Hiking in Gear – Expert Reviews

Outdoor

Heading outdoors, walking, hiking in gear, traveling, and exploring nature, whether planning on short hikes or traveling deep into the mountains. National parks in the USA as well as around the world offer broad networks of all types of trails for all levels. This is one of the best and friendliest sport out there that can be positive, powerful no matter how short or long, holds the possibility of memories, relationships, and experiences that everyone will be able to carry for a lifetime while enjoying the beauty of our planet. I hiked all over New York, USA, Canada, Central /South America, Europe, the UK traveled the world and summited Toubkal Mountain (winter/summer) the highest peak in North Africa located in Morocco, and Mt. Kilimanjaro (summer) the highest peak in Africa located in Tanzania and shared my journeys with world-class hikers, designers, and experts from all around the world. All that is a blessing and honor for me to share, advise and tip all fellow hikers out there to determine the essential pieces of summer or winter Hiking Gear.

What to bring on a day hike (15 Essentials)

You can become an expert at picking the right hiking, backpacking, and camping gear based on the duration of your hike, the location, and always plan based on the weather forecast. The longer is the hike, the more water, food and the more gear you will need to pack such as your Best Quality Hiking Boots, your Best Running Shoes Men – Women, Hiking Sandals, clothing, an Emergency kit including a Hydration pack, hydration Eye drops for high altitude and all needed trail items to make your journey more enjoyable.

What to Bring on a Day Hike (15 Essentials)

Learn about the essential hiking items from my checklist that I like to take on a day hike. I must share with you all as a lot of folks I met on the trails go hiking not enough prepared.

• Sturdy Hiking Boots / Shoes (hiking sandals optional)
• Hiking Socks
• Hiking Poles
• Clothing appropriate for the weather including Gaiters (more than needed)
• Waterproof Backpack
• Map Compass Navigation, watch and GPS ( or smartwatch)
• First Aid Kit (including a mosquito hiking net)
• Food / Snacks / Water (more than needed)
• Knife or Multi-Tool
• Head Lamp with additional batteries
• waterproof matches and Lighter
• Light emergency Shelter
• Personal Items (ID/Credit card/Cash)
• Sunglasses & Hat (sun protection)
• Personal Items (ID, Credit Card, Cash & Phone)

Backpacking Hiking in Gear

This is my camping hiking backpacking gear checklist trail ready for the outdoor and the backcountry where there will be no one to depend on to help you be self-sufficient other than yourself.

• 15 Essentials checklist above
• Tent, Sleeping bag, and sleeping pad
• Emergency and hygiene supplies
• Small repair kit
• Stove, fuel, and Kitchen supplies
• Water-treatment supplies
• Backpacking Bear Canister
• Gloves or Mittens
• Wipes

Hiking Boots and Running Shoes

The best quality hiking boots or the best hiking running shoes men and women in my book is the primary item of gear for the day and be prepared what to wear based on the terrain. Learn more about choosing a quality hiking boot or comfortable running shoe here. And do not leave home without quality hiking socks and hiking sandals to rest your feet, especially for long journeys. learn more about our Best quality hiking boot here and about our best hiking running shoes men and women with reviews by the expert.

Related: Learn more about advice, tips, and reviews of how to break into my hiking boots in this post

Go Hiking in Gear without Best Durable Backpacks

A backpack should be considered the second piece of gear with 11 to 20 liters where a bigger one is needed for multi-day hikes. A reminder to always pack extra water, food clothing in addition to the rest of your gear from the checklist. Learn more about the quality waterproof backpack.

Osprey since 1974 has always been one of the best quality backpacks out there for both women and men backpacking. All product design has passed through the hands of the founder Mike Pfotenhauer, who created his first backpack at age 16 who started In Santa Cruz, CA, and end up relocating to its current location in Southwest Colorado.

