This is our ultimate list of the best hiking gear you need if you love hiking as much as we do! We’ve linked our top hiking gear recommendations from Amazon in each category and explain why you need it and how it helps on the trail.

From backpacks to headlamps to socks and buffs to keep you cool and protected from the elements – you know hiking gear on this list is going to be practical and fashionable.

Take it from us, you can hike in tennis shoes, but hiking in boots made for the trail with a hiking pole and comfy wool socks is going to make your experience so much better!

If you’re new to hiking and the outdoors and are asking “what gear do I need for hiking?” then you’re in luck because we built this list for new hikers and those that are getting more into it.

The Best Hiking Equipment:

1. Hiking Daypack – https://amzn.to/3rDOJrO 
2. Water Bladder for the Dayback – https://amzn.to/3f1eInF 
3. Hiking Gloves – https://amzn.to/3rDrYUL 
4. Hat – https://amzn.to/3eZNyNU 
5. Neck Buff – https://amzn.to/3iJOIy8 
6. Wool Socks – https://amzn.to/3zF8zFH 
7. Hiking Poles – https://amzn.to/2Vc6QZI 
8. Hiking Boots – https://amzn.to/3zBCChu 
9. Biodegradable Bags – https://amzn.to/3BM9yFS 
10. She Wee – https://amzn.to/3l5KuUF 
11. Electrolyte Tablets – https://amzn.to/3f04Qul 
12. Crampons – https://amzn.to/3BLcUc7 
13. First Aid Kit – https://amzn.to/3rBc7G8 
14. Pocket Blanket – https://amzn.to/2VdVMeq 
15. Head Lamp – https://amzn.to/3y2uo1z 

Note: We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through the above links. Thank you for supporting the Travel Squad Podcast!

Ultimate List of Hiking Gear – Episode Transcript

3 (58s):
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Travel Squad podcast. Today, we’re going to talk to you all about the top 15 essential hiking items you need in your pack for you guys. As you guys know, we’re really big hikers here at the Travel Squad Podcast. And so we want to share some of that general information with you guys. Although I do want to give you a preemptive heads up. We don’t necessarily mean that you need all 15 of these items. Every time you go depends on the situation, but these are essential. Top 15 for you guys.

2 (1m 27s):
There are definitely some things that are worth investing in when you’re going to be stomping around, out there on the trails and take it from me. I’ve roughed it many times like hiking, the narrows and water shoes or the San Diego hike. We recently just did well. We’re bouldering up the mountain and I’m carrying a plastic water bottle in my hands, but I have definitely learned that a good backpack with a good water supply, proper Hiking Boots with good grip can be a major lifesaver when you’re out there in the wilderness.

1 (1m 55s):
Absolutely. And I love to hike so much that I can plan entire vacations or entire weekend getaways just to get in some good hikes and having the right Hiking products is just really essential for a successful trip. And I really can’t wait to share some of those favorite hiking products with you all. So let’s dive right in

2 (2m 14s):
Britt. We know that you can plan trips around hiking. We have been dragged on these trips.

1 (2m 20s):
Well, you know what? No one else was dragged, but you, because after you turned 30, you’ve really gone downhill with your hiking abilities.

2 (2m 29s):
Yes, but, but this gear helps. Definitely

3 (2m 32s):
The gear definitely helps, but before we get into the gear, let’s start off the episode. Like we usually do with some tips, tips, tips, gotta

2 (2m 39s):
Have those

3 (2m 39s):
Tips tips. First,

2 (2m 40s):
First tip Brittany loves,

1 (2m 42s):
I love downloading offline maps. It’s super helpful. A lot of the times when you go hiking, you’re going into remote places. I love to hike out in the wilderness where you can’t get a cell signal. And so downloading those offline maps helps you stay oriented, helps you get there safely. And it just is a lifesaver.

2 (2m 60s):
The all trails app is another one that’s really good. And a good tip is to screenshot the map of the trail before you go. Because when you’re out there, you want to have a picture of what your route is supposed to look like.

1 (3m 13s):
Yeah. And I’ve really tinkered with the idea about buying the pro version. I haven’t yet, but I may invest in that because with the pro version, you can download the maps. So you don’t have to take the screenshots and you can like actually get into the app more. So another feature of the ultras app is if you look up a specific hike, they sometimes have way points listed. And so on the map trail, there might be like numbers one through seven. And it’ll say like at one, you’re going to cross a bridge at two, you’re going to veer, right? And so it kind of gives you a little directions. And so sometimes they take screenshots of those as well.

3 (3m 49s):
Those directions are essential because sometimes when you’re out on the trail, you can get lost. We know we’ve been lost on created a 16 mile hike out of that. But if you don’t step up to the upgraded version of the all trails app, another really good app for you guys to have is going to be the Runkeeper app. And so, as Kim was saying earlier, you can screenshot it through all trails Runkeeper. What this app does is it tracks your time. It tracks your mileage and it actually tracks your GPS location to give you really the outline shape of where you’ve been moving. So you can actually, then at that point, compare it to the all trails app or any picture of the trail that you take at the start of the trail, what the headboards or whatever they call them, the signage there that has the outline of it.

3 (4m 33s):
So it’s really good to keep you oriented. So Runkeeper is essential.

