backpacking gear Archives - Dawn Outdoors

Kula Cloth

Kula Cloth has definitely changed the way I pee outdoors. As a Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor, I recommend the Kula Cloth in every workshop I teach. It’s a reusable and hygienic pee cloth for women so you don’t have to use so much toilet paper.

One side is absorbent and anti-microbial for wiping and the other is waterproof. Fold it in half and close it with a snap to keep the dirty side from touching anything else, then clip it onto the outside of your pack to let it dry out in the sun.

Garage Grown Gear

Valhalla Pure Outfitters

Smartwool Hiking Socks

Quality hiking socks can be the difference between happy feet and horrible blister-covered feet. (Trust me. I’ve been there. It’s not pretty.) Durable, wool-blend hiking socks are the answer. My favourites are the Smartwool Performance Hike Light Socks. They are thin so they don’t get too hot.

Buff

Fabric tube scarves, often known as buffs are pretty awesome. You can wear them as a scarf, a hat, an ear warmer, a headband, a balaclava, an eye mask and more. I bring one on every trip.

Tent Lab The Deuce Trowel

I’m pretty passionate about Leave No Trace. Unfortunately, one of the ways that people leave a trace in the outdoors is human waste. Yup, poop. However, it’s a really simple problem to solve if you’re prepared. (Here’s more info about how to go to the bathroom in the woods if you’re curious.)

I carry the tiny and lightweight Tent Lab The Deuce Trowel on most hiking trips so I can dig a quick cat hole when I have to go to the bathroom. At only 17g (0.6oz) it’s practically weightless. And since it’s made of aluminum, it digs waaay better than plastic shovels.

Valhalla Pure Outfitters

Opinel Pocket Knife

Every backpacker needs a good knife. It doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. Opinel makes quality knives with a classic design. They’re compact, lightweight, and fairly inexpensive too.

Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat

I never go on a backpacking trip without a hat. I want one that provides shade from the sun and has a brim to help keep the rain off on wet days.

The Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat is my go-to hat for backpacking trips. It has a wide curved brim in front and a neck shield in the back. My favourite feature: slots in the brim hold my sunglasses so I don’t drop them!

AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press

Snobby drinkers can’t stomach drip coffee, even on a backpacking trip. That’s where this travel-sized AeroPress coffee maker comes in. It makes delicious espresso or cold-brew-style coffee. The entire set-up nests together inside the included mug. My husband brings his travel-sized Aeropress on most backpacking trips.

Gaia GPS Premium Subscription

My favourite hiking app is Gaia GPS. I have a premium subscription that gives you access to all kinds of detailed maps. You can also use layers to see things like slope angle, snow depth, Indigenous territory, and more. This is the app I rely on most for navigation.

Psst! Use the link below to save 10% off a Gaia GPS premium subscription.

Gaia GPS

Backpacking Meals

Dehydrated and freeze-dried backpacking meals are a quick and easy way to make dinner on a backpacking trip. There are lots of delicious options out there, but I like the ones from Mountain House and Peak Refuel best.

Jetboil Crunchit Fuel Canister Recycling Tool

Canister stoves are easy to use, but the downside is finding a way to dispose of the empty canisters. In many places they are recyclable, but you have to puncture them first. The Jetboil Crunchit tool makes that easy.

Goal Zero Flip 36 Power Bank

The little Goal Zero Flip 36 power bank has enough juice to charge my iPhone three times. Combined with the power-save mode on my phone, that means my phone can last for a week-long backpacking trip where I use it for photos and to run Gaia GPS for navigation. It’s pretty light too.

ThermoWorks ThermoDrop Zipper-Pull Thermometer

One of the keys to my backpacking gear systems is a thermometer. I like to know how cold it is so I can determine how well my gear worked at that temperature. Last year I upgraded from a cheap thermometer to the ThermoDrop.

My favourite part – it has a memory feature so it can display the min and max temperature since the last time it was turned on. That means I know how cold it got overnight!

ThermoWorks

Gifts for Backpackers Under $100

Sea to Summit Aeros Down Pillow

I used to sleep with my extra clothes bunched under my head. I splurged on the Sea to Summit Aeros Down inflatable pillow a few years ago and I don’t know why I waited so long to get one.

It weighs almost nothing (2.5 oz/71g) and packs down to the size of a mandarin orange. It has a thin layer of down on the top and then an inflatable chamber underneath. The down pillow top makes it so much more comfortable than other inflatable pillows I’ve tried.

Altitude Sports Canada

National Parks Pass

An annual national parks pass makes a great gift. The America the Beautiful Pass gets a vehicle’s worth of people into over 2000 federation recreation sites and all the national parks.

Katadyn BeFree Water Filter

The tiny Katadyn BeFree Water Filter is the filter I pack for solo trips or as a backup when I’m going with a group. (My fave filter for groups is the Platypus Gravityworks, below). It weights almost nothing, filters quickly by squeezing the bottle, and is easy to use.

Petzl Bindi Headlamp

I take the tiny Petzl Bindi headlamp on every backpacking trip. It’s not the brightest one out there, but it’s plenty bright enough for tent chores and finding the outhouse in the middle of the night. It only weighs 1.2 oz (35g) too!

BearVault BV500 Bear Resistant Food Container

Constructing a proper bear-proof food hang in a tree can be tricky and time-consuming. And in some areas, it’s just impossible since the trees are too small or there aren’t any trees. I use my BearVault canister whenever I backpack above treeline.

Its locking lid requires thumbs to open, which thankfully, bears don’t have. I like the see-through design since it makes organization easier.

MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe Stove

The MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe is my favourite stove. (My husband loves backpacking stoves so I’ve tried tons of them.) It’s really easy to use and the built-in piezo igniter makes lighting it easy. It also has a built-in pressure regulator so it puts out a consistent flame. It’s also really tiny – it fits inside a mug!

Snow Peak Titanium Double Wall Mug

The Snow Peak Titanium Double Wall Mug is definitely a splurge, but I love it. It’s made of titanium, which makes it super light. And the double-wall construction keeps my morning tea warm for a long time – I like to sip it slowly while I pack up. The folding handles make it easy to shove in my backpack.

Prana Halle or Stretch Zion Hiking Pants

Prana’s Halle pants are my favourite hiking pants. They’re made with a slightly stretchy fabric that moves well but stands up to abrasion. They have a DWR coating to resist moisture and dry quickly. And they have lots of functional pockets. They come in plus-sizes too, which is great.

The Stretch Zion pants are the men’s version. One of my guy friends likes them so much he owns four pairs!

Peak Design Capture Camera Clip

If you backpack with a camera, you know it can be tough to figure out how to carry it. I got a Peak Design Capture Clip to hold my Sony mirrorless camera a few years ago and it has made backcountry photography soooo much easier.

The clip clamps onto your backpack’s shoulder strap, and then a spring-loaded, lockable mechanism secures your camera to the clip using your tripod plate.

Nesco Snackmaster Food Dehydrator

Pre-packed dehydrated backpacking meals can be expensive. But it’s really easy to make your own meals at home, then dehydrate them. I’ve had a basic Nesco dehydrator for over 10 years. It’s really easy to use. And since it’s a basic model, it’s good for beginners and cheaper than other dehydrators.

Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie

I do a lot of hiking above the treeline where I’m exposed to the full strength of the sun. I also sweat a lot, which makes it hard to keep sunscreen on. For the last two summers I’ve been wearing a sun hoodie instead of sunscreen and I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner.

The Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie is one of my favourite sun hoodies. The fabric is thin and breathable so I don’t overheat, even though I’m wearing long sleeves and a hood. Even though the Echo doesn’t provide as much UPF sun protection as other hoodies, I like the fabric better since it isn’t hot to wear.

Kahtoola Microspikes

I got a pair of the Kahtoola Microspikes a few years ago and they have changed the way I hike in winter. They slip easily over my hiking boots or trail runners and the spikes underfoot provide great traction on ice or packed snow.

And unlike some of the items on this list, you won’t have have to wait until summer to use them!

Gifts for Backpackers Under $200

Ursack Major Bear-Resistant Food Sack

The Ursack Major Bear-Resisant food storage bag is made with Kevlar fibres that stand up to the teeth and claws of bears, raccoons, mice, and other food-stealing critters. If you put your food inside a smell-proof inner bag, you can tie it securely to the trunk of a tree and don’t have to worry about constructing a tricky bear hang. They weigh a lot less than a bear canister too!

Platypus GravityWorks Filter

On backpacking trips, I always bring my Platypus GravityWorks filter. Simply fill up the dirty bag and let gravity do the work of filtering your water while you attend to other camp chores (or just chill out). No annoying pumping or squeezing needed.

The 2L version is great for couples and I recommend the 4L version for groups.

Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket

The lightweight Patagonia Nano Puff jacket adds lots of warmth but packs down small. It uses down-free PrimaLoft Gold synthetic insulation which keeps you warm even when it gets wet. My husband loves this jacket.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad

If you value a good night’s sleep and a light pack, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite sleeping pad is the perfect compromise. With 2.5″ of thickness, it keeps even side sleepers off the cold, hard ground. And it has an R-value of 4.2, which is enough insulation for everything but winter trips.

Kindle Paperwhite eReader

I love reading in the tent on a backpacking trip. I got my first Kindle eReader over a decade ago since I was tired of hauling books into the backcountry. The newest version has up to 10 weeks of battery life, holds thousands of books, and is waterproof – perfect for backpacking.

Helinox Chair One

A few years ago I couldn’t imagine taking a chair on a backpacking trip. They were just too heavy. But then I tried out the Helinox Chair One. It folds down super small but is still super comfortable to sit in.

At 2 pounds, it’s light enough to bring on chill backpacking trips. (Although my husband brings his on every trip. He says it’s much easier on his back compared to sitting on the ground.)

Fjallraven Abisko Trail Fleece Jacket

The lightweight Fjallraven Abisko Trail fleece jacket is one of my favourite layering pieces. It uses grid-knit fleece to trap warm air next to your body without adding bulk. I also love the Scandi-styling.

Ultralight Tarp

On longer trips, we always bring an ultralight tarp. That way we can rig up a kitchen shelter or have a dry place to eat lunch in a rainstorm. There are lots of ultralight tarp options out there, but most weigh less than a pound and pack down to the size of a burrito.

Splurge Gifts for Backpackers

Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles

The Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork poles are the Cadillac of trekking poles: lightweight carbon shafts, comfy cork grips, and easy-to-use FlickLock Pro telescopic adjustments. I love the rubber extension grips for even more hand positions in tricky terrain.

In the winter, add powder baskets (sold separately) and use them for snowshoeing or backcountry skiing.

Garmin inReach Mini 2

Being able to call for help in the wilderness is important. I’ve had a Garmin inReach Mini 2 satellite messenger for a few years. It lets you send text messengers via satellite to loved ones at home. And it also has an SOS button so you can summon search and rescue in an emergency.

It’s not cheap, and you need to pair it with a monthly service plan, but it’s a great piece of safety kit

Big Agnes Copper Spur 2-Person Tent

A few years ago I got a Big Agnes Copper Spur tent. In my opinion, it’s the best backpacking tent for most people. It’s lightweight, great in bad weather, and has tons of interior room. It’s also much easier to set up and use than truly ultralight trekking pole shelters. I’ve used mine all over BC and the Canadian Rockies.

Gregory Amber 68/Stout 70 Backpack

I’ve had this backpack for a few years now, and I think it’s a great option for most backpackers. It’s neither ultralight nor ultra-burly but it is comfortable to carry. It has a few features that I really like, such as the stretchy mesh outside pocket and a hipbelt pocket that’s big enough to fit my phone.

I have the women’s version called the Amber. The men’s is called the Stout. The 68L and 70L sizes are perfect for week-long trips. On shorter trips, I just cinch down the top of the bag.

Final Thoughts

So those are all my picks for the best gifts for backpackers. Do you have any other suggestions for backpacking gifts? Leave them in the comments.

MORE GIFT GUIDES:

The post 40 Best Gifts for Backpackers in 2025 appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

20 Ways to Save Money on Hiking Gear

Taryn Eyton — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:48:39 +0000

Getting outfitted for hiking and backpacking can seem overwhelming. When I was first starting out, I felt like there was so much gear on the market and that it was SOOO expensive. Plus I felt like the list of gear you need to buy for hiking and backpacking was never ending.

That was two decades ago, and while gear is still expensive, I’ve developed lots of different tricks for finding hiking gear on a budget.

I’ve been hiking my whole life and backpacking for 20 years. I spent three years working in an outdoor store helping people choose gear and then seven years at the head office of a big outdoor retailer writing product descriptions, how to choose guides, and staff training materials. I’ve also written two backpacking guidebooks and countless blog posts. At this point, it’s fair to say that I know quite a bit about hiking gear!

So here it is, my big list of 20 ways to save money on hiking gear. Read on for lots of ways to get deals on used gear, save money on new gear and even get some gear for free! I’ve also got pointers for what kind of gear you should look for with each method.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

Borrow Gear

If you’ve got a a friend with extra gear, see if they’ll let you borrow it. If you join a hiking club in your community or at a university, they also might have gear you can borrow.

I did lots of my first backpacking trips with borrowed tents, backpacks, sleeping bags and sleeping pads. It was a great way to try out gear and see what I liked. (And what I hated, like that too-big backpack that rubbed an oozing sore onto my collarbone).

Be sure to clean and dry gear before returning it. And if you want to borrow gear again, bring your friend a 6-pack or some cookies to say thanks.

Gear to Look For

Unless your friend is the same size as you, borrowing boots or a backpack won’t be comfortable. You’ll have a bit more sizing leeway with clothing, but to set yourself up for success, stick to tents, sleeping bags, and stoves.

Sitting next to the giant backpack I borrowed for my first backpacking trip in 2004 on the West Coast Trail. It was too big and the sternum strap rubbed my collarbone raw.

Shop Your Closet

Check your closet: chances are you might already own some workout gear or gear from other sports that will work for hiking.

Gear to Look For

Workout tops, shorts, and tights made of synthetics like polyester and nylon (avoid cotton) make great hiking clothes.

I bet you already have some gloves and a warm hat you could throw in your pack.

And speaking of a pack, if you’ve got an old book bag around, it will do fine as a day pack when you’re first starting out.

If you’re doing an easier hike on mellow trails you might not need hiking boots: you can wear your regular running shoes that you wear to the gym.

My favourite hiking hat is actually a Ciele GOCap that I bought for running. I liked it so much for hiking and backpacking that I bought a second one.

Rent Gear

Gear shops often have rental programs, especially in locations near popular trails. It’s a great way to try before you buy, and sometimes you can apply the cost of the rental to the purchase of equipment. A quick google will usually find gear rental programs in your area.