These quality backpacks are highly recommended that received great reviews from all folks I have been hiking with throughout the years. They have a removable top lid converts to DayLid daypack, a top to bottom suspended mesh wraps shoulder. A fully integrated back panel fit for back and hips. Internal hydration reservoir sleeve that can accommodate up to 3 Liter that is sold separately. A large front j-Zip provides quick access to the main compartment. The load range is 35 to 60 LBS, the pack weight is an average of 5.36LBS

	Osprey-Aether-AG-85 Men’s Backpacking Backpack Current Price $330 Osprey-Packs-Volt-75 Men’s Backpacking Backpack Current Price $240 Osprey-Atmos-AG-65 Men’s Backpacking Backpack Current Price $270 Osprey-Aether-55 Men’s Backpacking Backpack Current Price $260
	Osprey-Xena-85 Women’s Backpacking Backpack Current Price $380 Osprey-Ariel-AG-75 Women’s Backpacking Backpack Current Price $240 Osprey-Aura-AG-65 Women’s Backpacking Backpack Current Price $270 Osprey-Women’s Ariel 55 Backpack Current Price $497

Hiking Clothes Men and Women

You always want to check on the forecast before hitting the trail to have an idea what to expect, and be prepared for the unexpected and load on hiking clothes, Men and Women alike such as moisture-wicking underwear, moisture-wicking T-Shirt, long sleeve shirt, Quick-drying pants/shorts, and lightweight fleece or Jacket. Nice to pack based on the season and add a few extra items. Remember what works for Spring and Fall, won’t work for Summer or Winter to pack properly.

North Face Rain Jackets

The north face delivers an extensive line of performance and the quality hiking jackets women men alike designed for outdoor are durable. Provide the best hiking gear for hikers and the modern-day explorer. Anything that I, my wife, as well as all pro hikers I know ever bought from them, are happy with their following quality products, and well worth the investment.

	The North Face Men’s Altier Down Triclimate Jacket 00% polyester with DWR finish, great fit warm Jacket Storm flap with Velcro closure covers the center front. The outer shell is water-resistant and breathable. Seam-sealed Dry Vent shell and secure zip chest pocket. Offers superior warmth and remains highly compressible. It is also windproof with reverse-coil hand pocket zips and exposed reverse-coil center front zip. Dry Vent with durable water-repellent with Fully adjustable hood. Current Price: $260
	The North Face Women’s Mossbud Swirl Triclimate 3-in-1 Jacket, Black Has the same quality as the Men’s Altier jacket above. Durable and my wife calls it the perfect jacket. Current Price: $200
	The North Face Men’s Thermoball Jacket Urban Navy Matte Water-resistant, insulated jacket packs into its hand pocket. 100% Nylon and Great Fit. Lightweight, durable, and warmth. The North Face products are fully warranted against defects in materials and workmanship. I have one and have been wearing it for years. Great quality hiking jacket. The North Face’s fundamental mission remains unchanged since 1966: Provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern-day explorer, support the preservation of the outdoors, and inspire a global movement of exploration. (M) Current Price: $200 (L) Current Price: $200 (XL) Current Price: $200
	The North Face Women’s ThermoBall Eco Insulated Jacket 100% recycled nylon with durable water-resistant jacket. Lightweight. Has a travel pocket the jacket can be folded into. Just make sure you get the right fit. Current Price: $120
	The North Face Men’s Carto Triclimate Jacket Sulphur Yellow The inner liner is ideal for warm weather. Lots flush pockets. Shell is 100% Nylon and the liner is 100% polyester. Great quality jacket. Current Price: $230
	The North Face Women’s Apex Bionic Hoodie Good Polyester Ventrix Hooded Insulated Jacket. Quality, warm, lightweight with secure pockets and good fit. Current Price: $195

The North Face Fleece Jacket

	The North Face Mens Canyonlands Full-Zip Sweater Mens Smooth face fleece, a full zip sweatshirt providing warmth, lightweight with standard fit. It will hep you bundle up in chilly weather. Quality made. Current Price: $80
	The North Face Women’s Shelbe Raschel Reverside Fleece Excellent fit. Lightweight, good to bundle up in chilly weather. Great choice. Current Price: $140
	The North Face Men’s Apex Chromium Thermal Jacket One of the best quality, resilient, comfortable, breathable fleece that is ideal for hiking and backpacking in windy conditions. Current Price: $160
	The North Face Apex Bionic Jacket TNF Black Womens One of the best quality, resilient, comfortable, breathable fleece that is ideal for hiking and backpacking in windy conditions. Current Price: $185

Camping Tent Sleeping Bag

It is well worth and I highly recommend investing in quality gear like a quality tent, sleeping bag, and mat for extra comfort as it is obvious that if you scrimp on your hiking gear, you will end up paying back more in the discomfort later. So let’s be smart about that. These are some of the good stuff that you may want to consider when shopping for Tents, sleeping bags, and camping sleeping mats.

