Now that we've been taking these Friday hikes for more than 6 months, we feel like we can offer you the ultimate checklist for a Florida Day Hike. Afterall, we can't be travel bloggers if you are clueless about hiking gear.
Four Key Essentials
If you hike with nothing else at all, these first four essentials should definitely accompany you on any hike.
Backpack
The first must for a hiking trip is a lightweight, waterproof, sturdy backpack. After all you need something to carry everything else in. We started out using just a regular bookbag that Gary got years ago when he worked for Duda. It was heavy even with nothing in it, so my back was always a sweaty mess before we'd even walked that far. Furthermore it wasn't water proof so I always had to worry about everything inside getting damp when rain threatened or the time that the kids almost knocked it off the dock into a lake. You want something that is big enough to hold your essentials but doesn't feel like you are carrying everything you own with you. We got each of the four older kids one of these backpacks for Christmas each in their own color, and they have held up well. My brother has also had one of these for a few years now with no complaints. I also wanted a slightly larger backpack since I carry stuff for me and Gary (when he is along with us), and the twins items, so I purchased this option, which I've also been pleased with. Ours even come with a built in emergency whistle to signal for help if you get injured or stranded.
Water Bottle
I wanted a one gallon water bottle for each of us for hiking, however, I quickly realized that a one gallon water bottle wouldn't fit in the side pockets for our backpacks. Since we are limited to hikes of around 2 to 3 miles so long as the little boys are so little, we don't really need that much water on a hike. So we carry a 32 oz water bottle for each of the kids (I actually don't have my own, and just share with the twins right now). We were using a mixture of bottles before Christmas in various sizes, many of which were just refilled bottles from the grocery store or older plastic water bottles. While light weight, the water doesn't stay cold and the bottles don't hold up well to abuse. So again for Christmas we found these in a variety of colors so that each child has a different color. The thing I like best about them is that they come with three types of carrying straps, a long one to wear across your body or over your shoulder, a short hand strap, or a carbuncle to hook it to a bookbag. They also come with two types of tops so that you can drink from a straw or from an open mouth top.
Snacks
Hiking makes you hungry. It is just a fact. I'm not going to tell you what kind of snacks to get, you know what you like. But something with protein is definitely a good choice, and I will say, always pack more than you think you'll need. We also pack a lunch most hikes, and while we plan to eat after hiking most of the time, I always carry it with us on our hike, just in case the kids get hungry ahead of time, or we run into an emergency and need to have our food with us. We frequently pick up little sandwich platters for everyone to share, but when we pack individual lunches, I like these cheap lightweight bento boxes to slip into each person's backpack, though I can carry 7 in my backpack alone. The only downside was that they only come in 3 colors: pink, mint, and blue.
Hiking Shoes
The last thing that you really must have for a successful day hike in Florida is the right kind of shoes. Now, I will say that I hiked for the longest time in tennis shoes, and Gary was using tennis shoes full of holes and would get rocks in them and water in them every time we went somewhere. Additionally, some of our kids are prone to hike in their ballet flats for Church or their flip flops if we don't catch them, and enforce tennis shoes. However, for Christmas (are you sensing a theme here) Gary and I both needed a new pair of tennis shoes so we asked for some that were good for hiking as well. They have better grip than our old shoes since they have deeper tread on the bottom, and since then hiking has gone much better on mine and Gary's feet. You might opt for a good pair of tennis shoes, a pair of hiking sandals, or even full blown hiking boots. Your footwear isn't going to make or break you on most Florida trails, but your feet will feel better and you'll enjoy hiking more if you do at least find something with good support for the trail.
Seven More Necessary Essentials
While we've frequently hiked without the following items, it is in your best interest to have them on hand. While you might not need them for every hike you go on, they are frequently necessary here in Florida, and you'd rather have them than not.
Sunscreen
Along with this you might want a good hat or a pair of sunglasses. I hike in sunglasses, nearly every hike we go on. It is better for my eyes to be shielded from the sun, and I can see better. Often our hikes have been in fairly shaded areas, and we haven't been out in the sun long, however, UV rays can still penetrate through the canopy and if you are out between 10 and 2 you are especially susceptible to being sunburnt. We primarily use spray on sunscreen for the ease of applying it on 7 people, but the rub on stuff is actually better.
Bug Spray
Mosquitos are active pretty much all year in Florida, and while they aren't as bad during the height of the day, they are still out and about, especially in state parks and forest near waterways. We always keep a can of bug spray with us, and the hike that we ran out on back in the fall, we were covered in the critters. It's hard to enjoy a hike if you are constantly swatting mosquitos and no-see-ums, so carry bug spray.
