Hiking has become such an important part of our lives since we have moved from Michigan to Nevada. We are surrounded by beautiful trails and the choices are endless. Hiking not only transforms your health physically, but it also transforms your health mentally. But here are a few of our favorite day hike accessories to ensure you have the best hike!

Keeping hydrated is a must on those hikes. Instead of carrying water bottles we purchased the Camelbak hiking hydration packs. They average anywhere between 50-100oz of water. You can purchase more water reservoirs for longer hikes, just check the stats of your pack you purchased to see how many it can hold! Both of our packs have vented backs which allows for ventilation to keep us cool and comfortable throughout our hikes. Our packs also have multiple zipper pockets to hold food, Chapstick, sunscreen, etc. 

Have a hydration pack that isn't Camelbak and recommend it more? Let us know so we can test it our ourselves! 

One of the number one hiking accessory you need will be a good pair of hiking shoes/boots. Trails vary from flat, to rugged terrain often. Depending on where you are hiking there will generally be moisture of some sort on the trail, leftover snow melt, rain, mud etc. With so many brands to choose from where do you even begin? We personally both have waterproof Oboz's. They are waterproof which is important for moisture, as the last thing you want is your feet getting wet and then having to continue to hike. They are supportive of your ankles as this is key when dealing with hiking terrain as it is uneven and rocky through sections sometimes making it easy to slip. Going along with this, our shoes also have great grips so we are not sliding as much on the terrain to protect ourselves from falling. 

Let us know which hiking shoe or boot is your favorite and why!

You are probably thinking how is this section in any way correlated with hiking!? Hear us out..we have our own pictures printed and framed all throughout our house to remind us of the beautiful places we have been together. We use a small flexible tripod stand that is perfect for holding both your GoPro, or your phone to take that perfect picture/video. No more having to ask strangers. The whole "asking a stranger" tactic can be pretty difficult on a less traveled trail.  

Share with us some of your favorite pictures that were taken from one of your hikes!

If you have read any of our other blogs it probably mentions sun protection of some kind at least once. This is because this is the most forgotten thing when we are doing these outdoor adventures! It doesn't matter what skin tone you are, skin cancer doesn't discriminate. We always bring sunscreen, hats, SPF clothing, sunglasses, and also the top forgotten sun protection Chapstick with SPF! YOUR LIPS CAN GET SUNBURN! We also have been trying to live a less toxic lifestyle and paying close attention to the ingredients in our products. This Sun Bum sunscreen is cruelty free and safe for the coral reef. 

Often people forget to dress in layers on their hike, especially in summer. Our mentality if it is warm out we will automatically assume to dress in light layers. As we hike and increase in elevation the cool air will make you want more layers. We always start off with or bring a light sweater, and wear lightweight hiking pants that can be rolled up if needed. Our favorite brands for affordable outdoor clothing that offer UPF of 50 are Patagonia, KUHL, Columbia, and Eddie Bauer.

Have you made the mistake of not packing layers on a hike before?

This App is a MUST. Even on trails we have done before we make sure to search for the trail on the App to make sure we never get lost. The App will be your guide to discover hiking trails near you. It allows you to search based on location, difficulty, and length. It provides GPS driving instructions to ensure you start in the correct location, and tracks your location offline on the trail map on the App to ensure you stay on the trail. 

Let us know if we missed anything that is apart of your day hike accessories!