Never Leave Home Without These Essential Hiking and Travel Gear Items

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So don't be caught without these hiking ten essentials in your pack unless you want your Professional Hiker card to be revoked when the rangers finally find you ):

It makes sense that your hiking backpack should provide you with every single thing you need to stay safe, warm and unlost under any weather conditions.

For starters, the list assumes that you're wearing the right clothing , know how to use a compass and map , and have fuel nearby to start and maintain a fire to warm up your extra food .

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Over the decades of trail time I've racked up, I've learned to carry a few other things which I think are every bit as important as these ten essentials.

*I carry half of an old compact disc (CD) with me as a signal mirror. It's lighter than a mirror, and takes up less space. 

*I carry a small plastic container with wads of dryer lint coated with petroleum jelly, to use as a fire starter. The climate I usually hike in (Pacific Northwest) is notorious for being damp, and I want to maximize my chances of getting a fire started.

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*A small, fast drying towel is indispensable for drying off feet after a stream crossing, or for wiping sweat off your neck (or get it wet and drape it on your hot neck).

In a survival situation, it could provide an insulating layer between my space blanket and my body, thus conserving more body heat.

*Seat cushion: You know, something soft and cushy to sit on. I love cold wet rocks just as much as the next hiker, but sometimes I love a warm, dry caboose better.

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I mean that literally! The edges are ragged, the color is faded, and there are several holes in it, but it comes along on every trip.

I want you to be as relaxed and confident in your hiking ten essentials as possible when you're out there soaking up the big views or finding some joy in off trail adventuring!

While we're on the subject of being prepared on a hiking trail, let's mention three other types of lightweight but essential kits you should have in your backpack:

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She's been on a hiking trail somewhere in the world for 5+ decades & loves to share her best hiking tips right here.

Hiking For Her LLC ©2008 - 2023  All Rights Reserved    No photos or written material can be used without written permission.These items may not be the first thing you think of when you go hiking, but I never leave without these. These are my essential luxury items that I always have in my kit. They have got me through some pretty harsh inconveniences and have made my hikes so much nicer.

A buff is such a versatile piece of gear. It can be a scarf, bandana, rag, and face mask. It can keep you warm in the winter and dry in the summer. It weighs next to nothing and packs small. A buff is just to versatile and unintrusive not to have on any long distance walk.

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Whats better than a buff? A merino wool buff. Merino wool is soft and doesnt get smelly like polyester. A merino buff can be worn for days or weeks and never smell any different. Of course this comes with a larger price tag. A poly buff can cost a few dollars but a merino buff will hit the double digits. I personally think a merino buff is worth the price.

There is always a doubt in my mind if a water source, that looks clean and people say its safe to drink, may not be as sterile as it seems. Sometimes I may be low on water, passing these questionable sources of water, and struggling to not take a sip of my scarce water until I get close to the next town. A good quality water filter can have you sipping from those fountains or streams without any need for worry. The best part is these high quality filter are relatively cheap, costing anywhere from $20 to $50.

A sawyer squeeze will last you a lifetime and can remove all harmful bacteria from the water as well as any debris. Go a step further and you can match it with a purifier and drink from any source without fear of any contamination. There is no reason one shouldn't have a sawyer mini or squeeze in ones pack.

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An ultralight hiker knows the value of a Smart water bottle, but I have come to find that those disposable sport mouth pieces for water bottles can be such a versatile little item. They can fit almost any disposable plastic bottle.

You can use it to pressurize the water coming out of the bottle, maybe to clean off a spork or hands. It can also be used to back wash a sawyer squeeze or mini. You can also share your bottle with out someone without them having to out their mouth on the bottle. This little attachment can do so much, comes for free on some bottles, and is it essentially indestructible.

Yes, a cap will protect your face and eyes from the sun, but for me a cap has a bigger function. I wear glasses and when it rains my glasses get wet and foggy. My vision greatly deterates when the rain comes. You can see how dangerous this can be when scaling mountain side, especially since it will be wet and muddy.

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The cap becomes a rain shield for my glasses. Not a drop reaches my glasses and my vision stays clear throughout the hike. If I forget my hat, the frustration the amounts will have me drop everything and get a hat.

I discovered the glorious butt pad not long ago. As described in my endurance maximization article, I state how its important to take frequent breaks when trekking long distances. You end up taking these breaks sitting on the cold hard dirt or on a sharp rock. You go from one pain to another.

A butt pad makes those breaks so much more enjoyable. This soft foam pad doesnt take that much room inside or mounted on the outside of your pack, and provides a comfortable place to lay your buttocks. Your butt might not be picky, but that butt pad is a 5 star hotel memory foam mattress compared to the rocks and dirts you would otherwise be sodomizing.

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This hiking gear may not seem the most obvious to bring, but I have found these to be very valuable items in my hiking arsenal.

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Want to mix up your walk on the camino? Here is a beginners guide to get you on the right path to biking your next camino.

Complete ultra-light camping or hiking cooking and eating utensil kit. Check out what we have to say about the COMPLEAT by Gerber Gear.

The Hot Pocket is at first glance an efficient stuff sack packing down your sleeping bag into a small size, but its main feature will keep you warm at almost any temperature.  

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The Camino can be distinct for different people, its all about what you are willing to get out of it. One thing is for sure, the Camino is about exploration.

Just one day of arduous hike can put an unprepared hiker down and out for a few days. Here are tips that will increase your chances of getting to the end of your next through hike. 

Going on your first through hike or maybe just researching for your next? The right cloths will keep you warm, comfortable, and keep your confidence up.

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Stock up on that sweat knowledge with these articles that tell you everything you need to know for your next Camino de Santiago hike.It’s probably no surprise that after moving to Denver, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the mountains. My husband and I discovered our love for hiking last summer when escaping from NYC to the Catskills. The time in nature brought us much needed relief after multiple months in lockdown. We ended up doing quite a few very outdoorsy road trips both upstate and places like Stowe and Gatlinburg.

When we made the daunting decision to leave NYC a few months ago, Denver first ended up on our list because of its access to the Rocky Mountains. I really wasn’t sold on the idea of living somewhere just for “the good hiking” but thankfully after visiting we discovered the city itself offered everything we were looking for. Now the weekend hikes are just a bonus and an exciting part of our routine that we look forward to.

Since I tend to share all my daily adventures on Instagram, I’ve been getting increasingly more questions about what to pack when hiking. So I thought this blog post could come in handy for you!

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