It’s no secret that I love hiking, but I’m rarely able to leave the office for a multi day hiking trip. If it wasn’t for short day hikes I’d probably lose my mind after a long work week. Just getting out into that fresh air does something for your soul.
After a long day in the office I love getting out into the wilderness for a short hike. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 1 hour hike with my dog or long hike up the mountainside I bring the same basic hiking gear and wear the same basic clothes.
What Do You Wear on a Day Hike?
Planning a short hike really isn’t all that difficult. Whether it’s a short hike or long you’ll probably wear the same basic outfit. Just make sure you’re comfortable and ready for the weather.
So What Should You Wear?
Comfortable Hiking Shoes: Should you bring hiking shoes or hiking boots? Try and choose a pair of shoes that matches the terrain your hiking. Long flat hikes I’m always going to wear lightweight shoes, but on rocky terrain you can’t beat boots. I’m a huge fan of Salmon Hiking Boots. For the price it’s hard to beat the comfort and durability. It really doesn’t matter what type of shoes you choose as long as you’re comfortable.
Hiking Socks: Just about any pair of socks will work with a good pair of lightweight hiking shoes. If you’re wearing boots you’ll want a thicker pair of hiking socks. Most of the time I wear these Darn Tough Hiking Socks over a thin pair of socks. This is typically enough to prevent blisters, but you can further prevent blisters by checking out this article.
Comfortable Hiking Pants: Throughout most of the summer I’m going to wear comfortable shorts out on my day hikes. Normally I’ll get into a little bit of climbing and lean towards more aggressive routes. During the spring and fall you’ll probably be more comfortable wearing long hiking pants. Just make sure that whatever you wear is comfortable in the thighs and waist.
Hat: With my bald head I’m almost always sporting some type of hat on top of my head. I lean towards my sweat wicking baseball caps, but others like a little more protection.
Lightweight Jacket/Rain Gear: Make sure you dress for the weather. Remember that you can always tie your jacket around your waist or put it in your backpack. If there’s even a slight chance of rain bring along a rain jacket. Columbia Rain Jackets are breathable and offer the perfect amount of warmth in the spring.
Other Hiking Gear Checklist
Small Hiking Backpack: You can use just about any lightweight backpack on your hike, but you’ll probably want to stick to actual hiking backpacks on longer hikes. Traditional hiking backpacks are going to be lighter and offer more shoulder/back support. On shorter 1-3 hour hikes I typically bring along my Osprey Daylite Backpack. It’s big enough to hold all your gear plus a hydration bladder.
Hydration Bladder or Water Bottle: It doesn’t matter if I’m taking a 1 hour hike or 3 hour hike I’m bringing along a Camelbak Hydration Bladder. Camelbak might be a little more expensive, but they’re so much easier to clean. On longer day hikes I always bring something to filter the water. Lifestraw’s Filter Bottle is about as easy as your going to get.
Camera: If you can’t find somewhere to take a photo on a hike you’re doing it wrong. I typically leave my DSLR at home and bring along my compact mirrorless camera. Most hikers are going to be content just using their iPhone.
Phone: As much as you’d like to get away from it all and go into nature don’t leave your phone at home. If you go out into the woods enough you’ll eventually get lost. With modern GPS and phones you shouldn’t be lost for long.
Basic First Aid Kit: You should always bring along a small first aid kit. This little First Aid Kit is the perfect size for a short day hike. It has everything you need on a short hike. You might want to add a few packs of water purification tablets.
Other Items
- Map and Compass
- Sunscreen and BugSpray
- Tissues
- Extra Medications(Prescriptions, Diarrhea, Antacids, NSAIDS)
- Sunglasses
- Lunch/Snacks
- Note Pad and Pen (Never Know when you’ll need this)
- Lightweight Jacket
- Makeup/Comb