5 Hiking Items I Wish I Would Have Purchased Sooner
As I was sifting through my spam mail (infinite from this site, as bots are the best readers I have), I was thinking about Christmas gifts that I could use for hiking. Zero came to mind, other than having to get some tent repairs through Big Agnes, but that did get me thinking about my favorite hiking gear that I wish I’d gotten sooner. I decided to wait until after the 1st week of December so that no one would think this is one of those weird affiliate-marketing/moneymaker posts, and NONE of the links here get me any money/notice/kickbacks. (Note: all my bot visitors, all of which I appreciate, make me only negative money/year.)
- 1. Creepers Merino Wool Toe Socks.
- 2. Topo MTN Racer 3 Shoes.
- 3. Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 60-80L.
- 4. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 1.
- 5. Pinnacle Foods Meals.
1. Creepers Merino Wool Toe Socks.
As I have detailed a million times, I have issues with chafing, rubbing, and developing blisters and hot spots. Creepers socks are my wife’s favorite, period, though I only use them for hiking, as I don’t like taking the time in the mornings to put my toes in the holes. For hiking, however, there is no one item that has improved my life more than these socks. When using Creepers, I get ZERO blisters. Zero areas of dermis that have just rubbed away. No. More. Sock. Induced. Foot. Pain.
Now if you’d asked me before I bought these socks, I would have said that my foot issues were 90% shoe and 10% sock, but since then, I’ve decided that they were almost exclusively caused by using standard socks, with the shoes exacerbating the problem.
2. Topo MTN Racer 3 Shoes.
I can sum this one up pretty well: it’s a shoe that works well in rough, off-trail terrain, doesn’t lose grip in mud/snow/rain, and feels wonderful. These have held up well for me. The biggest benefit over other shoes? The toebox is shaped the same as one’s foot splay, so your toes won’t get mashed together as much. These shoes really improved my hiking experience by limiting compression on my big and pinky toes.
3. Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 60-80L.
You don’t see many of these packs on the trail, and I bought one because I found it for cheap and was looking for a high-volume bag that wouldn’t weigh a ton. I happened upon a quick mention from some guy who had used this pack in the Winds (my home range) and loved it, so I took a small chance a grabbed one for myself. I’ve been in love ever since. Why? For many reasons:
- It splits the difference between ultralight and standard bags
- It’s rugged (though I do wonder about the internal wishbone structure at times)
- It has thoughtful compartments without going wild and adding weight
- It costs half of what an Osprey does (yeah, yeah, the warranty, but for what it is, I’m ok with it)
- It doesn’t cause me to lose balance and seems to ride with my motion incredibly well
- I love how if feels and how light it is, without feeling like I need to protect it from abuse
4. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 1.
Yeah, just a non-ultralight tent, but much like the above Flex Capacitor, it seems like they really found a winner by splitting the difference. It can also be had for pretty cheap, if you’re cheap like me. Ahem…
I feel like a pirate in a palace in this tent without worrying too much about damaging it (unless my mom is actively breaking it). It’s roomy, handles the worst storms with ease, free-standing, takes up no room, has a thoughtful interior, and I don’t feel it on my back much. What’s not to like? (Note: Get the footprint. I used various slick-deal tools to get one for free.)
5. Pinnacle Foods Meals.
Specifically, the Herb Roasted Chicken and White Cheddar Biscuit Dumplings meal is just the best food on the trail. Real food. No weird meat cubes. The downside is of course the price, but hey, hiking is vacation for me, so it’s not exactly breaking the bank to take one or two for a week’s trip. My daughter loves the Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Penne Pasta, and my wife loves every single one of their breakfast meals. The calorie/weight ratio is pretty good, but mostly I love them because they rehydrate well and come across as truly real food that my mom might have made at home.
If you’re not a bot and have a thought (ugh) on what you’d have for your list, let me know. It will be easier for me than perusing obscure forums to find a random snippet about a backpack that later becomes my favorite.
