Well, well, well. Look at you trying to get all prepared for a lil nature trot! Good for you!

Below, you’ll find a list of items I keep in my backpack for pretty much every hike! Please note, winter hikes and multi-day hikes will require extra equipment, and I’ll make a separate post about those soon! But for now, the list below will get you set up to conquer most spring/summer/fall day-hikes!

*The links below are affiliate links, which means that I get a small commission from anything you purchase via the link at no extra cost to you! I really appreciate the support! Also, I would never recommend anything I haven’t personally tried and loved, so you can be confident I am only recommending the best of the best!

Day Hiking Backpacks

Osprey Hikelite 26L Backpack - Perfect all-around backpack. It features a back mesh panel that sits away from your back, distributing weight evenly and allowing airflow (no more sweaty backs!)

LL Bean Stowaway Backpack - Packable, so its great for adventure travel!

Extra Storage

Phone Holder - This little pocket can be attached to the waist belt of your backpack or to the arm strap! It gives you quick and easy access to your phone!

Fjallraven Hip Pack - Sometimes I’ll opt for a hip pack instead of the Phone Holder Pocket. Just incase I want easy access to more items like snacks and tissues.

Fjallraven Gear Pocket - I use this little pouch to hold any loose items like the ones I list further below in my “secondary emergency kit”.

Thread Wallet - Super cute and perfect for travel! I love that it’s so small that you really have pick the most important cards and reduce clutter! I can fit my ID, health insurance card, and 4 credit cards in here without a problem!

Map + Compass

All Trails App - This is probably the most important piece of “gear”! Download offline maps on this app before every hike!

Paper Map - Whenever available, I like to grab one of the park maps, just in case.

Compass - Cheap, no frills compass! You can also use the compass on your smartwatch if it has the feature! Before starting each hike, I like to look which direction I’m headed and coming back, just in case I get caught in an unexpected storm.

Water

As a rule of thumb, you should take .5 liters of water for every 1 hour you’ll be hiking. I strongly suggest investing in a water reservoir. They make it SO easy to stay hydrated on the trail. No more fumbling around in your backpack for your water bottle or struggling to take the lid off. Having a reservoir also reduces the weight of your pack!

Osprey LT Reservoir – 2.5 Liters

Osprey Cleaning Kit

REI Water Bottle – 32 fl. oz. - If you’re going on a really short, easy hike, you can get away with just a water bottle. Or sometimes, I’ll take this with me in addition to the reservoir for an electrolyte or energy drink!

Electrolytes - When I’m going on a hike that’s more than 7 miles, or an extra strenuous or hot one, I like to take an extra water bottle for these electrolytes!

Energy Multiplier - Same as above! Sometimes, I just need a little energy boost. I love this flavor! To me it tastes like the yellow gatorade.

Sun Protection

Sun Bum SPF 50 Spray - slather this all over your arms and neck. And you better be taking it with you to reapply!

Shiseido Sunscreen Stick - This is an AMAZING sunscreen for your face! Goes on clear, and application is so easy!

Sun Bum Sunscreen Lip Balm - have you ever gotten a sunburn on your lips??? I have! Its not fun!

These Mai Tais Polarized Sunglasses or Ray Ban Hexagonal Sunglasses are my favorites!

Lululemon Baller Hat or Cotopaxi Dad Cap

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Extra Layers

I always, ALWAYS keep extra light, packable layers with me in case the weather turns!

REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket - For when the sky cries on you.

REI Flash Jacket Windbreaker - This never leaves my pack. It’s so incredibly light and barely takes up any space. I throw it on whenever the wind picks up a little, or if its snowing or raining lightly. It doesn’t add any warmth so Its much better than using you rain jacket as a windbreaker!

The Northface Mountain Sweatshirt Hoodie - It’s always nice to keep a light sweater on you in case it gets cold as you climb in altitude.

Snacks

These are some of my all-time favorite trail snacks! For more trail snack recommendations, click here.

Misc Items

Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar Multisport Smart Watch - THE BEST INVESTMENT I HAVE EVER MADE! It gives you 24/7 health and wellness monitoring with wrist-based heart rate, Topo Maps, acts as a compass, can be charged by the sun, and is an irreplaceable tool for recording my hiking stats! The “S” model is a little smaller, so it fit’s women’s wrists perfectly!

Phone Safety Strap - I love to clip this onto my backpack to protect my phone from any falls, especially when taking photos over a bridge or over a cliff! You can take 10% off 1 with code WORRIEDWANDERER10 or 20% off 2 with code WORRIEDWANDERER20!

Pill Organizer - I keep this filled with Advil, Tums, Excedrin, GasX, and Dramamine

Bamboo Tissue Paper - I get sniffly outside. Especially when its a little chilly out of all the flowers are blooming in spring. I like to always keep a stack of these handy.

Insect Repellent

External Battery - I don’t know about you, but I take wayyyy too many photos on hikes. I like to keep an external battery on me so that I never get stuck in a situation where my phone dies.

Hand Sanitizer - Trailhead outhouses. ‘nuff said

Trekking Poles - *Optional. Trekking poles really help on steeper hikes, and they protect your knees!

Dog Poop Bags - When nature calls, you answer. I always keep a few squares of toilet paper with me just in case, and a doggie bag to carry out the used paper afterward. For the love of god don’t leave your poop-streaked toilet paper there. Why? Because not all toilet paper decomposes, and more importantly, you’re going to ruin someone’s day when they see your feces-soiled paper on the side of the trail. Be a good person.

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Emergency Items

Swiss Army Classic Knife - soooo many uses! You never know when you’ll need it!

Black Diamond Headlamp - I always carry a headlamp with me in case a hike takes longer than expected and it gets dark. It’s a great emergency item to have with you at all times!

Bear Spray - Listen, this is one of the most important pieces of gear you can have. If you don’t know what this is, it’s a crazy concentrated pepper spray that shoots about 30ft away. It doesn’t only work on bears, it also works on mountain lions and any other wild animal. It’s safe, doesn’t permanently hurt the animal, and most importantly, it’s effective. Also, this can absolutely be used on a violent human, but it will put them in the hospital. Good riddance in my opinion.

Day Hike First Aid Kit - Again, it’s way better to be over prepared than underprepared

Moleskin - No, this isn’t actual mole skin. Its a thick bandage that prevents blisters! It’s much better than using regular bandaids because it’s thicker, and more adhesive. I always carry a sheet with me just in case. It’s just one of those items that you’ll wish you had packed it when it inevitably happens to you! Blisters will ruin your hike, and a few of the days after.

Personal Water Filter - I know I sound like a broken record… but its better to be prepared in case of an emergency. This straw filters out bacteria from natural water sources, meaning you can drink straight out of a lake through this lil guy if you need to!

Mylar Thermal Blanket - *Optional. I wouldn’t bring this on most hikes, only if it’s a backcountry trail, or if there’s a real risk of getting lost.

Survival Tent - *Optional. Same as above!

I also made my own secondary emergency kit when I suffered a few mishaps. I keep it in the Fjallraven Gear Pocket I mentioned at the beginning of this list! Here’s what it includes: