The Best Hiking Gear
FALL/WINTER
trekking poles, headlamps, first aid kits, and more—
all the items that should come along on your cold weatherfamily hike
Hiking in cold weather can be the best hiking there is. You don’t get hot and sweaty, you get to see the forest, fields, and mountains in different conditions, and you often have the trail to yourself. But you do need to reconsider the type of gear you bring along, which may include accessories like crampons or even an ice axe if you’re likely to encounter snow and ice.
We have rounded up the gear you should always bring along (think first aid kits, e.g.) on any hike alongside a few pieces of hiking hardware that are only relevant in cold weather. With this fall and winter hiking gear in your kit, you’ll be ready to brave the elements even when the mercury drops.
family hiking gear
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KEEP GOING TRAVEL FIRST AID KIT
This is one of the only high-quality first aid kits we have seen that was clearly designed with kids in mind. KEEP GOING's first aid kit comes with charming fabric bandages sporting bright colors and animal patterns that can help take the sting out of an injury on the trail. The kit has a finger splint, moleskin pads, and all the antibiotic and antiseptic wipes and creams you'd expect in any good first aid kit alongside comfort items like lip balm and stickers. And extra thoughtful items include a disposable thermometer, nosebleed plugs, and a decent little first aid guide booklet.
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Full-Sized Trekking Poles - Kelty Range 2.0
These are some of the most durable hiking poles we’ve ever used. They are light enough to be strapped to a running pack but sturdy enough for mountaineering use on rock, snow, and ice, the Range 2.0s are a great choice when you’re not sure what the terrain will throw at you, but you are sure you want to be able to lean into it. Blended cork and foam grips provide comfort and traction even when you’re sweaty or it’s raining or snowy out, and the large adjustment range makes them suitable trekking poles for use by an adult of just about any height.
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Lightweight Trekking Poles - Leki Cressida Trekking Poles
To be clear, a full-sized adult can lean into these poles without fear they will bend or break, they just happen to be lightweight and adjustable to a short enough length to make them great trekking poles for kids. Each Cressida pole can be used when collapsed down to just under 36 inches of length and each weighs just eight ounces. Cork handles and an extended foam grip provide plenty of surface area for hands of any size, while durable carbide tips at the bottom of these hiking poles will find traction on any terrain, from snow to gravel to solid rock.
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BioLite HeadLamp 425
Fall and winter hikes can start in darkness and end that way too, so the mere 2.8 ounces of gear weight this BioLite headlamp adds are well worth it. It’s a rechargeable device with a four-hour runtime on its brightest 425 lumen output mode, and an impressive 60-hour battery life at its lowest brightness setting. The primary light can be used in beam or flood settings and a red light setting, while at the back of the headband, a second red light is built into the battery pack that can help make you more visible from behind.
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Kids' Headlamp - Ledlenser Kidled2 Headlamp
Small, lightweight, and easy to use, these compact kids’ headlamps are nonetheless real pieces of gear that can serve a little hiker well out on the trail, not to mention back at the campsite or in the basement during playtime. Their primary output is a 40 lumen white beam that shines out to about 30 feet, plenty for brightening the way ahead but not so blinding that the kids will ruin your night vision every time they turn their head your way. The Kidled2 can be set to a soft red light output much like mom or dad’s light, and it can also be set to a blue light that’s not entirely practical but is entirely fun.
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Multitool - Gerber Suspension NXT
Smaller than many of the classic multi-tools out there but with all the tools you could need in the field, the compact, 6.7-ounce Suspension NXT from Gerber is a great hiking multi-tool precisely because it’s a bit smaller and simpler than bulkier options. It features everything from a sharp knife to good scissors, a can and bottle opener to solid pliers, and much more.
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VSSL Ready Kit
Things can go wrong out there in the backwoods — preparation is the difference between said things being a situation instead of a problem. With a VSSL Ready Kit tucked into your pack, you’ll be ready to jury-rig a pack with a broken shoulder strap, saw up some wood for an impromptu campfire, and even navigate your way back to camp thanks to the built-in compass. This rugged little tube keeps cordage, cutting tools, and more close at hand.