2 (4m 37s):
I also really liked the drill. Sergeant boys cheering you on as you’ve done every quarter mile and keeping you going,

3 (4m 43s):
Oh yeah. That’s one of my favorite things about the app is you can change the voice in which the person talks to you. It could be soft, it could be gentle. It could be loud. It could be the drill Sergeant. So the drill Sergeant, as we heard, Kim needs the motivation these days after 30. So that’s why it comes in clutch for her.

2 (4m 58s):
What motivates me is after the hike, seeing the mileage that we did and I’m like, okay, that was worth it. That was a workout.

3 (5m 5s):
I thought there was going to be the after hike beers. That’s one of my favorite things about hiking as the squad is the after hike beers, it’s always enjoyable

2 (5m 11s):
Pack it in your collapsible cooler that we’ll link in this episode,

1 (5m 14s):
Love the collapsible cooler. So in the past, Kim used to say like, if it’s not six miles, plus it’s not even worth doing. And I feel like your attitudes changed a little bit. Now.

3 (5m 27s):
That’s why she needs the drill. Sergeant keep her motivated. And another final tip here for you guys is bring sunscreen with you. I guess this could have been one of the things to have in your pack, but it is a good tip. The reason being is it doesn’t matter if it’s summer, doesn’t matter. If it’s winter, you can be sun exposed and sunscreen is essential. We know I burn, I know everybody else. Maybe they can get a nice base and get a tan, but you still do want that sunscreen. So be sure to put that on before your hike.

1 (5m 55s):
Alright, so product number one is a hiking backpack and I love my hiking backpack. I’ve actually had it for probably close to 10 years. Now. I still say it has a few more good years left in it, even though like kind of coming apart in some areas. But if you buy a good one, it’s going to last a long time. And look for one that has a clip or Velcro straps to attach in a Water Bladder, because that is essential, especially while you’re hiking.

3 (6m 25s):
Yeah. One of my biggest pet peeves early on in our Hiking days before we invested in a hiking backpack was just having a regular backpack. Or if I didn’t bring one carrying a water bottle, and if you have the backpack without the Water Bladder, then you got to reach into the side, pull out the water bottle, take off the lid, put it on. I mean, it sounds silly, but it’s cumbersome, especially when you’re hiking. And so I don’t think people who don’t have hiking backpacks really understand how clutch they are with the water bladders that could go in it. The backpacks they’re designed to really be strapped around your back in a certain way to make it a lot more comfortable than a regular backpack. So the hiking backpack really goes a long way to enhance your entire experience.

3 (7m 5s):
No doubt.

2 (7m 5s):
Straps are my favorite thing about the hiking backpacks, because you can strap it across your chest. There’s also one of mine that’s down lower and kids,

3 (7m 14s):
And

2 (7m 14s):
It takes that pressure off of your shoulders when you’re doing those 16 mile hikes. It’s amazing.

3 (7m 19s):
Yeah. And then at the lower end of the back where it has those straps, like I said, it’s like really fitted to really hug you in a certain way too. That makes it a lot more comfortable.

2 (7m 27s):
and there’s cute ones out there now. You don’t have to get these like hardcore hiker looking backpacks either.

1 (7m 33s):
We talked a little bit about the Water Bladder two, which is our product number two. And you know, you really want to stay hydrated, always bring more water than recommended on a trail. There’s nothing worse than running out of water. I have definitely ran out of water on an 11 mile hike and I was miserable till the end. So get one that holds at least two liters, you’re not going to regret that.

2 (7m 55s):
Do you guys remember when we did the Hollywood sign hike in LA?

1 (7m 58s):
Oh yeah.

2 (7m 60s):
And I brought an ex-boyfriend of mine who just thought he was superhuman and didn’t need water. He was like, what did, what did he say?

3 (8m 9s):
I can’t believe it. I don’t remember what he said, but he only brought like a 12 ounce water bottle for the hike. And if anybody has ever hiked the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, you know, it’s Sonics. Yeah. It’s unexposed. There’s absolutely no shade. It was definitely hot that day too. And I’m just like, how is he doing this? You know, Britney still thinks I’m being overdramatic, but I’m telling you what, when we were at the end of the hike and I really fell as we were trying to like run our bums down the hill or whatever we were, because it was so long, the other way. And I slipped and fell. I really almost did when I stood back up, pass out from heat exhaustion and heat stroke. I’m telling you. So I don’t think I had my Water Bladder back then, because that was way, way back in the day, even before Brittany and I were married.

3 (8m 50s):
So I upgraded since then, but definitely wasn’t enough. So you want that Water Bladder,

1 (8m 55s):
And you definitely want one that has a hose that has like the open twist, like the on and off valve. So it doesn’t drip on you. And I used to have one that didn’t have that and I bid it because it, you had to like bite down on it to suck out the water. And I think I bet it too hard once. So it’s just like constantly drip for a while. So I got a new one. It has the on-off valve. It’s amazing. It also came with a cleaning kit. So you can take one of those bottle cleaner things down the straw and just like clean that out really well. So I love that. And I think it’s a really good investment.

2 (9m 28s):
That one is perfect. And by the way, we’re going to link to Amazon where you can buy all of these products in the show notes. And we actually have a page on our website with links to all this stuff too. So if you guys are interested in upgrading your Water Bladder, you can go to our website and find it.

3 (9m 43s):
Yeah, absolutely. And please do utilize the links, whether it be on our website or in the show notes, if you love the content and you love our banter that you hear here on the Travel Squad Podcast, when you click those links, it definitely helped support us so we could bring you better content. So please do that.

