no. 24: take a hike.
no, really. my ultimate guide to getting started in the outdoors, including my obsessively researched gear recommendations, and tips for getting outdoors with dogs and kids.
If you've been following for a while you’ll know that while hiking and backpacking are a huge part of my life now, it wasn’t always that way. I liked the outdoors, but a deep, pervasive sense of being a beginner held me back from identifying *as a hiker*. From social media and pop culture, I had the sense that hikers were made in childhood, growing up scaling peaks in the mountain west and pacific northwest, clad in techy, waterproof gear.
While I grew up running and walking on trails around my house, there aren’t major mountains in Georgia, and I didn’t do much camping beyond the kind in platform tents for the Girl Scouts. Despite being a seasoned distance runner, my discomfort and apprehension when my now husband Mark would propose a five, six, ten mile hike, or a weekend camping in Big Sur stemmed from a lack of experience, and fear of asking stupid questions. I would drag my heels, grumbling (and occasionally stumbling and sliding in shoes meant for road running), but over time the exhilaration of new views, peaks and experiences chipped away until there was nothing but unbridled enthusiasm.
I have spent the last ten years braving *all the questions* learning how to hike and camp, going from essentially a beginner to summiting Mount Kilimanjaro on a multi-day backpacking trip. I’ve collected all my questions, and all your questions, into one big Hiking and Camping 101 post, with all the information, tips and tricks I’ve gathered over the past few years. I’m an enthusiast but I’m not an expert, so I’ve also included “resource roundups” throughout the article pointing you to additional resources, especially when it comes to safety and technical skill.
This post is a long one, and I think it might be the first issue of earlybird that I’m going to tell you not to treat like a newsletter. I HIGHLY recommend you check out this issue in a browser: I’ve organized by category (and done my best to utilize jumplinks here so you’re able to directly jump to the sections you want to start with) Otherwise: scroll around and reference as you need!
getting started: finding trails and campsites, my hiking gear and camping gear, hiking etiquette and best practices, and leave no trace
food & snacks: because if you’re going to sleep outside there had better be snacks.
leveling up: knowing when you’re “ready” for something harder, training for elevation, and training for a “big trek”
can I bring a +1? The NUMBER ONE most requested topic: DOGS AND BABIES. Includes how we got started, training, logistics and other considerations, practical things (food, managing waste), and of course: ALL THE GEAR.
*the* earlybird gear list - this post, in spreadsheet form.
If you take nothing else away from this absolute NOVEL of a post, I want to be sure to say that hiking doesn’t need to be hard or intimidating: it doesn’t need to grand vistas on the top of snow capped mountains or over sparkling blue waters. The hiking that I did for the first 20 something years of my life was just around the corner from my house. The hike I did most frequently in Los Angeles was a fire road about 15 minutes our apartment, mostly full of scrubby brushes and not much else, but I loved it. I had been hiking plenty before, but one day after a really bad day at work I just got in the car, drove to the trail head and walked into nature and it was like something clicked. Being in nature and moving my body for no other reason than to see and feel and experience has been life changing.
Happy trails,
GETTING STARTED:
I have been in and around hiking trails since I was little (I grew up next to a National Battlefield park outside of Atlanta, and used to run on the trails for cross country, or hike up the trails with my family on a semi-regular basis) but didn’t start hiking with any consistency or intensity until I moved to California.
If you have never been hiking before, or haven’t been hiking “seriously” (I’m rolling my eyes but you know what I mean) it can all seem a little overwhelming. Where do you go? What do you bring? What if you get lost? I’m think I pull together everything I know in this and the next set of blog posts, and I really hope it will help get up on the trail!
To make sure we’re all on the same page, This post primarily covers day hiking, which just means a hike that doesn’t require anything overnight. Usually you’ll wake up, drive to your trailhead (where the trail begins!), hike, and drive home the same day with - no tents required.
