Best Hiking Gear For WomenHere's where you can spend a lot of time and money: finding the best hiking gear. Unless you're smart! (which you are, since you're reading this) Over the past 35 years, I've tried a lot of women's hiking gear. I've found some great sources for high quality, reasonably priced gear that enhanced my hiking, and most of it was gender-neutral. I've also found some junk that promised to be best hiking gear designed for women (i.e. designed to fit people with hips), and it failed miserably. Let's take a look at women's hiking gear essentials (and some just-for-fun stuff, too). You want to stack the deck in favor of the good stuff, and avoid the junk. This information will help you quickly get to the best hiking gear.
Women's hiking boots: for a rock-solid foundation.Socks: these can make or break your boots!And once you've invested in the perfect pair of hiking boots, be sure to invest a little time in
caring for them properly.
Backpacks: not just for hauling lunch anymore... unless that's all you want to haul! Then think lumbar packs (a.k.a. fanny or waist packs). Hiking poles: ergonomically a good idea. I consider them an essential on the "best hiking gear" list.Backpacking tents: make a wise choice after considering the features of the best tents for hikers!Women's Hiking Clothing: fashionista -vs- performance shirts, pants, shorts, hats, skirts, underwear, bandannas, jackets....Sunglasses: squinting sucks! Protect those peepers with the the correct lenses for your type of hiking activity.Water bottles: plastic might be iffy, based on the latest research findings. Metal bottles weigh more and can be dented if dropped. What are the options? Water filters will make sure that what you fill your water bottle with is clean. But are they necessary?Safety items: women's hiking gear for peace of mind.And why sit inside, longing to hike, on a wintery day? Get some waterproof, warm gear and try snowshoeing! Sunscreen: stop those UV rays, both A and B!
Repellents: Maps: a girl could develop a serious addiction to these... plus they're vital for your safety and peace of mind when selecting reasonable and attainable hiking destinations. If you've never pondered the types of hiking maps, make a little time and room on your best hiking gear list for these. And then there's the "pit stop" problem: squat behind that tiny rock on the horizon once I finally get there? or dive into the deep woods and pray there's nothing in there that will make my skin blister? Hmmm.... hiking hygiene for women can get interesting in a hurry, but there's gear you can bring along to make it manageable.And if you wear hiking skirts, pit stops are quicker. If skin chafing is an issue for you, take a close look at whether your undergarments are playing nicely with your hiking clothes. Or maybe you need a skin lubricant applied in selected areas. More on women's hiking gear: just-for-fun stuff,
such as trail songs. That's considered "mental" hiking gear, isn't it?
And here's one more fun thing I check periodically: Sierra Trading Post's "My Updates" section. If you've never been to this website before, you're in for a shopping treat. This company has been in my "go to" folder for many, many years now because their prices are amazing and their selection varies - which always keeps me coming back just to check on the latest deals. They've made it even easier with their update feature: sign up, select which types of hiking gear you want to hear about, and they will notify you via email when there's something interesting to take a peek at. And hey, what about gear reviews? Yes, a very helpful idea. Except when they're secretly pushing you to buy gear so they can earn a commission. Or when they're written by very tall strong young women with no idea of what most women (shorter, curvier) expect in hiking gear. Or worse yet, written by twenty something males who have a very different view of what makes the cut for best hiking gear So look for reviews which give a balanced appraisal: the good, the bad, and the ugly, written from a woman's realistic perspective. Here's one more place to check for outdoor gear reviews from a woman's perspective.
Well, you've waded through this long list of gear options, and maybe you're still not sure what you should purchase. Maybe you're a first timer, and not completely convinced that hiking is in your future. Or maybe you want to bump up your hiking skills a notch or two, and will need sturdier gear soon. And if you're a gear junkie already, you might like to compare notes on a particular piece of gear. So here's an idea: if you need some advice (admittedly opinionated, but based on long years of trail experience and completely unbiased in terms of pushing one brand over another) about how to build your personal list of best hiking gear, we can set up a "gear chat" phone call. If this sounds as if it might be useful to you, drop me an email using the form below, and I'll give you all the details about how to arrange a "let's talk gear" phone call. The way I think of it is this: you're investing a tiny amount in this phone call to think things through BEFORE you make a major investment in purchases you may not be able to return. Why get stuck with gear that doesn't work well on the trail? (unless you LIKE presiding over garage sales)
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