2 (9m 57s):
Cool. And the third product on our list is something that comes in handy when you’re doing these wild hikes that Brittany likes to do and that his gloves with grip.

3 (10m 7s):
Well, I was thinking of this one with gloves as a twofer because yes, Brittany pulls us on some crazy ass hikes where she wants to utilize chains and ropes that people have attached to trees that aren’t even part of the trail. So you definitely do need the gloves with the grip, but at the same time, it could be very cold depending on where you’re going. So you do want gloves to keep your hands warm too, depending on where you’re going and what type of year. So it’s kind of like a double combination of gloves that you definitely need.

2 (10m 35s):
It’s a twofer. I used Brittany’s gloves when we went recently and did a hike in Zion. It definitely wasn’t cold, but there are these crazy chains at the end of it. And I was freaking out not wanting to fall off of the steep sudden drop of a cliff on the other side of the tiny trail. So those, those gloves really came in handy.

1 (10m 55s):
I used them up in Washington when we went on the Mt storm king hike and

2 (10m 59s):
Another crazy hike,

1 (11m 1s):
Another crazy hike where you had to repel up these ropes and a repel down. And they were tied to these trees. And by the end of the hike, I had lost so much of the grip because I was just going down the rope so fast. And it was like giving the gloves like rope burn, but definitely came in handy. Cause I wouldn’t want that to happen to my hands.

3 (11m 19s):
I was going to say, imagine if it happened to your hands and then you had to go down the rope and repel down at, with torn up hands with rope burn on it. That would be ridiculous. And just by the way, as I was kind of saying earlier that hike, that Brittany just mentioned, they had a sign at the end of it that said, end of maintained trail, this isn’t a national park. So then people at the end of that trail tied those ropes to trees and they had signs that said continue at your own risk really to the top. So it was definitely a, an interesting hike to say the least fun, no doubt. You want to hear about it? Go listen to our episode on Olympic national park, we mentioned it in there. Great episodes.

2 (11m 58s):
Another thing, number four that you’re going to want to bring in your backpack is a hat. I actually have a Hiking hat that I keep in my pack that I don’t even wear my normal life. But a ball cap is really good for this or bucket. Hats are super in fashion right now. And they come in tons of different styles to match your hiking gear and that I would highly recommend that. And Jamal, you were actually talking about a cooling hat.

3 (12m 20s):
Yeah. So right now I just have my baseball cap. I’ve wrapped my giants all day. Every day, when we’re on the hikes, I do need a new hat for my everyday life and going to keep my giants cap. Now as my regular hiking one, I need it because I burn rather easily sunscreen, even though it helps the hat is even more. But going back to the cooling hat, yeah. I’ve been seeing this. I really want to invest in it. Basically. You just put that hat and water it’s made of a special type of material and it’s supposed to really cool you off as you’re wearing it the way the water’s in the hat and it evaporates off of you and your skin. So I forgot what the name of the brand is called, but I really want to invest in that. And I think it would be clutch, especially to go hiking on a lot more warmer days than not

2 (13m 3s):
Number five. We’re going to keep up the trend here of Jamal. Sunburning

3 (13m 7s):
See, you know what we were ragging on you Kim earlier, and now you guys are just ragging on me and my fear sensitive skin. Yeah. Number five, we need a buff. The only buff I really want to wear, by the way, if CBS casting for survivor is listening, this is the only buff I want to wear. I have a buff now. I always bring it on my hiking trips. And I know it’s counter-intuitive to put this on the list when I really don’t wear it when I hike, but you should wear a buffer to protect your neck and your head when you’re hiking also. But survivor, give me that one for CBS, Jeff probes, some weight for you, buddy.

2 (13m 38s):
It can also double as a face mask. You know, a lot of these national parks, they’re federal land. They still have masked mandates in the stores and the transportation. So if you’re in a situation where you need a mask up, there you go.

1 (13m 49s):
Perfect. And there’s a lot of trendy buffs. Like you can get them in all sorts of different colors, match your hiking outfit. You can look like you’re really in style.

3 (13m 57s):
A really good thing to use the buff. As like I said, I always really bring it. I think we’ll only one time I’ve really used it kind of for my neck. I think I just really have the wrong size. So it bunches up and feels awkward is really more so why I don’t use it. But one time we were hiking and I was really sun exposed on one side and it was wearing short sleeves and I could feel the sun just burning my skin, even though I put on more sunscreen on my arm. So I took my buff because it’s rather long and put it on my arm. So it’s adaptable to like, if you’re on one side and the sun’s hitting you, you have short sleeves. You can use that as like a long sleeve. It’s really, really helpful too. So it’s like a twofer with it. Yeah.

2 (14m 32s):
I can really see you also, if it’s sunny and you’re driving, can roll the window down a little bit, stuff it up there and block the sun. You can get a really good nap in the backseat.

