Hiking Gear for a Hard Summer Hike

The #1 thing on my list of 12 Fun Things to Do in the Summer is to go hiking, so last weekend I set out on the White trail at Fishkill Ridge. It’s a moderate to hard hike with a lovely waterfall close to the base – lots of steep climbs, a 1000+ foot elevation gain and rock scrambles. It was a last minute decision, and what took the most time was making sure that I had good hiking gear, appropriate for a hard hike – and for my beginner status, I think I did pretty well.

In the Hiking Bag

Hiking Gear

Tote. One day, I’ll get a big girl hiking bag. For now, I grab whatever tote bag is laying around. This one is courtesy of my brother who’s running club organizes the Reggae Marathon in Jamaica.

Cutters Backwoods Insect Repellant. I am a bug MAGNET! Those suckers love this juicy Caribbean blood so bug spray is a must. I don’t actually carry it in my bag – instead, it’s in my car, and I spray all over right before the hike.

Camelbak Water Bottle. A long hard hike requires as much water as possible. I drank every last drop of water on this hike.

Shades. I don’t remember where I got these sunnies, but they are wraparound and awesome for hiking, running and biking.

Larabar Renola (not pictured). I ate 2 packs – I love these things, but reserve them for hikes as they are calorie intense (200).

Hiking Wear

Hiking Wear

Nike Womens 6″ Inseam Dri-FIT Walking Shorts. On a hot summer day, I’m not wearing pants hiking, but these shorts almost reach my knees. I’m a tall girl at 5’10” – and on a hike, longer shorts that cover more of my skin is preferred.

Reebok All Sport Athletic Knee High Socks. Moisture-wicking and pulled up to the knees. It’s that skin coverage thing I’m talking about.

Women’s HeatGear Armour Loose Tank. When the sun is at it’s peak, a tank top is preferable as I sweat to death during all physical activity. I was drenched!!

Danskin Now Women’s High-Impact Active Sport Bra. Also has moisture-wicking properties and is quick drying.

Garmin 920XT Watch. My phone battery was very low, so I used my Garmin to track distance and elevation gain. Of course, it also tracked time, pace and other cool stuff.

Columbia Women’s Redmond Hiking Shoes. Waterproof … did I mention there was a waterfall that we had to cross at the base.


As I mentioned before, hiking is #1 on my list of 12 Fun Things to Do in the Summer. This hike also covers #9 – Explore, go someplace new.

Do you have any recommendations for your favorite hiking gear? What’s your favorite outdoor activity in the summer?

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// Comments //

  1. maria helena

    Jul 12

    A small first aid kit is always a good thing to bring 🙂

// Trackbacks & Pingbacks //

  1. […] Tanya … My husband has finally bitten the outdoor bug, and we’ve been walking a lot on the local trails. No hikes for him yet – but I’ll start scoping out some places in our new state this weekend to get him into it slowly but surely. I’m still using some of the things I tried last year, and mentioned in Hiking Gear for a Hard Summer Hike. […]