t need to camp out, haha! Whoa, love that little backpack! A small, light backpack that could possibly fit a DSLR is intriguing for my trips to the botanical garden!
ReplyDeleteYep, I know myself well enough to know I will never be a camper... unless we got a motorhome or actual camper so I could have a bathroom and a comfy bed I'll stick to a lovely hotel.
DeleteLove the back pack! Isn't it funny how the wrong backpack can make you just miserable! Enjoy all of your hikes!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI have the same hiking boots and also love them! They are very comfortable and reasonably water repellent.
ReplyDeleteI love that water repellent feature; it has helped me gain confidence in crossing small streams. I'm not always the best at hopping from rock to rock...
DeleteGood to see your favourites Joanne, love that heart jumper too! #weekendcoffeeshare
ReplyDeleteThank you! It is such a cozy and soft shirt too.
DeleteThank you for sharing your favourites with us at #weekendcoffeeshare. I also wear Merrell hiking shoes. Happy hiking!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhat a great roundup! I have Merrell's too, but am just about due for another pair. Unfortunately, the kids' schedules have been so busy this fall that we haven't really had any hiking time! I'll have to save this post for future reference for some of your other gear!
ReplyDeleteIt is tough to get everyone schedules to sync! My older two boys rarely hike with us though, in fact my oldest will make plans just to avoid hikes.
DeleteJoanne,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!! You always look great in everything you showcase!!
Hugs,
Deb
Aw, thank you!
DeleteLove your hiking gear round-up! My hiking boots are very similar to yours. I really enjoy walks at this time of the year. Especially early morning when the air is cold and crisp! Have fun hiking! x
ReplyDeleteOh yes, that is the best!
DeleteThank you for all these great tips. I have similar hiking pants and Merrell hiking boots. I have heard of Lyme disease and ticks, but didn't realize how prevalent it is! We don't have much of an issue with that down here.
ReplyDeleteYep, the only time I thought I might have Lyme my doctor told me if they even vaguely suspect it they just give out a prescription since it is that prevalent. Then 2 days later I did get the bullseye behind my knee and that's how we KNEW I had Lyme (but not everyone gets that rash!). I use lots of bug and tick spray whenever we go walking.
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteI loved this. I saved those pants to a list on Amazon....how do they fit? did you order regular size?
ReplyDeleteThat's such a cute backpack! I'd take that everywhere I go!
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