1 (14m 42s):
That’s what you’re thinking about. So number six on our list is Wool Socks. And man Wool Socks are a game changer. You know, I used to hike in like just regular athletic socks, everyday socks, but we’ll have socks. They’re plushy, they’re more comfortable. They also wick away all of the sweat. And so it helps to prevent getting blisters. And it also helps regulate your temperature, your body temperature,

2 (15m 8s):
Which to me seems counterintuitive. Wool Socks keeps you cool. And I actually do not own a pair of Wool Socks. I hiked in ankle socks still or double sock. And every time we go hiking, you’re like, just bring some more socks. You’ll be fine. I’m like, okay, but I don’t have any,

3 (15m 26s):
Oh, well now that you have your Costco membership, Kim go to Costco. They have a great selection of Wool Socks. I actually that’s where all my Wool Socks are from. I don’t even buy specific like hiking Wool, Socks. I have mine from Costco, but they’re really good. Especially like even during the summer, it’s counterintuitive, right? You’d think wool it’s supposed to be warm, but it is a really good material to water wick away moisture like Brittany was saying. But just imagine if you’re going on a hiking trail and that trail, has you going across a Creek bread or even like up to shin ankle high of water. And when you get out, it’s really going to help your foot stay a bit more dry and not be super moist and then get, you know, I don’t want to use trench foot because that’s going to take a lot of time, but really wet to where it tears up your foot.

3 (16m 12s):
Just look at world war one, trench foot. It’s no good. But I mean that involves you having wet socks and stuff like that for an extended extended period of time. That won’t happen to you here during Nike.

1 (16m 22s):
Yeah. Like Jamal said, if you cross a Creek and your feet get wet and you’re wearing Wool Socks, they won’t feel like as soggy as it would if you were wearing like just regular cotton socks. When we went whitewater rafting in West Virginia on the river, I wore tennis shoes with the Wool Socks. And that’s what they recommend. If you’re not wearing like water shoes of some sort, because it’ll help keep you warm and it’ll help wick away that water from your feet. So you won’t get cold or hypothermia on the river,

3 (16m 50s):
Even without the water. I want to say, if you’re wearing a Hiking Boots, the extra Wool layer really makes it a lot more comfortable in the boot tube. So even just regular hiking, if you know, you’re not going to be in water, crossing anything solid choice

1 (17m 3s):
For every single hike,

2 (17m 5s):
I get blisters all the time to know

3 (17m 7s):
Wool Socks for you, Kim. That’s why

1 (17m 9s):
I know what I’m getting you this year for Christmas.

2 (17m 11s):
If I don’t get them before, then hopefully I will get them before next psych.

3 (17m 15s):
All right. So number seven, moving along here is going to be Hiking Poles. Now Hiking Poles are super essential. They saved all of us when we did the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. But even everyday hikes Hiking Poles are clutch.

2 (17m 29s):
I didn’t really know the proper way to use Hiking Poles until that hike. And there’s a certain height. You put them that when you’re going uphill and there’s a different height that you put them at when you’re going downhill. And my God, if you’re going to be going up and down really steep hikes, Hiking Poles will change the game.

1 (17m 44s):
Yeah. And they help protect your knees as well. A lot of people complain of knee when they’re going downhill. And so the Hiking Poles helps distribute the weight and helps when you’re going down steep sections. And it can also be really good for balance example. Like if you were going to Zion and you were going in the narrows, you could probably bring your Hiking Poles as a balance.

2 (18m 7s):
There were a lot of people using Hiking Poles in that Creek.

3 (18m 11s):
Well, they’re needed, you’re walking through the river bed with rocks underneath boulders and you can’t really see. So it really helps with your balance, but even normal hikes. I mean, they are clutch. I mean, going back to what Brittany was saying, I remember I always used to, when I was younger, one of go downhill because obviously it’s like, fuck, I just want to be done with the up go down. But now that I’m older, I really dread the downhill because like Brittany said, it does hurt my knees. So on the times that I forget my Hiking Poles or I think, oh, you know, this hike shouldn’t be too bad. I just don’t bring them this time. And I don’t have him. My knees always end up hurting. So they are a clutch to save. You, give you stamina going up and they definitely save your joints and knees as you are going down

2 (18m 52s):
My God from the way we sound in this episode, we’re going to be podcasting about senior travel before long.

3 (19m 0s):
Hey man, I’m telling you once I hit 30, I mean, I haven’t gotten to the level. You’ve gotten that cam where you just can’t handle hikes no more, but I do feel it in my body, but I’m still tripping on. So I got that going for me at least.

1 (19m 12s):
And you can buy a Hiking Poles that collapsed down to literally so small that you can put them in a side pocket of a backpack or put them inside your luggage. However, I did read that you’re not really supposed to put them in, carry on luggage, which I found was really interesting.

2 (19m 27s):
Why is that

1 (19m 28s):
Something about like the tubes can potentially be carriers of other items. And so like if the Hiking Poles aren’t true tubes, then they might say like, we don’t know what’s inside of here. And they might say, no, you can’t carry it on, but there’s no official rules. That’s kind of up to TFA.

2 (19m 46s):
It’s interesting. And if you do get them through TSA that can end up saving you a lot of money. If you go somewhere on a hike and you don’t have to rent poles, when you’re there,

1 (19m 55s):
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2 (20m 6s):
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3 (20m 8s):
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1 (20m 11s):
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2 (20m 22s):
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1 (20m 43s):
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3 (20m 57s):
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1 (21m 9s):
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1 (23m 11s):
I think, but yeah, it’s, the grip is so important. I think that’s one of the most important things. And then all, you know, obviously the ankle support as well, but you’re constantly, while you’re hiking, I always like trip over rocks and stuff. So I feel, I feel like in regular shoes I would stub my toe and these really just give that extra layer protection. And they’re really comfortable.

