Top Gear to Take on Overnight Hiking Trips

Overnight hiking trips come in all sizes. A quick trip with just one overnight stay means less time and demands less camping and hiking gear than a week's stay in the woods. A week's worth of nights out in the woods means different gear and demands more planning than a week's stay at a well-developed campground.

Whatever the plan, for your overnight hiking trip, there are important pieces of equipment and gear you need to have along. Here are some suggestions for the top equipment, clothing, and other essentials you will need regardless of the time and place you plan for your outdoor adventure:

1. A Good Backpack - If you're doing a solo hiking trip, or perhaps you have one or two other people with you, good backpacks are a good place to start. A good backpack balances room for the essentials you need with weight, size, and comfort considerations necessary to help you enjoy the trip. Shop around and you'll find a huge number of possibilities for every age, size, and trip.

2. Quality Footwear - Hiking, by definition, means walking. Whether you're doing an overnight hiking trip or a lengthy camping/hiking adventure, you want durable, comfortable footwear. You can't hike if you can't walk!

3. Emergency Medical Kit - The very best medical kit is the one you never need to use. But, of course, accidents do happen, and so you need a comprehensive, but portable, emergency medical kit for your overnight hiking trip or camping adventure.

4. Cooking Gear - Overnight Hiking Trips, especially if that means a multi-night hiking or camping stay, means meals -- and meals demand a good stove and cookware. Check around, as the choices here range from individual "pocket rocket" stove/kettles to full-sized grills.

5. A Good Tent or Other Shelter - "Overnight" means you'll need somewhere to sleep. The likeliest solution is a good tent. If you're doing several nights, you'll definitely find a good tent invaluable. (However, if you're by yourself, you might consider a well-made bivy sack. A combination tent and sleeping bag, a bivy sack can serve as a one-person home away from home.) When buying a tent, it's important to get one big enough to do the job, yet small enough to carry on your hiking trip. If at all possible, get one rated at least one person larger than you need. A couple really should try for something rated for three people, three people something rated for four, etc. It's especially important on a lengthy stay to have adequate room.

6. Sleeping Bags - Quality sleeping bags come in all shapes and sizes. Let your comfort and safety be your guide. After a long day on the trial and with another day to look forward to, you want something good enough and big enough to get you a good night's rest. Rest and recovery become the name of the game on an overnight hiking trip.

Happy hiking!