What To Pack For A Hike: Checklist
Heading out for a hike one of my favorite activities to do. Whether it be on a local hike, in a state park, or even a national park, hiking is a great workout and an awesome opportunity to see the world.
I have searched the internet high and low to make the perfect checklist of what you need to pack on a hike. This list is broken up into clothing, food/water, safety, and items for fun.
Clothing
Hat
The hat that I own is this bucket hat. It’s stylish, cute and gets the job done. I actually got this hat as a gift, so this may not be the exact one that I have, but I tried to find the closest one. This is the hat you see me wearing in most of my pictures. Definitely a keeper.
This is the hat I should probably own as well. This hat is waterproof, has a wide brim, breathable material, and my personal favorite - snaps on the side for the times that I want to look like I am on a safari. It also has a string on the bottom making it easy to take off during your water breaks when your head needs to breathe a little.
Hiking Shoes
Please do not go on a hike without hiking shoes! That is the easiest way to ruin your normal shoes! These hiking boots are perfect for your toughest of hikes. They will protect your ankles while going up and downhill. These shoes are lightweight and waterproof. Their rubber outsole provides a solid grip on the bottom, making it less likely to slip and fall.
These shoes are better for a more flat-surfaced hike. These shoes are durable yet breathable. The Wildhorse Nike shoes are also great for running in nature.
These Teva’s are my go-to hiking sandals. These sandals work for water hikes and for hotter summer days. They are super comfy for easy to average hikes.
The ‘Fit
The best clothes to go hiking in are the comfiest clothes that you have. This set I found on amazon is *the* set for hot summer days. It’s shorts with a cropped top. Super cute and comes in pink, purple, grey and blue.
These cargo pants are not only water resistant but also light weight. They are great for adding another layer (but if it is super cold, I recommend pairing these with leggings or thermal pants underneath.) Because they are so lightweight, I recommend bringing them in your backpack and pulling them out when the sun goes down and the wind comes out.
Nothing screams outdoor adventurer quite like a fleece jacket. I have always loved fleece jackets since a young age because of the fact that it feels like a warm hug. I love this one because it is a zip up and comes in over 30 colors! It is an essential when it comes to layering and will definitely keep you cold once evening rolls around.
The North Face backpack is my backpack of choice. This backpack is for a day hike - I would NOT recommend it for backpacking. It is large enough to carry everything on this hiking list - such as your extra layers, snacks, water and safety items. But it is not large enough to carry sleeping equipment for backpacking, or food for an extended period of time.
For a backpacking trip (one in which you sleep on the trial), this is the backpack you need! With pockets on the top and on the side, it makes it super easy to access all of you stuff without having to dump everything out.
Food/Water
Snacks
These are my go-to hiking snacks because how easy it is to pack and how much energy they give for hiking. All of these trail mixes are full of nuts and dried fruits - a yummy and healthy snack.
I absolutely love bamba. Think of cheeto consistency, but peanut butter flavored. It may sound weird, but don’t knock it ‘till you try it. It is one of my all time favorites. Originating from Israel, these peanut buttery corn puffs are a healthier option to normal chips consisting of just peanuts, salt, corn and oil. Not as healthy as plain fruit or veggies, but definitely a healthier option with 5 grams of protein - a nice addition for your day hike.
Hippeas have similar texture to Bamba and Cheetos but are a bit more dense. They are also a nice nut free option. These are like my kryptonite - I can open a bag and tell myself I am only having a few, and just a couple minutes later, the whole bag is gone. Hippeas contain 4 grams of protein making them another healthier option to the leading chip brands.
Water
If you’re going on a hike you NEED water - and TONS of it! Please only use reusable bottles on your hike! This is the bottle I take on most of my hikes because it is small enough to fit in my backpack and not super heavy. Because it is a hydroflask, it keeps my water cold all day long! My bottle is only 24 oz but I make sure I drink a lot of water before and after my hikes. If you are going on longer hikes make sure to take a larger bottle with you!
CamelBaks are a hands-free option for drinking water. If I were to use it with the North Face backpack I listed here, I would put the CamelBak on first, and then the backpack. But to be honest, I normally take a regular water bottle with me while I go hiking. I just know that it is some people’s personal favorites so I wanted to include it.
Safety
Protection
It is very important to properly defend yourself, especially if you are a solo female, like myself. I think the bare minimum that you can bring with you on a hike is pepper spray. I love that this one comes on a keychain but has a quick release button to make it easily accessible.
A whistle is also a hiking necessity. It can be used in SOS situations the reason being that the sound of a whistle travels much farther than a yell. This whistle is exceptionally good for hiking because it is 5 in 1. It comes with not only a whistle but also a compass, water resistant container, signal mirror and a ferro rod to help you start a fire.
Swiss Army Knife’s are awesome to have in general, but they are especially good for hikes. You never know when you might need them. For example, once the sole of my shoe was falling off, so I used my knife to cut off some bark off a tree and then used the sap as an adhesive. The knife may come in handy if there is some animal that tries to attack your dog. You never know when these things come in handy.
Sunscreen
I don’t know about you, but growing up I used to hate wearing sunscreen because the feeling it left on my skin and the smell that lingered. That’s why I was so happy when I found the CeraVe AM moisturizer. This has SPF 30 which is what is recommended by doctors. It feels just like a moisturizer and not like sunscreen which I love. Plus it is small enough to fit in my hiking bag for reapplications. The top locks when you turn it so I know it will not spill everywhere.
My favorite sunscreen for the body is Hawaiin Tropic because it is reef safe (meaning I can wear it in oceans and not harm the ocean life.) And it is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation so I know it will protect my skin nicely.
Proactive Essentials
First Aid Kit
A first aid kit is crucial for hiking - especially solo hiking. You never know when you’re going to take a massive fall, or if you’ll get stung or bit by wildlife. Although this first aid kit is kind of bulky, it has everything! I feel completely safe traveling with these bandages and alcohol wipes. This kit even comes with an emergency blanket. If I ever see that my bag is too full, then I will take the necessities out of this kit and put it in a small reusable bag. I like this option over buying a smaller kit because then I can refill it whenever I need to.
Portable chargers are essential so you always have a powered phone. It is super compact and charges your phone twice as fast as a normal outlet would. It has two charging spots so you can charge your phone and your friends at the same time. This portable charger can charge your phone more than 3 times before it runs out of charge.
A headlamp is super important if you plan on finishing your hike past dark. The flashlights on your phone are wonderful, and is what I use most of the time. But if you are on a hike, you want to be using both hands for stability. I personally use this headlamp - I think it works great.
Fun
Sometimes hiking and listening to nature is wonderful and all I need. Other times (when I’m far away from anyone else on the trail), it’s awesome to play some music and sing along to it. That is why I love this speaker, because it is so compact and has a handle that I use to hang onto my backpack. This speaker is small but mighty and can get really loud if I ever want it to. This speaker is waterproof, and was on Oprah’s top 50, so you know it’s good.
Camera
For cameras, I have included two different options. I personally stick with my phone camera 90% of the time, but if you love photography then I recommend upgraded to these two cameras!
This camera is the most popular among vloggers. It is compact which is great, has good quality, and best of all you can flip the screen up to see yourself when recording. It is a great camera for on the go!
I had to include a drone because what kind of hike would be complete without an epic drone shot? (Kidding, of course.) I still haven’t made the splurge to buy a drone yet, but I have done intense research on drones and this is the one I would get.
Go through this checklist of stuff that you need to pack on your hike, and you’ll be ready for any hike big and small! Enjoy your hike and be safe! Make sure to tag me in your hiking photos - I love keeping up with all of you!