3 (23m 31s):
You know, when I were Hiking Boots and I stubbed my toe or do anything else, I always think to myself, people that actually have some blue collar jobs that have their steel toe boots. And you wonder why they’re essential. You go on a hiking trip and you have your hiking boots on and you your toe on a rock. And you realize, man, if I actually just had like sneakers on or something else, I’d be screwed right now. That is exactly why they are very, very important. And a lot of times, even, you know, the best hiker you’re going to lose your balance, but you don’t have the ankle support. You can twist your ankle in a wrong way. I feel like so many times my boots have really saved me from a more serious injury by just having them. And they are very, very essential. Kim said, maybe this should be number one.

3 (24m 12s):
I would agree with her that and backpack. That’s why we kind of put it number one, but any one of these two are your for sure must have

1 (24m 19s):
And get some that are water resistant or waterproof, especially if you’re hiking in the snow or in the rain or just in colder weather in general and rainy weather.

3 (24m 28s):
Yeah. They’ll definitely keep your foot a lot warmer and a cold weather than anything. So that’s always good too.

2 (24m 33s):
So you know, us Travel Squad Podcast, we have to tell you about the bathroom’s

3 (24m 39s):
Always gotta be bad

2 (24m 41s):
And we have a motto. Anytime we go on a trip, anytime we go on a hike, we put hands in NSO T on three. And what does that stand for? No

3 (24m 48s):
Shit on the trail.

2 (24m 51s):
But

3 (24m 51s):
Sometimes it happens. Brittany has an experience with that, I think, right?

1 (24m 57s):
Jamal, cause there’s something you want to

3 (25m 1s):
All I’ll say is it’s in a previous episode, I’m not going to mention which one go find it. And maybe you’ll get lucky if you want to hear about it. But it happens mother nature calls when we least expect it. And so number nine here, Biodegradable Bags,

2 (25m 16s):
And we’re not saying like a dog to pick up your poop and carry it out. I think it’s okay to leave that depending on the hike, it is biodegradable itself. But what we are saying is to pack out any TP that you use, you can also use these Biodegradable Bags for trash, for banana peels or fruit cores.

1 (25m 34s):
Yeah. I always use them for snacks and put all of the fruit cores in there, but I love them because they also smell good too. They like lavender scented and Biodegradable, which is nice. And while you’re hiking the trails in the last year, so many more people have been on trails, been out in nature and everyone has to pee. Everyone has to poop. We get it, but don’t leave your nasty teepee around the tree. So everyone knows that you marked your spot carried out with you.

3 (26m 0s):
Yeah. And these Biodegradable Bags that we’re talking about, funny enough, I don’t even know if they’re truly a Hiking product. These are Biodegradable Bags that they sell, like in pet stores and online for pets, really for you to pick up your dog’s waste and they are biodegradable. So these are really, really solid bags. They’re definitely really good. So do carry that and moving on into number 10. I mean keeping with the theme She Wee, what is the She Wee ladies, that’s an essential, maybe not for the men, but for the ladies out here,

2 (26m 30s):
This one’s for the girls. This one makes it really easy to P as a female. If you are on a hike, so you don’t have to squat down, you don’t have to get poison Ivy all over your ass. I remember one time did this hike in San Diego with the trail. And I had to pee really bad. And I pulled my pants down, did not have a She Wee and my ass got so scraped up by something. It literally looked like I got whipped all over my

3 (26m 55s):
Excuse. It probably did. You

2 (26m 58s):
Know, I wish it did, but the shoe would have been nice. Cause I could’ve just standed there did my business. Boom, boom, boom. Also really good for road trips.

3 (27m 6s):
Well, I know you said it’s for women to stand, but why doesn’t someone just without getting too graphic, explain what it is and how it’s used.

1 (27m 13s):
Like a female urinal. Basically it shapes your vagina and you put it up there. It has a funnel and you take a pee and it squirts it out away from your body. So like you are standing like a man and pissing.

3 (27m 27s):
That sounds essential for a woman.

1 (27m 29s):
It’s great for camping, hiking, backpacking, anything really?

3 (27m 34s):
You bought your, She Wee. When we went on the Inca trail. Didn’t shoot Brittany.

1 (27m 37s):
I did. Yeah. They’re

2 (27m 38s):
Super cheap too.

1 (27m 39s):
Yeah. They’re just a few dollars. Mine’s purple. It’s really nice and pretty. So

2 (27m 43s):
We just had an episode with travel stamps and Erica had mentioned that this was her number one recommended thing.

1 (27m 51s):
Yeah, absolutely. If you haven’t tried it recommend trying it. So number 11 is Electrolyte Tablets and these are really important to have on the trail because again, hydration is really important and if you’re on a really long trail or if you’re backpacking, they’re essential to have, they come in a lot of different flavors, usually in tablets and you just stick them in some water they dissolve and they give you a lot of electric lights to keep you hydrated.

3 (28m 17s):
I think Kim discovered this as her hangover remedy, was it not? And then it just morphed into us using it for hiking. Quite honestly,

2 (28m 24s):
I have discovered the ultimate hangover cure, but I’ll save that for another episode. In fact, if you guys want to know, why don’t you just comment on our latest Instagram? I’ll let you know. But yes. So I didn’t use Electrolyte Tablets. I used liquid I V, which is essentially the same thing in powder form. And so they’re better than water because when you pour them into your water, they actually multiply the hydration output that you get from it. So drinking one bottle of water with an Electrolyte Tablets actually is three bottles of water.