In addition to day hikes, there are a few other kinds of hiking and camping that I might mention, but not completely go into detail on:
Car Camping: isn’t the most celebrated kind of camping on the ‘gram, but it’s most of the camping that I do: at a campsite you can drive to. It’s an affordable, accessible way to get into camping, and frequently works as a logistical solution to hikes that are an unreasonable distance for a day hike, but works well for a longer weekend.
Backpacking: Hiking of any distance or duration + camping out “in the wild”. This is typically a more complicated kind of hiking to get into, just because there is some gear involved if you’re just starting out, and logistics can have a learning curve.
I don’t go as in depth into the “how” of camping or backpacking here: I tried, but this post got unreasonably long and I had to call it! I’m working on a stand alone post for camping logistics and beginner backpacking, but if you can’t wait until then, my planning posts for Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Patagonia W Trek actually include SO much of that information:
FIRST THINGS FIRST: FIND A HIKING BUDDY:
It is safer and more fun to go with other people! It is always a good idea to bring a hiking buddy, and to make sure that at least one person not out with you knows where you are. Better safe than sorry!
One caveat to the “hiking is more fun with friends” thing: I have been on several hikes where trails were overrun by huge groups, congesting the trail, and making it hard for smaller groups to pass or move through. If you are hiking with a group larger than a handful of people, encourage the rest of your group to split into small groups to prevent traffic jams.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE:
Especially somewhere like Washington where there are literally thousands of state and national park trails, finding a trail might seem a little overwhelming. There are lots of great online resources for finding trails that are nearby and within your desired difficulty level. Most allow you to search by location (distance away or a specific area), distance, elevation, and by difficulty level from Easy to Expert.
Some of my resources to find and learn about trails::
You can find other resources for trails specific to your areas with a simple online search. Most of these resources allow you to also filter by other things like dog and kid friendly, the accessibility of the trailhead, whether or not the trail has ADA accessible elements or features, and some even enable filtering by features like views or waterfalls.
We usually pair a camping weekend with day hikes in a similar area, and love car camping at state and national parks. Shoutout to public lands for making outdoor access accessible and easy - these campsites have low-cost online reservations, drive up camping spots that include a place to park, a place for your tent, a fire pit, and (usually) a picnic table. Most campsites have bathrooms (either flush or pit toilets, but also sometimes showers!) and running water.
The two best resources I recommend for finding campsites:
Recreation.Gov: the number one place to find campsites and make reservations (this is also where you can get permits for backpacking and other limited entry public lands).
Your state parks department: Washington State Parks Reservation Site is all time and has so many great resources!
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING YOUR HIKES:
Your current level of fitness and comfort with distance and elevation.
Location, time of year and time of day: Hiking on a desert trail at 10 am in July is a much different experience than hiking on that same trail at dusk in December, with different weather, safety concerns, and gear needs. Do your research on the current trail conditions, the weather the day you plan to hike, and the amount of daylight you’ll have.
Whether you plan to do a day hike, car camp, or backpack.
Any permits, seasonal restrictions or passes necessary.
DO I NEED A BUNCH OF STUFF?
I will be the first to tell you that you don’t need fancy gear to start hiking. Especially if you have some experience running or other higher intensity outdoor workouts, a lot of technical apparel can serve multiple purposes. After all, a good amount of hiking is just… walking up and down hills. But, there are some needs that might be specific to hiking and camping: that you should consider if you want to get more into it.
MY HIKING GEAR:
Shoes / Boots: I bought my first pair of hiking boots in 2019 and firmly believe that footwear is 1000000% personal preference. You need to walk around in your shoes and make sure that you like them before you try to climb a mountain in them. Please please please don’t buy shoes because someone you saw on instagram was wearing them (even me). When looking for hiking shoes, you’ll want to consider the terrain you’ll be on (sand, gravel/rocks, wood chips, packed dirt / roots), the season and the weather that is associated with that (is it muddy? Snowy? Icy? Slippery? Are there any temperature concerns?). I have bought the same pair of boots multiple times, so I will share which one because I genuinely love them and would point you to them as a solid starting point!