Renting doesn’t make sense long term, but it’s a good idea if you aren’t sure you want to invest in expensive gear.

Gear to Look For

Most gear rental shops rent out tents, sleeping bags and backpacks. Some might also have stoves and sleeping pads too. In the winter you can usually rent snowshoes too.

Visit Second Hand Sporting Goods Shops

Many larger cities and trail towns have second-hand sporting goods shops. These stores are usually cluttered with cheap bikes and skis from three seasons ago. But if you’re lucky, you can score a deal.

Gear to Look For

Lightly used tents, sleeping bags and backpacks. You can often find good deals on hiking boots and jackets too.

Bookmark Discount Gear Websites

Websites dedicated to selling discounted brand-name outdoor gear are a great way to find budget hiking gear.

Steep and Cheap, the bargain arm of Backcountry.com, has killer prices (up to 70% off) on big names like Patagonia. They also have a Current Steals section where products are offered at crazy cheap prices for a short period of time. I think my very first online gear purchase was from Steep and Cheap: I scored a merino wool Icebreaker sweater for 70% off way back in 2006.

If you’re in Canada, check out The Last Hunt. (They are the bargain arm of Altitude Sports.) Everything on the site is at least 30% off and some is up to 80% off!

Gear to Look For

You can get pretty much any gear or clothing on these sites from socks to sleeping bags. Check back often as deals change daily. Keep in mind that return policies can be strict or non-existent on deeply discounted gear so check before you buy.

Scour Thrift Stores

It can be worth checking out the selection at your local thrift store, particularly if you are in an outdoorsy city.

Gear to Look For

Head to the clothing section for brand name hiking pants and fleece jackets at great prices. Wool sweaters also make great warm layers for hiking.

My sister is a veteran thrift store shopper and knows how to find a deal. She’s found some great stuff, like this colourful wool sweater that makes a great warm layer for chilly winter hikes.

Check Facebook Marketplace, Craiglist, eBay, etc.

Online buy and sell websites can be a great place to find lightly used gear. Craigslist, Kijiji, and eBay are a good place to start. Facebook Marketplace is also awesome, as are outdoor gear buy and sell groups on Facebook – a quick search will usually find ones in your area.

Gear to Look For

Big ticket items like tents and sleeping bags are your best bets. Be sure to ask for lots of photos and a description of the current condition if you can’t see the item in person before you buy it.

Be careful when purchasing items that need to fit you like boots, backpacks or jackets. Ask if you can try it on first or stick to buying brands that you already know fit you.

Find an Outfitter Selling Off Rental Gear

At the end of the season many outfitters and rental shops will sell off used rental gear to make space for newer gear. These end of season sales can be hard to find, so its worth asking local outfitters if they have a rental sale at the end of the season.

Gear to Look For

The most common items items to find at rental gear sales are snowshoes, skis, snowboards, bikes, canoes, and kayaks. You can sometimes also find deals on tents, backpacks and sleeping bags.

Go to a Gear Swap

Attending an outdoors gear swap can be a great way to find cheap used gear. Many ski towns have annual ski swaps where you can find great deals. Some outdoor clubs and non-profits organize swaps to raise money.

As well, some outdoor stores also organize their own swaps. Pre-pandemic, REI and MEC ran legendary gear swaps at many of their stores. Both retailers have switched away from this model in recent years, but some stores may still run these events.

Gear to Look For

At ski swaps look for high end waterproof breathable backcountry ski jackets or puffy jackets since they work great for hiking.

At gear swaps look for pricey items like tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, jackets, and boots.

Hit Up Big Box Stores

You can get find some crazy cheap prices on gear at big box stores like Walmart or Target.

In general, I don’t advise purchasing backpacking gear at big box stores since you’ll likely want to replace it with better stuff after a few trips since it’s so heavy and the quality is often terrible. However, in a pinch, their stuff usually works fine.

Gear to Look For

Big box stores often have a camping section with tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, stoves and backpacks.

Their clothing sections can also be good for things like cheap fleece jackets and workout clothing that can double as hiking clothing.

Go to the Mall

You can also consider hitting up mall stores to save money on hiking gear, especially hiking clothing.

Gear to Look For

Fast fashion stores like Old Navy and H&M often have super cheap workout gear, fleece and insulated jackets that can double as hiking gear. I have some Old Navy sports bras that are great for hiking.

Uniqlo has great puffy jackets and their HeatTech line can work as lightweight base layers.

Decathlon is also a great place to check. They are a French budget sports store that has recently expanded into some North America cities, mostly at malls. They mostly carry things for running, working out, tennis, etc. but they do have some outdoor gear. Their Forclaz and MT100 puffy jackets are amazing for the price.

Check out Discount Stores

Discount stores like Marshalls, Kohls, TJ Maxx, and Winners often have name brand workout clothing at super cheap prices.

Gear to Look For

You can usually find wicking t-shirts, shorts, sports bras, and tights that make great hiking clothing. They sometimes have puffy jackets and fleece too.

Sort Through the Clearance Section at an Outdoor Store

Every time you go to your local gear store, check the clearance rack. You might score a great deal.

You can also find way more selection on the clearance and sale sections of gear store websites. Usually these sections are full of last seasons models and colours at cheap prices.

REI and Backcountry both have good deals sections. In Canada, check out the deals sections at MEC, Altitude Sports, and Valhalla Pure Outfitters.

Most gear brands also have clearance and sale sections. For example, check out Patagonia’s Web Specials section or Outdoor Research’s Past Season section.

Gear to Look For

While there might be promotions around big sales times (e.g. Black Friday), in general, clothing and footwear go on clearance each year at the end of the season when new colours/styles are introduced and old ones are cleared out.

Only a small amount of tents, sleeping bags and other gear ever go on clearance since each model is usually carried for a few years before being updated or discontinued.

If you see a good deal on gear in the clearance section, grab it because it won’t last long.

Right before my trip to the Yukon I found a deal on this puffy jacket in the clearance section at MEC. I was so glad to have it after it snowed in August!

Wait for Sales

If you can wait long enough, most gear will eventually go on sale. The outdoor industry runs on a seasonal cycle. Typically winter gear goes on sale in the spring and summer gear goes on sale in the fall.

Many stores have big Black Friday and Boxing Day sales (typically selling left over summer merchandise). REI has its famous Anniversary Sale in May. MEC runs its Mountain Days event in July.

Gear to Look For

In the fall, look for discounted summer hiking clothes, hiking boots and maybe even tents and sleeping bags.

In the spring, look for deals on puffy jackets and snowshoes left over from winter.

Qualify to Get Pro Deals

Outdoor gear and clothing brands often provide industry pro deals where they sell gear at wholesale prices (usually 30-60% off). The thinking is that if people buy their gear on pro deal and like it, they are likely to recommend it to other people who have to buy it at full price.

There are a few ways to qualify for pro deals. One of the easiest ways is to get a job at an outdoor store. If you work as a hiking guide, a ski patroller, with search and rescue, in law enforcement or for the military, you might also be eligible for pro deals too.

High end brands like Patagonia, Outdoor Research, and Darn Tough Socks all have pro deals. Lots of other brands do too – just check their websites to find out.

I worked at an outdoor store and at the head office of an outdoor retailer and got lots of my gear through pro deals. If you’re serious about getting in to backpacking, a part-time job at an outdoor store is definitely worth it, just for the pro deal access!

Gear to Look For

Almost every brand you can think of has a pro deal program.

Be sure to do the math on the discount before you purchase and factor in shipping costs, exchange rates, and duty – not all pro deals are actually that great of a deal.

Also keep in mind that you usually can’t return, exchange, or resell what you buy on pro deal so make sure you’ve got the correct sizing info.

I got lots of my gear through pro deals and I’m still using lots of it today.

Go to Sample Sales or Factory Sales

Gear brands often have sample sales or factory sales once or twice a year to clear out gear. Typically these sales take place in the cities where the brands have their headquarters or sales offices. They aren’t well advertised so they can be tough to find out about.

The clothing and gear at sample sales may have already been used for photo shoots or sales meetings, but they are often in brand new or near new condition.

At factory sales, the clothing and gear often have small imperfections that make them unsuitable for sale at the full retail price. These imperfections are often cosmetic and don’t affect function, such as incorrect colours, uneven stitching or tiny stains.

Sometimes the stuff at sample sales or factory sales is just extra stock that the brand wants to sell quickly at a cheap price.

Gear to Look For

While some sample sales will have a range of sizes, you’ll have the best luck if you wear a size 2-6 in women’s clothing or a medium/size 32 pants in mens.

At factory sales pretty much anything could be on offer. Be sure to look over the gear carefully before you buy and make sure you are ok with any imperfections.

Check Amazon

Is there anything Amazon doesn’t sell? You’ll find all the usual big gear brands on there, and sometimes they have a slightly better price (and usually lightning fast shipping). It can also be worth waiting for Amazon Prime Day for insane deals.

However, Amazon also has smaller gear brands as well as some cheap knock-off brands you might never have heard of. The quality can be questionable on these knock-off brands, but the prices can be insanely cheap.

A few years ago, I bought this cheap folding table on Amazon to take on camping trips. It was over $100 cheaper than the Helinox table it’s a knock-off of, and it seems to be equivalent quality!

Gear to Look For

Be sure to read lots of reviews on any gear from a brand you don’t recognize. Not everything on these sites is exactly as described. There’s tons of choice out there for everything from tents, to sleeping bags to rain jackets. But as always, buyer beware.

Using our Amazon folding table on a beach on Bruny Island in Tasmania, Australia. The table is small enough to pack into the camping gear that we fly with.

Work at an Outdoor Store

I worked at an outdoor store for three years during university. It was a great way to make more outdoorsy friends and help pay for school. But the big reason to work in an outdoor store is the staff discount.

Discounts vary depending on where you work, but between 10 and 30% off most gear is the standard. You might get even bigger discounts on some brands.

Gear to Look For

Literally everything! Ask your manager if discounts stack for sales and if there are any annual events where staff get a larger discount (for example around the holidays) to help plan when you will buy gear.

Shop the Used Gear Section at Outdoor Retailers and Brands

In an effort to be more environmentally responsible and keep gear out of the landfill, some outdoor retails and brands have begun reselling used gear. They clean and repair the gear, then put it up for sale on a dedicated section of their website. Prices are usually pretty good and there is often a warranty too.

For example REI offer used gear on their REI Re/Supply site. Patagonia does something similar with their Patagonia Worn Wear program.

Gear to Look For

Patagonia has lots of gently used outdoor clothing, especially jackets and fleece. REI focuses mostly on gear like sleeping pads, tents, skis, and backpacks.

Become an Outdoor Content Creator

I’ve been an outdoor writer and content creator for about 10 years. Many outdoor companies send me free gear. Sometimes it’s in exchange for a post on social media or a mention in a blog post. But sometimes they just send it to me and “post about it if you like, no worries if not.” (And of course I always disclose when I get something for free or am being paid to talk about it.)

In the beginning I had to reach out to brands to ask to work with them, but now that I’m more established, lots of brands contact me. I actually turn down a lot of free gear since I don’t need it.

Gear to Look For

I’m careful only to accept gear that I will actually use and that I feel comfortable recommending to my audience.

Often gear brands (or more often their PR agencies) want to send you the latest thing that they are promoting. If it’s not something your audience will appreciate, say no. Your audience knows when you are shamelessly selling to them to make a buck or get free gear and they don’t like it. Keep your brand partnerships authentic.

This received this Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake sun hoodie in a PR package. But it’s become one of my favourite hiking shirts – you’ll see me wearing it tons of photos all over this website. Here I’m wearing it on the High Note Trail in Whistler.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately there a lot of barriers to getting into the outdoors, and the cost of gear is one of them. I hope this list of ways to save money on hiking gear helps you get the gear you need to get outside and have fun.

MORE GEAR POSTS:

The post 20 Ways to Save Money on Hiking Gear appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

Is Merino Wool Worth It? Pros and Cons

Taryn Eyton — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 03:20:26 +0000

If you’re shopping for hiking clothing you’ve probably heard all kinds of great things about Merino wool. But Merino isn’t perfect – to start with, it’s expensive. You might be wondering, is Merino wool worth it?

I’ve been hiking and backpacking for two decades (I even wrote a hiking guidebook) and have tried a lot of different technical outdoor clothing, including lots of Merino wool. I also spent seven years working at the head office of a large Canadian outdoor brand. While I was there, I worked closely with the design and fabric teams and wrote staff training material. So I have a pretty good grasp on outdoor fabric technologies.

In this article, I’ll break down the pros and cons of Merino wool so you can decide if it’s worth it for you. This Merino wool guide includes:

Is Merino wool worth it? My quick answer
What is Merino wool? How is it different than regular wool
Merino wool pros and cons plus some neutral factors where wool is equivalent to other fabrics
Which Merino wool clothing is worth it? Should you buy Merino socks, shirts, base layers, and more.
Merino wool tips: My advice for buying merino, taking care of it, and repairing it
Comparing Merino wool to other fabrics: How does it stack up to polyester, regular wool, alpaca, and more
Merino wool FAQ: Answers to common questions like is Merino good for summer and does it shrink

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

Is Merino Wool Worth it?

My short answer: Most of the time, no.

The longer answer: Merino wool is a fabulous high-performance fabric. But it’s not magic. In many ways, Merino wool is comparable to high-tech polyester fabrics. The only place where Merino clearly outperforms is its ability to resist odors.

Some people really love the feel and performance of Merino. And if that’s you, and you find the expense and lack of durability of Merino don’t deter you, that’s great. If you love, Merino, keep on loving it.

But I think that a lot of people get sucked in by the premium price and slick marketing of Merino wool. They assume that because it is expensive, it must be the best. I’ve talked to lots of people who bought into the hype, then fell out of love with Merino after using it for a few years, mostly due to its lack of durability and high price.

If you are comparing a cheap big box store base layer to Merino wool, of course, Merino wool is going to be better. But if you compare Merino wool to high-end performance synthetic fabrics from innovative outdoor apparel companies, you’ll find that the synthetics provide equal or better performance at a cheaper price and with better durability.

What is Merino Wool?

Merino wool is the wool from a breed called Merino sheep. Although Merino sheep are originally from Spain, today they are found all over the world (and most famously, in Australia and New Zealand).

Photo: Andrea Lightfoot/Unsplash

Merino wool is much softer and finer than regular wool. That means it is more comfortable to wear since it is less scratchy. The individual fibres of regular wool can be up to 40 microns in diameter. But Merino wool is always less than 24 microns. Premium fine Merino wool can go as low as 15 microns in diameter.

Merino wool is most often used for technical outdoor clothing. However, you can also find it in high-end casual sweaters and blankets.