1 (28m 56s):
That’s amazing.

3 (28m 56s):
I think someone’s going to have to explain to me how that science works. I believe it, but at the same time, that’s crazy. Just the concept. Yeah.

2 (29m 2s):
And they’re good for hiking, but if you’re also traveling, like going on a flight to do this hike, you’re going to want it for that. Flying is dehydrating being out in the sun. They’re just all around. Great and praying over.

1 (29m 13s):
Yeah. So I definitely hear them all year round, but make sure to have them, especially in summer, cause you’re prone to sweating. You’re prone to losing electrolytes, but they’re good any of the time or if you’re feeling like muscle cramps or fatigue, that’s another good time to have them.

3 (29m 26s):
All right guys. So moving on to number 12, we’re going to talk a little bit here about some crampons. Somebody tell us what a crampon is because there was one time we all went on a hike, us three and we could not complete the hike because we did not have the crampons,

2 (29m 41s):
Not to be confused with tampons, but these are

3 (29m 44s):
Ironically, they have the word cramp in it too.

2 (29m 47s):
That would have been a great name for tampon

3 (29m 50s):
Grandma.

2 (29m 51s):
But it’s kind of like this slip thing that goes over your shoe. Think about chains that go on your tires when it’s snowing. It’s the same kind of an idea for your shoe. That’s really good for when it’s icy and snowing and you need that extra grip.

3 (30m 3s):
Yeah. And with that same analogy, almost think of it as like addable cleats to your shoes too. Right. You know, we have fleets for sporting activities, but these are cleats that you can add on. So I like the analogy there with the chains for tires.

2 (30m 18s):
Absolutely.

1 (30m 19s):
Yeah. So we went to Zion national park and we were going to do the chain section. But again, like Kim said earlier, it’s on a steep cliff. It was snowy. It was icy. And we did not have cramped bonds. So we did not feel like it was safe enough to complete that hike

3 (30m 34s):
The chain section of Angel’s landing mind you, by the way. And even before we got to the chain section, you know, if you have a misstep on a normal day, even when it’s sunny, you can literally fall a sheer 1000 feet off the edge and die. People die often on that. I don’t want to say like every day often, but you know, they have a sign that says so many people since the year 2000 have passed, I think at somewhere like around 20. So it happens. But before we got to the chains, we were slipping on the switchbacks that they had there because it was super, super IC. And another time recently, Brittany and I were in Colorado, we went to great sand dunes, national park and just outside the national park, they have a waterfall called Zappa falls and that waterfall freezes inside of a cave.

1 (31m 18s):
And

3 (31m 18s):
It’s really, really cool. Yeah. But when you get to there, obviously the Creek itself is frozen inside the cave, the waterfall. Also you want to try to get close and get to the waterfall for the awesome photo. And we did not have our crampons with us. Cause I mean, we were going to a sand dunes, national park we’ve just done. Yeah. And we just found out like in the desert and the mountains at the high up, they actually have this and we just kept slipping. We kept falling. So crampons are essential when you know, you’re going to be an ice.

1 (31m 45s):
I literally ate shit while we were trying to get close to the waterfall. Like you could hear me just like,

2 (31m 51s):
Oh,

3 (31m 52s):
I didn’t know if it was the echo from being in the cave or Brittany really bopped her head and her shoulder really, really hard. I think it was a combination of both, but I was like, oh my God, like I really thought she was for sure, for sure injured. So you need those crampons. When we know we’re going to be in the snow, we do bring them. Except for that one time in Zion now, I mean that was the learning lesson, but we had no clue of this other one Zappa falls here. So that one, we were unprepared unfortunately, but crampons essential.

1 (32m 17s):
The moving onto number 13, we have listed a first aid safety kit because the nurse in me wants y’all to be safe.

3 (32m 25s):
I was to say, leave it to the nurse.

1 (32m 27s):
You have to have your bandages, your mole skin. They have lots of awesome things in there. Like antibiotic ointment, gauze tape, whistle compass. You can put a lot of stuff in a first aid safety kit.

3 (32m 39s):
So very recently I found out what mole skin was, but for the novice hiker or maybe somebody who doesn’t know, tell us what the mole skin is that comes in this first aid kit, or if you’re not buying a comprehensive first aid kit, what you should put in it with that

2 (32m 53s):
Glad you asked that. Because I also didn’t know until Charlotte brought it on a trip, we took with her like last year and it honestly deserves its own spot on this list,

3 (33m 3s):
But we’re putting in the first aid kit. But yes, I agree with you on that. Kim,

1 (33m 6s):
Tell us what it is.

2 (33m 7s):
They’re similar to band-aids if you’re thinking about what they do, but it’s kind of like nude colored sticky, like w whatever that material is on the outside of a bandaid, it’s kind of the same thing, but it’s very sticky sticks to your skin, like skin, like mole skin, and it prevents you from getting blisters when you’re hiking and it really, really works.

1 (33m 28s):
Yeah. So if you feel like you have a blister coming on, cut a piece to that area and then put your sock on and hike and you won’t get a blister in that area, it’s amazing.