La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX Hiking Boots. My Ride or dies, currently wear them for everything, but they work well especially for longer hikes or more difficult/ varied terrain like larger rocks, snow, slush or mud, small creek crossings. After all of my years hiking in Washington, plus two international backpacking trips, I’ll likely wear them forever.
New Balance Summit Unknown Trail Shoes. My back-ups for more casual outings - good for summer hikes where waterproof-ness is less of a concern. I like them for trails that are mainly dirt / roots and smaller rocks. Good for scrambles, and were great when we lived in LA and it was very hot and dry.
RESOURCE ROUND UP: Learn more from the folks at REI and Backcountry.
clothes:
Similar to running, there are two most important things about what you wear when hiking: #1 it’s comfortable, and #2 it can be layered! My typical hiking outfit is almost the same thing every time. something like:
Socks + shoes: I’m a big fan of mid-calf length smartwool socks with my boots - I have lightweight ones for summer, and thicker ones I’ll wear on longer hikes and during the fall and winter.
Base layer / next to skin layer:
Sports bra
Close fitting tank in a dri-fit / technical material
Leggings (my go to - I prefer the Wundertrain Highrise with Pockets) or shorts (I like the Patagonia 4” baggies or the Outdoor Voices RecTrek shorts)
Longsleeve shirt in a technical fabric. (warm for winter, something lightweight with a hood for summer!)
Hiking pants: I usually just opt for leggings, but have a few pairs I like / have a waterproof pair that I actually love).
Insulation: Season and weather dependent. There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!
Fall & Spring: In WA we have a lot of seasonal weather changes, and fall and spring tend to get the most of it. Be prepared for cooler temps and intermittent showers.
I like a down insulated running vest over my longsleeve OR a mid-weight fleece pullover
Summer: I usually start dressed exactly the same in summer as Fall in WA, and just end up shedding layers as the hike goes on.
Winter: We don’t get a ton of winter snow in Seattle but you sure do in the mountains, where it can be anywhere from 10 to 30 degrees colder than at sea level.
Fully insulated down jacket - I have the Cerium Hoody from Arc’Teryx (purchased in 2021 for our Kilimanjaro summit, and insulated accordingly)
ALWAYS bring winter accessories like hats, gloves/mittens or a scarf/face cover for wind.
Rain gear: Always bring a waterproof rain jacket! I truly detest being wet, but more importantly there is a safety risk to getting cold and being unable to warm up.
Just waterproof - usually layer it over other colder weather gear, or on it’s own when it’s warm) : Patagonia Torrentshell is extremely packable and has held up well over 5+ years.
Waterproof and warm - I like the Lululemon Cross Chill Jacket with a thicker baselayer for wet hikes down to about 40 degrees.
Hiking Pack: I pretty much always bring a lightweight backpack style bag with some basics in it:
My current bags : REI Flash Pack 22L or the Gregory Jade 28L backpack (best for longer hikes, or hikes where you need to carry more gear and water)
Hat / sunglasses / gloves
Rain layer / extra layer (a good habit to get in, even if you just carry it around. I swap my layers out seasonally so there is a “just in case” option always in the bag)
Sunscreen (SPF 35 + always -- have you ever gotten sunburned on the backs of your knees? it ‘s terrible).
Reusable Waterbottle(s) - you are so much better off bringing too much water and not finishing it than not bringing enough.
SNACKS (more on that later).
Phone and or Camera (in a waterproof bag, seasonally).
RESOURCE ROUND UP: REI has a great article expanding on all of this and a bunch of other things about hiking gear for beginners, linked here. There are some good resources on gear to get started backpacking, linked here, here , and here.
I’m also a big fan of second hand gear: I have tons from REI Re/Supply and Wonderland Gear Exchange in Seattle
So, how do you “know” how to hike?!