Merino Wool Pros and Cons

Some people talk about Merino wool as if it is a miracle fabric. And it does indeed have lots of positive characteristics. However, there are also some negatives, which for some people (like me) often outweigh the positives.

Here’s my breakdown of the pros and cons of Merino wool. I’ve also included a few “neutral” factors – these are areas where Merino wool provides better performance than non-technical fabrics like cotton but has equivalent performance to technical fabrics like polyester.

Pro: Anti-Microbial

Merino wool is naturally anti-microbial. That means that it doesn’t get as stinky and odor-causing particles won’t build up in it over time like they can in synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. (Read my guide to getting the smell out of hiking gear for info on how that happens.)

Since Merino wool is less smelly, it’s a great choice for multi-day backpacking or situations where you can’t or don’t want to wash your gear as often. When I used to commute to work by bike, I wore a Merino wool shirt that I washed once or twice a week instead of every day.

But… Merino wool can still get stinky over time, especially if it is blended with nylon or elastane. It’s not magic. It just takes way longer to develop that signature hiker stank than other fabrics.

My friend Brenda (in the blue) wearing a Merino wool hiking shirt on the North Coast Trail. We played cards while waiting for the tide to go out in one spot.

Pro: Temperature Regulation and Breathability

Merino wool is naturally thermo-regulating. That means that it can help you feel cool when it’s hot out and provide warmth when it’s cold. This sounds crazy, but there’s actually science behind it.

Wool fibres are crimped, which creates little air pockets. In cold weather, these air pockets trap warm air and hold it close to you. When it’s hot out, wool pulls moisture and heat from your body. As the wool dries and releases the moisture, the crimps trap cold air, keeping you cool.

Many people love Merino wool because they can wear the same Merino wool clothing in both summer and winter. The temperature-regulating properties of Merino wool also mean that you are less likely to need to add and remove layers as the temperature changes on a hike.

However, it is worth mentioning that there are lots of innovative premium synthetic fabrics that can compete with Merino on temperature regulation. But there are also lots of crappy synthetics too.

Pro: Warm for its Weight

The natural air pockets that give Merino wool its temperature-regulating properties also mean that it can provide more warmth for its weight than other fabrics. (Although the construction of some synthetic fabrics can mimic the air pocket structure and perform just as well.)

The excellent warmth-to-weight ratio means that you can choose thinner Merino wool garments than their synthetic counterparts.

Neutral: Next to Skin Comfort

You might hear Merino wool described as being comfortable to wear or soft against your skin. That is certainly true, especially when you compare it to traditional wool.

But it’s not any softer or more comfortable than some other technical fabrics like polyester. (Of course this depends a lot on the specific technical fabric. I find Merino wool much more comfortable than the polyester in my Outdoor Research Echo Sun Hoodie. But I also like the feel of my soft Mountain Hardware Crater Lake Sun Hoodie more than the feel of Merino wool. (I reviewed both of these in my guide to the best sun hoodies for hiking.)

Some people prefer the way Merino feels on their skin, but some still find it a tiny bit itchy.

Neutral: Provides Warmth When Wet

Merino wool still provides insulation even when it is wet. By itself, that sounds like a pro, and Merino wool cheerleaders often list “warmth when wet” as one of Merino wool’s strengths. But it’s only a pro if you compare Merino to cotton, since cotton makes you colder when you are wet. Synthetic fabrics also provide warmth when they are wet, so Merino doesn’t have a leg up over other technical outdoor fabrics.

Neutral: Moisture Wicking

Here is another neutral factor that masquerades as a pro. Yes, Merino wool does a good job of wicking moisture away from your skin thanks to the unique air pocket-forming structure of the wool fibres. But many technical synthetic fabrics are comparable when it comes to wicking, so it’s not a true pro. (However, some synthetics achieve high wicking performance via chemical finishes that wash out over time, so it’s not an easy comparison to make.)

Neutral: Ethical and Sustainability Issues

Merino wool is an animal product, so it is not vegan-friendly.

It is also important to know there have been issues around animal cruelty associated with Merino wool production. Some Merino sheep farmers subject their animals to mulesing, a painful practice that removes strips of skin around the anus. Mulesing protects the sheep from flystrike infections. It is done without anesthetic and is considered inhumane and unethical. Most developed countries no longer permit mulesing.

Before you buy a Merino wool garment, check to see if the manufacturer has a statement about the treatment of the sheep they source their wool from. You can also check to see if there are measures in place to prevent overgrazing and the excessive use of pesticides. There are many reputable and ethical Merino wool brands on the market including Smartwool, Icebreaker, Darn Tough, Ibex, Patagonia, Ridge Merino, and Woolx.

However, it’s worth pointing out that there are ethical issue around polyester too. It’s made from petroleum, which isn’t a renewable resource (unlike wool). And given the current climate crisis, fossil fuel extraction is something we should be moving away from rather than increasing

As well, fleecy fabrics release microplastics, which is a big problem when they are washed as it ends up in our waterways and oceans.

If you are concerned about the sustainability of your clothing, buying used base layers is the best choice.

Con: Doesn’t Dry Quickly

Merino wool is often touted as being great at moisture-wicking since it can absorb more moisture than other fabrics. The “moisture-wicking” part of that sentence is a pro. But the “absorb” part is a con because Merino wool really hangs on to moisture. It can take 40% longer for a Merino wool garment to dry compared to a synthetic one.

I sweat a lot (in all temperatures and during all activities). Merino wool just stays wet way too long for me. It takes forever to dry, and in the meantime, it’s heavy and gross.

Wearing a Merino wool shirt to mountain bike in Revelstoke. If you look closely you’ll see that I’ve sweated all the way down the front of my shirt and it is soaked through.

Con: Durability

Unfortunately, Merino wool has a poor track record when it comes to durability. The fibres of Merino wool are very fragile. That means they are prone to ripping, tearing, and snagging. Even high-quality Merino wool garments are likely to develop holes.

There are a few things you can do to maximize the life of your Merino wool clothing. Garments that use a blend of Merino wool and synthetic fabrics are much stronger and last longer. I have lots of Merino wool socks from Darn Tough and Smartwool that have lasted years since they use a Merino wool/nylon blend.

You also have to be really careful with your Merino wool. Snags on zippers, watch straps, backpack buckles, jewellery, and belts are common ways to get holes. But friction holes are sometimes unavoidable, especially in the armpits and crotch.

Con: Special Washing Required

Merino wool requires special washing and drying. Like all wool, it shrinks if it is heated too much, which means it needs to be washed in cold water and hung to dry.

Due to its poor durability, it also is best to wash Merino wool clothing on the delicate cycle. I also always wash my Merino wool by itself to protect it. I don’t allow zippers, buttons, Velcro, or buckles in the washing machine with my Merino!

While it isn’t required, it is a good idea to use a wool-specific laundry detergent (like Nikwax Wool Wash). Regular detergent can strip the wool of its natural wicking properties and can contribute to pilling. Avoid enzyme cleaners at all costs as they can actually break down the fibres in Merino wool. (More tips in my guide to washing hiking gear.)

Getting ready to do a load of Merino wool laundry

Con: Expensive

If you’ve ever shopped for Merino wool gear, you have probably been shocked by how expensive it is. Close to $100 for a t-shirt?? What?! Yup, Merino wool prices are crazy.

While there are billions of sheep in the world, most are raised for their meat or for regular wool. Merino sheep are a specialized breed and there just aren’t that many of them. It costs a lot more to raise a sheep than it does to harvest a plant or make fabric from petroleum. As well, the fine fibres of Merino wool mean that you need more of them to make fabric.

And while Merino wool is a natural fibre, it still needs to be heavily processed before it is turned into clothing. The fibres are extensively cleaned to remove dirt, impurities, and lanolin (a greasy substance that naturally occurs in sheep’s wool.)

Which Merino Wool Clothing is Worth It?

My answer to whether Merino wool is worth it depends on what kind of clothing you’re talking about. For things like socks, I recommend it 1000%. For shirts, base layers, underwear, and mid-layers, the answer is a bit more nuanced.

Are Merino Wool Socks Worth It?

Yes! I swear by Merino wool hiking socks.

Since socks need to be extra durable, Merino wool socks are usually expertly blended with nylon and elastane. This means that you get the anti-microbial and temperature-regulating properties of Merino. But you also get better durability thanks to the nylon. And you get the wicking power of both Merino and nylon – it dries quicker than Merino alone.

I hike exclusively in Merino wool blend socks. My favourites are the Smartwool Hike Light Cushion Crew Sock and the Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock.

Wearing Smartwool socks and airing out my feet on the top of Solomon’s Throne Mountain in Walls of Jerusalem National Park in Tasmania, Australia

Are Merino Hiking Shirts Worth It?

Yes, but only for some people.

Many hikers love wearing Merino wool hiking shirts. They love the temperature regulation that Merino provides. And the anti-microbial properties of Merino make it ideal for backpacking trips when you don’t want to stink day after day.

However, when you wear a Merino wool hiking shirt, the poor durability of Merino wool becomes pretty apparent. And if you sweat a lot when you hike (like me) then you will find yourself soaking wet a lot of the time because Merino wool shirts absorb more water than synthetics and take longer to dry.

I think Merino wool hiking shirts are great for backpacking and for people who don’t sweat too much. They are also great for people who are careful with their gear.

Smartwool’s standard Merino Short Sleeve Tee is a really popular choice for a Merino hiking shirt. My husband has three of them and loves them. He likes that they don’t stink.

I have an Odlo Kinship Performance Wo o l long sleeve top that I love for cold weather hiking. It’s a wool/polyester/nylon blend that hits the sweat spot of performance for me. (Read my review in my fave gear of 2023 post.)

Wearing the Odlo Kinship Performance Wool baselayer top during a chilly fall hike with a friend in Squamish.

Are Merino Base Layers Worth It?

Yes, but only for some people.

The main purpose of a base layer (also known as thermals) is to move moisture away from your skin. Base layers also add warmth through insulation. (However, most of your warmth should come from your mid-layer.)

The thermo-regulation of Merino wool base layers is great for stop-and-start activities like skiing where you generate a lot of heat, but then slow down or stop for long periods and get cold.

Merino’s high warmth-to-weight ratio makes it great for base layers since you can get more warmth with less bulk. I usually sleep in Merino wool base layers when backpacking since they are smaller to pack.

However, for those who sweat a lot, Merino isn’t a good choice for active base layers since they absorb more moisture and take longer to dry.

Durability is also a factor with base layers – the repetitive rubbing of base layers against mid and outer layers in your crotch and armpits leads to pilling and holes far faster with Merino wool than with synthetic fabrics.

Merino wool base layers are great for skiing as long as you don’t run too hot and are ok with the durability issues. They also are great for sleeping in. Otherwise, I think synthetic base layers perform just as well so there isn’t any reason to spend more money on Merino wool.

I love my Smartwool Classic Thermal Base Layer Bottoms for sleeping on backpacking trips since they are lightweight, cozy, and come in fun prints. For snowshoeing, I wear Smartwool Intraknit Thermal Base Layers since they combine Merino and polyester for faster drying times.

Wearing my Smartwool Merino wool base layer bottoms and Smartwool Merino wool beanie at breakfast at Floe Lake on the Rockwall Trail.

Is Merino Wool Underwear Worth It?

Not really.

I’ve heard lots of rave reviews about Merino wool underwear. (And I included a few Merino wool pairs in my guide to the best hiking underwear since some hikers swear by them.) People love it for the same reason they love Merino wool hiking shirts – they are great at temperature regulation and they don’t stink.

But if you sweat a lot, Merino wool underwear is a disaster since it holds moisture, which can lead to uncomfortable chafing. Merino wool undies are also notorious for getting tons of holes. They often lose their shape a lot faster than synthetics too.

Lots of Merino wool underwear is heavily blended with nylon and elastane to increase durability and dry quicker. This is especially true of sports bras, which need to fit tightly. Some underwear and sports bras marketed as Merino wool contain less than 30% Merino wool… but still carry a full Merino wool price tag! Shop carefully.

If you love the feel of Merino wool and think the expense of Merino underwear is worth it, that’s great. But I don’t think Merino wool underwear is a great option for most people – if you are buying a $40 pair of undies, they shouldn’t get holes, bag out, and chafe your butt!

The only merino wool underwear I can recommend are the Branwyn Essential, although I find they are better for cold weather or less sweaty trips. But the highest rated Merino wool underwear are the women’s Icebreaker Merino Siren and Men’s Icebreaker Anatomica. If you want a Merino sports bra, I like the Smartwool Intraknit Strappy Bra – but keep in mind that it is only 28% wool and can definitely can get stinky. (Mine is a bit gross.)

Are Merino Wool Mid-Layers Worth It?

No. Synthetics greatly outperform Merino in this category.

Merino performs best when you wear it next to your skin to wick sweat and absorb heat. Merino wool does work as a mid-layer for insulation, but it doesn’t work any better than fleece, synthetic insulation, or down. And you need a much thicker wool mid-layer to get the equivalent warmth that you’d get with fleece, down, or synthetic insulation.

If you like the feel of wool, a blended wool and polyester fleece is a nice option for a casual mid-layer. But it will be heavier than a pure synthetic, dry slower, and be more expensive.

I have an older Smartwool Smartloft Jacket that I got years ago when I was a Smartwool brand amabassador. It has a Merino wool interior that is cozy, especially when layered over a short sleeved shirt. But I don’t find it as versatile to wear as a fleece.

Wearing my Smartwool Smartloft jacket and Merino Wool reversible beanie.

Are Merino Wool Toques/Beanies Worth It?

Yes, if you don’t have sensitive skin.

I love my Smartwool Merino Beanie (called a toque here in Canada) – I’m wearing it in the photo above. It is really warm for the weight, so it doesn’t take up tons of space in my pack. Since I won’t be sweating much when I wear it, I don’t have to worry about it not drying quickly.

However, if you have sensitive skin, you might find that Merino wool itches your forehead a bit. In that case, a grid fleece hat like the Outdoor Research Trail Mix Beanie is a better option. It has the same warmth-to-weight as Merino wool.