2 (33m 37s):
Band-aids also work, but they don’t stick as well. Mole skin is like, truly your skin

3 (33m 44s):
It’s in the name, but nonetheless, you know, the first aid kit is extremely essential. You always want to have some sort of like aspirin, ibuprofen, all the other stuff that was mentioned there. I mean, realistically, as safe as Hiking is, it is also very dangerous in a way, depending on what you’re doing. I mean, with any daily activity, anything could happen. But if you’re out in remote area, you for sure, one, a first aid kit, no doubt.

1 (34m 8s):
And we’ll link a first aid kit. I actually bought one recently and it came with a travel size one that you can hook on to your like, or hiking backpack. And then it had a full size one for your home or your car. And so as you run out of supplies in your travel one, you can just pull from the large, more comprehensive first aid.

2 (34m 25s):
It even has a tiny, folded up heated blankets.

3 (34m 28s):
That’s exactly what I was going to say. It even has like the heated blankets that they give, like marathon runners or people or astronauts when they come back to earth from the space station, you know, those little foil blankets that are really like warming. So if you get lost out there too, and need some warmth, first aid kits going to have your warm blanket for you, that’s a as light as foil, quite awesome, which is funny because number 14 on here, Pocket Blanket,

2 (34m 52s):
I love little things. I love to take trips where I put two weeks of clothes and supplies into a carry on. And this Pocket Blanket is amazing. It’s a full sized blanket that folds up to the tiny size of your Palm. So when you’re on hikes and say, you want to get to the peak and enjoy your lunch at this beautiful overlook, you can pull that out, lay it out, have your lunch, and then folded back up and in the tiny little Palm size thing that it is and stuff it back in your backpack.

1 (35m 19s):
And the one that we have linked is actually waterproof as well. So you can lay it down anywhere. You can lay it down at the top of a peak near a lake can put it in the sand and it’s waterproof and it’s made for the outdoors. Really.

2 (35m 32s):
It’s perfect. There’s so many times you get to the place you want to have your lunch and like, okay, I guess we’ll just post up on this, but throwing down a little blanket, class it up a bit.

3 (35m 41s):
I know I’m always thinking about our packed lunches and how much nicer it is to sit on something a little bit more comfortable. Like even if it’s not a flat and smooth surface, it’s still better than sitting straight up on a rock. Great,

2 (35m 52s):
Perfect.

1 (35m 53s):
So we’ve made it to number 15 on our list and we’ve listed a headlamp.

2 (35m 58s):
We have done some hikes together where we have to get on our hands and knees and crawl her, these tiny slot canyon spaces. And the Head Lamp is clutch for that. You can use your phones light. You can use a flashlight, but having it on your head so you can use your hand is perfect.

1 (36m 16s):
Yeah. When we were in Hawaii, there were some caves that we went to or lava tubes. And so they recommend having a flashlight or a headlamp. And it’s really nice to have it because you can move around and your hands are free. Especially if you’re climbing down into a cave, you don’t want to hold onto a flashlight. You want your hands to be free and accessible.

2 (36m 33s):
It’s also good for night hikes, Louie and I did a night hike once and it was really scary, but we had headlamps and it lit the way,

1 (36m 42s):
Even for sunrise hikes too. Cause sometimes you get there super early and you want to get to the top of the peak before sunrise. So you can be at the peak when the sun does rise. Just like when we were Hawaii, we’re on sleeping giant trail. Oh,

2 (36m 53s):
That was a beautiful sunrise. Wasn’t it? Okay.

3 (36m 55s):
Was, you know, it’s funny that you mentioned that Brittany, because I was going to jump in before you said anything and I was even going to bring that up. You know, you need them for the early morning rising hikes. And I, if I remember correctly, I think one of you ladies had a freak out that prevented us from getting to the top or sunrise. But the headlamps, I must say came in clutch, but not clutch enough because it didn’t light up the indicator on the floor. Like it was listed as a number, like at this point you’re supposed to split off. Somebody missed that. Who was leading the way. I don’t know who it was. Don’t remember, don’t

1 (37m 26s):
Know

3 (37m 27s):
Might’ve been one of you ladies with

1 (37m 29s):
You were the one that had the freak out and you’re the one that led us the wrong way.

2 (37m 33s):
You guys can go back to our Kauai episode and hear all about that. And then you’ll find out who really had the freak out. Yeah,

3 (37m 39s):
Yeah, you definitely will. But again, the Head Lamp was clutch for the Hiking. The problem was I was looking straight up and the sign was on the floor and I missed it. So what are you going to do? But either way you still need it when you’re hiking in the jungle right before sunrise.

2 (37m 52s):
All right. Squaddies we have a special treat for you. It is time for questions of the week. Our first question is coming in from Jeanette, from Dallas, Texas, and Jeanetta is asking what has been your favorite place to hike in the world?

1 (38m 16s):
That’s such a good question because there’s so many good hikes in the world. So many that’s really hard to pick.

2 (38m 22s):
Does the great wall of China count as a hike?

3 (38m 25s):
I swear where they put us on that wall. It might as well have been a hike. I mean, we were climbing up steep on that, but since it was technically paved and an actual, like, and don’t know if I’m going to put it as a hike, but it was a memorable one, but w if we continued further, I might count it. We only went so far, but quite honestly, great question, Jeanette, I’m going to have to go with grand Tetons. I mean, we’ve done so many awesome hikes in national parks. I mean, you know, we’ve done the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. I mean, that’s just straight up epic, but grand Tetons still holds a special place for me. I just was not expecting it to be so majestically. Beautiful. And being in the mountains out there seen glaciers, seen the peaks with the wildlife.

