Hiking gear can be expensive, and it’s hard to know what you ACTUALLY need. In this blog post we’re’ sharing the best hiking gear for 2025! We’ve broken down our gear list into year-round hiking essentials and clothes, as well as winter and summer specific hiking gear and clothes.

Why should you trust our opinion on hiking gear? We’re Gwyn and Ami, and we’re adventure and travel travel experts based in the Pacific Northwest. Our blog and Instagram are all about helping you find the best hikes, weekend getaways, and unique experiences in the United States and abroad. We spend almost every weekend hiking and traveling in our truck camper, and we clock literally hundreds of miles per year hiking. We use a LOT of gear, and are always excited to share the gear and clothing that helps make hiking more safe, fun, and comfortable. 

This post is part of our 2025 outdoor gear guide series, where we’re sharing a breakdown of ALL of our favorite gear. You can find additional components of the series here.

2025 outdoor gear guide: the best hiking gear

Below you will find our roundup of the best hiking gear for 2025. We own, and highly recommend, all of these items! Only our favorite gear made this list.

The gear in this guide is divided into three sections. First, you’ll find our year-round gear and clothing essentials for hiking. This list includes hiking gear and clothing we use year-round, regardless of the season. Next, you’ll find our favorite warm-weather hiking essentials, followed by our favorite cold-weather hiking essentials.

Year-round hiking essentials and clothes

Hiking daypack

There are two day packs we recommend for year-round use. The REI Trail 25 (unisex) hiking daypack is our most used. It comes with an integrated rain cover, and can accommodate a hydration bladder. At 25 liters, it also has plenty of space for foot, layers, and other essentials. The other daypacks we like are the Gregory 24 liter Juno (​​for women) and 30 liter Citro daypacks (for men). They have a comfortable external frame and are super durable, but lack a dedicated rain cover. We recommend the REI Duck’s Back raincover. 

Hiking poles

We don’t use hiking poles on every hike. However, we find them especially helpful on hikes with lots of elevation gain and loss. They’re also great for especially rocky or icy trails. REI’s Trailmade Trekking Poles poles are a great introductory option. 

Fitness watch with GPS

We both have a Garmin fenix 8 AMOLED Sapphire, which we use for tracking our hiking mileage and for its mapping and GPS features. The watch also has a surprisingly useful integrated flashlight! 

Satellite Messenger

We started carrying a Garmin InReach Messenger Plus satellite messenger in fall 2024 and it’s a piece of safety gear I’m glad I have, and also hope to never use. These satellite messengers give you a way to call for help in an emergency in the backcountry. They also have a ton of other messaging features, and a long battery life. See our full video review of this device and its features here.

Hydration reservoir 

Hydration reservoirs are annoying to clean, but I still find them to be a great way to carry water for longer hikes. I think HydraPak’s HydraSleeve Reservoir is one of the best options on the market. It’s lightweight, durable, and comes with an optional insulating sleeve.

Water filter

The Katadyn BeFree 1.0 Liter Filter Bottle is our favorite filter on the market. It doubles as a water bottle, and is lightweight, packs down small, and filters quickly and easily. It has a flow rate of 2 liters per minute. The HydroPak Flux bottle and filter combo is also a good option. It has a 1.5 liter capacity, but it’s heavier and has a lower flow rate. 

Headlamp

We own many headlamps, but the Black Diamond Storm 500-R Rechargeable Headlamp is the one we fight over (we only have one!). It’s lightweight, compact, waterproof, and USB rechargeable. We also have and like the Petzl Actik Core Headlamp.

Waterproof hiking boots

The Lowa Renegade GTX (for women and men) are our go-to hiking boots for all seasons. They are waterproof, have a great tread, and they offer robust ankle support. 

Rain pants

I recently purchased the XeroCloud 3L Rain Pant from REI (for women and men) and I can’t recommend them enough. We live in the Pacific Northwest, which means robust rain protection is a must! They come in a wide range of sizes (XS-3X), as well as tall and petite sizes. They’re comfortable, keep you super dry and warm in rain and wind, and they’re not loud when you walk.

Hiking pants

We wear hiking pants year round because they protect our legs from sun and brushy trails. My current hiking pant obsession is the Gnara’s Go There™ Pant. They’re designed so that you can pee outside without taking off the pants (cool, right?), but I love them because of their comfortable fit and durability. Another great option are the REI Co-op Trailmade Pants (for women and men), which are Amiana’s go to. You can find some additional women’s hiking pant reviews here.

Kula Cloth

A Kula Cloth is a reusable antimicrobial pee cloth. You use them to wipe after peeing in the backcountry, and they ensure you’ll never have damp underwear again IYKYK. 

First aid supplies

On typical day hikes we carry just a handful of first aid supplies that are tailored to our unique and expected needs on the trail. You can put together your own DIY first aid kit for hikes or, if you want a ready-made kit, this is a great option!

Mountain radios

In fall 2024 I got two Rocky Talkie Mountain Radios to use on a trip to Banff, and they proved to invaluable. Rocky Talkies are basically fancy walkie talkies meant for outdoor recreation and use in the mountains. I got the radios with the intention of using them with a friend (who was driving separately) to communicate while on the road, since cell service was scarce. We used the Rocky Talkies while driving when we needed to communicate, and we also utilized them extensively for our hikes so that we could stay in contact when separated. Since Banff is grizzly country, it was especially comforting that we could stay in touch on the trail even when out of service, and when hiking at different paces.