Merino Wool Tips

From what to look for when shopping for Merino to how to wash and repair it, here are my top Merino wool tips:

Choose the right Merino wool weight for your activity: Merino comes in weights from ultra-fine/ultralight light to heavy-weight. Lighter weights are good for warmer weather and more vigorous activity compared to heavier weights. Some brands list the grams per square metre (gsm) weight of the fabric. Look for around 150gsm for lightweight, year-round layers and 250-300gsm for extra warm winter layers.
Get a close fit: To benefit from Merino wool’s thermoregulating properties, Merino clothing needs to fit close to the skin. It can’t be too baggy.
Consider Merino wool blends: Merino wool blended with nylon, polyester and/or elastane is more durable, stretchier, and absorbs a bit less water than pure Merino. Some budget brands mix Merino with nylon to bring prices down. But other performance brands like Smartwool, Icebreaker and Odlo, mix Merino wool with other fabrics in innovative ways that boost function and fit. Pay attention to the percentages. You want at least 50% Merino, or else it’s not worth buying. If you prioritize the benefits of Merino but want more durability, look for 80-90% Merino.
Buy from a brand that specializes in Merino: For the best performance, buy from a Merino wool brand like Smartwool or Icebreaker or an outdoor brand that makes lots of base layers like Patagonia, Odlo, Helly Hansen, and Arc’teryx. They will have the best fit, seam placement, and fabric blends. You can buy cheap Merino base layers from Costco, etc. but in my experience, they are poor quality and don’t last very long.
Wash Merino carefully. If you baby your Merino wool, it will last. For the longest lifespan, always wash on delicate with wool-specific detergent (like Nikwax Wool Wash) and hang to dry. The care label might say regular wash and tumble dry is ok, but that’s because they don’t want to scare you off buying Merino. Trust me, stick with the delicate cycle and hang dry no matter what.
Repair your Merino. Holes are inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw away your gear. Even if you are a terrible sewer, a few minutes with a needle and thread is all it takes to fix a small hole. For big ones, I sew on patches made from a pair of retired Merino base layer bottoms that was beyond repair.

A patch I sewed on an old pair of Merino wool base layer bottoms

Comparing Merino Wool to Other Fabrics

Most marketing material touts the performance values of merino wool, but doesn’t tell you how Merino stacks up in comparison to other common outdoor fabrics. I pitted Merino wool and against several other outdoor fabrics commonly used for base layers and hiking shirts.

Merino Wool vs Polyester

Merino wool wins over polyester in a few categories, but definitely not all of them. It’s important to note that there are tons of types of polyester fabric on the market. Higher-end tech fabrics with branded names will out-perform cheap unbranded polyester.

Merino wool is naturally anti-microbial, while polyester is prone to getting stinky. You can buy polyester with anti-odor properties, but it’s either a finish that washes out, or very expensive if it’s embedded in the garment.

For a lot of polyester fabrics, whether it is better than Merino or not, really depends on the type of polyester. In general, Merino is equivalent to or better than some (but not all) polyester fabrics when it comes to breathability, temperature regulation, warmth for weight, next-to-skin comfort, warmth when wet, and moisture-wicking.

All polyester will work better than Merino wool when you compare quick drying, durability, price, and washing instructions.

I like my Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody for sun protection on hot and sweaty days. The performance polyester fabric holds up way better than Merino wool. Photo: Bryony Coombs

Merino Wool vs. Regular Wool

For hiking and other outdoor sports, Merino wool beats regular wool in pretty much every category except durability and price. It has better temperature regulation, breathability, next-to-skin comfort, and wicking than regular wool. Merino wool and regular wool score about the same when it comes to warmth for weight, warmth when wet, quick drying, and washing instructions.

Merino Wool vs. Polypropylene

Polypropylene is similar to polyester, but a bit less common. It wicks better, dries faster, and costs less than both polyester and Merino wool. It also gets stinky incredibly easily.

Polypropylene was commonly used in base layers in the 1990s but it is less prevalent now. Helly Hansen makes a lot of polypropylene base layers, some of which they blend with Merino wool. Choose polypropylene over wool if wicking and quick drying are your primary concerns and you can live with the stink.

Merino Wool vs. Modal/Tencel/Lyocell/Viscose/Rayon

Modal, Tencel, Lyocell, Viscose, and rayon are all semi-synthetic fabrics made from wood pulp. Some are softer and more eco-friendly than others (which makes them cost more.) They don’t provide any warmth. These fabrics don’t wrinkle and feel really soft (even softer than Merino), but they aren’t as good at wicking or quick-drying compared to Merino wool or synthetics. None of these fabrics are very good for outdoor clothing.

Merino Wool vs. Alpaca

Alpaca wool fabric is made from the wool of alpacas, a relative of the llama that lives in the South American mountains. Currently, most alpaca garments on the market are intended more for casual wear than for hiking or other outdoor activities. As well, most alpaca garments are heavily blended with other fabrics like nylon for durability or Tencel for softness.

Alpaca wool is softer than Merino. It is also a bit more durable, but still very fragile compared to synthetics. Alpaca is a bit warmer than Merino since its structure creates larger air pockets. (Alpacas need to stay warm in the chilly Andes Mountains!) Alpaca also retains a bit less water than Merino (but still doesn’t dry as fast as polyester or polypropylene).

The alpaca market is still growing so there will likely be a lot of options available in the next few years. But for now, most alpaca products are not high-tech enough for hikers.

Merino Wool vs. Cashmere

Cashmere is made from the wool of Kashmir goats that live in Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, and Iraq. While cashmere is warmer and softer than Merino, it doesn’t beat Merino in any other category. Cashmere is less durable, harder to wash, and more expensive. As well, cashmere is typically only used in casual wear, not in technical outdoor clothing.

Merino Wool FAQ

Let me answer some of the most common questions about Merino wool:

Is Merino Wool itchy?

No. Most people do not find Merino wool itchy, especially compared to regular wool. However, some people still find Merino wool a tiny bit itchy compared to other fabrics. Merino wool blends are less itchy than pure Merino wool.

Is Merino Wool Soft?

Yes. Merino wool is very soft, especially compared to regular wool. However, it can feel a tiny bit rougher than super soft fabrics like Modal or even some types of polyester.

Is Merino Wool Warm?

Yes. Merino wool provides great warmth for its weight compared to other fabrics. However, it is also naturally temperature regulating, which makes it great in a range of temperatures.

Is Merino Wool Good for Winter?

Yes. Merino wool base layers can provide lots of warmth, especially mid- and heavy-weight Merino (200-300gsm). However, you will still need insulating mid-layers on top of your Merino.

Wearing a Merino wool shirt during a winter trip to Garibaldi Lake.

Is Merino Wool Good For Summer?

Yes. Merino wool is great for temperature regulation so lightweight Merino wool pieces (150gsm) work well in the summer. However, keep in mind that Merino wool doesn’t dry as quickly as synthetics, so if you sweat a lot, you might not like Merino wool for summer use.

Is Merino Wool Washable?

Yes. But it has special washing instructions. To make your Merino wool last, it is best to wash it in cold water on the delicate cycle, use wool-specific detergent, and hang it to dry. The care label on some Merino wool clothing says you can wash it on the regular cycle and tumble dry. But I don’t recommend it unless the Merino is blended with another fabric (for example Merino wool blend hiking socks).

Does Merino Wool Shrink?

Yes. Like most wool, if you wash it in hot water or put it in the dryer, it will shrink at least a little bit. But if you wash it in cold water and hang to dry, it won’t shrink.

Is Merino Wool Expensive?

Yes, compared to other fabrics, Merino wool is quite expensive. That is because Merino wool is expensive to produce – raising and shearing sheep is more expensive than growing cotton or processing petroleum.

So that’s my big explanation of why I think Merino wool isn’t always worth it. I’m sure some of you will disagree, and that’s ok. I’ll be the first one to say that Merino wool is an awesome fabric. It’s just not always the best one to choose for every application.

Do you have more Merino wool questions? Ask them in the comments.

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20+ Ways to Reduce Your Backpack Weight

Taryn Eyton — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 22:56:00 +0000

Backpacking is a natural extension of day hiking as you trek further into the wilderness. The major downside is having to carry all that gear. I’ve been backpacking for 20 years and have come up with lots of ways to reduce your backpack weight.

I’m definitely not an ultralight hiker (more on what that is below), but I’m a gear geek and have refined my backpacking gear choices over the years to prioritize low weight without sacrificing safety or too much comfort.

This guide to ways to reduce your backpack weight includes:

Why should you reduce your backpack weight? What are the advantages?
What is “Ultralight? Should you be an ultralight backpacker? What are the downsides?
Over 20 ways to reduce your backpack weight including what to look for when shopping for gear and what to leave behind.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

My first backpacking trip on the West Coast Trail in 2004. As you can see, my pack was huge! It was so heavy that it chafed my collarbone raw and I was always exhausted. I’ve lightened my pack a lot since then!

Why Should You Reduce Your Backpack Weight?

Maybe you’ve been on a few backpacking trips and you’ve thought: “This weight is manageable. I can hike with this.” And that’s probably true.

The general rule is that your backpack should weigh less than 20 percent of your body weight. But using that rule, if you weigh 200 lbs (91 kg), your pack could weigh up to 40 lbs (18 kg). That’s a lot of weight!

But what if your pack were a bit lighter? How would it feel then? Chances are, it would feel pretty good! Here are my top reasons why you should reduce your backpack weight:

It’s more comfortable. It’s common to have sore shoulders and hips after backpacking. I bet you don’t feel that way after day hiking since your pack is lighter.
It’s easier on your body. If you’re recovering from injury, or just dealing with aging, the less weight you carry, the less stress you put on your body. And over time, that can be an important factor in extending your backpacking career.
You can move faster and cover more ground with a lighter pack. And that really opens up a ton more options for backpacking trips.
It prevents injury. Carrying a heavy pack puts more strain on your body, especially your ankles and knees. You are also likely to be more tired when your backpack is heavy, and fatigue can lead to tripping and falling.
It’s easier to balance when a heavy pack isn’t affecting your center of gravity. With a lighter pack, you will find technical terrain or creek crossings easier.
It’s easier to stay organized. If you have less stuff to misplace, you won’t waste time looking for it.
It lets you bring luxury items. If you save weight on your gear, you can bring some non-essentials. My husband pushed for us to get an ultralight tent because he loves bringing his chair on trips. With the weight we saved on the tent, he doesn’t mind the weight of the chair.

My ultralight Zpacks Plexamid one-person tent at Kwai Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Photo: Reid Holmes.

What is “Ultralight”? Should You Be an Ultralight Backpacker?

If you’ve spent any time researching gear or talking to backpackers, you’ve probably heard the term “ultralight“. But what does it mean?

There is no established definition of ultralight, but in general, it means carrying the lightest (and sometimes least) amount of gear possible.

Some people define ultralight by your base weight, which is the weight of everything in your backpack, minus consumables like food, water, and fuel. A common ultralight base weight is between 10 and 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kg).

Psst! Looking for more outdoor slang definitions? Check out this post: 300+ Hiking Terms Explained: A Hiking Glossary

Ultralight is not just a base weight definition – it’s also a mindset and a subculture. Some backpackers find it fun to obsess over the latest and greatest ultralight gear. They continually tweak their backpack contents to achieve lighter and lighter base weights. And they spend tons of time in ultralight sub-Reddits, forums, and Facebook groups chatting about gear.

A Few Words of Caution About Going Ultralight

But the ultralight mentality also has a few negative aspects.

Firstly, some people get obsessive about being ultralight and take it too far: It’s easy to get caught up in the hype and chase a low base weight number instead of thinking about safety. When deciding what gear to leave behind, make sure you take safety gear, including the ten essentials.

Second, it’s important to remember that backpacking is supposed to be fun. Sometimes people going super ultralight lose sight of that. They drop their pack weight so far that they aren’t comfortable and their trip isn’t fun. Make sure that you bring the right gear to keep you warm, ensure you get a good sleep, and have some tasty food.

The third negative aspect of ultralight backpacking can be a big barrier for many people: Ultralight gear is ridiculously expensive. Much of it is made by small companies using unusual materials, which accounts for the high prices. Since ultralight gear can be a big investment, do a lot of research and read reviews before you buy.

And lastly, ultralight gear is often not very durable. It’s made with very thin and lightweight materials that can easily snag, rip, or crack. You really have to take care of ultralight gear if you want it to last. Frequent patches and repairs are the norm, not the exception.

A lightweight MSR Hubba Hubba and an ultralight Zpacks Plexamid at Elfin Lakes Campground in Garibaldi Provincial Park.

How to Reduce Your Backpack Weight

I’ve been backpacking for 20 years. In that time I’ve been on dozens of trips and spent hundreds of days carrying a fully loaded backpacking pack. I even wrote two backpacking guidebooks.

On my first backpacking trips I used borrowed gear that didn’t fit me and was really heavy. I brought tons of clothes. I loved the scenery and being outdoors, but the weight of the pack made hiking miserable. Since then I’ve refined my backpacking gear list over and over, trying to save weight while maintaining comfort.

I’m definitely not an ultralight hiker by any definition (my base weight is usually around 18-20 lbs./8.2-9.1 kg), but I do keep ultralight principles in mind when packing.

Here are the top tips for reducing your backpacking pack weight that I’ve picked up over the years:

1. Use a Scale

The first thing you need to do if you are going to reduce your backpack weight is to get a scale and weigh everything. If you don’t know how much something weighs, how are you going to know if you can find a lighter option?

I use a basic digital kitchen scale to figure out how much each piece of gear weighs.

Weighing my Mountain Hardwear Kor AirShell Hoody on my kitchen scale. It’s a lightweight wind jacket… but is it light enough?

I also keep a digital luggage scale in the car so I can weigh my fully loaded backpack at the trailhead at the beginning and end of my trip. That way I know how much weight I am carrying including food, water, and fuel, as well as how much lighter it was at the end of the trip.

On group trips, we also use the luggage scale to figure out how to split up shared gear so that no one is overloaded.

2. Make a Gear List (or Use an App)

After you get the weights of all your gear, you need some way to organize it. The old-school way was to plug everything into a spreadsheet so you could virtually add and subtract things from your pack to see what impact they had on your overall weight.

But these days there is an easier solution: pack weight web apps like Lighter Pack and Pack Wizard. Both of these apps let you build a personalized gear list including weights of each item. Then you can virtually add them to your pack.

These apps help visualize what your loaded pack will weigh with various gear configurations for different types of trips. They also let you categorize your gear so you can see how much weight you are carrying in each category. I really like the pie charts they produce.

Pie chart and summary stats from the example Ultralight Gear List on Pack Wizard.

4. Focus on The Big Three

The easiest way to drop weight is to focus on what ultralight hikers commonly call The Big Three: your tent, backpack and sleep system (sleeping bag and pad). These are usually the heaviest items that backpackers carry so if you can drop weight from The Big Three, it can make a huge difference.

Lightweight Tents

If you are looking to drop some weight from your shelter, consider an ultralight tent. True ultralight tents like the Zpacks Duplex weigh about 2 lbs/ 0.9kg or less. To achieve such a low weight they use fragile (and expensive) materials like Dyneema or very thin silicone-treated nylon or polyester. Many are not free-standing so they can be a challenge to pitch, and they often require you to use trekking poles as tent poles.

