Summer Hiking Essentials

Summer Hiking Essentials

Thank you to Sparrow Drone (Gerrit Burke) for taking the above picture of me while we were out hiking one day! Instagram Website

Essentials for Summer Hiking
Summer Hiking is a great activity to do during the summer. Finding swimming holes is one of my family’s favorite things to do. However, staying cool and hydrated is a challenge.

There are essentials you need for summer hiking, but it’s important to remember the difference between every hiking trip when planning on what to bring. In the deep south, summers are hot (no joke). During summer we can see highs of 100 degs+ and often times the lows are still in the high 70s or low 80s even. The humidity traps the heat and can make sleeping in the woods difficult if you’re unprepared. We highly suggest quick dry breathable clothing during the summer. Below are my gear suggestions for a perfect summer camping trip.

This list can be found on Amazon
Men’s Essentials Click Here
Women’s Essentials Click Here

Find These Essentials Here (Men’s) (Women’s)

We’ve split the list into men’s and women’s lists. Non-clothing items overlap and are in both lists!

Above is a list of everything you need for summer hiking. Below is the reasoning behind each item.

A backpack is essential for carrying your gear. If the backpack is too small then you won’t have enough space to store all your equipment. If its too large it’ll just be inconvenient and get in your way. I suggest around a 22L backpack. This size also works great as a “personal item” when flying.

Choosing the right sock is incredibly important. Depending on your hike you could be going through nice dry areas with flat easy terrain, a hot humid mucky swamp hike, or rocky mountains through streams. Smartwool socks are incredibly comfortable yet the light socks keep your feet cool and quickly dry giving you dry feet without any unwanted rubbing. They are incredibly comfortable and out of all the clothing on this list, I would suggest buying these first.

Good underwear is the next article of clothing that I suggest buying first. Saxx and Exofficio are my go-to brands for hiking. These underwear are incredibly comfortable and yet very breathable. They are a bit pricey for a single pair, but they are an absolute game-changer in the outdoors.

Hiking shoes are very important. You need to choose a shoe with a solid grip that is breathable for the summer months. Of all the hiking shoes we’ve owned we’ve found that Keens hiking shoes offer great support as well as the best grip. These shoes even can grip to slippery, wet rocks. 

Staying hydrated in the summer can be tough. A nice Hydration pack gives you easy access to water as well as a convenient way to store water in your backpack. You can pack 3 liters without a clunky bottle. Pair it with a backpack with a pouch for a hydration pack and the water is always available on the trail when you want it. 

Always keep a First Aid Kit on hand!

Mosquitoes are incredibly annoying and can leave you with a not so pleasant hike. We suggest packing 100% deet. That way your pack stays light and you still have the bug spray you need to keep the mosquitoes away.

Anytime you’re in the sun, protect your skin! You know your skin better than we do, so pick what works best for you!

Water is always important. The water filter we suggest is light and easy to use. It can also be connected directly to your hydration pack allowing you to quickly fill the hydration pack with river water and have it filtered as you’re drinking it.

We love our Patagonia and Prana shorts, but any quick-drying pair of shorts will work. If you don’t have the money for an expensive brand like Patagonia or Prana, we suggest using what you have on higher-end socks, underwear, and shoes rather than shorts or a t-shirt.

Don’t go out of your way for an expensive t-shirt. Make sure it’s cool, dry-fit, and sweat-wicking and you’ll be fine. Again, focus on your socks and underwear. It’ll be a much more comfortable hike if you do! If you have the money, we love our Mountain Hardware, Colombia, and Patagonia cool dry-fit t-shirts!

Always know where you are.

All of these essentials are easily found online. Click below for the men’s and woman’s lists I personally put together on Amazon.
Men’s list
Women’s list

Essentials for Summer Camping

Essentials for Summer Camping

Essentials for Summer Camping
Summer camping is a BLAST. We like to find a campsite on top of a mountain with a slight breeze, hike during the day, swim in the lakes and rivers to cool off, and sit by the campfire at night.

There are essentials you need for summer camping, but it’s important to remember the difference between every camping trip when planning on what to bring. In the deep south, summers are hot (no joke). During summer we can see highs of 100 degs+ and often times the lows are still in the high 70s or low 80s even. The humidity traps the heat and can make sleeping in the woods difficult if you’re unprepared. We highly suggest hammock camping for summer. The light material of an Eno hammock and being off the ground keeps you from getting hot in an otherwise hot situation. I will often bring a bed sheet instead of a sleeping back, just to have the comfort of something over me without it being too hot. Below are my gear suggestions for a perfect summer camping trip.

This list can be found on Amazon by clicking here.

Find These Essentials Here

Above is a list of everything you need for summer camping. Below is the reasoning behind each item.

