Get started with camping and hiking gear, or upgrade your basics! Here are some of our favorite ideas for hiking gear for men.
Over the years, the husband and I have done our fair share of hiking and camping.
Some of our trips have been real bucket-list adventures: hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, seeing the sunrise in Acadia National Park, trekking in the pre-dawn hours to Delicate Arch, and so forth.
And as camping and hiking became more of a way of life, we realized that some shopping was in order. The better prepared we were, the more we could just relax and enjoy the trip.
So we browsed and shopped and gradually upgraded our gear.
I've already covered my favorite items in camping gear for women (including how to dress for winter camping). Ditto for camping gear for couples, the best camping kitchen gear, and the best gear for backpacking trips.
Now it's time to round up the best things we've found in hiking gear for men. Here are our favorites!
Looking for some nice gadgets and gifts for the outdoorsy person in your life? See my guide to the best gifts for campers!
The Best Hiking Gear for Men
Here are the most useful clothing items we've found for hiking and camping:
Best Hiking Pants
The best hiking pants are often the ones that fit you the best! That said, if you hike often you'll want a pair that will hold up to weather, briars and heavy use.
My husband's favorites are these Eddie Bauer Pants. He finds them super comfortable, and they hold up well in a variety of climates!
There's also convertible Eddie Bauer Pants — perfect for summertime hiking in shorts.
Whichever pants he wears, he always pairs them with a belt. Currently his favorite hiking belt is the Groove Life low profile belt.
Our Favorite Men's Hiking Shirts
Recently we've been incredibly impressed by Arms of Andes alpaca tops, especially the men's t-shirt. Read our more in-depth alpaca review here.
Favorite Men's Outerwear
We've also been extremely impressed with Montbell's outerwear.
In particular, my husband wore their ultralight rain jacket and their ultralight puffer jacket on a recent (rainy and cold) trip to Iceland, and both jackets performed extremely well.
Here are more thoughts on using ultralight down jackets.
Best Hiking Footwear for Men
Sturdy footwear with great traction is a must when you're looking at hiking and camping gear for men.
Our current favorite men's hiking shoe are the men's Altra Lone Peak trail runners.
Despite not being waterproof, these trail runners dry quickly! We recommend pairing them with alpaca socks, and your feet will likely stay comfortable and well protected on those long treks.
Here are more thoughts on the latest version of the Altra Lone Peaks.
Other Hiking Gear for Men
For carrying supplies, the REI men's Trail 25 pack is a great budget choice for a shorter hike.
For longer treks, he currently uses a Zpacks Arc Haul pack.
Do you have any other favorites? We love to swap recommendations with other campers and hikers, so let us know in the comments!
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