November 17th is National Take a Hike Day, an annual celebration of hiking that was established by the American Hiking Society to encourage people to get outside and connect with nature. To make the most of your day on the trail, consider taking along some great products reviewed and recommended by the team to make it all that more memorable and enjoyable.
Helinox Chair Zero
The Helinox Chair Zero tips the scales at a svelte 1.1lbs and folds up into the size of an overstuffed Chipotle burrito. The reason I love this chair so much is that I can fit it into my Osprey Mira daypack or strap it on the outside for a comfortable seat at the top of a mountain or for a trail lunch and beer. So much better than perching on a rock or sitting on wet grass. helinox.com | $120
Trail Butter
As an all-natural endurance energy food, Trail Butter can be thought of as either a “spreadable bar” or “blended up trail mix”. Either way, it’s healthy, unprocessed nut or seed butter comes in many forms: Single-serve packets, pouches and sixteen-ounce jars. Each flavor has its own unique blend of real-food ingredients and provides a balanced, slow burning energy that is calorie-dense for those long hikes in cool weather. So far my favorite way to eat this is to spread on a Pamela’s Gluten Free Graham Cracker and mix into oatmeal. trailbutter.com | $12 – $20
Kora Shola 230 Crew
Yak wool is the new natural fiber in town and the Kora Shola 230 Crew is a technical baselayer that is made entirely of yak wool. I put this to good use hiking the Superior Hiking Trail over a long weekend as well as camping on the edge of the Boundary Waters in early October. Fortunately for me, it was cold and blustery with gale-force winds. I wore this under only a softshell windbreaker jacket and was amazed at how warm it kept me and its breathability.
You will especially love how soft it feels against your skin and the amount of wearings you can get in before you start to smell like a yak. kora | $145
Deschutes Handup IPA
Deschutes Handup IPA offers all that I love about a good craft IPA. I find it to be refreshing and hoppy with afternotes of citrus. Although it was brewed to honor Deschutes Brewery co-owner Colby, Deschutes CX team captain who lost his life to pancreatic cancer last fall, it’s still highly relevant for hiking—either as a summit beer, lunch beer or for your après hike celebratory beer at the trailhead. Please remember to Leave no Trace and pack the bottle out with you. deschutesbrewery.com
Garmont Tower Trek GTX Hiking Boots
Although our reviewer Julie didn’t actually bag Mt. Everest, she got close when her Garmont Tower Trek GTX’s took her to Everest Base Camp in October. These boots gave her the feeling of “walking on air” in high elevations and rough, rocky alpine terrain thanks to their beefy and aggressive tread.
They were also comfortable, stable, sturdy and kept her feet warm on the colder days of hiking when the temps plunged to 30F/-1C. garmont.com | $330
Hangtime KOALA
The Hangtime Koala is an ingenious clip and silicone harness system to quell the fears of losing your $1,000 Smartphone on the trail, in a lake, or down into the pongy abyss of a pit toilet. The phone harness is made from industrial-grade silicone that stretches enough to fit any phone. It attaches to your body (or backpack straps, jacket pocket, etc) via a strong polycarbonate clip and urethane tether that stretches up for four feet.
The more you tug on the tether the harder the clip’s teeth sink into whatever you have it anchored to. Simply attach the Koala to your phone, clip it to your pack’s harness strap or a jacket pocket and go. Crowdfunding is going on now and they’ve raised over $300,000 and have over 10,000 backers on Indiegogo. After their crowdfunding campaign ends on November 11th 2019 KOALA will be available the general public on their site via IndiGoGo. hangtimegear.com | $25
Deuter AirContact Lite SL 60+10
Should your National Take a Hike pilgrimage require a multi-day out the trail, the Deuter AirContact Lite SL 60+10 is the pack that our team member Alli declared, “First and foremost, I’ve never — ever — hiked with a pack this comfortable under a heavy load before. I truly used every last bit of the extended 70-liter capacity, carrying my gear, group gear, and, at times, three full bear canisters and clients’ gear.”
She should know as she tested it on Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail, which has its share rugged ascents and descents, roots and rocks, and narrow trails on bluff edges required grace and balance. deuterusa.com | $220
Leatherman Free T4 Multi-tool
The Leatherman FREE T4 Multi-Tool could easily be the quintessential knife for the hiking trail. It has twelve different tools packed into a 3.6 inch-long frame making it a lot of multi-tool for the size and minuscule weight of 4.3 ounces.
It includes a 2.2 in. carbon-stainless main blade, scissors, package opener, awl, reamer, four types of screwdrivers, a metal and wood file, bottle opener and a set of tweezers. This multi-tool knife has a tool for just about anything you might run into; whether you’re working around the house or out on a wilderness hike. Our writer even used it to start a fire using the file and a fire-steel striker. leatherman.com | $60