If you aren’t ready to go full ultralight when buying a new tent, there are some great mainstream lightweight tent options. They are a bit heavier than ultralight tents, but they are more durable, easier to use, and less expensive.

I’ve loved my MSR Hubba Hubba for years, but I’ve also heard great reviews for the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL and the NEMO Dragonfly OSMO. They all weigh just under 3 pounds but are fully freestanding.

Looking through the door of my MSR Hubba Hubba at Joffre Lakes.

Lightweight Sleep Systems

The sleeping bag and pad you choose will depend a lot upon the temperatures you plan to backpack in.

Many ultralight hikers choose to forgo a sleeping bag entirely and use an ultralight quilt instead. These can be great in milder temperatures, but won’t keep you warm if it’s much below freezing. Pay attention to temperature ratings when shopping.

Whether you are looking for a quilt or sleeping bag, keep a few things in mind while shopping for lightweight versions. In general, down is lighter than synthetic insulation (although there have been some great tech advances in synthetics in the last few years).

Look for down sleeping bags or quilts with high fill-power down and ultralight face fabrics (20-denier or less). I love my Therm-a-rest Ohm 32F/0C. It’s super light and converts to a 2-person quilt. I recently got the MEC Aphelion UL -7C Down sleeping bag. It weights just 700g (25 oz) and is plenty warm.

You can also save a lot of weight on your sleeping pad, but make sure you get one that provides enough insulation (measured as R-value) for the temperatures you will face. Some ultralight hikers prefer cheap and durable closed-cell foam pads like the Therm-a-rest Z-lite (14 oz/410 g).

But many people find those uncomfortable and opt for an inflatable pad with insulation. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite is the OG lightweight pad in this category, weighing just 13 oz/370 g. Another popular lightweight option is the Sea to Summit Ether Light (16.6 oz/470 g).

Our sleep setup: lightweight down sleeping bags with Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlite pads inside our Zpacks Triplex tent.

Lightweight Backpacks

Your backpack is the last piece of gear you should upgrade. If all of your gear isn’t ultralight yet, it won’t fit into an ultralight backpack and it won’t be comfortable to carry.

In general, most mainstream 60L backpacking packs weigh 3.5 to 4.5 lbs (1.6 to 2 kg). I carry the Gregory Amber 65 (3.55 lbs./1.6 kg) which is on the lighter side of mainstream but certainly not ultralight. (The men’s version is the Gregory Stout.)

Heavier packs like the Osprey Aether 65 (4.92 lbs./2.23 kg) and Ariel 65 (4.85 lbs./2.2 kg) have more comfortable harnesses, thicker and more durable fabric, and more features, like extra pockets. But at nearly 5 pounds, they are twice as heavy as an ultralight pack.

Ultralight packs have less robust harnesses, so they won’t be comfortable with heavy loads. Sometimes they don’t even have an internal frame to distribute the load. They also have few features and internal pockets but often have big and stretchy external pockets. Popular ultralight packs like the Hyperlite Southwest 55 typically weigh around 1 kg (2.2 lbs.)

5. Carry Less Clothing

Clothing is usually the second heaviest category of gear that backpackers carry after The Big Three. It’s important to carry warm and waterproof clothing in case of bad weather. But lots of backpackers carry a lot of extra clothing just in case.

Dial in your clothing system so that you have only what you need. Skip the extras and the just-in-case layers. My goal for a trip is to layer all the clothing I bring so I can withstand the coldest temperature I face.

And don’t worry about needing extra clean clothing. Besides an extra pair or two of socks and underwear, you don’t need clean clothing. Embrace the stink!

You don’t need a lot of extra clothes on a backpacking trip. I wore this same outfit for three days on the Della Falls Trail.

6. Choose Lightweight Jackets

Jackets are often the heaviest clothing item that backpackers carry. Depending on the trip, you might be carrying a rain jacket, a fleece jacket, and/or a puffy jacket. The weight of jackets can add up and you often need them to ensure you stay dry and warm.

If you’re shopping for a rain jacket, look for lightweight options. These usually have 2.5-layer construction rather than 2-layer or 3-layer construction since it minimizes bulk. However, 2.5-layer options are generally less breathable and less durable.

If you’re looking for a recognizable technology, Gore-Tex Paclite is very lightweight. I love my Mountain Hardwear Minimizer jacket with Paclite. It weight only 8 oz/225g and has stood up to some intense rainstorms.

For an insulated jacket, opt for down over synthetic to save weight and bulk. Just like with sleeping bags, look for high fill-power and thin face fabrics. I love my Arc’teryx Cerium as it is so toasty warm. I’ve also heard great things about the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer.

I love wearing fleece and bring one on every backpacking trip. In general, choose a fleece that weighs less than about 10 oz/283 g. You don’t need a heavy-weight fleece. To save weight, look for ones made of grid fabrics or airy knits like Polartec Alpha Direct that trap warm air. That way you can get more warmth for the weight.

7. Skip the Heavy Hiking Boots

Full-height leather hiking boots are really heavy. For example, the full-leather Zamberlan Vioz GTX hiking boots weigh 3 lbs 8 oz (1.59 kg) a pair. For every step you take in those, you’ll be lifting up 3.5 pounds of weight!

In comparison, Altra Lone Peaks, the trail runner of choice for thru-hikers weighs just 10.6 oz (300g). That’s a huge difference.

Of course, there are big trade-offs there. Traditional hiking boots offer more ankle support, foot stability, waterproofness, and durability compared to trail runners. If you aren’t used to hiking in trail runners with a weighted pack, don’t just jump in – you could injure yourself.

The good news is that there is a huge spectrum of footwear in between lightweight trail runners and huge traditional leather hiking boots. I like the Salomon X Ultra Mid Gore-Tex hiking boots. At 1 lb. 14 oz. (850 g) they are a nice compromise on weight while providing some durability and stability.

Friends pose with their low and mid-cut boots on the West Coast Trail. Photo: Reid Holmes.

8. Understand Hiking Weather Forecasts

For me, the key to carrying less clothing (and choosing the right sleep system for each trip) is to pack for the weather forecast. But looking at a city forecast is usually useless since the weather is very different in the mountains.

I use an algorithmic forecast like Spotwx to get weather predictions for the exact elevation where I’ll be camping.

Psst! My guide to the best weather apps for hiking has more weather tips.

Understanding weather forecasts is super important for remote backcountry trips like the off-trail Augerpoint Traverse on Vancouver Island

9. Carry a Thermometer

A few years ago I started carrying a thermometer on all my backpacking trips. It’s been really helpful to know the exact temperature so I can dial in my clothing and sleep system choices for different temperatures. I make a note of the temperature, what I packed, and if it worked. That way I can adjust for the next trip.

I started out with a cheap zipper-pull thermometer, but last year I upgraded to the digital ThermoDrop. It’s just as tiny and only a few dollars more. But it has the added feature of recording the lowest and highest temperatures since the last time it was turned off. That means I can keep track of the coldest temperature overnight without waking up to check!

Psst! The ThermoDrop made my list of my favourite gear of 2022.

10. Streamline Your Cook System

If all you are doing is boiling water, you don’t need multiple pots. And while Jetboils and other stove systems are super popular for their reliability and speed, they are fairly heavy. (The Jetboil Flash weighs 13.1 oz/371 g.)

Pare your cook system down to a tiny stove and one small pot. I love the MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe (2.9 oz/80 g). If I’m going solo, I use the Vargo Titanium BOT 700 (4.8 oz/138 g).

My lightweight cook system at Elfin Lakes near my home in Squamish.

11. Measure Your Fuel

Many people just throw a full fuel canister in their backpack without bothering to figure out how much fuel they actually need for their trip. But that usually means carrying a bunch of extra fuel.

Instead, figure out how much water you will need to boil during your trip (plus a few extra litres just in case). Then look up your stove’s boil time in the manufacturer’s specs as well as its burn time (how long it can run on a fuel canister of a certain size). Use these numbers to figure out how much fuel to bring.

If you have partially empty canisters at home, you can use your kitchen scale to figure out how much fuel is left in them. Simply weigh the partially empty canister, then compare it to the weight of a full canister (which should be listed on the side of it).

12. Plan Your Food Carefully and Count Calories

It’s easy to pack tons of just-in-case snacks. Or to get tempted to pack treats or luxury meals that are heavy. Be mindful when you plan your backpacking food.

Always choose calorie-dense food – it should provide lots of calories for its weight. My rule is that food should have at least 100 calories per ounce (25 g). And don’t carry liquid in your food – pack dry, dehydrated food that you can add water to at camp.

Once you have chosen your food, remove excess packaging or cut up packaging to save weight and bulk.

You also need to count the calories in your food to make sure that you have enough. And of course to make sure that you aren’t bringing more than you can possibly eat. On a recent five-day trip my husband and I packed in a hurry and didn’t look at our snacks too carefully. We packed out so much extra food – at least three extra days’ worth of snacks! Oops!

Psst! For advice on backpacking menus, check out my post on choosing the best backpacking meals, my guide to making DIY backpacking meals from grocery store ingredients, and my guide to dehydrating backpacking meals.

Pasta carbonara is really high calorie and fairly lightweight. Get the recipe in my guide to grocery store backpacking food.

13. Ditch the Stove

This is a more radical idea (and to be honest, something I’m not willing to do) but some ultralight backpackers hike stoveless. They cold-soak their food or eat foods that don’t require added water.

Going stoveless works best in warm or mild weather. It also requires more creativity and planning if you plan to cold-soak. Many people find hot food to be an important mental pick-me-up, so try out going stoveless on a short trip before you commit to it for a longer hike.

14. Research Water Sources

It can be tempting to load up with lots of water at the start of a hike. But water is heavy. Each litre weighs 35 oz/1 kg! Instead, look at maps and read trail descriptions ahead of time so you can fill up at water sources along the way and carry only as much water as you need.

15. Swap Out the Heavy Water Filter

When I first started backpacking we carried a heavy pump filter. But filter technology has come a long way. Now I carry a lightweight Katadyn BeFree filter that weighs just 2.3 oz (65 g). The Sawyer Squeeze is another popular option at 3 oz/85 g.

If you want to get even lighter, you can use purification drops like Pristine or Aquamira instead. They weigh only 1 oz (28 g) but you do have to wait for the chemical reaction to start and some people say that they add a bit of a chemical taste to water.

16. Leave the Heavy Water Bottles at Home

If you run into me in the city, there is a 100% chance I have my beloved Hydroflask bottle with me. But there is no way I’m taking it on a backpacking trip – it’s waaay too heavy. Metal water bottles and ones made with thick plastic like Nalgenes are heavy.

Ultralight light hikers use Smartwater bottles since they are lightweight, durable, and cheap to replace. Empty soda bottles or Gatorade are also great. I own a bunch of Platypus Platy bottles (1.3 oz./37 g). I like that they roll up so I can stash them away if I’m not using them.

17. Choose Toiletries and First Aid Gear Carefully

While a first aid kit is one of the ten essentials, you can still be mindful about what you put in it. Lots of people buy a pre-made first aid kit, and then just pack it with them without looking at what is inside. Take a good look at your first aid kit and make sure it contains everything you need… and nothing else.

For toiletries, you don’t need much, especially on a short trip. Use travel-sized items or decant things into tiny bottles. (Tip: For short trips, I use these tiny cosmetic sample containers from Amazon to hold liquids.)

Depending on your personal tolerance, you can skip most toiletries. For me, the bare minimum is a toothbrush, toothpaste, and sunscreen. I also usually carry deodorant, a small comb, moisturizer, and a couple of wet wipes.

18. Minimize Electronics

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype for gadgets: phone, camera (with lenses, tripod and other accessories!), GPS unit, eReader, satellite messenger, GPS watch, etc. Try to bring as few as possible to save weight.

Another thing to keep in mind is that all those electronics need batteries. Research settings for all your devices to prolong battery life. Try to bring one small power bank to charge all your electronics rather than stand-alone batteries for each device.

Make sure you understand how much power each of your devices needs to fully recharge and pack an appropriately sized power bank. It’s easy to pack a huge one that you don’t need! Most backpackers shouldn’t need anything larger than 10,000 mAh. In general, solar panels are heavier than small power banks and aren’t worth their weight unless you are on a longer trip in a sunny climate.

I have an Anker power bank, but I’ve great things about the Nitecore ones – they are made with a carbon fibre shell that is designed to be super lightweight.

One of my recent discoveries is this tiny 3-in-1 charging cable. That cable, along with a tiny Garmin smartwatch adapter is all I need to charge. No more mess of cables!

Fording a creek on the West Coast Trail. You can see my mirrorless Sony camera attached to my shoulder strap. It’s a lightweight camera, but it still adds weight

19. Be Mindful of “Luxury” Items

One of the reasons to reduce your backpack weight is so that you can carry extra luxury items without being overloaded. Everyone’s definition of a luxury item is different, but many hikers consider backpacking chairs, bathing suits, a book or eReader, camera gear, a pillow, camp shoes, alcohol, or gourmet food to be luxury items.

Bringing all of these luxury items sounds great, but in reality, you likely won’t use all of them. Do a short trip without your luxury items and see how you feel. Then add back in the one or two items you really missed having.

My husband relaxes on his backpacking chair on the Tatchu Trail. He reduced his backpack weight so that he could carry his beloved chair.

20. Share Gear With Your Group

If you backpack in a group, have a conversation before the trip about shared gear. You probably don’t need a power bank, first aid kit, stove, water filter, satellite messenger, or tent for each person. You can also eat shared meals to save fuel. Share the weight!

21. Carry Multi-Use Items

A common piece of advice for reducing your backpack weight is to carry multi-use items. Some of the suggestions are no-brainers: Skip the mug or bowl and eat and drink from your cooking pot. Use a stuff sack or puffy jacket as a pillow. Your extra socks can double as mittens or an insulator for your water filter or phone/batteries in cold weather.

Take a good look at your gear – I’m sure some of it can serve more than one purpose!

22. Do a Post-Trip Debrief

As you unpack from a trip, do a debrief. What didn’t use? Why not? What worked well? What didn’t? Can you leave something behind next time? My goal for each trip is to use everything I brought. (Except that I’m always happy if the weather was nice enough that I didn’t have to use my rain gear!)

23. Get Ruthless With Scissors

This last tip is for the truly committed. If you’ve saved weight everywhere else, you can trim down your gear. You aren’t going to get any big weight savings this way, but if you believe that every gram counts, get out the scissors!

Cut the tags off all your gear. Chop the excess length of your pack straps and drawstrings on stuff sacks. Cut the handle off your toothbrush.

