Our Must-Have Hiking & Outdoor Gear

Backpacks

​​We both carry a REI Co-op Trail 40 Pack (they have mens and womens styles), which is great for hiking and everyday use. It is huge and can fit so many things, as well as a water bladder, which is useful both on the trail and in cities. We took it to the Florida Keys for a week, as well as Vietnam for 6 weeks and were able to fit almost all of our items (plus camera gear!) in this bag.

I (Kathryn) used to carry a WANDRD PRVKE 31L Backpack, which fits multiple laptops, multiple cameras, chargers, personal items, and more! It also has a hidden passport pocket and opens from the back, making it safer from pickpockets. I did really like it, but it wasn’t the best for hiking, so I switched to the REI pack listed above!

For backpacking, we occasionally use the above mentioned REI backpack, but other times we use the Osprey Atmos 65. It’s definitely not the lightest pack, but it can hold a lot of gear. We’ve used it for years on 10+ trips and they are still in great condition.

Hiking Shoes

Kathryn rocks either Lowa Women’s Renegade GTX boots or ALTRA Lone Peak trail runners on the trails, depending on what she is feeling that day. Adam exclusively wears the ALTRA Lone Peak 8 trail runners, as they are less bulky than boots, but have good traction. They are also great for hiking in water, as they dry fast!

Sometimes we wear hiking sandals like our Tevas. We usually only do this for day hikes or water activities.

Water Storage

We always carry at least one CamelBak Crux 3 liter Hydration Pack Reservoir. It carries almost 3 liters of water and is super easy to drink from while on the move. 

If we need to refill the CamelBak on our trip we use a Sawyer water filtration kit and they have worked great over the years! We have also recently purchased a Katadyn BeFree 1L water filter water bottle to have an additional water filter option and to be able to carry less water on hikes with many water sources that we can filter from!

GPS DEVICE

The Garmin InReach Mini is a satellite device that allows you to send messages to your loved ones when out hiking, gives you the ability to send your location, and has a SOS in case of emergencies. It does require a monthly subscription, but it can be as low as around $10/month. 

Spikes

The Kahtoola MICROspikes are AMAZING and the best investment we have made for hiking. They have made hiking in icy and snowy conditions so easy! We can basically run on ice without falling.

Headlamps

We’ve been using these headlamps for awhile now and they are bright, comfortable, and great for hikes before sunrise or after sunset.

Bear Spray

Bear spray is a must have item when hiking or camping in areas where bears are present. Thankfully we have yet to need it!

Kula Cloth

One new addition to Kathryn’s backpacking gear is a Kula cloth. This is an antimicrobial pee cloth. It can strap onto your pack and is very handy if nature calls while on the trail.

Ten Essentials 

We always make sure we have the 10 essentials on our backpacking trips, such as emergency shelter and a first aid kit. Check out our How to Make Your Own 10 Essentials Kit post to learn more about the 10 essentials and to make your own kit for hiking. 

Hiking Clothing + Shoes

Since we spend most of our time outdoors, we have tried to invest in higher outdoor gear, which may be more expensive, but tend to last longer. We are big fans of Lululemon, PrAna, Vuori, Patagonia, and REI!

We recommend always bringing layers when backpacking, especially in the mountains, as the temperatures can vary, as well as rain jackets in case it rains!

Jackets

After wearing our Columbia puffy jackets for almost 10 years, we both have recently upgraded to L.L. Bean jackets. Kathryn got an Ultralight 850 Down Hooded jacket and Adam got an Ultralight 850 Down jacket with no hood.

Rain jackets

Rain jackets are a necessity. Kathryn has a Patagonia Torrentshell and Adam has an L.L. Bean Trail Model.

T shirts and tank tops

Kathryn wears Vuori Lux Performance Tank Top and Adam wears Vuori Strato Tech T Shirt.

Pullovers

Adam wears Vuori Ponto Performance Crew Sweater and an REI quarter zip pullover.

Kathryn wears an REI quarter zip pullover.

We both Patagonia Capilene Cool Sun Hoodies and REI Sahara Shade Hoodie.

Food we take hiking

Backpacking meals

After many backpacking trips over the years and trying several different brands we have a handful of favorites. In fact, you can find our favorite backpacking meals here!

But hands down our absolute favorite is Bowl & Kettle! Nothing even comes close to the flavor and freshness of these backpacking meals. They are made with high quality ingredients and they are so good we sometimes eat them for meals at home! Use code TAKE10 for 10% off your order!

Snacks

Staying fueled while hiking is key! We love to bring a mix of salty snacks, protein-packed options, fresh veggies, and sweet treats. You can see all of our favorite hiking snacks here!

Coffee

If you’re like us coffee is a must have for any outdoor adventure, whether before, during, or after. If you want to bring high quality coffee on your adventure, we like Kuju Coffee and Verve! You can also see some of our other favorite camping and hiking coffee methods in our backpacking coffee guide!

Electrolytes

On our particularly strenuous adventures, especially in the heat, we like to carry an electrolyte drink. Our favorite is LMNT! We carry a separate water bottle just to put LMNT in, as it’s not something we want to put in our CamelBak or Katadyn filter bottle, since the taste/smell lingers. Visit this link to get a free sample pack with any order! 

Another electrolyte item we love to bring is GU. This is great for a burst of energy and electrolytes while riding. We personally love the espresso and salted caramel flavors the best.

Our Outdoor Gear

Packrafts

After going through two inflatable kayaks, one punctured and the second was over inflated and blew up (both user errors), we decided to upgrade to packrafts!

We had been wanting to switch to packrafts for years and after using them a few times, we absolutely love them and wish we would’ve made the switch so much sooner! The number one thing we love about them is that they are super light and can pack down very small. The raft itself only weighs four pounds! And they can roll up to be a little big bigger than a large nalgene water bottle.

The packraft we chose is the MRS Minnow which are meant for flat water. They have been so fun to use on calm lakes in Washington and Canada!

Dry bags

We use a MARCHWAY Dry Bag and a Remote Designs 20L roll top bag and for our dry bag and both work great!

Snowshoes

We each got a pair of these snowshoes so we can avoid spending money on rentals in the future. We like that they have a rubber strap in the back and a softer strap for the top of our feet vs. all plastic, like many snowshoes. They were also a good price for the quality!

Binoculars

Adam loves his Bushnell H2O Roof Prism Binoculars! They came in handy big time while in Alaska. We were able to see much more wildlife!

Adjustable dumbbells

While not really outdoor gear, these adjustable dumbbells help us stay active wherever we are!