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Hiking Gear to Tackle the 4000 Footers of the White Mountains
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items I spend a ton of time hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and checking off the 4000 footers. I am picky with my gear and these are some of my favorites that I rely on when tackling the steep, rugged trails of the Northeast.
Sections
6
Winter Hiking Gear
Trail Fuel: Snacks, Food, and Hydration
Backpack Essentials
Trail Apparel: Footwear and Clothing
Sleeping
First Aid & Cleanliness
Winter Hiking Gear
Winter is here! This is the winter-specific gear and clothing essentials I use for those chilly days on the trail.
Oboz Bridger 10" Winter Hiking Boot: These are insanely warm and works great with traction devices and snowshoes.
Oboz Men's Bridger 10" Insulated Waterproof Boots
Microspikes: Conquer the ice! Gret for those days where the trail is packed but you still need some traction to get up icy slopes.
Kahtoola MICROspikes Winter Hiking Traction
MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes with Televators: A must for those steep ascents or when breaking trail. I prefer the 25" to give me good float but not so long that I'm stepping on the tails.
MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes
Snowshoe Strap Repair Kit: I keep this as a just-in-case for any on-trail fixes of my snowshoes. You don't want to have to walk 5 miles back to the car with duct tape or paracord holding your snowshoes binding together.
18" Classic Snowshoe Strap Kit
Hiking Pole Snow Baskets: These are great to keep your poles from plunging into the deep snowpack.
5 pcs Removable Mud Ski Basket for Trekking Poles
Snow Goggles: Above treeline can be nasty in the winter these are great on windy days.
OutdoorMaster OTG Ski Goggles - Over Glasses, UV Protection
Base Layer Gloves: Layer 1 in my 3-layer glove system. I usually carry two pairs to swap between as one gets wet I can dry the other.
Merino Wool Glove Liner - Warm Ski Base
Wool Overmitten: Layer 2 in my 3-layer glove system. These are insanely warm and a great budget option compared to some other wool brands.
Fox River Ragg Mitten
Shell Mittens: Layer 3 in my 3-layer glove system. These are great to shield from the wind and precipitation and can go directly over the liner gloves or wool mitten. Size up so you can fit your other layers.
Outdoor Research Men's Adrenaline Mitts
Water Bottle Insulator: Keep that water a liquid in the cold!
Beautyflier 2pcs Neoprene Water Bottle Sleeve
Softshell Hiking Pants: These are my go to pants for most of the winter. Great for everything up until you need a true shell pant.
CQR Men’s Softshell Fleece Lined Winter Pants
Rugged gaitors to keep snow out of your boots. No one likes wet socks!
Men's Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain High Gaiters II
LL Bean Down Coat: This is the final layer of warmth I put on under my shell coat. It goes over my base layer and fleece to keep me warm when I'm not moving. It's a great every day winter coat as well for just going out!
Men's LL Bean's Down Jacket
LL Bean Men's Polyester Base-layer Long Sleeve Shirt: I like this base layer material in the winter. It wicks moisture and maintains a nice level of warmth while you're moving. On nicer days I will sometimes be down to just this.
Men's L.L.Bean Simple Soft Base Layer Longsleeve Shirt
LL Bean Men's Polyester Base-Layer Pants: Great to have underneath your softshell pants for some added warmth on cold days.
Men's L.L.Bean Simple Soft Base Layer, Pants
LL Bean Men's Adventure Fleece Quarter Zip: I like to wear a fleece as an extra layer of warmth between my base layer and my jacket or shell. It's a nice option to help adjust your temperature on trail and acts as a nice 3 season layer as well for co...
Men's Adventure Grid Fleece, Quarter-Zip
Fox River Liner Socks: I wear these under my thicker wool socks to help wick moisture. They are thin and you won't even notice them. The combination of the two also acts like a double layered sock to help reduce blisters.
Fox River Outdoor Wick Lightweight Liner Socks
10" Wool Socks: A nice warm sock goes a long way in the winter keeping your comfortable. I wear thicker wool socks over a liner sock.
Adults' Merino Wool Ragg Socks, 10"
Trail Fuel: Snacks, Food, and Hydration
Stay fueled, stay hydrated! These are my go-to items to keep me well-fueled on long hikes.
Trolli Worms: Something about these hit different on the trail.
Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers Very Berry 28.8oz
BodyArmour Flash IV: Only 10 calories and I like to mix with the tailwind to boost the flavor!
BODYARMOR Flash IV Electrolyte Packets, Strawberry Kiwi, Zero Sugar (6 Count)
Pretzels : Carbs and salt, what's more to want! This is also a great neutral flavor for anyone averse to spice.
Dot's Pretzels Original Seasoned Twist 16oz
Tailwind Energy Powder: These pack 200 calories and all the electrolytes you need to stay fueled.
Tailwind Endurance Fuel Lemon, 12 Pack
Honey Gels: Nothing fancy about these, just straight natural honey. I'll pound one of these before a long ascent.
