My goal for this article is to share how I decide what to carry for a short to mid-range hike. Knowing my reasoning for what I pack could help you decide what to carry. I’m in my 50’s and every ounce that I carry makes hiking harder. So, I put a lot of thought into the things I wear and carry. I’ve hiked, climbed, and backpacked over 12,500 miles (I’m still counting and hiking). That isn’t much for an ardent hiker but is significant for an average hiker like me.
I often go on hikes and climbs that last from 1-4 hours for distances of 3-10 miles. I used this gear for an 8-mile hike in the Colorado Rocky Mountains with an elevation range of 6000 to 7500 feet. It was a mid-fall hike in October. The weather forecast was for continued clear, calm skies. The terrain was a steep mountainside with forest on the north slopes. The open areas provide some incredible views. Most of the trail surface was rocky with a few stretches of sandy soil. The surrounding landscape consisted of open brush areas, rock outcrops, and pine forests. I hiked in the afternoon on north and east-facing mountainsides. This meant the terrain and air had started cooling.
When I started hiking the air temperature was 50-degrees F. It felt hot to me. So, I started the hike wearing a polypropylene short-sleeve shirt (item 12 in the photo). I carried some essentials in a small Camelbak hydration pack (item 6) that I’ve had for a long time. Camelbak was the first company to make and sell hydration packs. Before those came out, to drink water, hikers had to stop, get out a water bottle, put it back, then resume hiking. The Camelbak is an incredible invention. You can use whatever you like to for keeping hydrated. My limit for hiking without water is around one hour. I drink a lot of water while hiking and climbing. This hydration pack holds 100 ounces of water, which lasts me 6-8 hours, depending on the conditions. The weight of the water is 6.5 pounds (15.34 fluid ounces of water in a pound). When the bladder is full and I’m carrying the rest of this stuff, the pack weighs about 8.0 lbs.
I often hike in the late afternoon and early evening, after work. There is always a chance that I’ll find myself returning in the dark. So, I almost always carry one or two light sources. For this hike, I carried a light, Petzl headlamp (item 2). People have become lost and died on hikes of one mile.
Where I hike, the number of hikers decreases the farther I go, starting at about one mile. This is often true even when the parking lot at the trailhead is full. After two miles I’m on my own except for a few other hikers. The trail for this hike had a difficulty rating of moderate to difficult. There are places that you have to climb over rock outcrops and a few stretches on steep, loose gravel.
Getting injured or lost is always a possibility. To help in that event, I carry a whistle (item 3). I carry a plastic bag with a few other essentials (item 4). The bag contains an emergency space blanket, a lighter, some toilet paper, and a parachute cord. You should always carry a fire starter. If you ever have to stay out in the woods overnight in an emergency, you’ll want to have a fire.
Item 5 is a boot knife for self-defense against a bear or mountain lion. I hope that I never have to try to fight off a bear with a knife, but I figure it is better than nothing. I don’t always carry that, but I always have a knife of some type. More often I carry a small Swiss Army knife and a very sharp Benchmade tactical knife. Knives are also high on the list of essentials for many uses. I’m not a big fan of pepper spray, but there are situations it could be helpful. There is often wind in the mountains. If you are in a standoff with a bear and you are downwind of it, pepper spray is not going to help you. Pepper spray is also “one and done.”
Items 7 and 8 are light gloves and a fleece headcover. I carried these because I was hiking in October. If you hike several miles in the mountains, the temperature can vary a lot. Where I hiked, I knew it would be colder after the sun dipped behind the mountains. The temperature also dropped as I reached higher elevations. There is always a chance for the wind to start blowing harder. These items are situation-dependent like many of the things you decide to carry with you. If I was doing this hike in June or July, I wouldn’t carry these items. If I was climbing a Fourteener in June or July, I would pack them.
Items 1 and 13 are long-sleeve polypropylene shirts for layering. Having an extra shirt also gives me a dry shirt I can change into if the one I start with gets wet or sweaty. When you make your list, think of items that have many uses. I used item 13 on this hike when I was up higher, and the sun was lower in the sky. When I reached the halfway point, the temperature was about 40-degrees F. Item 9 is a lightweight windbreaker that is also good for layering.
Item 10 is a multi-tool, which is high on my list of essentials because it has so many uses. I carried two protein bars (item 11) for energy. I ate one of them on this hike after I started feeling weak and light-headed. I knew my energy and sugar levels were low.
I have Salomon Quest 4D hiking boots (item 14), which are the bomb for me. They are expensive but worth it. I have neuropathy (nerve damage) in my feet, which kicks my pain level up to 6-8 during most hikes and climbs. It would be hard for me to hike without these boots or some like them. The Darn Tough, over-the-calf mountaineering socks (item 15) also help with foot pain. They are the best hiking socks I’ve found. Darn Tough backs them with a lifetime warranty. I’ve collected twice on the warranty because they developed holes in the heels. They honored their word and sent me new socks. They come in other heights, so you don’t have to get the over-the-calf type.
