A Hiker’s Guide to Shopping for Essential Backpacking Gear

Written by Emilee Unterkoefler

Once you’ve accomplished several day hikes, that itch for a little more adventure might need to be scratched. Multiday hikes and backpacking trips are the next logical (and exciting) step, but you’ll definitely need more gear.

If you’ve been hiking for some time, you probably already have a solid idea of what all you’d pack for a normal day hike, like reliable footwear, for example.

For this list, we’re focusing on the gear you’d want to take if you’ll be spending the night outdoors. However, this will build on the list of items you normally take on a day hike.

Sleeping pads, tents, and cooking tools are all things you’ll want to consider, and after several backpacking trips along the Appalachian trail, we’ve got plenty of reliable recommendations for you.

If your interested in learning more about backpacking & choosing the right backpacking gear essentials, head here.