3 (39m 7s):
I’m going to put that as some of my favorite hikes that we did in grand Tetons. We did two days in row back to back. Absolutely amazing.

1 (39m 14s):
Yeah. I would have to say grand Teton national park was just so amazing and so beautiful. I would definitely go back there and do some more Hiking, but I also really loved big island Hawaii. I feel like it’s a re more remote island. And when we went to Hawaii volcanoes national park, we were hiking in this, a lush jungle and then Hiking down to the volcano crater and going over that going into lava tubes. And it was just so desolate and beautiful and eerie at the same time, but so lush and green on the outside. So that’s gotta be one of my favorite hikes.

2 (39m 48s):
And then I know we’re all thinking Inca trail in Peru as well. Yes. There’s nothing more magical. And nothing gets me going more than doing a hike with ancient ruins along the whole trail.

1 (40m 0s):
What’s so funny about that was Kim and I, we were hiking in San Diego quite a bit, but, you know, just, you know, hikes that were like three to six miles. And then all of a sudden we got inspired and we’re like, we’re going to do this really crazy hike. That’s going to take us four days. We’re going to have to do some camping on the trail. And we really hadn’t done a lot of training for it. And we’re just like, we’re going to go for it. So that was a really amazing experience. And I would highly recommend hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.

2 (40m 30s):
I’m really glad I did it before 30.

3 (40m 33s):
I don’t know if you could have handled it. I’m thinking to myself, you know, I never thought about it until you said it. Now, I’m thinking, what would Kim at 30 be like on the Inca trail? And I could just hear the complaining and the back. I mean, I just started calling you Jamal. Like you’re turning into Jamal as you’re getting older with the more and more

1 (40m 48s):
I remember when we saw the lady that had to turn back and she was riding a horse that was

2 (40m 52s):
Devastating.

3 (40m 53s):
And that was day one for us. I don’t know at what day she was coming back, but we all saw that and thought to herself, oh no, this could be any one of us. I know that’s probably what it was.

2 (41m 5s):
All right. And our second question coming in from Patricia, from Charleston, South Carolina, Patricia, is asking, what’s your favorite hike in San Diego?

1 (41m 14s):
Also a really tough one, but I would say that one of my favorite hikes was actually the ho Chi Minh trail, because you feel like you’re going through a slot canyon as you’re coming down to the beach.

2 (41m 25s):
Yeah. That one’s really nice and it’s could be precarious in some points.

1 (41m 29s):
Yeah. I fell

2 (41m 31s):
And he almost fell completely down the cliff.

3 (41m 34s):
You know, for me, I’m actually gonna reminisce about an episode that we talked on this before, and I don’t remember which one it was. And I’m going to quote Kim. She liked this high because it was quick and dirty. And that was cows mountain, which is the tallest mountain in San Diego. And when we say that we’re talking within city limits of San Diego, obviously within the county and on the outskirts, there are obviously higher peaks, but this one is like within the city itself. And lots of people go, it gives you amazing 360 degree views. You could see to the north, you can see to the east, you could see the west and go watch the sunrise or sunset over the ocean. Look to the south. You’ve got a beautiful view of Mexico. I absolutely love it. Great hike.

3 (42m 14s):
Cow’s mountain in San Diego.

2 (42m 16s):
That was what I was going to say too. But I also really, really liked devil’s Punchbowl, even though I’ve only done it once

1 (42m 22s):
You’ve only done it once. Yeah.

2 (42m 23s):
But it’s just so cool. Like it’s, it’s unique for compared to the other hikes here in San Diego,

3 (42m 29s):
What do they have that makes it unique. So Patricia knows

2 (42m 31s):
Patricia, you have to get a permit. First of all, that’s not my favorite part about it, but then you hike down and you get to this beautiful waterfall. Sometimes it’s small. Sometimes it’s a little bigger and this huge pool of water where when it’s summer, you can swim in it. It’s just beautiful. There’s rocks everywhere.

1 (42m 49s):
And it’s shaded down in that area. Once you get down to the waterfall. So it’s a really unique hike too.

2 (42m 54s):
It’s a good one,

1 (42m 56s):
But Patricia, you’re obviously not from San Diego. Come to San Diego. We’ll give you so many more hiking recommendations. We have a whole episode about our favorite trails in San Diego. So definitely check that out and DMS again, if you want any more recommendations.

2 (43m 9s):
And before you come get your hiking products together, get your backpack stuffed up. And like we said, you don’t need everything to get yourself going. The most important part is just getting out there and getting started and you’re going to love it. So thank you guys so much for tuning into this week’s episode and thank you for supporting us. If you do click on any of those links, keep the adventures going with us. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube at Travel Squad Podcast. Send us in your questions of the week two.

3 (43m 34s):
If you found the information in this episode to be useful, or if you thought we were just playing funny, please be sure to share it with a friend that would enjoy it too. And as always guys, please subscribe, rate, and review our podcast and tune in every travel Tuesday for new episodes,

1 (43m 49s):
Stay tuned for next week’s episode, we have some more amazing adventures and tips in store for you.

3 (43m 54s):
Bye bye.