OK after a whole summer of hiking, this is a good time to pick up all those vital things that you can forget about. Here’s a reminder of real necessities when hiking:
- Trekking Poles. Yes, they really do help the knees
- Microspikes. You don’t need them until you need them, but they are really great when it is slippery out there.
Here are some things that are good to get:
- Gaiters. Particularly if you are hiking in the snow, these are pretty vital. Outdoor Gear labs really
likes the Rab Latok Alpine. You can get less waterproof ones which are good for keeping the rocks out, but for us anyway, the real issue is the snow and the wet. - Personal Locator Beacon or Messenger.
Yes you probably never need one in your entire life, but if you are really off the grid, they are important. Outdoor Gear Labs likes the Garmin InReach Mini. We’ve bought quite a few of these and the nice thing is that you can turn it on for a month and then off again, so while expensive, at least you don’t generate lots of fees. Garmin is a massive company, so an alternative is the Somewear Global Hotspot, it requires a cell phone to do messaging, but at $350, it is smaller and you are helping a little company out. - Bear horn. While bear spray is important having a horn is nearly as good.
