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What should you pack for a day hike? Should my packing list be different during various seasons? How about for a 14er hike? I get asked these questions all the time. Whether you are heading to hike around your local State Park or a demanding summit, it’s important to have a bag full of the necessary items and gear. Over thousands of miles of day hiking, I have refined my bag and thought I would share with you all. Below is a list of gear that I recommend for a typical day hike.
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Earlier this fall, I, along with my Dad and neighbor Leif, hiked the Timberline trail. The trail is roughly a 40-mile loop around Mount Hood and consists of rocky trails and sweeping views of Mt. Hood. This trail is well worth your time if you have a long weekend on your hands. I want to begin by saying I'm not an expert, and this article is written from the point of view of a newcomer, as this was one of my first long-distance backpacking trips. Here is my overall summary of my trip and some tips I picked up along the trail.
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A few weeks ago I completed my thru-hike of the Grand Enchantment Trail (GET), an ~800 mile route expanding from Albuquerque, NM to Phoenix, AZ. First off, The GET is the most beautiful mile-by-mile route that I have ever hiked. From the desert lowlands, to traversing mountain ridges, to fording rushing rivers, to scrambling up steep canyon walls, the GET has truly got it all. Now, you may be asking yourself, “why haven’t I heard of the GET?”. You are probably most familiar with the 11 National Scenic Trails that make up our ‘official’ trails here in the US. Outside of our National Trails system, we have tons of other routes, which simply connect littler trails to create one large trail - like the GET. If you’ve never gotten off the beaten path before, route finding can be a little scary. We’re talking remote, we’re talking burly, and we’re talking beautiful. I’m going to be explaining five differences between hiking National Scenic Trails and Hiking Routes!
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It was all going so well. Until it wasn’t. I had spent the summer training for my first 100 mile mountain race scheduled for September 16. As soon as the snow melted, I started with long hikes in the San Juans, followed by big days of backpacking, interspersed with running on the roads and trails around Durango. I thought I was doing everything right. Having had a hamstring tendon surgically reattached not even two years before, I knew I had to be careful. I swam three times a week. I did strength training. I foam rolled. I ate enough. I went to bed early. In early August, I was feeling strong.
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Friday. 6:00 p.m. I’m in Pierre, parked just off the Million Dollar Highway near Molas Pass- perched at almost 11,000 feet between Durango and Silverton. Pierre is in the transition from cargo to sweet camper van if only his owner would decide to work on him instead of hiking in the mountains. Another season perhaps…
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