So you have your hike, and your buddy and your stuff. You make it to your trailhead (the start of the trail ;)) and you’re ready to hit the road … Now what? Some of it might feel like common sense, but there are some general guidelines for behavior on the trails that you should be aware of.
SAFETY
A huge part of enjoying the outdoors is doing so safely. I am not an outdoor safety expert, but a few things that are always top of my mind;
Water: Hydration is so important! A good rule of thumb is about one half-liter of water per hour of moderate activity in moderate temperatures.
For most day hikes, you should be able to carry the water that you need in a large water bottle or water reservoir. (we always leave extra water in the car for the end as well!)
For car camping, many campsites have potable (drinkable) water. Always double check before you go.
For backpacking, it is unlikely that you’ll be able to carry all the water you need AND all of your gear. The best practice is to treat water from any source via filtration, a purification drop or tablet, or boiling. More here from REI.
Personal health and safety: Be vigilant about the weather and ensure you have enough food and appropriate clothing. As above: layers are key! Ensure you have at least a basic first aid kit and general knowledge of how to use it. Ensure that someone knows where you are going, and when you are supposed to return. Many trails have spotty or unreliable service: plan ahead to download maps, text or call folks you need to communicate with.
Wildlife safety: Double and triple check if you’ll be going into bear country, and bring bear spray when appropriate. When camping, ensure you bring a bear canister or place all food and scented items into provided bear boxes.
Terrain and Weather considerations: Winter hiking is gorgeous, but can be far more dangerous than summer, with risk of avalanche and cold exposure. WTA has excellent Winter Safety Tips and links I always come back to when planning, as does the National Parks
RESOURCE ROUNDUP:
Wildlife safety tips - How much do you know about bears?, How to keep your dog (and yourself) safe in bear country.
TRAIL ETIQUETTE
Most Trail Etiquette can be summed up in Leave No Trace principles (below) but a few specific things that are important to note:
Follow basic right of way rules: People with more maneuverability should yield the right of way. (What does this mean? if you have more agility to move than say, a parent with a child in a carry pack and a child running down the hill, you should move to allow all of them to pass.) Hikers going uphill have the right of way (and those going downhill should yield, meaning that they should pull off to the side in order to allow the hikers going up hill to continue through safely. Stay on the trail when passing to avoid trail erosion.
Do what you can to protect the environment:
Pack out your trash -- all of it: Even things that are “technically” biodegradable like apple cores or banana peels can be damaging to wildlife and the ecosystem, not to mention the impact of single use plastics and other trash.
The environment includes the atmosphere on the trail. Do your best to be friendly and polite - greet other hikers. avoid excessive noise, loud music, yelling or swearing or graffiti of any kind (paint, carvings, etc).
Don’t feed the animals: sure, that little chipmunk looks like he escaped from a disney movie, and it might be a cool photo to hold out some bread to the birdies, but you can do serious damage to animals ( as well as other people) by feeding them.
Remember that you are responsible for your dog as well: ensuring they Leave No Trace and that you are following best practices, permitting and permissions for having your dog with you. (more on that below!)
LEAVE NO TRACE:
In addition to basic trail etiquette, a lot of the online conversation about the outdoors talks about “Leave No Trace” an organization, a movement and a set of guidelines for minimizing the impact while we enjoy our natural world. From reducing trash and pollution in natural areas and water, preventing misinformation in the outdoors, and devastating issues like wildlife safety, fires, and trail erosion. LNT aims to connect people (especially young people) to nature, while reducing the harm done to our natural areas. The Principles of LNT are:
Plan ahead and prepare
Travel and camp on durable surfaces
Dispose of waste properly
Leave what you find
Minimize the impact of campfires
Respect wildlife
Be considerate of other visitors
THREE PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO LNT:
Don’t do it for the ‘gram: recommendation for safety and media guidelines like not specifically geotagging a trail or lookout, OR not compromising your or other’s safety to “get the shot”.