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Bathroom Kit - PACT Outdoors
The need to poop while you hike, camp, or climb is traditionally one of the least pleasant parts of an outdoor adventure. When you bring a PACT Outdoors Bathroom Kit, you can have the most pleasant possible outdoor bathroom experience, though. That's because these compact kits include a little shovel to dig your latrine, wipes that come compacted into little discs that expand with a few drops of water, mycelium tablets you drop onto your waste before covering it with dirt, said tabs helping the waste rapidly biodegrade, and with hand sanitizer for when you're done. In other words, a PACT bathroom kit has everything you need to poop outdoors, all you need to do is find your way a few feet off trail.
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Sunscreen - Supergoop! PLAY
Yes, you need sunscreen even in the fall and winter — sometimes more so, if your hikes take you and the gang to high altitude. This SPF-50, non-greasy, light, and easily applied sunscreen is a great choice for hiking and for any other outdoor activity this fall and winter. Remember this: for every 3,000 feet of elevation you gain, the strength of UV rays increases by more than 10% so even if the air is cold, the radiation is real. Remember to reapply!
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Fire-Starting Multitool - Firebiner Carabiner
This compact carabiner belongs on the belt loop or backpack of everyone who wants to be properly prepared out there, and not just because carabiners are handy for clipping supplies onto packs or gear lines. And not only because this carabiner has a little blade built into it that’s perfect for cutting cords or fishing line and such. What really sets things apart here is the fact that the Firebiner from Outdoor Element has a flint and wheel set into it that can create a shower of sparks, helping you get a fire going out there in the field.
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Knife - Opinel No. 8 Beechwood Handle Knife
The height of elegant simplicity (and surprising affordability), Opinel’s folding knives have been prized by generations of outdoor adventurers. And by woodworkers, fishers, cheese enthusiasts, and more. The razor sharp blade is secured in place when opened and closed thanks to a locking ring, while the smooth beechwood handle is curved for a comfortable grasp. The knife weighs just 1.5 ounces and once you get used to having it on hand, you’ll never want to be without it again.
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Water bottle - Camelbak MultiBev
If you’re only going to bring one water bottle on a trek, consider making it this one. That’s because this may be just one water bottle, but it’s a multi-functional piece of hardware that also features a built-in cup that screws onto the bottom and a lid with a recessed compartment that can be used to store medicine, protein powder, or a little trail snack. The cup allows for easy sharing among the family (or even an impromptu pet bowl) while the vacuum-insulated bottle itself keeps beverages cold (or warm) for hours.
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CRAMPONS - KAHTOOLA MICRO SPIKES TRACTION SYSTEM
Trekking on ice or snow can be hard work. And it can be dangerous work, too: losing your footing on slippery ground can mean a twisted ankle, a bruised knee, or a slide off the trail and down the side of the mountain. With a pair of these lightweight crampons in your pack, you’ll always be ready to strap some traction to the bottom of your boots, keeping you safe and steady on packed snow or ice.
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ICE AXE - BLACK DIAMOND RAVEN ICE AXE
You don’t necessarily need to be climbing a vertical cliff of solid ice to need a good ice axe in your hand. When you’re hiking in deep snow, holding onto the head just above the shaft and driving the spike into the snow can give you great stability. And you can arrest a fall on snow or ice by jamming the pick into said wintery matter. Also, the adze can be used a tool for snow clearing or digging.
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walkie talkie - midland x-talker T71VPE
It’s always a good idea to have a pair of walkie talkies along on a hike (or paddling trip or climb or when overlanding), and that’s especially true in fall and winter, when the very weather and temperature themselves can present hazards. With these easy-to-use and reliable walkie talkies from Midland, you can keep two people or two groups connected and communicating across many miles.