Hiking Gear Chat

Lots of women contact me with general questions about hiking and hiking gear. I'm happy to answer the questions, free of charge, just because I want to get as many women out on hiking trails as possible.

But sometimes I recommend a personal hiking gear chat.

Why?

The question might involve several types of gear: boots AND socks AND rain jacket. Or because the woman has a unique need: gluten free backpacking food. And we'll need a bit of time to get the details just right, during a hiking gear chat.

Or maybe it's because the woman is going to hike in a unique place in a particular season, and what I recommend will depend on whether she wants to use the gear again, or will be donating it to a second hand store when she gets back. How could I recommend a one-size-fits-all pack? Or tell her to buy Brand X boots? That wouldn't be very honest, and it wouldn't feel right.

By the way, I am not paid by any manufacturer to push a particular brand. I am not endorsing products, I'm not a gear tester, and I certainly am not in the business of selling gear. I buy gear with my own hard earned money, and if I don't like it, I won't be shy about telling you why I don't like it!

So that makes me the perfect sounding board for gear questions.

I've had female hikers apologize for asking "stupid" or "basic" questions. Please! There's no such thing! If unanswered questions are holding you back from hiking, ASK!!! Don't waste any more trail time sitting on the sidelines. Set up a hiking gear chat to get those questions answered.

So to recap: If your question can be answered quickly, I'll send you a reply within a few days and that's that. But if it's a more involved question, I'll ask you to set up a gear chat: a phone conversation where we visit pre-selected websites together. You select the date and the length of the conversation, and I'll do the leg work (small hiking joke) to get ready for you.

Here's the details on how it works:

You send me your questions and indicate how long you'd like to chat: half an hour or an hour (30 or 60 minutes). I'll let you know the cost, and send you a "hiker personality inventory" - my chance to get to know you a bit before we launch into what's best for your hiking plans. Fill out the inventory, email it back to me, and I'll do some background investigation on the gear which best suits your needs & preferences. I'll select some websites and send you the links ahead of time, so you can be all ready when I call you (at the time and date you've selected). During the call, we will visit the websites together and I'll show you my suggestions for the gear that's best for you. And of course, I'll answer your questions. By the end of our time together, you'll be ready to make a selection based on facts, not just guess work.

And you can follow up the phone call with additional questions via email, if you run into trouble making a selection.

So what are you waiting for? Let's chat!

Hiking gear chat not for you? Back home you go!