	Sierra Designs Convert Tent, 4 Season All Weather Backpacking and Mountaineering This is the lightest weight, most livable four-season tent on the market. With the ability to fully seal up, the Convert also makes the best tent for the outdoor. 2 person tent, durable, and only 5.8 pounds. Sleeps 2 / Current Price: $375. Sleeps 3 / Current Price: $450
	Sierra Designs Meteor 2/3 person backpacking tents Another amazing tent. The Clearwing is a 2 door and 2 vestibules fully freestanding backpacking tent. Vertical sidewalls to maximize interior space and efficient pole construction. Sleeps 2 to 3. Sleeps 2 / Current Price: $230. Sleeps 3 / Current Price: $280

	Hyke & Byke Shavano-32-Degree F 650 Fill Power-Hydrophobic-Down Sleeping Bag with Cluster-Loft-Base, Ultra-Lightweight for Men’s and Women’s for Backpacking Hyke & Byke are LIFETIME WARRANTY PRODUCT certified and this has been tested on adventures all around the world by more than 60,000 Folks, to get the feeling of what you get is what you pay for. Current Price: $125 – $135
	Kelty Cosmic 20 Degree Down Sleeping Bag, Ultralight Backpacking Camping Sleeping Bag with Stuff Sack for Backpacking The Kelty Cosmic 20 Degree sleeping bag is ideal for 3 season hiking, backpacking, and camping. Water-resistant down insulation makes it a great combination of value and comfort. Renowned for efficiency in retaining heat and compressible properties, down has incredibly soft and comfortable. Great stuff. Current Price: $145 – $160
	Hyke & Byke Eolus 0 Degree F 800 Fill Power Hydrophobic Goose Down Sleeping Bag with ClusterLoft Base, Ultra Lightweight 4 Season Men’s and Women’s for Backpacking Again, Hyke & Byke are LIFETIME WARRANTY PRODUCT certified and Our gear has been tested on adventures around the world by more than 60,000 Folks, to get the feeling of what you get is what you pay for. Current Price: $210 – $220

	WELLAX Ultra -Thick Flex-Foam Sleeping-Pad, Self-Inflating 3 Inches Camping-pad for Backpacking and for the outdoor My number 1 favorite pad Current Price: $88
	King-Camp Self-Inflating Sleeping-Pad for Camping, 2.0 Inch Portable-Comfort Camping-Pad, Lightweight-Inflatable Camping-Mattress 78″×24.8″ for Backpacking, Tent, Hammock etc…. This is my second favorite pad Current Price: $40

Map Compass Navigation

Hikers rely on Compass more than GPS because they are batteries free. Everyone has GPS in their smart phones these days but we can not rely on them in the backcountry. We need to be as organic as possible, so navigation is one of the 15 Essentials.

	Compass A professional mirror compass with top of the line features for precise-directional measurements. Current Price: $39
	Emergency Survival Kit, 22 in 1 Professional Survival Gear Equipment Tools First-Aid Supplies for SOS-Emergency Tactical Hiking-Hunting-Disaster-Camping-Adventures. Current Price: $30
	National Geographic Reference Map: Triple Crown of Hiking in gift box Wall Map 18 x 48 inches. three trails have risen to the top of the consciousness of the hiking community. These are the Appalachian Trail at 2,200 miles, the Pacific Crest Trail at 2,700 miles and the Contental Divide Trail at 3,100 miles Current Price: $40

Emergency Camping Hiking Equipment

Anything can go wrong on a hike so you need to be prepared by packing your medication, First kit and supplies including hydration Eye drop for high altitude, Mosquito net (works better than Mosquito Repellent) and blisters treatment, lighter or waterproof matches, whistle, and one last thing are to make a few copies of your program for your journey to share with a family member(s) and your best friend(s). If you were planning on leaving the country, make a scan on your phone and take a copy of your documents like your photo ID and your passport with you.