Minimize personal pollution - including but not limited to noise, drones, loud music, trash, etc.
Give back: it’s not just enough to like hiking. Outdoor enthusiasts should donate, volunteer or lobby for continued production of public lands with representatives.
WHAT DO WE EAT WHEN HIKING AND CAMPING?
We are super lucky in Seattle to have a ton of hikes within reasonable driving distance (~ under 2 hours) which makes day hikes super easy for us. My meal plan for day hikes is pretty much always the same:
Breakfast: either a perfect bar/gomacro/rx bar or ½ peanut butter and raspberry jelly sandwich and an iced coffee in the car on the way to the hike.
Snacks: always during the hike, usually at the “look at this pretty view” section + water during.
Post- hike “Lunch”: (not sure that this counts if it’s at 4 pm but): If we didn’t bring a lunch for the hike, Mark and I used to always go to In n Out in CA and now in WA we often go to TacoBell before we head home. It might not be the pinnacle of health or fine dining but I promise you there is nothing like slamming a black bean crunchwrap after 12 miles and an alpine lake. Pure Bliss!
FAVORITE HIKING SNACKS:
Whether we are on a short hike or a week long backpacking trip, our snack approaches are pretty much the same.
Me (Vegetarian):
Cold brew / instant coffee
Dried Mango
Wild Friends or RX Single Serve Nut Butter Packets (Peanut Cashew Super Butter or Vanilla Almond are my faves) + Apples.
Louisville Vegan Jerky Company (Carolina Smoked BBQ Flavor is so good)
Seasoned roasted chickpeas (you can buy ahead or make your own!).
Fresh fruit / veggies (baby carrots travel surprisingly well y’all) + nuts
Bars (Mostly go macro or perfect bar)
Depending on the hike and the day, I’ve also done things like bringing an entire “not sad desk lunch” style salad in a tupperware in my backpack. It was aggressive and I don’t regret it.
Mark (Omnivore)
Trader Joe’s Inca Corn
Beef Jerky (All kinds).
At least half of my mango.
Trail Mix (extra M&Ms, always)
Baby (Omnivore):
Water
Apple Slices, Nut Butter Packets
Cheese sticks
PB or cheese sandwich
Cerebelly bars or pouches
Minnie (Dog):
So. Much. Water.
Kibble
Scooby Snacks (we use these ones for training)
Minnie really likes fruits and veggies, especially apples, snap peas, carrots and blueberries - we always give her some of ours.
FOR CAMPING MEALS:
Mark and I tend towards things that are pre-cooked and either frozen or canned and just need to be heated up on a camp stove rather than actually cooked all the way. We have a 35L Yeti cooler, and have found we can fit enough food for a whole weekend in the car (and shockingly, the cooler keeps it cold the whole time).
Lunch: I’m a big fan of wraps and sandwiches plus fruit / dried fruit and nuts for lunch. If you’re out more than one day, recommend the fresher sandwiches early (i like a halloumi or feta + sliced veggie and hummus sandwich) and the more stable ones (peanut butter + jam) for days 2-3. If you’re in a time crunch, the pre-made sandwich section from Trader Joe’s has some really excellent options that travel well- just be sure to pack out your trash with you.
Dinner: Our standard level of effort: we love tacos (seasoned black beans or chickpeas + already cooked peppers and onions + tortillas) and tend to bring that for most trips. When it’s colder, or we’re feeling more lazy, we’ll bring canned soup / stews + a fresh loaf of bread and some cheese.
Depending on how long the trip is, we’ll usually bring along extras like chips or cut up veggies and a tupperware of guacamole or hummus, beer or canned cocktail plus something sweet for dessert. When we go with friends, we’re more likely to go all out because we can potluck it a bit.
Breakfast: I almost always bring instant coffee or a camping pourover. Neither Mark or I are big breakfast people, but I usually bring along a protein bar or oatmeal and some fruit.
