Hiking Gear For Beginner Hikers

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Hiking Gear For Beginner Hikers

• If you are new to the world of hiking, you want
  to be sure you have the appropriate gear to stay
  safe and comfortable on the trail. You dont want
  to spend tons of money on gear you may never or
  seldom use if youre not an avid hiker. Youll
  also want to avoid the opposite problem- buying
  really cheap gear that doesnt last over a season.

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Hiking Gear For Beginner Hikers

• If you are new to the world of hiking, you want
  to be sure you have the appropriate gear to stay
  safe and comfortable on the trail. You dont want
  to spend tons of money on gear you may never or
  seldom use if youre not an avid hiker. Youll
  also want to avoid the opposite problem- buying
  really cheap gear that doesnt last over a
  season. Here are some guidelines and suggestions
  for hiking gear. This article will be focused on
  day hiking gear with another article coming soon
  that covers backpacking specific gear.
• The first warning I will give you is this
  there isnt one solution for any type of gear or
  problem that works for everyone. Some people like
  Hiking Gear For Beginner Hikers boots while
  others prefer trail runners. Along the same lines
  youll find some footwear is far too narrow for
  your feet while they fit your friend perfectly.
  These are merely suggestions and I recommend you
  continue your own research as well as try out a
  variety of options before committing.

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Footwear

• As I mentioned above, some people like boots
  while others go with trail runners. In fact, I
  know a few people that hike barefoot or with very
  minimal shoes. Well stick to the basics, though!
  Most trails have sections that are steep, wet, or
  slippery. Youll want footwear that has good
  traction designed for trails. If you have an
  ankle injury or particularly fragile ankles, get
  boots with good ankle support. If you dont, low
  cut boots or trail runners will work great. I
  personally wear trail runners because theyre
  light (one pound on your feet is equivalent to 5
  pounds on your back!) and not having my ankles
  isolated makes my knees happier. Boots tend to be
  more expensive but last longer. My trail runners
  become yard shoes when I retire them. I
  personally found I got a lot of blisters wearing
  boots which is what drew me to trail runners. It
  took me a couple of years to find the right trail
  runners for me.

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Hydration

• Its important to stay hydrated on the trail, no
  matter the season. For most day hikes youll be
  able to bring enough to drink throughout your
  hike from home. 2-3 liters is typically good, but
  it all depends on how strenuous the hike is, how
  much you sweat, the weather, etc. If you are
  going on a very long hike or are worried you may
  need to refill during your hike, a water filter
  like the Sawyer Mini is great to have on hand.
• I have switched to using a hydration bladder so I
  can drink while I hike. Most people go with
  either the Platypus Hoser or Camelbak versions.
• If I want to carry water bottles I will simply
  reuse a Smartwater bottle. The reason I use this
  brand is because it fits nicely in my backpacks
  side pockets and it can be threaded with a sawyer
  mini for easy filtration. It is also much lighter
  than a Nalgene bottle. I only use Nalgenes in
  the winter as the wide mouth options and thick
  plastic helps keep my water from freezing.

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Snacks

• You will burn a lot of calories hiking so I
  recommend bringing nutrient and calorie dense
  options- that you look forward to eating! Here
  are some snack options for the trail. I prefer to
  snack throughout a hike rather than bringing a
  large lunch. I always bring a summit treat like
  chocolate to enjoy! Depending on how much time
  you plan on hanging out on the summit, you can
  bring a basic sandwich or even your cook set to
  try out a variety of meals from prepacked
  backpacking food to meals you cook and dehydrate
  yourself at home!
• It is important to make sure you are fueling your
  body as youll burn a lot of calories hiking. One
  of my favorite parts about hiking is you can get
  away with eating whatever you want before,
  during, and after your hike

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Backpack

• One of the biggest misconceptions I find hikers
  have with gear is you can have one pack that can
  do it all. Unfortunately thats not the case. If
  you want to get into backpacking youll need a
  higher capacity pack with different storage
  compared to a smaller, more basic day pack. You
  can get a pack that can double up as a day pack
  and for a spending a night on the trail if you
  dial your gear in with a highly compressible
  sleeping back, smaller cookset, and generally
  have a more fine tuned setup. You will not
  comfortably use an overnight pack as a daypack
  and vice versa.
• I am fond of Gossamer Gears packs as they are
  made well and lightweight. My favorite for day
  hikes is the Type 2. The Kumo is a great pack
  for carrying a bit more for day hiking to a
  couple nights out on the trail.