More and more people enjoy the simple, wholesome fun of hiking. Hiking is simple, affordable, healthy and emotionally rewarding way to spend a vacation or a long weekend – and you don’t need to visit a travel agent.

Experienced hikers will always tell you that there are no little or disregarded details when you pack the hiking gear, especially tents and camping stoves. Even the little mistake in your hiking equipment may result in injury or at least in discomfort and general negative experience. To fully enjoy your hiking trip you must prepare beforehand. Right hiking gear and clothing, properly and economically packed backpack, positive mood and good fitness – all these elements of a hiking trip are equally important.

Hiking boots are the most important part of your hiking gear. The right footwear will serve you longer and take you farther and safer than any training shoes or sneakers will. You can wear a cheaper pair of pants or an old t-shirt, but a good reliable pair of hiking shoes or boots should be as expensive as you can afford.

Many people consider their jackets are the most important clothing item for a hiker, especially in the colder periods of the year. A hiking jacket can be a true lifesaver if you choose it right. A Gore-Tex top layer can shield you from cold, wet, and wind. Many hiking jacket manufacturer use a layering approach in their jackets, so that an outer shell layer becomes not an insulation, but is meant to go over insulating clothing like fleece that you wear next to it. Underneath a Gore-Tex layer your can wear a lightweight and even trendy fleece jacket that you can use in warmer months and for other sport activities too.

Hiking tents are a must if you plan to hike in mountain regions in three seasons - spring, summer, and fall. Hiking tents can be used for protection from storms, winds, small animals and insects. Along with a tent pack a sleeping bag and an insulating ground pad which also brings warmth and insulation.

A lightweight, dependable backpacking stove is much easier to use than a campfire which are often prohibited in certain areas. A camping stove manufactured by such trustworthy brands as Primus and Coleman, are basically a fuel container and a fire faucet with burner grates. These grates can often collapse to allow for compact storage. More expensive models even have an electronic ignition so you won’t need matches or lighter. But pack them anyway. A newer variety is a storm cooker which basically consists of a spirit burner with windshield and handle and a pot or pan for cooking. These stoves are lightweight and don’t require carrying a gas container.

The newest models of camping stoves are environmentally friendly, odor-free, and flexible. To cook and eat take a pot, spoon, and a cup. To start the camping stove, lighters are more reliable than matches. Take more fuel than you initially planned – camping stoves “eat” more fuel in cold weather. Check and fire up your camping stove, and double check your hiking gear and equipment using a hiking checklist. 

 Other news