I will say: In our youth we optimized our weekend camping trips for efficiency and adventure: we were sleeping in the woods in the service of our BIG HIKES for BIG VIEWS and we were not at all there to hang out. We’d frequently get in late on a Friday night and set up in the dark, only to get up early the next morning for a big hike, only to return close to dusk, eat a quick dinner and sleep. We have slowed down quite a bit recently, and have been lucky enough to camp with friends who make it luxurious and y’all I might just be a convert. Cast iron apple crumble over the fire? Reading 8 chapters of a book by the fire while baby naps? Count me in!
A NOTE ON SAFETY: Eating good in the woods is important, but so is safety when it comes to food handling and wildlife. When car camping, don’t leave food unattended (on picnic tables, in tents), and always store perishable items in a closed cooler. At night, food and coolers should be stored in a mental bear boxes if they are available. When backpacking, we choose to use bear canisters for all food and other aromatics (toiletries, chapstick, etc). They’re a heavy duty plastic canister with the world’s hardest childproof lid, and we always place them 100+ yards from our tents at night. This resource from REI and this one from the National Park Service are both great places to start.
NEXT STEPS: LEVELING UP!
HOW AND WHEN DID I KNOW I WAS READY FOR HARD OR EXPERIENCE DEPENDENT TRAILS?
I’m not sure if there ever was a time that I was like “I’m ready to do a really hard hike now!”. I think as we started to really think about hiking as something we enjoyed, we started to seek out hikes that seemed more exciting or offered a big “reward” in terms of a view - most of which were somewhat harder in terms of distance and elevation gain. The biggest jump from “hiking is cool” to “you just did a serious hike” for me was probably our trip to Zion (two fairly difficult hikes back to back) and our Yosemite trip where we did Cloud’s Rest.
HOW DO I TRAIN FOR ELEVATION GAIN?
I’m pretty spoiled because there is a huge array of options in Seattle, and my usual hikes range can be anywhere from +1000s to +4000s in gain - there are nothing but options to practice climbing. But beyond just getting out and doing the hikes, I think one of the best ways I got ready for elevation gain was actually through strength training during my regular weekly workouts.
The Trail Sisters Blog has a great blog post on training for elevation, especially if you live somewhere flat and low.
HOW DID WE PLAN FOR AND AND PREPARE FOR A LARGE HIKING TREK?
We’ve done a few bigger multiday distance treks - Patagonia came out to something like 50 miles in 5 days, and Mt. Kilimanjaro was 42 miles and +16,000 elevation gain. Once we knew the approximate distance and elevation gains for the hike segments we would be doing on each, we made a plan to build up mileage and elevation in order to be able to comfortably meet and exceed those distance / elevation amounts for each segment. I thought about it a lot like race training — you need to build up the strength and speed for the planned distance, and you’d want to incorporate similar terrain to the race course.
I also did quite a bit of strength training via HIIT classes with functional strength and more explosive cardio components, as well as barre classes to strengthen stabilizing muscles in ankles, feet, legs and core.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP: How to get in Shape for Hiking, How to Train for a Backpacking Trip andPreparing for a Long Distance Backpacking trip. These are about long distance hiking and backpacking, but can definitely be relevant to building up to longer day hikes or weekend camping / hiking as well.
CAN I BRING A +1?
HIKING WITH YOUR DOG
Truly next to questions about boots and snacks, the most questions I ever get about hiking and camping are about dogs and babies. I’m going to go in order of experience here (since I’ve been a dog mom for six years, and a human one for only one and a half):
One of the biggest things we wanted in getting a dog was one that would be a good fit for our lifestyle-- from watching football to hiking and everything in between. And making sure that she was ready to hike with us and well trained enough to hike with us was what we spent most of her first year doing -- it wasn’t glamorous or particularly interesting from a hiking standpoint but I’m so glad that we did.
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT BRINGING A DOG HIKING?
Taking your dogs to trails and parks is a privilege, and a huge responsibility. It’s a hard truth, but it’s an important one.
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