Cutting up your gear is a fairly drastic step and one you can’t undo. Remember to “measure twice and cut once” so you don’t end up with gear that doesn’t function anymore! And of course, keep in mind that this voids the warranty on your gear and means you likely can’t resell it if you want to upgrade to something else.

That’s everything you need to know to reduce your backpack weight. Do you have more tips for how to go ultralight backpacking? Drop them in the comments!

READ NEXT:

The post 20+ Ways to Reduce Your Backpack Weight appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

Backpacking with Kids: Tips from a Tween and His Mom

Elliott H. — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 23:53:56 +0000

I’m not a parent, but thanks to some good friends with children, I’ve spent quite a bit of time backpacking with kids. I wanted to write a post about how to start backpacking as a family, but I realized that I knew someone much more qualified for the job: Elliott, a 12-year-old backpacker.

I’ve been friends with Elliott’s parents for years and have been on lots of backpacking trips with them, including his first-ever backpacking trip when Elliott was 4 and his sister was 7. At 12, Elliott has almost a decade of backpacking experience so I was really happy when he agreed to write this post. (His mom, Laura, also chimed in with some tips from the parent’s perspective.)

Shi Shi Beach, Age 7

West Coast Trail, age 9

In this guide to backpacking with kids you’ll find:

Real-world advice from a kid and his mom who have been backpacking for years
Reasons kids will love backpacking
Tips for making your family backpacking trip a success
How to overcome challenges when you go backpacking with kids
Kid-recommended picks for the best backpacking food
What to pack when backpacking with kids
How to find kid-friendly backpacking destinations

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

Why Kids Will Love Backpacking

Besides spending time in nature and enjoying incredible views, here are a few reasons to take your child backpacking.

Spending time with family

Elliott: I backpack because my family backpacks, but I love it too. It isn’t just my parent’s thing anymore. What I love the most is the free time that you get to spend with your family. With no devices at all, my parent’s attention is directed on just me and my sister.

Age 6 and 8

Age 7 and 9

Elliott and his family backpacking at Shi Shi Beach (left) and Toleak Point (right), both in Olympic National Park.

Swimming

Elliott: Another great thing about backpacking is you get to go to special places, sometimes with amazing swimming spots. My favourite swimming spot so far has been Tsusiat Falls on the West Coast Trail. I don’t mind swimming in cold water and I always like to swim.

Elliott (age 4) swims with his dad in Garibaldi Lake

Food

Elliott: I like backpacking food. Backpacking food is really good, and it often doesn’t include a lot of vegetables! We also get to have dessert every night.

Learning new skills

Elliott: Backpacking is a fun experience where you get to develop special skills that you might not have learned otherwise. I have learned how to make a fire, put up a tent, filter water, navigate, and lots of general life safety skills.

When I was little, I helped to put up the tent and filter the water. My sister started making campfires on her own by 10, and she won’t let me help her now. Now that we are both older (12 and 14), we are responsible for setting up the tents on our own. We also help with cooking and setting up the tarp.

How to Make Backpacking with Kids a Success

Pick the right trail

Elliott: Picking the right trail for our family is important. When we pick a trail, we try to consider the elevation we all can walk up, the difficulty of the terrain, and we always backpack to a rewarding destination.

I always want to hike to some type of water that I can swim in. I like ocean beaches or alpine lakes. Don’t forget that a good campsite needs a good drinking source and a proper pit toilet is preferred. There are not usually campfires backpacking, so don’t be disappointed if there isn’t one. We go car camping for campfires.

Laura: Generally, the parents pick the trail but we consider the kids’ preferences. Our kids have a maximum distance we know that they can travel in a day and we know they prefer rugged trails, over smoother flatter trails. Before we head out on a trip, we often print out a trail map for them to look at and show them photos to get them excited. They like to know what is expected of them before we head out.

Elliott and his sister enjoying Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park. Age 7 and 9.

Pack the right food

Elliott: Packing the right food is important. I have more advice about that below. Food is a really important part of a good trip for me.

Keep backpack weight in mind

Elliott: Keeping backpack weight in mind and how far we can travel with it on is also important. When I was 4, I carried my blankie and my own water. That was it. On the West Coast Trail when I was 9, I carried around 18 pounds. It was 22 pounds to start with, but it was way too heavy. I can carry that now that I am 12.

Different children can carry different amounts. It depends on how much experience you have with carrying a backpack. If my pack is too heavy, it slows me down and I can’t go that far.

Laura: Each trip we plan backpacks differently. We pack and weigh the backpacks at home. We try the fully loaded bags on to make sure the weight is ok before we leave. Even then, we need to be flexible out on the trail. We try and keep a little extra space in our adult packs, just in case. The kids take a lot of pride in carrying their age-appropriate amount of the family’s supplies.

Psst! I have a whole guide to reducing your backpacking weight.

Elliott enjoying the view of Upper Joffre Lake. Age 7.

Know if your child is ready to go backpacking

Laura: How do you know if your child is ready to go backpacking? There is a good chance that they are – it is us adults that need to be prepared to take them.

We did a lot of car camping when the kids were little. It gave us all the opportunity to develop more confidence and provided the kids with time to develop independence and familiarity with camping skills. Along with car camping, day hikes are a great way to get kids ready for backpacking.

If your child is comfortable doing both those things, chances are they are ready for backpacking too! We didn’t start backpacking until the kids were both old enough to independently walk the distance we wanted to travel (ages 4 and 7), but I know that lots of families are ready to go sooner than that!

How to Overcome Challenges When Backpacking With Kids

Hiking in the rain

Elliott: I have a hard time feeling motivated backpacking when there is non-stop rain. I don’t like non-stop rain because you can’t see anything and you can’t get dry. If it is raining, I just keep walking to get to camp as soon as possible, so we can sit under the tarp and have a warm drink.

Laura: When possible, we plan trips with flexible dates, and we are not shy about cancelling or delaying trips in the case of bad weather. It isn’t just kids that don’t like a weekend in the rain. No matter the weather, we always carry good rain jackets for everyone, a large lightweight tarp (also good for creating shade), extra socks, and camp shoes to change into.

READ NEXT: The Best Weather Apps for Hiking

Elliott’s family hiking to Asulkan Hut in Glacier National Park in the pouring rain. Ages 8 and 10.

Issues with food

Elliott: I love backpacking but my least favourite thing is when my parents forget to pack a meal. True story, when we were hiking the West Coast Trail, my parents forgot to pack one dinner and one lunch. There were some minor meltdowns when we realized it. Luckily, some people we were hiking with had plenty of extra food that they didn’t want to pack out and they shared it with us.

Elliott enjoying breakfast while leaning against a broken surf board he found on the West Coast Trail. Age 9.

Staying motivated

Elliott: When I am hiking, I really like it when my parents talk to me while we walk. It helps distract me and keeps me thinking about something other than being tired.

My parents sometimes buy gummy candies and hide them along the trail for us. It keeps us excited at the end of a long trip or during a boring stretch.

Sometimes my Mom starts singing when she thinks there might be bears, but I like it, and it is fun to sing with your family.

We like hiking with friends like Taryn because it is someone else we can talk to.

Laura: Both of our children love backpacking, and they both enjoy it for different reasons. You know your kids best, and what keeps them positive and motivated. Kids are likely to complain at some point along the way, be that getting out of the house, along the trail, or at camp. Be prepared for that.

We have one child that needs extra-front loading before we head out the door and one that might need a little extra encouragement or distractions along the trail. Kids are all different and we have to keep their challenges and strengths in mind when we are planning for and carrying out a backpacking trip. There is rarely an outing where that little extra effort to get over a difficult spot, wasn’t worth it.

Elliott and his sister walking towards Floe Lake on the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park. Ages 10 and 12.

Worrying about safety

Elliott: I’m scared of the dark sometimes at home, but not when I’m backpacking because we all sleep together. We all have our own headlamps, so I can turn mine on whenever I need to.

We sometimes bring a small string of battery-powered fairy lights to put up at the campsite, but usually, we don’t stay up late enough to enjoy them.

I’m not scared of bears, but my sister says that she plugs her ears at night when she thinks she hears something. She says it calms her down.

Laura: We have some pretty clear expectations for the kids when we are out in the woods backpacking, biking, or hiking. The number one rule for us is that we stick together. I want to be able to see the kids on the trail. If we can see them, most safety concerns (animals, water, injury) can be better predicted and hopefully prevented.

The kids might get more freedom once we get to camp, but even then, their boundaries are outlined when we arrive. I do pack an extra-large first aid kit, equipped with extra bandages and an antihistamine like Benadryl, just in case.

Elliott hiking at Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. Age 9.

Toilets

Laura: Our kids have learned to go to the bathroom in the woods, but we usually prefer to camp at a location with proper pit toilets. We find the kids can be more independent going to the bathroom when there are four walls around them.

When Elliott was small, he worried about falling in, but we held his hand when he went and that concern went away quickly. We do tend to pack a little extra toilet paper.

Challenges build resilience

Laura: You are likely to encounter some tough moments on backpacking trips, with or without kids. I like to think of them as learning experiences, that teach our kids and us adults to be a little bit more resilient. Yes, the kids have had a few nights where they didn’t like the food we brought (or we forgot to bring), but we all learned from these experiences. We try and anticipate and plan for these challenges, but that is not always possible.

Best Backpacking Food for Kids

General backpacking food tips

Laura: We eat differently on the trail than we do at home. Don’t worry: our kids eat lots of fruits and veggies on a regular day, but a day backpacking isn’t a regular day. Just like we often eat differently on other types of vacations, backpacking is a vacation for us, and we treat the food we eat the same way.

We eat high carbs and protein backpacking, but also include a little more sugar and treats into the day. The kids get a lot of say in the food we pack, so Elliott’s favourites below are packed on most trips.

Snacks

Elliott: Snacks are a very important part of backpacking for me. Snacks motivate me and make me work harder. My favourite backpacking snacks are stroopwafel cookies, Hobnob cookies, chocolate, trail mix, and gummy candies. Also, my dad and I sometimes bring a bag of crushed Doritos on trips we do alone. That way the big bag of chips fits into a small Ziploc bag.

Breakfast

Elliott: I don’t usually love backpacking breakfast, but oatmeal is my favorite. We often have dehydrated eggs and pre-cooked bacon, but I don’t love it. Another way to make breakfast better is to bring hot apple cider. Sometimes we bring Poptarts, just because.

Elliott and his sister enjoying hot apple cider and the view of Cheakamus Lake in the morning. Ages 6 and 8.

Lunch

Elliott: We usually eat lunch sitting on the side of the trail. Lunch is usually quick and easy. We often have wraps with peanut butter and jam. We often add a pepperoni stick and one of the snacks above, and lunch is done. On the trail, we don’t do fancy lunches and often eat the same lunch every day.

Dinner

Elliott: Dinner is my favourite meal of the day when backpacking. Since there are four of us, and we try to keep the food weight down, we usually bring dehydrated or freeze-dried meals.

My favourite two dinners are Kraft Mac and Cheese with pre-cooked bacon strips and Flirp (we named it ourselves). Flirp is instant mashed potatoes that you make in large amounts in a big Ziploc freezer bag. It’s called Flirp because it makes that sound when you pour it out of the bag when it is cooked. We always have Flirp with freeze-dried chicken.

We also bring pre-packaged backpacking meals on longer trips. My sister and my favourite packaged backpacking food is AlpineAire Forever Young Mac and Cheese.

Don’t forget to check the expiration date on backpacking food. They don’t taste good after they expire!

Food for Elliott’s family of four for two nights on the Ozette Loop in Olympic National Park. Ages 6 and 8.

Dessert

Elliott: Dessert is delicious. Another main motivator in my day. We have dessert every night because the meals are smaller, the packaged food sometimes isn’t filling enough, and dessert is simply delicious.

I like AlpineAire Cinnamon Apple Crisp. The dessert we bring the most is pistachio Jell-O pudding (my sister likes chocolate) and we dip cookies like stroopwafels in the pudding. I also like astronaut ice cream but that isn’t filling.

Stroopwafel cookies and chocolate pudding for Elliott’s family of four on the Wild Side Trail. Ages 8 and 10.

Water

Elliott: Sometimes filtered creek water doesn’t take like what I am used to. We bring water flavouring drops to help with the taste and to keep us drinking. I like Country Time Lemonade.

What to Pack When Backpacking With Kids

Start with this general backpacking gear checklist, then customize it for your family. Elliott and Laura have some kids’ backpacking gear advice.

Gear to make bedtime comfortable and familiar

Elliott: I always bring my special stuffed animal or blanket with me when we backpack. It’s important to me to bring it because it gives me comfort when I’m away from home and it helps me fall asleep. We got inflatable pillows recently and it is also way more comfortable for sleeping.

Laura: We buy our kids light, compact, and warm sleeping bags. It is worth the cost for us to keep the weight down and the nighttime comfort level high.

As the kids spend more time in the tent lounging than we typically do, they can be a bit rougher on their sleeping pads. We have decided not to upgrade them to lightweight inflatable pads like we have. Both kids are using our older self-inflating pads, as we feel that they are more durable and it saves us some money.

Elliott packs up sleeping bags inside the tent at Toleak Point in Olympic National Park. Age 9.

Things to keep kids entertained in camp

Elliott: My sister always brings her e-reader because she loves to read in the tent. I keep busy at camp by playing nearby. On shorter trips, we sometimes pack a small game, like Exploding Kittens or Coup.

Laura: We don’t find it challenging to keep the kids busy at camp. They both have jobs that they are responsible for, such as setting up the tent, mattresses, and sleeping bags. Generally, they are pretty tired from the day and remain content. If we have extra weight to carry a hammock or two, we bring those along for relaxing.

Elliott and his sister enjoying a tide pool at Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park. Ages 7 and 9.

Kids backpacking clothing and footwear

Laura: Kids grow out of their clothes quickly, and we find that it isn’t necessary to spend extra money on hiking-specific clothing for kids.

Most clothing items that we bring for the kids are just their regular clothes that we get on sale from kids’ clothing stores and thrift stores. We try and stay away from bringing too much of their cotton clothing, particularly on longer trips.

We don’t compromise on footwear though. They always have sturdy and comfortable hiking shoes and they each have two pairs of soft wool hiking socks, to help keep their feet dry.

We use Taryn’s backpacking packing list when we head out on a trip. The kids re-wear their hiking clothes too so we don’t tend to pack many changes.

One thing that is different from the standard backpacking packing list is that we do bring the kids a set of camp clothes and a separate set of pajamas and sleep socks. The jammies never leave the tent, as we want to keep them dry and free of food spills.