The Eno Hammock is a lightweight, light material hammock. Hammock camping is the easiest way to stay cool on a hot summer night. Being off the ground means that heat can escape your body in every direction. The Eno hammock is breathable keeping you cool and is incredibly comfortable allowing you to sleep well all night. Tents typically trap heat and do not allow for the best airflow meaning your tent can get warm. Sleeping on the ground is typically uncomfortable so most people use a portable blow-up camping pad. Camping Pads typically are not very breathable and reflect heat keeping you overheated.

The Rain Fly is necessary for summer nights. Summer is notorious for having pop-up storms which drench an area and then disappear. Make sure you set up a rain fly to prevent from getting wet. Make sure you properly place the rain fly. If it is too far it will not shield you from the rain. If it is placed too close it will prevent heat from escaping making you wet from sweat!

A Bug Net is an absolute essential for camping in Alabama. Mosquitoes don’t care if you’re awake or asleep, they’ll eat you all the same!

Eno Hammocks do not come with straps. You can use webbing or rope, or you can just buy the straps that are designed for setting up the hammocks.

Knives are essential camping gear. They have multiple purposes no matter the year.

You will need a way to start a fire. A lighter is a super-easy way to get the necessary heat to start a fire. Most lighters if they get wet do not work. Make sure you get a waterproof one in case a pop-up storm catches you off guard!

Water is something you can’t live without. Be sure you can filter water to protect yourself from unwanted bacteria in the water.

Hydration packs can conveniently carry a lot of water and keep the water readily available to insure you stay hydrated. I personally prefer the osprey over the Camelbak, but they both work well!

Headlamps allow you to see at night while freeing up your hands to do other things. I suggest a headlamp with multiple brightnesses and a red light mode. The red light mode allows you to see while not triggering your body to become more alert allowing for you to prepare yourself for sleep or waking up your camping buddies.

Most backpacks work, but I suggest the Osprey packs. They are durable and comfortable and are designed for easy access. Real backpacking packs will properly distribute the weight of your gear on your hips instead of wearing out your shoulders.

If you’re going to cook a meal, you need something to eat with!

I have some super lightweight pots that do a fantastic job sitting directly on campfires and are easy to clean. These are necessary for camp cooking. Make sure you put a covering on your camp pot to keep the soot from the fire out of it!

You got to eat! We suggest specifically camping food like backpackers pantry or mountain house so you can keep your pack light. If you’re car camping this isn’t as big of a deal. Bring whatever makes you happy!

Use a LIGHT WEIGHT sleeping bag for summer. In the middle of summer, I will sometimes even skip a sleeping bag and bring a twin bed sheet just to have something to cover me. Keep this as light. A heavy sleeping bag will make you toss and turn all night continuously kicking the sleeping bag off of you and pulling it back over you when you get too hot and then too cold.

Always keep a First Aid Kit on hand!

Always know where you are. 

  • GPS (If backcountry)

Again, always know where you are.

All of these essentials are easily found online. Click here for the list I personally put together on Amazon. 
Hammocks

Hammocks

Hammocks have to be the most comfortable thing I’ve added to my camping gear. They are a fantastic summertime option when it is hot outside. Hammocks are comfortable, can be put up anywhere you have 2 sturdy trees, and most importantly, incredibly light. I prefer hammock camping to tent camping every time as long as the weather cooperates.

Hammocks are great when it’s warm and sunny. There are plenty of people who say they can work in winter, but I am not one of them. I don’t typically camp in a hammock if the low is below 60. Rain can also be a damper on camping in a hammock. Rain flies do work, but when you mix rain with the wind sometimes it will find its way under the rain fly regardless. I typically camp in a tent when rain is in the forecast. It’s worth noting if you’re hiking during the warm season, bring a bug net!

The best part? Over summer, I’ll pack a hammock and a light sheet. No sleeping bag!

Times to camp in a hammock:
Warm weather (70F+) with no rain
Heavily wooded woods

Times it is OK to camp in a hammock:
Cooler weather (50F+ but Bring a great sleeping bag)
Light rain (bring a rain fly)

Never camp in a hammock:
Cold nights (below 40F)
Bad weather or heavy rain
Areas that aren’t wooded (If you’re taking a trip out west to the plains or the dessert)

We suggest the Eno:
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Absolutely the hammock of choice. Enos are lightweight, comfortable, and decently priced.
Pros: These are easy to find and have been tested by users around the world. They are very light and can easily be put up anywhere.
Cons: They are not super durable. These will wear out after a few years (depending on how often you use it) and you’ll have to just replace it.
We suggest getting the extended straps for those hard-to-reach trees, bug net, and rain fly with your hammock!

Make sure you get the right hammock for you. If you are smaller (maybe under 175lbs) you can get away with the single nest. If you’re larger like me, you should grab a double nest.

You will need a hammock and straps. I also suggest grabbing a rain fly and bug net! (I have it all and it works incredibly well together!)