2025 warm weather hiking essentials and clothes

Sun shirts and hoodies

The Mammut Selun FL Sun Hoodie (for women and men) provides ultra lightweight  and soft sun protection. The REI Co-op Sahara Shade Hoodie (for women and men) is a relatively affordable option that often goes on sale and comes in a wide range of colors. However, it’s less breathable than the Mammut. I also love the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoodie (for women and men). I find it protects my skin and is incredibly smooth, soft, and lightweight. However, it doesn’t have UPF.

Hiking shorts

There are a lot of good hiking shorts on the market, and I honestly think it’s hard to go wrong in this category. However, my favorites are the REI Co-op Trailmade Shorts (for women). They’re lightweight, comfortable, and a good length (not too short, but also not too long).

We’ll update this list this summer as we test out more of the shorts on the market for 2025!

Sunscreen

I’m a big fan of La Roche-Posay sunscreens and, in particular, their Anthelios Mineral sunscreens. However, lately I’ve been gravitating to Dermatone products, which are more tailored to outdoor recreation needs. Dermatone’s sport sunscreen is my new go-to for everyday adventures, and their Skin Protector Balm is my number one sunscreen recommendation for cold weather and wind

Sun hats

Outside of baseball hats, Sunday Afternoons makes some of my favorite hats for hiking! Amiana often wears the Charter Escape Hat.

Mosquito head nets

The Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net with Insect Shield gets the job done when it comes to warding off Pacific Northwest mosquitos in the mountains, which still bite even when wearing bug spray! It’s also the absolute height of fashion.

Mosquito repellant

We do our best to avoid DEET because of health concerns AND its impact on our gear. Our preferred insect repellant is Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent. This spray is relatively inexpensive, effective, and easy to use.

Lightweight rain jacket

Coming soon – we’re still testing our gear to see if we like it!

2025 cold weather hiking essentials and clothes

Cold weather rain jacket

In winter we like to wear unlined ski and snow jackets to combat both rainy and snowy weather. They tend to have larger hoods and a more roomy fit, which helps keep you dry and layers better over puffer jackets.  We’re big fans of the Stio Environ Jacket (for women and men).

You can use code GWYN&AMI for 20% off Stio orders.

Snow-specific daypacks

Designed to shed snow and keep your water reservoir from freezing, the Gregory Verte is a great option for cold weather adventures! We love the bright orange color (also available in brown). These aren’t strictly necessary for cold weather hikes (we often just use our regular hiking daypacks with our rain covers), but they’re a good option if you frequently encounter snow.

Microspikes / Trail Crampons

In a roundup of the best hiking gear for 2025, this is our #1 winter gear recommendation if you live in a cold area. Microspikes, also called trail crampons, are winter traction devices that slip on to your shoes. We’ve used microspikes to walk around our neighborhood during an ice storm, and regularly carry them on hikes in winter. You can use them to navigate icy snow, or slick expanses of ice on sidewalks and trails. They have yet to let us down! Our favorites are the Hillsound Trail Crampons.

Hand warmers

I have poor circulation so my hands become very cold on hikes, especially when I’m taking pictures outside in winter! I often rely on hand warmers to keep my hands from going totally numb. While neither option is perfect, I have found the Zippo Heatbank 3 Rechargeable Hand Warmer and Power Bank and Ignik Hand Warmers to work reasonably well. However, I wish they achieved higher temperatures. I would like to explore heated gloves in the future. 

Gloves

We cycle through different pairs of lightweight gloves in winter, but my staples are Smartwool glove liners. For times when it’s EXTRA cold and I don’t need a TON of finger dexterity I have been wearing the REI Co-op Gauntlet GTX Split-Finger Mittens. I highly recommend them! They’re quite warm, and I appreciate that they’re also waterproof.

Neck gaiter 

Neck gaiters are essential for locking in warmth, keeping out wind, and protecting your face and nose from gusts of cold air. We both own, and love, the REI Co-op  Merino Wool Neck Gaiter. It’s unfussy, and does it’s job!

Anti-chap balm for wind and cold 

Dermatone Skin Protector Balm SPF23 Moisturizer provides sun, wind, cold, chapping & frostbite protection. It was designed for skiers, and does a great job of protecting delicate facial skin.

Hats

Amiana would self identify as having a big head, and she’s been super happy with the REI Co-op Logo Beanies. They’re comfortable, wash well, and come in a range of colors.

Puffer jackets

We currently have three primary puffer jackets we use for hiking. Our warmest jackets are the REI Magma 850 down jacket (for women and men) and Stio hometown down jacket (for women and men). These are heavyweight jackets with 850 and 800 down fill, respectively. The Stio jacket comes in more colors, but is less packable/compact. For a lighter weight down jacket we rely on the REI 650 Down Jacket (for women and men), which we sometimes layer under our heavier weight down jackets. 

You can use code GWYN&AMI for 20% off Stio orders.

Base layers

In weather below 35 degrees we often wear wool base layers underneath our hiking clothes to help us stay warm and regulate our body temperatures. REI offers several Merino Wool base layer options for women and men. They’re easy to wash and very comfortable. We also both wear and love Smartwool’s classic base layer tops and bottoms for women, and tops and bottoms for men. 

I hope you found this post on the best hiking gear for 2025 helpful! Have questions? Send us a message on Instagram. Looking for more gear? This post is part of our 2025 outdoor gear guide series, where we’re sharing a breakdown of ALL of our favorite gear. You can find additional components of the series here.