LET’S TALK ABOUT GEAR.

I’ve amassed a lot of good gear over the years. Sun shirts and hiking pants and wool base layers and puffy jackets and sweat-wicking clothing and hiking footwear and enough of this & that from years of working in the outdoor industry. . . that I’ve learned that if I’m well-equipped for my adventure I can be fully-immersed in my adventure.

And while you might be saying “Well good for you, Meggan” - and yes, while it is nice for me and while it helps me get the most out of my hikes, it’s not the point I’m exactly trying to make. I’m not here to tell you that you have to go out and get the best gear because if you don’t you won’t be taken seriously/ have as good a time/ be an official legit adventurer. False, false, false.

But I am going to tell you to at least make sure you’re prepared with the right kind of clothing and footwear and necessary gear. That might require you to look at your arsenal and see if you need to make any investments in your gear. . . and in another sense, if you need to make investments in your health + personal safety so that you can enjoy yourself to the max. Don’t be heading out on an nine mile hike in cotton socks and brand new hiking boots that aren’t broken-in yet. Just don’t do it.

Because let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. . . Or had a friend along with us that was totally unprepared. There’s nothing worse than setting out on a trip or an adventure and not having the gear to do it correctly.

You’re TIRED. OR YOU’RE BLISTERED AND HURTING. OR YOU’RE BURNT OR FREEZING OR DEHYDRATED OR WEARING CHEAP-ASS FLIP FLOPS AND are very close to ROLLING YOUR ANKLE AND RUINING THE REST OF YOUR VACATION…

And look! There’s a pod of orca whales!

and you couldn’t give two shits less, because you’re miserable and over it.

I’ve been there. (Not specifically with a pod of whales — that would be cool.)

And I’ve seen it countless times over the years as I’ve outfitted and prepared others to go on trips and I’ve asked them to learn from my mistakes. I’ll ask about their plan & their gear and they look at me bewildered. Don’t be that person. There’s nothing worse than being out adventuring or on vacation and you’re trying desperately to enjoy the place you’re in - to be present in the moment. But you can’t because your mental focus is on your discomfort.

It pretty much boils down to this:

KNOW THE CONDITIONS BEFORE YOU GO. PACK snacks + water. PREP, + WEAR SWEAT-WICKING + SUN-PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, INSULATING LAYERS TO KEEP YOU WARM, NON-COTTON SOCKS, AND COMFORTABLE, SUPPORTIVE (AND WATERPROOF, IF NECESSARY) FOOTWEAR.

(I could get a whole lot deeper than those essentials, but I’ll stick to the basics! If you’re prepping for an adventure and you have any gear questions feel free to reach out to me for advice!)

This page contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you use those links. For more info please see my Disclosure here.

I own 95% of these styles — (like I said: I’ve worked in the industry a looong time and collected lots of gear over the years) and these are some of my favorite GO-TOs:

>> Keep reading for my break down on these gear choices + picks.

Okay, let’s break it down…

TOPS: By Summer I’m in a tank top and thankful to be hiking the sun again! Capilene Daily from Patagonia stays in my daypack or fanny pack, too; it’s my favorite for lightweight long sleeve sun protection. Plus it wicks well and I really like the way the fabric feels - it’s super comfy. But really any sun shirt, hiking shirt, or lightweight & non-cotton shirt will do the trick. (Lots of athletic + outdoor brands are getting really diligent about adding UPF into their clothing. Look for at least UPF 30 or 40. . . UPF 50 is best!) Fall-Spring I usually hike in either a lightweight or medium weight merino wool base layer, plus any extra vests and jackets depending on the weather and temperature.

OUTERWEAR: If you’re hiking Fall-Spring in the PNW (and you’re cold sensitive like I am) just do yourself a favor and bring a little puffy jacket. It’s chilly enough in the mornings & evenings that you’ll be thankful for it, and you’ll never notice it stuffed in your pack. (When we visited Washington for the first time — in July — I was wearing mine every day.) There are different benefits of a down-insulated versus a synthetic-insulated jacket (feel free to message me if you have questions on what to get). My most frequent go to puffers are my Arc’teryx Atom AR (synth.), my Patagonia nano puff (synth.), and my Patagonia down hoody (800-fill down).

And in the same vein if you’re hiking in the PNW at all you should check your conditions, and depending on the season, just do yourself a favor and bring a rain shell/poncho/waterproof layer. We live on the East of the Cascades in the high desert so we don’t see as much rain as the rest of Oregon does, but the weather in the mountains can change quickly and if we know we’ll be out all day, we always bring ‘em.

PANTS: I usually hike in leggings with an extra hiking pant to pull over if the temperatures drop and it gets chilly or if we have to rock scramble. But generally, the comfort + mobility of a durable + sweat-wicking legging does the job 90% of the time for me. (And I’m all about pocket-leggings because I’m always taking pictures on my iPhone during hikes and it gives me easy phone access rather than having to remove my pack to snap pics.)

BASELAYERS: Smartwool/merino wool base layers are a must must must for me because I sweat easily once we get moving and I’m easily cold. Merino wool is a miracle for wicking quickly when I’m a sweaty Betty and continuing to insulate and keep me warm while it’s drying out. Like I said - I’m happy to hike in just a Smartwool top for a lot of the chillier parts of the year, so they can serve as a base layer or a stand alone piece, too!

FOOTWEAR: I’m all about mid-height hiking boots because I like the ankle coverage and support, but that’s just my personal preference. I own and love all the boots I shared above, as well as a few non-waterproof styles, too. (That’s a biggie - if you’re going to be crossing creeks or out for days and maybe getting poured on, make sure your boots are waterproof.) I also wear merino wool socks to hike in no matter the temperature or weather, all year round.

If it’s Summer and the hike isn’t too extreme I’m in Chacos all the time. They’re comfortable and supportive and are the only sandal I can go for miles in (or that I’d wear/pack to extensively travel or explore in).

I’m eyeballing this new ‘muted clay’ color in with a matching sole.

BASICS: In the Summer I don’t leave the house without sunglasses and a UPF hat (the Swift cap here from OR is my favorite- I like the mesh ventilation on the sides). The rest of the year, even if I don’t think I need them, I always pack a beanie, gloves, and our ice/snow traction yaktrax for our boots. It’s the PNW and the conditions can easily change (and snow doesn’t melt off the trails in lots of places ‘til mid-Summer)— and at the end of the day I’m still just a Floridian at heart. All it takes is the sun to go away and boom, the temperature has dropped 20+ degrees and I’m freezing.

That covers the surface of each category. I could dive deeper and chat gear for hours - and trust me, I have. If you’re prepping for a trip and you have questions on what to pack and how to outfit, leave me a comment and don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m happy to lend some advice.