Honey Stinger Gold Energy Gel, Gluten Free, 24 Pack
Honey Waffles: More honey! I like these in the morning since they have a bit more substance to them.
Honey Stinger Organic Honey Waffle, 16 Pack
Peak ReFuel Meals: These taste so good after a long hike! Big enough for two people but after a long hike you can probably crush one of these solo.
Peak Refuel Beef Pasta Marinara | 49g Protein | 1040 Cal | 2 Servings
DIY Meal Pouches: Dehydrated meals are expensive. These are great to allow you to make and bring your own.
Wallaby 10 MRE Mylar Bags w/ Oxygen Absorbers
Camp Spoon: Lightweight and long to reach down into those meal pouches!
Timberbrother Titanium Long Handle Spork
Mess Kit: Easy nestable cooking kit.
MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit - Pots & Pans Set
Nalgene 32oz: An absolute classic that can't be beat (their warranty rocks!)
Nalgene Sustain Tritan BPA-Free 32 OZ Bottle
Camelback Water Bottle: I like to use this one as my electrolyte bottle and carry it in my hip pocket.
CamelBak Chute Mag BPA Free Water Bottle
Camelback 100oz: On longer hikes I'll fill it all the way but it's nice to just fill it halfway sometimes especially if there are water sources on the trail.
CamelBak Crux Water Reservoir Hydration Bladder
Backpack Essentials
These are the packs and equipment I trust to carry my gear.
Osprey Kestrel 48L: A solid overnight or weekend pack.
Osprey Kestrel 48 Pack - Men's | REI Co-op
Gregory Baltoro 65L: My go-to for extended overnight trips or when you need to bring the big winter sleeping bag. It's got tons of storage and pockets.
Gregory Baltoro 65 Pack - Men's | REI Co-op
Nemo Resolve 35L: This is my choice of pack for colder day hikes where I need to carry extra layers.
NEMO Resolve 35 L Endless Promise Technical Active Pack - Men's | REI Co-op
22L Osprey Talon Day Pack: This is my go-to pack for the warmer months where I don't need to bring as many layers.
Osprey Talon 22L Men's Lightweight Hiking Pack
Pack Cover: Not all packs come with covers! Don't let yours get soaked.
PATIKIL Waterproof Backpack Rain Cover with Reflective Strap
Garmin inReach Satellite Messenger: Stay connected beyond where self service ends.
Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator
Garmin inReach Screen Protector: A cheap insurance to keep your device protected on the rugged trail.
Supershieldz 2 Pack Garmin inReach Mini 2 Glass
Garmin Tether: Keep your inReach easily accessible on your backpack shoulder strap.
Healvaluefit Backpack Tether Mount for Garmin inReach Mini & Mini 2
Trail Apparel: Footwear and Clothing
Stay warm, stay dry, stay comfortable! This is the gear I wear every hike and has held up on the rugged trails of New England.
La Sportiva Boots: Great traction and extremely comfortable.
La Sportiva Mens Nucleo High II GTX Boots
Simms Challenger Jacket: A mildly insulated shell jacket for those spring & fall cold and dreary days. I'll also use this as my shell in the winter.
Simms Men's M's Challenger Jacket
Wrightsock double layered socks: These will change your life if you suffer from blisters!
Wrightsock Escape Crew Hiking Socks - Cushioned, Eco-Friendly, American Made
Sleeping
Is there anything worse than getting the worst sleep of your life in a tent before hiking 15 miles? You won't have to with these!
Zenbivy Inflatable Sleeping Pad: Light, comfortable, and has good insulation for colder nights.
Zenbivy Flex™ Air Mattress | Ultralight. Comfortable. Warm.
Inflatable Pillow: Small, light and very comfortable.
Hikenture Ultralight Inflatable Camping Pillow
Kelty Cosmic 20 degree bag: This is my 3-season bag.
Kelty Cosmic 20
MSR Elixir 3p Tent: A spacious and easy to set-up tent for 3-season overnight trips. Comfortably fits two people with gear, with dual gear vestibules. Certainly not an ultralight tent but is great for two people when you can split the weight.
Elixir 3 Tent with Footprint
Earplugs: Don't let your tentmate keep you up at night!
Ear Plugs for Sleeping Noise Cancelling 30dB
First Aid & Cleanliness
No one likes extra weight in their pack but I make sure to carry these always.
Water Purification Tablets: Great emergency tablets or if you forget your water filter.
Aquatabs Water Purification Tablets - Hiking & Emergency
LifeStraw: Another great piece of emergency equipment.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for Hiking & Travel
Pain Reliever: These help keep my knees quiet after a long day.
Amazon Basic Care Naproxen Sodium 220 mg, 300 Ct
Pill/Tablet Organizer: I love these because I can take only what I need rather than a full 100 pill bottle.
Urekt Small Pill Box 4 Pack Travel Organizer
Bugspray: I've found this to be very effective and is not harsh like DEET.
Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent 4oz
Body Wipes: The ride home doesn't have to be stinky!
Shower Body Wipes, 40 Individually Wrapped