The wonderful part about hiking is that it requires very little equipment, initially. As you progress into a full blown backpacker there is a lot of gear that you will need and need to decide between. Below is our advice. Basic Hiking Happy feet equal happy trails! Hiking shoes are going to be your most import piece of gear for hiking and backpacking. Beyond shoes, trekking poles are a really nice piece of gear to have. Trekking Poles can reduce up to 30% fatigue on your back and lower body. They save your knees. Water bottles are also a necessity. Cotton kills, so having non-cotton clothing is a must. Don't forget about having good socks either. Lastly a good pack can be worth its weight in gold. Hopefully that weight is lightweight. You can expect to pay between $250 and $300 for your first pair of shoes, trekking poles, and day pack. From there to expenses increase depending on how lightweight and technical you want your gear, but on the upper end you can expect to pay between $400 and $600. From that point the gear you need doesn't change or increase a whole lot, but it does get lighter, more ridged, and compact. Items of honorable mention Shoes:Flame and Atlantis from Asolo Trekking Poles: Trail Shock from Black Diamond Backpacking Packs:Nimbus Meridian and Nimbus Meridian Ki from Granite Gear Next Level Backpacking For backpacking the recommended weight to carry is roughly 1/3 your body weight. Obviously you can carry more, but it will be harder, and if you are a really minimalist you can get away with carrying less. But shooting for 1/3 is a great place to start. For multiday trips, in addition to the gear listed above for hiking, you will need a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent or bivy, stove, fuel, cookware, food, and headlamp. Space is obviously a primary concern, so having gear that is highly compact is crucial. Items of honorable mention Sleeping bag: Arrow Rock 15 from Sierra Designs Tent: Seedhouse SL Series from Big Agnes Stove: Reactor from MSR Cookwear: Terra Solo .6L from Optimus Headlamp: TX-1 from Mammut |
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