Backpacking tent

Laura: One tent or two? For us, the situation is evolving as the kids age and often depends on the trip we are on. When the kids were little, we mostly used two small backpacking tents. We have one child who is a night owl and one who likes to wake early. We found it was worth us all getting a good night’s sleep, and we brought two backpacking tents on most trips.

As we started taking longer trips with the kids, where weight was needed for food, we began taking one larger backpacking tent. This works well for us now, and putting up one tent, is faster than putting up two. This is an advantage on trips, where getting moving in the morning can be important.

Backpacks for kids

Laura: On trips when the kids were little and carried just a few of their own personal items, they used school backpacks or our small day packs. Now that they are carrying a good share of the weight, they are using older backpacking bags that we (or our friends) passed along. We decided that we would upgrade the parents’ backpacks first, because we aren’t growing anymore!

Elliott and his sister carrying their backpacks as they hike out from Kwai Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park. Both packs are hand-me-downs from their parents. Ages 11 and 13.

How to Find Kid-Friendly Backpacking Destinations

If you’re looking to start backpacking with your kids, look for lists of beginner-friendly backpacking trips in your area. Short trails with not too much elevation gain are the best bet. Elliott and Laura also recommend picking a campsite with a toilet and a lake, creek, or ocean to swim or play in.

After they get some backpacking experience, kids can tackle any backpacking destination.

Backpacking trips for kids in British Columbia

In British Columbia, check out these easy, beginner-friendly backpacking destinations. You can find details on most of these trips in my book, Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia.

Cheakamus Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park (Trip 6)
Gold Creek Canyon in Golden Ears Provincial Park (Trip 23)
Lindeman Lake in Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park (Trip 25)
Lower Stein Valley in Stein Nlaka’pamux Heritage Provincial Park (Trip 29)
Falls Lake in the Coquihalla Recreation Area (Trip 32)
Skagit River Trail in Skagit Provincial Park (Trip 34)
Buckhorn Camp on the Heather Trail in Manning Provincial Park (Trip 35)
Lightning Lakes in Manning Provincial Park (Trip 37)
Lake Helen Mackenzie in Strathcona Provincial Park (included in my next book, Backpacking on Vancouver Island, out in 2024)

All of the trips above (plus lots more) are in my guide to the Best Easy Backpacking Trips in BC.

Get My Book…

Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia

A one-stop resource for backpackers in beautiful British Columbia.

40 backpacking trips within a few hours of Vancouver
Info about permits, reservations, and campground facilities
Detailed maps and photos
Advice for extending your trip
Points of cultural and natural history

Get the book

More experienced kids can hike any trail that adults can do. Here’s what Elliott recommends after your kids graduate from easy trips:

Elliott’s favourite overnight backpacking trip in BC: Garibaldi Lake, in Garibaldi Provincial Park. I have done it twice now. (It’s trip 9 in Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia.)

Age 4

Age 11

The same photo seven years apart: Elliott hiking at Garibaldi Lake on his first-ever backpacking trip at age 4 and again last summer at age 11.

Elliott’s favourite multi-day backpacking trip in BC: The West Coast Trail, in Pacific Rim National Park because it has lots of ladders and cable cars.

Elliott hiked the West Coast Trail at age 9. He made this drawing to commemorate the trip.

Thanks so much to Elliott (and Laura) for their advice on how to go backpacking with kids. Family backpacking requires a bit more preparation, but it can be lots of fun. Do you have questions about backpacking with children? Ask in the comments!

Read Next:

The post Backpacking with Kids: Tips from a Tween and His Mom appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

Backpacking for Beginners: Tips for Getting Started

Taryn Eyton — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 22:51:50 +0000

So you want to try backpacking… exciting right? But it can also be daunting as there is lots to learn. I’ve been backpacking for almost 20 years, but I still remember what it was like to start out. I’ll walk you through it in this guide to backpacking for beginners.

This handbook for first-time backpackers includes:

Backpacking gear for beginners: What gear do you need and what should you look for when shopping
Backpacking fitness for beginners: How to get in shape for backpacking
Backpacking skills for beginners: A run-down on key skills like navigation, bear safety, going to the bathroom, and more
How to plan a backpacking trip: Everything you need to do before you hit the trail
Step-by-step beginner backpacking plan: Go from day hiker to backpacker in 5 steps

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

Day Hiking vs Backpacking: What’s the Difference?

Day hiking can be defined as a hike that you start and finish on the same day. When you go backpacking, you hike for at least two days, camping in the wilderness each night. Backpacking is a natural progression from day hiking and uses a lot of the same skills.

Why Should You Go Backpacking?

Backpacking allows you to enjoy the wilderness in a different way than day hiking. I find it to be a much more immersive experience. When you backpack you get to enjoy sunrises, sunsets, and the stars overhead. You’re more likely to encounter animals since they are more active at dawn and dusk. You can travel further into the backcountry and see places that few people do.

With no screens to distract you, you can really unplug. I’ve done some of my best thinking on backpacking trips. (In 2019, I decided to quit my day job and work on this website and my book full-time while hiking the Overland Track in Australia.)

Going on a backpacking trip is also a great way to gain self-confidence. You’ll learn all kinds of new skills and prove that you can be self-reliant without the creature comforts of home.

My Backpacking Experience (And Why You Should Trust My Advice)

My first backpacking trip was a six-day trip on the West Coast Trail back in 2004. Before that, I had been on a few long day hikes and one overnight hut trip, but in a lot of ways, I wasn’t prepared. I had a borrowed backpack that rubbed my collarbone raw. I didn’t know basic skills like navigation or how to go to the bathroom. And the trail was so tough that I cried.

2004

2019

But I still had an incredible time! The scenery was incredible. I learned that I loved immersing myself in the backcountry. It made me want to go hiking all the time. And I discovered that I was more resilient than I thought.

That trip changed the course of my life in a few ways: It eventually led me to a career writing about the outdoors. And the boyfriend who invited me on that trip has been my husband for over a decade. We hiked the West Coast Trail together again in 2019 and it was MUCH easier that time.

In the years since, I’ve honed my skills and refined my gear to the point that I feel more comfortable in my tent in the middle of nowhere than I do in a random hotel room.

I’ve been on dozens of backpacking trips near home in British Columbia, as well as in the USA, Nepal, Iceland, and Australia. I worked in an outdoor store for three years, and then for six years at the head office of a large outdoor retailer writing about gear for their website, so I know a lot about hiking gear.

And I wrote a whole book about backpacking, Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia, which was published in 2021.

Going on a backpacking trip may not be so profoundly life-changing for you. But I guarantee that you will create some beautiful memories and learn something about yourself and what you can accomplish.

Backpacking Gear for Beginners

If you’re already a day hiker, you probably have some of the gear you’ll need for backpacking like hiking boots and a rain jacket. But for backpacking, you’ll need a lot more gear. For a full list of everything you will need, read through my Backpacking Checklist. It lists every single piece of gear you’ll need and has advice on how to choose.

Unfortunately, backpacking gear can be quite expensive. And you want to make sure you are buying quality gear because your life could literally depend on it. If it’s your first time backpacking, consider renting gear or borrowing from friends to see what you like. You can also buy lightly used gear or wait for sales.

Psst: I’ve got 17 ways to save money on hiking gear

In general, choose gear that is lightweight and compact. Ideally, the total weight of your full backpack should be no more than 15-20% of your body weight. In practice, that works out to about 25 to 40 pounds. And make sure you try out your gear before your trip and know how to use it.

Psst: Read my guide to reducing your backpack weight

Here’s a brief overview of some of the backpacking gear you’ll need to get along with tips on how to choose:

Backpacking Pack

You’ll need a pack large enough to carry all of your gear. Look for one that holds between 40 and 75 litres. Smaller packs (40-50 litres) are great for overnight trips, warm weather, and people with ultralight gear. Larger packs are good for longer trips, cold weather, or people with bulkier budget gear.

It’s important to choose a pack that fits you well. Packs are sized based on the length of your torso. You can also buy women’s specific packs that have hip belts and shoulder straps designed to fit women’s curvier bodies. Read my guide to women’s specific gear to find out if a women’s pack is right for you.

I use a women’s Gregory Amber 65 Backpack. (The men’s version is the Gregory Stout 70.) It’s a good size for trips up to a week, and on shorter trips, I cinch down the straps since it’s not full. I love that the hip belt pocket fits my phone. It is also quite reasonably priced.

A friend wearing her Gregory Amber backpack

Backpacking Tent

Get a lightweight tent designed for backpacking, ideally one that weighs less than 4 lbs/1.8 kg. You’ll also want to make sure it has a waterproof fly that extends all the way to the ground. There are tons of good tents on the market, so do some reading and see which features are most important to you.

Make sure you practice setting up and taking down your tent in your yard or a park before you go on your first backpacking trip.

For beginners, I recommend the MSR Hubba Hubba 2-Person Backpacking tent. I’ve had several versions of this tent over the years. It’s lightweight, easy to set up, and holds up to storms. It’s not the cheapest, but you’ll use it for years.

Two MSR Hubba Hubba backpacking tents at Russet Lake near Whistler, BC

Sleeping Bag

A warm sleeping bag can be the difference between a great trip and a miserable one. It can get quite cold at night, especially in the mountains. For most backpackers, a 3-season sleeping bag rated between 39°F/4°C and 15°F/-9°C is a good choice. Choose one that weighs less than 3.5 lbs/1.5 kg. Get one with a hood for extra warmth.

For beginners, the MEC Draco and Delphinus down sleeping bags are great. I started out with an earlier version of these bags. The Marmot Trestles sleeping bag is a good alternative.

Our sleeping set up on the West Coast Trail

Sleeping Pad

Sleeping pads serve two important purposes: They provide comfort since the ground is hard. But more importantly, they provide insulation since the ground is cold. You’ll still be shivering in a super warm sleeping bag if you don’t have a sleeping pad.

For a balance of comfort and warmth, choose an inflatable pad with some insulation. Look for ones with an R-value of at least 2.5 to ensure you’ll stay warm when the temperature dips.

I recommend the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLit e. It’s comfortable, warm, and packs down really small.

Water Filter or Purifier

It’s tempting to think that burbling mountain creeks are pristine and safe to drink from, but usually they aren’t. Humans and animals may have pooped or died upstream of you. To be safe, always filter or purify your water.

You can treat water by boiling it on your backpacking stove, but that is slow and uses lots of fuel so most backpackers choose to carry a filter or method of purification. There are lots of different options.

Some people prefer purification drops or tablets since they are lightweight and compact. But they can add a chemical taste to your water.

I like to use the Platypus GravityWorks Water filter because there is no pumping or squeezing. It’s also a good option for groups since you can filter a lot of water at once.

Backpacking Stove and Cooking Gear

While some multi-day hikers choose to forgo the stove and eat cold meals, a hot dinner at the end of the day or coffee in the morning is non-negotiable for many backpackers. Choose a single-burner backpacking stove that is lightweight, compact, and easy to use.

Many backpackers like to use stove systems with an integrated pot like the Jetboil or MSR Windburner. Those stoves are great for boiling water faster, but they aren’t great for cooking other meals.

I use an MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe because that way I can choose which pot to bring depending on what I need. For solo trips where I’m just boiling water, I use a tiny Vargo Titanium BOT pot. On trips where I’m doing actual cooking for two or more people, I bring a Primus Lite pot.

Cooking dinner at a backcountry campsite

Clothing

For backpacking, it is essential to bring lightweight, quick-drying hiking shirts, pants, or shorts made of nylon, polyester, or wool. Dress in layers so you can easily adjust your temperature. Don’t bring cotton – it absorbs sweat and doesn’t dry quickly. It’s also not that warm.

Depending on the temperature and weather, you’ll also need jackets and base layers. A good rain jacket is a must on any trip. You may also want a fleece jacket or an insulated jacket for colder weather. Base layers made of synthetics or wool are also great for sleeping or for adding warmth on cold trips.

The right underwear is also key – you don’t want to be stuck with a pair that rubs or chafes.

Backpacking in Yellowstone National Park

Hiking Boots for Backpacking

Blisters can end your hike, so picking the right hiking boots is the key to a good backpacking trip.

You might be able to get away with wearing your regular running shoes on casual hikes, but for backpacking, you’ll need proper hiking boots. If you plan to carry a heavy load or have weak ankles, look for hiking boots with lots of ankle support.

The most important factor is comfort – try on lots of pairs of boots to find ones that work for you. Everyone has different feet so don’t rely on recommendations from friends or random online reviews.

Friends pose with their boots.

The Ten Essentials

The ten essentials are key safety and emergency supplies that you should have on every hike, whether it’s a short walk or a multi-day expedition. They include a first aid, headlamp, knife, navigation gear, and a communication device.

More Beginner Backpacking Gear Resources

Backpacking Fitness for Beginners

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: backpacking can be challenging and requires good fitness. It’s tougher than day hiking because you’ll be carrying a heavy pack and sometimes you have to deal with bad weather or unexpected trail conditions.

Backpacking is most enjoyable when you’re in good shape. But if you’re new to hiking, you can still go backpacking – you’ll just need to choose easier trails. My philosophy is that you should pick backpacking trips that are just a little bit easier than the day hikes you are comfortable with. So if you feel comfortable doing a moderate-rated trail as a day hike, choose one rated easy for backpacking.

To improve your fitness, train by doing progressively harder hikes. If you aren’t able to get out on the trails, you can also try simulating hiking conditions. Try working out at the gym on the Stairmaster or the treadmill on an incline. For an added challenge, wear your backpacking pack.

Tough hikes like this one in Revelstoke are a good way to train for backpacking

You can also go for walks in your neighbourhood with your pack on. If possible, walk on uneven surfaces instead of pavement and seek out hills and stairs. Walking on the beach is a great way to build stamina.

Building your strength and fitness is also key. Try yoga or bodyweight exercises like lunges, squats, step-ups, and crunches designed to strengthen your lower body and core. Balance exercises are also great.

Backpacking Skills for Beginners

For the most part, the skills you need to go backpacking are the same as the ones you need for longer day hikes. But even if you are an expert day hiker, it’s worth brushing up on your skills before you go backpacking. That way you’ll be safe, have minimal impact on the wilderness, and most importantly, have fun.

Here’s a quick overview of the basic backpacking skills for beginners.

Navigation

Backpacking can take you further into the wilderness than you can reach on a day hike. Sometimes these trails aren’t as well marked so mastering navigation is key.

Carry paper maps and a compass, just in case. I also often carry guidebook pages or trail descriptions (either as paper copies or as photos stored on my phone).

I also use the Gaia GPS app on my phone to orient myself. It shows tons of trails along with your current position overlaid on a topographic map. (Don’t forget to bring a battery pack if you’re using a phone for navigation.)