These are the 3 best quality emergency kits

	Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series Guide Medic Kit Chosen by the International Mountain Guides as the official medical kit all their guides carry. Stop blisters before starting with die-cut. Comes with A system that organizes contents by injury into clearly-labeled-pocket. Severe bleeding control with Quik-Clot Gauze and provide hospital-quality care with all standard tools needed in backcountry medicine. Current Price: $100
	Everlit Emergency Trauma Kit with Aluminum Tourniquet 36″ Splint, Military Combat Tactical IFAK for First-Aid Response, Critical-Wounds, Gun-Shots, Blow-Out, Severe-Bleeding Control and a lot more. Current Price: $60
	Everlit-Emergency-Trauma Kit that comes with multi-purpose SOS Everyday Carry IFAK for Wilderness, Trip, Cars, Hiking, Camping, great give away as a Gift for to folks who enjoy the outdoors. Current Price: $65

Food & Water

Without food and water, there will be no enjoyable hike. Must pack snacks and water for short hikes and extra food for a long hike. Some of the lightweight items to pack are energy bars, beef jerky, dry fruits and nuts, milk, coffee, hot chocolate, sandwich, energy drinks, and a hydration pack. Minimum water per person per day hike is 2 liters. The more water you can carry is the better for intense hikes. We need to put into consideration the person’s weight, height, age as we all sweat rate different from one another as some may need more water than others. For multi-day hikers must bring Water-treatment supplies. Learn about energy food and quality drinks as well as Stove, fuel, and Kitchen supplies.

	LifeStraw Go Wather Filter Bottles Reusable Life Straw water bottle filters water while drinking, it is great for travel, backpacking, camping, and emergency kits. Current Price: $75
	Membrane Solutions Straw Water Filter, Survival Filtration Portable Gear, Emergency Preparedness, Supply for Drinking Hiking-Camping-Travel-Hunting -Fishing Team Family Outing. Comes in 6Pack. Current Price: $64

Hygiene & Other Hiking Essentials

Here you can learn more about quality hygiene and other hiking essentials needed for the trail. Sunglasses, Sun hat, Sunscreen, Lip Balm, headlamp, flashlight with extra batteries, Knife, Multi Tools, and gear repair kit.

	PETZL – NAO+ Headlamp, 750 Lumens, Bluetooth Enabled This is my number one choice. Multiple light cones. Combination of a wide light cone for close-up vision and a focused light cone for long-distance vision. Current Price: $140
	PETZL – Swift RL Headlamp 900 lumens, Reactive Lighting Technology This is my second choice. Better visual comfort thanks to the mixed beam providing high performance lighting for outdoor activities with proximity vision, movement and distance vision. Current Price: $120
	Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp This is my 3rd choice. Ideal for professional runners and extreme outdoor Adventurers and hikers. 1 Max bright LED / 4 Ultra bright led (All Dimmable) Current Price: $85

Other Essential Items for Hiking and Backpacking

Backpackers always take with them all necessary tools for multi-day trails and here is the list with my reviews about most of them as these items could be more essential for some people than others.

• Best water filter for hiking
• Backpacking Bear Canister
• Stove, fuel, and Kitchen supplies
• Interpretive field and home trail hip pack
• Gloves or Mittens
• Outdoor Camera
• Menstrual Products & Sanitation Towels
• Wipes & Toilet paper
• Outdoor Journal & Pencil/Pen

	Olympus Tough TG-6 Waterproof Camera The best outdoor and waterproof camera in the market for adventure seekers. Comes with 4K Video Recording and Full HD at 120p. Built-In Wi-Fi, GPS, Field Sensor System. Current Price: $350
	lympus Tough TG-6 Waterproof Camera with Bundle Olympus Tough TG-6 Waterproof Camera. Adventure Bundle that comes with all the goodies, 2 Extra Batteries, Float Strap, Sandisk 64GB Ultra Memory Card, Padded Case, Flex Tripod, Photo Software Suite and much more. Current Price: $390