The Kuhl Klash climbing pants are the most comfortable pants I’ve ever worn. They are also expensive, but worth it. I found these and many of the items on this list at REI. They have all the pockets I need, including a front left hip pocket for my phone. The pockets zip closed, which I’ve found useful. You don’t want to lose your car keys while hiking – keep them in a safe place. Under the climbing pants, my first layer of protection is polypropylene underwear (item 17). I never thought I would wear $25 underwear, but these are so functional and comfortable, they are worth it. The older I get, the more I opt for comfortable clothing. In my early hiking days, I wore cotton underwear and blue jeans. My tolerance for suffering was also higher when I was younger.
I often hike in the late afternoon and early evening, after work. There is always a chance that I’ll find myself returning in the dark. So, I almost always carry one or two light sources. For this hike, I carried a light, Petzl headlamp (item 2). People have become lost and died on hikes of one mile.
Where I hike, the number of hikers decreases the farther I go, starting at about one mile. This is often true even when the parking lot at the trailhead is full. After two miles I’m on my own except for a few other hikers. The trail for this hike had a difficulty rating of moderate to difficult. There are places that you have to climb over rock outcrops and a few stretches on steep, loose gravel.
Getting injured or lost is always a possibility. To help in that event, I carry a whistle (item 3). I carry a plastic bag with a few other essentials (item 4). The bag contains an emergency space blanket, a lighter, some toilet paper, and a parachute cord. You should always carry a fire starter. If you ever have to stay out in the woods overnight in an emergency, you’ll want to have a fire.
Item 5 is a boot knife for self-defense against a bear or mountain lion. I hope that I never have to try to fight off a bear with a knife, but I figure it is better than nothing. I don’t always carry that, but I always have a knife of some type. More often I carry a small Swiss Army knife and a very sharp Benchmade tactical knife. Knives are also high on the list of essentials for many uses. I’m not a big fan of pepper spray, but there are situations it could be helpful. There is often wind in the mountains. If you are in a standoff with a bear and you are downwind of it, pepper spray is not going to help you. Pepper spray is also “one and done.”
Items 7 and 8 are light gloves and a fleece headcover. I carried these because I was hiking in October. If you hike several miles in the mountains, the temperature can vary a lot. Where I hiked, I knew it would be colder after the sun dipped behind the mountains. The temperature also dropped as I reached higher elevations. There is always a chance for the wind to start blowing harder. These items are situation-dependent like many of the things you decide to carry with you. If I was doing this hike in June or July, I wouldn’t carry these items. If I was climbing a Fourteener in June or July, I would pack them.
Items 1 and 13 are long-sleeve polypropylene shirts for layering. Having an extra shirt also gives me a dry shirt I can change into if the one I start with gets wet or sweaty. When you make your list, think of items that have many uses. I used item 13 on this hike when I was up higher, and the sun was lower in the sky. When I reached the halfway point, the temperature was about 40-degrees F. Item 9 is a lightweight windbreaker that is also good for layering.
Item 10 is a multi-tool, which is high on my list of essentials because it has so many uses. I carried two protein bars (item 11) for energy. I ate one of them on this hike after I started feeling weak and light-headed. I knew my energy and sugar levels were low.
I have Salomon Quest 4D hiking boots (item 14), which are the bomb for me. They are expensive but worth it. I have neuropathy (nerve damage) in my feet, which kicks my pain level up to 6-8 during most hikes and climbs. It would be hard for me to hike without these boots or some like them. The Darn Tough, over-the-calf mountaineering socks (item 15) also help with foot pain. They are the best hiking socks I’ve found. Darn Tough backs them with a lifetime warranty. I’ve collected twice on the warranty because they developed holes in the heels. They honored their word and sent me new socks. They come in other heights, so you don’t have to get the over-the-calf type.
The Kuhl Klash climbing pants are the most comfortable pants I’ve ever worn. They are also expensive, but worth it. I found these and many of the items on this list at REI. They have all the pockets I need, including a front left hip pocket for my phone. The pockets zip closed, which I’ve found useful. You don’t want to lose your car keys while hiking – keep them in a safe place. Under the climbing pants, my first layer of protection is polypropylene underwear (item 17). I never thought I would wear $25 underwear, but these are so functional and comfortable, they are worth it. The older I get, the more I opt for comfortable clothing. In my early hiking days, I wore cotton underwear and blue jeans. My tolerance for suffering was also higher when I was younger.
Last on the list is a cell phone (item 18), which is priority 3 on my list of 26 hiking essentials for all-day hikes. My phone is also my camera, map, Internet access, and apps source. I track my hiking using the Map My Walk app and a Garmin Instinct GPS watch. A free hiking app that I refer to sometimes is the Colorado Trail Explorer or COTrex. I like the topographic maps in that app.
Always carry what you need for the conditions you’ll be hiking in. If you know it is going to rain, you’ll need to add rain gear. If the insects are going to be bad, add insect repellent to your pack. For longer hikes, check out my blog, Gear for Non-Technical Mountaineering and Hiking in the Rocky Mountains. Be safe and happy trails.
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