Our Favorite Gear For the New Hiker
We have seasoned and brand new hikers in our group and "what is the best hiking gear" is a regular question we receive. We LOVE how many women are now hiking because of our group. The way you encourage each other in the group and on the trail is nothing short of incredible. Our new hikers are often asking what is the best gear for someone new on the trail. We’ve put together this list of some of our personal favorites.
Hiking Boots Or Shoes
This might be the number one question among new hikers in our group. The answer is, whatever shoe is best for you. There are so many options and everyone is different. Personally I have high top hiking boots, low top hiking boots, trail running shoes, and water hiking shoes. What I wear completely depends on the kind of hike I will be doing.
By no means do you need to go buy all of these right away. To start we always suggest going to your nearest REI to try on different kinds of hiking boots and shoes. You can wear them around the store and test them out a bit before you buy. They also have incredible return policies so even if you wear them on the trail, and still aren't happy with them, you can usually return them. (Check their return policies for details.)
My personal favorite brands are Keens for water shoes, Merrells for hiking shoes, and Brooks for trail running shoes.
Hiking Poles / Trekking Poles
Hikers either love or hate hiking poles. Personally I love my hiking poles. They’ve saved me from a dangerous fall on multiple occasions, helped me cross slippery rocks along streams, and are great for poking scat to see what creatures have walked the trail ahead of you. Aside from my personal love of them there have been several studies which suggest they have some health benefits as well.
Poles increase the demand on your upper body and also increase cardiovascular load, thus using them actually burns more calories. Some studies estimate up to 20% more
Hiking or Trekking Poles also help out on your lower joint movements and joint load, making things a little less intense for knees, ankles and hips.
Day Pack
Choosing your day pack is a personal experience. Personally, I love my Eddie Bauer Stowaway 20L Backpack. It holds my water bladder snacks, bug spray, an extra water bottle for our dog, first aid kit, and anything else I might need on a day hike. Everyone in our family has one. We added bungee cord to the front which can hold a towel or water shoes. It also folds in on itself into a little pouch which makes it super easy to toss in a suitcase for out of town hikes.
Water Bottle or Water Bladder (And Dog Water Too)
Hydration on Houston and Texas trails is so important. Between Texas heat and sun, even on short hikes its important to bring along water. The rule of thumb is 2 cups of water for every one hour of hiking. If the hike is more intense, at a higher altitude, in full sun, or at a hotter time of the year you’ll want to bring more.
If it's more than a two hour hike, I'm usually bringing my water bladder. It slides into a pouch on my Eddie Bauer daypack and the hose comes out the zippers and sides into a little loop on the shoulder strap. If its a short hike or if I know I'll need more water than what my bladder can hold, I'll also bring our Rtic water bottle.
We used to carry a collapsible dog bowl for our pup on hikes, but we found we were wasting water if she didn't drink it all. We also couldn't keep track of how much she was drinking. I found the dog water bottle below and LOVE it. A button allows the water to flow into the scoop part so they can easily drink it. If they don't drink it all, press the button again and the extra water flows back in.
First Aid Kit
It's not the most popular gear item to talk about but it's a very important addition to any day pack. A first aid kit is always a good thing to bring along on a hike, even a short hike. We have one like this that we toss in our pack every hike. Things to consider adding to this simple kit are an ace bandage and a snake bite kit.
These are items we use and love. If you take action (ie. make a purchase) after clicking one of the links above, we may earn a small commission for suggesting the item. These tiny commissions help us bring you great content. You do not pay a higher price.
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Christina (Chris) Sizemore
Chris is a Houston Women's Hiking admin, writer, artist, marketing consultant, and podcaster. She loves camping, stand up paddle boarding and exploring Texas State Parks with her family.
Thank you Chris. I have been looking for a daypack/hydration that also accommodates trekking poles. My torso measured 16.5 per REI staff so having a time finding one that fits(small enough.) Any suggestions appreciated.
I really like our Eddie Bauer one. It’s adjustable. My 6’2″ husband wears one. I’m 5’5″ and it works for me. Also our daughter who is around 4′ 11″ wears the same pack in a different color.
Thanks for the helpful hints
You’re welcome!!
This is wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to put together!
I’m so glad you found it helpful!
[…] can't tell you how many hikers I have taken into these trails, saying things like, "Wow, I never knew this was back here. You would not know you are in the […]