Beat the Heat: 7 Must-Have Gear Items for Summer Hikes

Summer hiking can bring you to some beautiful locations. Make the adventures more fun with the best gear for the journey.

Outside of the Ten Essential, you need to have some gear with you whenever you want to go hiking. Heading into the wilderness during the summer months means you’ll face warmer temperatures and higher humidity and could encounter more wildlife than any other time of the year. Regardless of the duration, a few items should go along with you.

Here are seven of the best gear items for your summer hiking adventures.

Lifestraw Peak Series Water Filter

Although clean and clear spring water running down the mountains can be delicious, it can also be filled with bacteria, parasites, and microplastics. This Lifestraw water filter can remove nearly all of these items from up to 1,000 gallons of water before you have to replace the filter. This little straw weighs in at only 2.3 oz, which makes it one of the most effective water filters you can buy. Put this durable straw in your pack, and know that you can drink from any stream without concern.

New Era Adventure Cordura Bucket Hat

Why are bucket hats appealing to hikers? These hats have a brim running around the entire circumference, which helps protect all sides of your head from branches and leaves while on the trail. The wide brim also provides you with shade from the sun, making it easier to avoid sunburn on your neck and face. This New Era model is made from ballistic-grade fabric, making it perfect for protecting your head from the sun and the branches you’ll encounter during your summer hiking adventures.

Fenix HM65R-T Headlamp

If you’ll spend time in the wilderness after dark, this Fenix headlamp is a great choice. Even if you don’t plan to be gone past dark, you should bring a light source other than your smartphone in case you end up lost or on the trails longer than expected. This headlamp is one of the best items of gear for summer hiking. It includes a spotlight and a floodlight, both of which can offer impressive light levels to ensure you’ve got the light you need when out in the wilderness at night.

Snow Peak X-Pac Nylon Waist Bag

This small and accessible bag fits on your waist and makes it easy to get to the things you need. The X-Pac sailcloth material was originally developed for the sails on racing yachts, which makes this one of the most durable sling bags you can use. The strap is adjustable to make it easy to wear this bag like a fanny pack or across your body. This bag features a buckle-up top closer, internal organizer pockets, and the long adjustable strap.

VSSL Camp Supplies Mini Suunto Edition

If you’re looking for a great way to put the Ten Essentials together for your camping trip, this is one of the best gear items for your summer hiking adventures. You’ll find more than three dozen essential items for outdoor adventures in this small kit. Some of the items included in this kit are a first aid kit, razor, needles and thread, ten waterproof matches, a striker, five fire starters, and 25 feet of marine-grade rope. The cylinder housing these items is a four-mode LED flashlight.

Benchmade 15017-1 Hidden Canyon Hunter

Unless you’re literally traipsing through the jungle, you don’t need a machete, but a good, fixed-blade knife can be a fantastic tool on the trails. This knife measures 6.42 inches long with an excellent handle to make it one of the most useful and toughest knives you can have out on the trails. You’ll be amazed at how often you pull this tool out to use it. This knife comes with a custom Kydex sheath that weighs less than one ounce.

Yeti Hopper M20 Soft Cooler Backpack

Yeti offers this item in three colors, and this cooler could be exactly what you need to have a few snacks and drinks with you on the trails. When you’re only going for a short hike, this is a great cooler for some drinks, but if you’re out for a few days, the food you need to keep cool and insulated will work well in this cooler. This Yeti cooler fits up to 18 full-size 12oz cans making it one of the best pieces of gear for your summer hiking adventures.

Will you buy any of this gear and put it to use during your next hike?