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Patrick
2025 Aug 4, 8:27am
Patrick
2025 Aug 4, 8:27am
I'm not much of a hiker, but wife likes to hike so we go quite a bit around here. Main thing for me is shade because I don't do well in hot sun, so I have some big hats. Just got a wide straw hat and it's great because it's light, lets some air through, and has a string so that the wind can't blow it off. Also works well at the beach.
We bought an inflatable kayak recently, and the hat works great on those outings too. The kayak easily fits in the car when not inflated, then we have a mattress inflator which plugs into the lighter power outlet in the car.
We bought an inflatable kayak recently, and the hat works great on those outings too. The kayak easily fits in the car when not inflated, then we have a mattress inflator which plugs into the lighter power outlet in the car.
2
Al_Sharpton_for_President
2025 Aug 4, 8:48am
Al_Sharpton_for_President
2025 Aug 4, 8:48am
Yeah, I always wear a hat when hiking, usually a light weight, breathable, baseball cap style hat, and then do as nature suggests, and unfasten my ponytail bungy and let the freak flag fly. That covers my back neck, shoulders and side of neck reasonably well. I do have a really neat foreign legion REI hiking hat. You can fold up and fasten the flaps into the cap itself, which is not baseball cap style, but actually looks like a German Africa Corps cap. It is khaki, and I do get some looks when wearing it that way.
A lot of the hiking trails around here are in a tree canopy, unlike a lot of the northern CA trails, but have a good deal of annoying tree roots.
A friend has an inflatable kayak as well as an inflatable paddle board. She swears by them.
A lot of the hiking trails around here are in a tree canopy, unlike a lot of the northern CA trails, but have a good deal of annoying tree roots.
A friend has an inflatable kayak as well as an inflatable paddle board. She swears by them.
So since moving from Maryland to South Carolina, I’ve gotten back into hiking. I did hike a few times in the Catoctin Mountain Park, but it was a bit of a schlep, and there were quite a few FBI glowie types about, possibly do to its proximity to Camp David, or my posts, or a combination of both.
Anyway, part of the joy of hiking is getting new gear. I am only doing 6-8 mile day hikes, so hydration is the key. I had always violated one of the cardinal rules of hiking - do not sequester your water bottle - and typically I hiked with a 1L water bottle in a fanny pack, along with snacks, medical kit, knife, compass, battery backup for my phone, headlamp, and other things. It has a wide belt and is padded, so is stable and comfortable, and was actually part of a larger backpack. In fact, my favorite setup was a minimalist fanny pack that had a back pocket for a 250 mL water bottle and two small zippered triangular side pockets for joint, lighter, and a larger rear zippered pocket for snacks. But 250 mL is not enough, so I have been using the larger fanny pack.
But now, as I am frequently hiking wth a group, I can’t say “Hold up everybody, I need to unfasten my pack and get my water bottle.", so I am buying new gear. I am astounded by the wide offering of light gear for marathoners/cyclists. All have a hydration bladder feature, and then some add additonal bells and whistles. There is also a crossover between day packs and commuter packs, with ads for these featuring laptop storage.
My criteria for a day pack included on-the-go, easy water bottle access, in addition to bladder reservoir capability, easily accessible pockets for phone, energy gels, snacks, as well, and some additonal storage capacity for a rain jacket or other things in the back. There is a bewildering array of choices, let me tell you, but the one I actually bought is the Ultimate Direction Blazek 10 L pack. https://ultimatedirection.com/blazek-10/
Coincidentally, this is the same company, which started in 1985, that made the minimalist fanny pack decribed above, that I purchased decades ago. Now what are the odds of that?
I also purchased two 250 mL collapsible water bottles that fit into the chest strap pockets, and also a 1.5 L bladder reservoir for the back.
Energy gels - I’ve gotten by using the Trader Joe’s Cliff Bar knock-offs, and while they do give a boost, they unfortunately contain sunflower oil, glycerin, and some other undesirables, so I researched energy gels, and was equally blown away by the variety. For example, who knew maple syrup was a well-accepted energy gel? (just keep them away from your kids, per reviewer’s recommendations.) https://untapped.cc/product/maple-untapped-energy-gel/
I decided to go with a honey based gel, instead, as it has added electrolytes and B vitamins. https://honeystinger.com/collections/all-energy-gels/products/gold-classic-gel
Hiking shoes. I have an old pair of boots that I bought to do Switzerland quite a while back. They are more suitable for backpacking, and while they work for day hikes, they are a bit of overkill, and also a bit old, so I took a cue from Kraig Adams and looked into trail running shoes, instead. I am a big Brooks running shoe fan, and so purchased the Brooks Divide Five Trail Runing shoe. Mucho cheapo on Amazon. Zero break-in time, nce and comfy right out of the box. Took it on a challenging short day hike and damn, were they good. Grippy, cushioned, comfy. I bought a second pair already, they are that good.
Anyway, I’ll be checking out this entire rig over the next few months to see how it works.