Practice navigation on easy day hikes before you go backpacking to get familiar with using a map and compass or GPS app.

Studying my map on the North Coast Trail

Bear and Wildlife Safety

Going backpacking means sharing the trails and campgrounds with bears, cougars, wolves, raccoons, mice, porcupines, birds, and lots more. Actually, it’s more accurate to say they will be sharing the trails with you since it’s their home.

Give animals lots of space to maintain their natural behaviours. Don’t approach or touch animals.

To avoid negative bear interactions, hike in a group, make lots of noise, and keep dogs on a leash. If you see a bear, don’t run. Instead, talk to it while avoiding eye contact and backing up slowly. Carry bear spray and know how to use it if you are charged or attacked.

Be sure to protect your food from wildlife. Never feed animals – it’s bad for their health and encourages them to continue to seek out human food. Keep a clean camp. Never leave food unattended. Store all food and garbage in a food locker (if provided) or bring a bear canister or construct a bear hang.

Going to the Bathroom

Many popular backcountry campsites have pit toilets. Do research about toilet locations before your trip and plan to use one whenever possible.

If you have to go to the bathroom and there isn’t a toilet nearby, go to the bathroom the Leave No Trace way. Find a spot well away from trails, camp, and water sources (at least 200ft/70m). Dig a hole 6″/15 cm deep and poop in the hole. Afterward, cover it up. Pack out your toilet paper as it doesn’t break down well and animals may dig it up.

I carry a dedicated toilet kit that includes hand sanitizer, toilet paper, a plastic bag for packing out used toilet paper, and a small trowel.

My bathroom kit: toilet paper, hand sanitizer, trowel, pee cloth, and plastic bag to pack out used toilet paper.

Backpacking Hygiene

It can be tough to stay clean on a backpacking trip. When people get sick on a hike, they often blame contaminated water. But in reality, poor hygiene is more often the case. Bring some hand sanitizer and use it after going to the bathroom and before eating or cooking.

To keep yourself clean, use a quick-dry towel to give yourself a quick sponge bath. (I use a face cloth-sized Pack Towl.) Disposable wipes are also a good idea, but please pack them out as they don’t break down.

You can also use biodegradable soap, but keep in mind that it isn’t safe for plants or fish. That means you’ll need to collect water in a cooking pot or bucket and wash well away from water sources. The soap needs to filter through the soil to properly biodegrade.

Women and people who menstruate will also want to be prepared by bringing supplies.

Leave No Trace

The seven principles of Leave No Trace help hikers and backpackers have minimal impact. I’m a Leave No Trace Master Educator and have been teaching Leave No Trace for over 15 years. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “pack it in, pack it out”, and know to pick up your trash, but there is lots more to Leave No Trace.

You’ll learn ways you can prepare beforehand to minimize your impact, how to avoid damaging the trail when you walk, where to pitch your tent, how to have a responsible campfire, and how to share the wilderness with other users.

More Beginner Backpacking Skills Resources

How to Plan a Backpacking Trip

So, you’re ready to go on your first multi-day hiking trip. Congrats! That’s exciting. But it can also be a bit daunting to figure out how to get ready. Here are my tips for planning a backpacking trip.

Pick a Trail

Choose a trail that is a good match for your abilities. For beginners, that usually means picking something rated easy or moderate where you’ll be hiking about 5-8 mi/8-13 km each day on fairly flat terrain. Avoid remote areas and trails with lots of elevation gain, tricky stream crossings, or technical sections.

Do some research and pick a trail that is appropriate for the time of year you want to go. You don’t want to deal with snow and cold. Check the weather and make sure you have the right gear for the forecast. Or be ready to change to a different destination or postpone your trip.

If possible, choose to stay at an established campsite with flat tent sites, a water source, and a toilet.

Pick a designated campsite for your first trip

Get a Permit

Many backcountry camping areas require permits to avoid overcrowding and protect the environment. Check park and trail websites to find out if a permit is required and how to get one.

In some places, you’ll have to make a reservation months in advance. In others, you just need to fill out a form at a trailhead kiosk. Some places have a limited number of permits per day while others have unlimited permits. Most permits cost between $5 and $30, but others are free.

Check Local Rules

Each park and trail has its own rules about campfires, drones, dogs, food storage, group size, and more. Check local rules ahead of time so you aren’t disappointed at the trailhead or campsite. These rules are in place to prevent damage to the environment and make sure all hikers have a good experience, so it’s important to follow them.

Organize Transportation

In most cases, transportation is fairly straightforward. But you may need to pay for parking or get a parking pass at a trailhead. And if you are doing a one-way hike you may need to arrange a shuttle or research buses or taxis. As well, some trails can only be accessed via rough roads that require a 4WD vehicle. Do some research and make a transportation plan.

A van full of backpacks on the way to the West Coast Trail

Check Your Gear

Make sure you have the gear you need for the trip you are planning. Find out if there are food storage lockers or if you’ll need to bring a bear canister or build a bear hang. Check the weather forecast to see if you’ll need extra gear for cold weather or rain.

READ NEXT: 40+ Tips for Hiking in the Rain

Talk to your trip partners about sharing gear like tents, stoves, and water filters to save space and weight. You also may want to share safety gear like first aid kits, navigation gear, and a communication device.

Pick Hiking Partner(s)

Seasoned backpackers might have the experience to go on a multi-day hiking trip alone, but it’s not a great idea for beginners. Team up with a few other backpackers while you are still learning. Go with friends, join a hiking club, or find hiking partners through MeetUp or Facebook groups.

Make sure that your skills and personality mesh with others in the group. If you’re an absolute beginner, it’s best if someone else in the group has some experience and can help answer your questions when you’re unsure. And make sure that everyone in the group has the fitness and skills to complete the trip. It’s unsafe to leave people behind (and it’s such a dick move), so you’ll have to travel at the pace of your slowest hiker.

Group dynamics are important on a backcountry trip. If possible, go on a day hike with potential partners first so you can see if you get along and have a similar hiking style. You don’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with someone you can’t stand.

Make a Meal Plan

The food you bring on a backpacking trip needs to meet a few criteria: it should be lightweight, compact, high in calories, and tasty. Avoid canned food and most fresh food. Bring dry foods with short cooking times like pasta, rice, and oatmeal. You can also buy prepackaged backpacking meals.

You will burn more calories on a backpacking trip than you do at home, so don’t skimp on calories. Be sure to bring snacks you can eat on the go. And pack a treat or two – I like to bring a little bit of chocolate as a reward for tough days.

Leave a Trip Plan

If you get lost or hurt will anyone know where to look for you? Will they even know you are missing? Leaving a trip plan with a family member or friend can be the difference between life or death.

Put together a trip plan that includes the names and contact info of your hiking partners, your planned route with campsite locations, and the dates you’ll be gone. Also include info about the car you’ll be leaving at the trailhead including the licence plate number. Establish a check-in time for the end of your trip. If you don’t call or text your emergency contact by the check-in time, they will know to call search and rescue.

I also carry a Garmin inReach Mini communication device. It uses satellites to let me text my family at home to let them know if I’ve changed my route or am going to be late. It also has an SOS button I can push in an emergency to call for rescue.

Step-By-Step Plan for Beginner Backpackers

If you’ve never been on a backpacking trip before, it can be tempting to jump right in. But that can result in a less-than-awesome trip. Here’s my step-by-step plan to ensure your first backpacking trip is a success. It has lots of backpacking tips for beginners.

1. Build-up your fitness

Ensure you are in good shape for hiking. Working out at the gym is great, but the best training for hiking is hiking.

Start going hiking more often, building up to longer and longer hikes with more elevation. If possible, go hiking once or twice a week. If you can’t get to the trails that often, walking in your neighbourhood (especially if it has hills) or working out at the gym on a stair climber are also good options.

2. Gather Gear and Practice Packing

Backpacking requires a fair amount of gear. Use the backpacking gear overview above and my backpacking gear checklist to see what you’ll need.

Once you have your gear, practice packing your backpack. Place heavy items in the middle, closest to your back to maintain a good centre of gravity. Put items that you won’t need until later, like your tent and sleeping bag, at the bottom. Put things you will need on the trail like snacks, water, maps, and your rain jacket in outside pockets or at the top.

3. Do Day Hikes Fully Loaded

Once you’ve got some of your gear together, take it for a hike. Load up your backpacking pack with everything you’ll need for an overnight trip. (If you don’t have all your gear yet, try stuffing your pack with clothing and pillows for bulk and bottles of water for weight.)

The extra weight of your pack will really affect your stamina. It also shifts your centre of gravity.

Choose a moderate hike (both in distance and elevation) to start, then work up to carrying your pack on harder hikes. You could also try putting your loaded pack on to walk around your neighbourhood or on the stair climber machine at the gym.

4. Do a Shake-Down Camping Trip (With a Car)

Book a night at a drive-up campground, but pretend you didn’t bring your car. Pack like you’re going backpacking. When you arrive, unload your backpack, lock your car, and try not to open it until you leave. This exercise can really help you get used to the realities of using your backpacking gear in a safe environment.

Drive-in camping is great practice for backpacking

5. Go On Your First Backpacking Trip

Pick a short and easy hike for your first time backpacking. It’s also a good idea to pick a designated backcountry campground that has pit toilets, good water access, and food storage.

If you’re near Vancouver, my book, Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia, has some great beginner backpacking trip suggestions.

So that’s everything you need to go backpacking for the first time. Do you have questions about backpacking as a beginner? Ask in the comments – I’m happy to help!

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The post Backpacking for Beginners: Tips for Getting Started appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

Best Hiking Leggings of 2025

Taryn Eyton — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:56:49 +0000

I’ve been hiking for over two decades, and for years I mostly wore hiking pants. Even though I wore leggings for running, yoga, and everyday life, I didn’t trust them for hiking since they kept getting ripped or they fell down. Enter hiking leggings!

I got a pair of hiking leggings about five years ago (followed by several more pairs), and now I love to wear leggings on hikes. They’re so comfortable!

In this post, I’ve got everything you need to know about hiking leggings including:

Recommendations for the best hiking leggings in four categories: stretch-woven leggings, reinforced leggings, durable knit leggings, and winter leggings
Why hike in leggings instead of pants? What are the pros and cons of hiking in leggings?
How to choose hiking leggings: What features should you look for?

Psst! Looking for recommendations for hiking pants instead of leggings? Head over to my Best Women’s Hiking Pants post. It has picks for every body type.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

How I Picked

There are literally thousands of pairs of leggings out there. But most are made for running, yoga, or casual wear. Some of them are fine for hiking, and if you already own leggings you like hiking in, that’s great. But in this post, I’m focusing only on leggings designed specifically for hiking.

That means that all the leggings on this list are designed to wick sweat and use durable fabric that will stand up to scrapes and scuffs. No one wants to poke a hole in their tights or sit down on a sharp rock that creates a big tear in the butt of their leggings. (Both have happened to me when hiking in running leggings!)

Hiking leggings use a few different types of construction and fabric to make them more durable than regular leggings. I’ll explain each type and give you my picks for the best hiking leggings in four different categories.

Wearing my The North Face hiking leggings at Cliff Gilker Park

Best Durable Knit Hiking Leggings

The hiking leggings in this category might look like regular running tights or yoga leggings. Like those leggings, they are made with knit fabric.

But in these hiking leggings, the knit fabric is a little thicker and made with more durable threads to resist abrasion. They also have hiking-specific features like pockets and a contoured fit.

Patagonia Pack Out Tights

Features: Durable knit fabric, thigh pockets

These Patagonia hiking leggings have a soft and stretchy fabric that is also abrasion resistant because it’s a double-knit that is a bit thicker than normal yoga tights. They also have a sweat-wicking finish and a durable odor-control treatment.

The Pack Out Tights have a wide waistband, but it is mid-rise, unlike most of the hiking tights on this list.

Two drop-in thigh pockets are big enough to hold your phone and a zippered pocket at the hip holds keys or cards.

Psst: These leggings are also available in plus sizes. If you’re looking for a more durable version, check out the Patagonia Pack Out Hike Tights (reviewed below).

Check prices:

Patagonia

Patagonia Canada

Ibez Lizzi Tights

Features: Compression fit, big thigh pockets, made with anti-itch, anti-microbial merino wool fabric

I got a pair of these Ibex Lizzi merino wool hiking leggings a few years ago and I like them a lot. To be honest, I was pretty skeptical of them at first. Merino wool is not known for being a durable fabric so I thought they would get ripped easily. (Read my guide to whether Merino wool is worth it for my strong opinions on Merino wool.)

I’m happy to report that they have stood up quite well – no rips or tears yet! They are made with merino wool that is blended with nylon, which adds lots of strength, and elastane for stretch.

I do find that the fabric is quite thick (which it likely has to be for durability) so they run a little hotter than many other hiking tights. I only wear them in spring and fall or mild winter weather.

The fit is pretty good too, with a wide waistband that stays in place. The side pockets are big enough to comfortably fit my phone.

Check prices:

Ibex

Eddie Bauer Trail Tight Leggings

Features: Compression fit, moisture-wicking fabric, odor-control treatment, zippered thigh pockets

I’ve had a pair of these Eddie Bauer hiking leggings for a few years and I wear them fairly often on easier hikes.

While they are more durable than regular running leggings, they aren’t as abrasion-resistant as some other tights on this list so I don’t wear them if I expect any rock scrambling or brush.

The compression fit and high-rise waist holds them in place while I hike, which I like.

The thigh pockets have zippers, which makes it a little harder to get my phone in and out, but also holds it a lot more securely.

Psst: They’re also available in plus sizes.

Check prices:

Eddie Bauer

Eddie Bauer Canada

Best Reinforced Hiking Leggings

If you’re looking for tights that are a bit more durable, check out reinforced leggings for hiking. These hiking tights have fabric overlays or treatments on high-wear areas like the knees and butt. That makes them much more abrasion-resistant.

Fjallraven Abisko Trekking Tights

Features: Reinforced patches on knees and seat, lots of pockets

I’ve had a pair of these Fjallraven Abisko tights for the last couple of years and they’ve made their way into my regular hiking pants rotation. I even took them as my primary bottoms on my week-long Bowron Lakes Canoe Trip.

The main material is soft and stretchy like running tights. But they have reinforced fabric on the knees and butt since those are the places where you’re most likely to rip your leggings.

The other thing that I love about these hiking leggings is all the pockets. Both the thigh pockets are big enough to hold my phone. They also have a little loop for attaching your keys. I used it on my canoe trip to clip on my phone leash – that way it was impossible to drop my phone in the lake!

The wide waistband is also really comfortable and has a drawstring.

These hiking tights are definitely on the spendy side, but after wearing them a ton, I think they’re worth it.

Check prices: