When the summer months come around, campers start getting excited to carry on with their long-awaited hiking trips.
Of course, every trip would be incomplete without a great selection of high-quality essential camping and hiking gear. Forget the cool gadgets for camping, these are the essentials, the must haves for camping and hiking.
Packing for a camping trip also depends on what kind of trip you have in mind. If youâre driving to another city or planning small day hikes from a populated town, you can carry a big stove. If youâre hiking more than 30 miles, you would prefer taking along a more portable stove that is both lightweight and easy to use.
The most suitable hiking and camping gear depends on weight and ease of packing. So make sure you do your homework when buying the right equipment for your perfect getaway trip. Whether youâre a beginner to hiking or a pro, weâve got you covered.
Camping Gear: Must Have for Camping
Tents
Tents for overnight hiking or camping are available in a variety of sizes and prices. If you want to travel long distances and prefer carrying lightweight stuff, then you should look for a swag, bedroll or a portable, lightweight, waterproof bivy sack. Bedrolls and bivy sacks are robust, shapeless and waterproof bags that can readily convert into sleeping bags and are easy to set up almost anywhere. These bags help you keep off from the ground, and those with mosquitos nets are definitely a blessing.
Search Amazon for available tents.
Clothing
Comfortable, weatherproof clothing is a must for your camping trip. Water resistant pants, shorts and shoes manufactured with breathable material makes climbing and trekking a lot easier. A rain jacket may also come handy in unpredictable weather. To dry yourself clean use a microfiber towel as it absorbs moisture and dries rapidly.
Suavs have great shoes for camping â theyâre breathable, lightweight, ultra soft and flexible. Use the code TravelDudes15 for 15% off.
Solar Chargers
With the help of a portable solar charger, you donât have to miss any Facebook post or email notification anymore just because your phone battery is dead. Invest in a long-lasting and durable charger that can accompany you throughout your trip.
Backpacks
Backpacks help you differentiate between a camping trip and a hiking trip. If youâre camping, you donât really need a backpack, but it is a must-have if youâre planning to go on small hikes.
Backpacks fall into various categories, including day backpacks (read our list of top functional and stylish daypacks), overnights, and long trips. Make sure to purchase a backpack that fits you perfectly. If it doesnât, you might end up with blisters and backache during the journey.
A First Aid Kit
Carrying a first aid kit along with you on your trip shouldnât come off as a surprise â itâs one of the essential camping and hiking gear. Stack your box with the usual aspirin, bandages, gauze, and painkillers. Itâs better to do some research too before heading out. Include some camping essentials like bug sprays, Aloe Vera and moleskin for blisters and burns.
This ready-made first aid kit is ideal for camping and hiking as it is compact, organised, water-resistant, lightweight and includes over 100 items.
Hiking Gear: Must Have For Hikers
Hiking is comparatively riskier than camping. To have a good time you can ask a friend to accompany you on your trip.
Sightseeing Binoculars
If you have a little extra cash on your hand to spend, make sure to invest in a good pair of binoculars. You could even purchase digital binoculars that will automatically record everything you see. Sony recently launched DEV Digital Recording binoculars that work in high resolution even under water. So the next time you go back home from your hiking trip, you can boastfully tell tales of you spotting deadly crocodiles under water.
Sunglasses
A good pair of sunglasses is essential for hiking. Check out our list of the best sunglasses for hiking for more guidance.
GPS
One of the major problems that could hinder your hiking is mediocre phone connectivity. This is a considerable risk, especially if you are heavily relying on internet and GPS connection. For long-haul hiking trips purchase software rather than your phoneâs inbuilt GPS. Most smartphones have miserable battery life and are not compatible with hiking trips. A durable, long-lasting GPS unit has comprehensive geographic maps that also serve as compasses.
Garmin has a range of great handheld GPSâs that are great for hiking, compare their options here.
Hiking Boots
What shoes you carry along, depends on the type of trip youâre planning to go for. Regular sneakers are just fine, but if your trip is long and requires a lot of climbing and trekking then you might want to pack high-performance hiking boots that provide support, protection, balance your movements, and rigidity while running and climbing.
Boots inevitably make a lot of noise, but they are definitely sturdier than sneakers. They are perfect for people who like getting their shoes dirty in the mud. While planning a hiking trip you specifically want to invest in trail runners, hiking boots and approach shoes. Trail runners are lightweight and provide very little ankle stability. They are perfect for jumping and climbing.
Approach shoes are a combination of hiking boots and trail runners. They are suitable for climbing and have greater a life expectancy. Most people prefer approach shoes, but overall hiking boots do the job perfectly well too.
Child carrier â Kids Backpack
Having a child is great, but it also means that hiking changes towards strolling with a trolley on even surfaces⦠unless you find a comfortable way to carry your child over longer distances on your back. And that freedom comes with a child carrier, like the Poco from Osprey. It fits like a good backpack and you carry the weight with the hips thanks to a good belt. You can change the size very quickly and it wonât even take a minute, so that it fits all sizes. The child seat itself can also be quickly changed in its size, so that you can carry it for 1-3 years. The child sits safe and got a good view. Our daughter fell regularly asleep, as it was so comfortble. And she wanted to get into the seat every time she saw it.
The Poco got all it needs, from rain and sun cover, but also easy to reach pockets, where you can store food, drinks and the diapers of course. The price is fair for what you get and it keeps its value if you should consider to sell it afterwards again.