Raincoats
We have some how lucked out and never been rained on, during an Adventure Friday. We have had rain on the way to and from some of our destinations, but never while hiking. Florida is a rainy state, even though we are in our drier part of the year now, I still have each of the kids raincoats in the bottom of their hiking bag, every hike. It just good to be prepared, since rain showers here often pop up unexpectedly. Again, for Christmas all the kids got a new raincoat, all in different colors. The twins' raincoats even have a small compass in the sleeve.
GPS or Trail Maps
Every hike I print up the state park or state forest's trail map, and keep it with us in my book bag. I also use All Trails on my phone (just the free version) to track where we are at any given time. A word to the wise, All Trails, and pretty much any GPS app on your phone uses a phenomenal amount of battery, so be sure to start with a fully charged battery. So far our hikes with only a few exceptions have followed very well marked trails, and even if they weren't clear we could turn around and hike back the way we had come, but for safety it's good to have a way to track your progress whether that's a compass and map, or a GPS device. Additionally, while we've not run into any areas yet that haven't had good cell signal, it's a good policy to download your maps ahead of time, just in case you don't have a good cell signal. On that note, also always be sure that someone else knows where you are going and how long you intend to be gone, again, just in case something were to happen. I make it a practice to text Gary when we arrive at a hike, and call when we are leaving, and he has all the information on where we are going and what trail we are doing at home.
Flashlight
It's also a good idea to have a flashlight with you, we've only done two evening hikes. One in which we all stayed near our guide who kept a flashlight for guiding the group. Another where we were finishing up just past dusk. But, even if you don't plan to be out after dark, it's a good precaution to have a flashlight of some kind incase an emergency arises and you get caught out after dark. The kids all prefer head lamps, so that you don't have something extra to carry. And they got these in their stockings this past Christmas. The twins each have a small hand held flashlight, and I have one that I keep in the car, that wraps around my neck. Whatever, type you prefer, it's good to have one just in case.
Pocket Knife
Another just in case item that can be useful in all sorts of instances is a pocket knife. You never know what you might need one for. Many people also recommend carrying rope with you as well, however, we just keep a small pocket knife in my bag, again just in case.
First Aid Kit
I have kept a first aid kit in our car for a long time. On hiking days, I do my best to remember to get it out of the back of the car, and pop it into my hiking bag, incase someone gets hurt and needs it. Our very first hike out I didn't think to do that, and so when Kate fell and skint up her knee she spent the remainder of the hike hobbling and crying in dramatic form, until we could rinse her knee off at the car and put a Band-Aid on it. We thankfully, have never had anything worse than a skinned knee but we have supplies for deeper cuts and sprains in the kit as well. And I suppose if we had to we could use our pocket knife to cut a branch, and the gauze in the kit to secure a broken bone. Again the idea is to prepare for the just in case scenarios, so that you are able to tackle any thing that might crop up on a hike. An emergency whistle might also be good to include in your hiking first aid kit.
A few Bonus Suggestions
There are a few other items that I wouldn't classify as an essential for most Florida day hikes, but that might be wise to eventually add to your hiking bag.
Water Shoes
We have done some hikes that cross water or skirt along waterways, and it would have been nice to have a set of water shoes that we could change into instead of getting our shoes and socks wet. We plan to visit more of the springs and other waterways in the state once the weather turns hot over the summer, and I might invest in a pair for me and the kids then. I have seen several Youtubers that we follow who have used water shoes for cave hikes and swapped from hiking shoes to water shoes for fording creeks and such, and I think they would be a great option to have.
Baby Wipes
These are fantastic for cleaning up, no matter if you are just finishing a snack on a 2 mile hike, need to clean up a wound, or end up stuck somewhere overnight and want to freshen up. These are just all around handy.
Pop-Up Emergency Shelter
This isn't something that we currently carry, but something I've considered getting if we ever get to do longer hikes or hikes outside of our current easy terrain. But lots of hiking guides recommend some sort of easy pop up emergency shelter. In Florida, there is no need for polar warmth incase you are out all night, like you might need in Denver in the winter. But a small shelter incase of an emergency and a place to get out of the rain or the harsh sun might be a benefit if you were to get stranded on a trail.
Walking Stick or Trekking Poles
Rebecca and I like to use a walking stick as we maneuver the trails. The other kids don't prefer them most trips. Some people especially in steep areas with lots of elevation changes like to have two trekking poles. You can decide if they are for you or not.
Ultimate Checklist for Florida Day Hiking Essentials
To Sum it all up here is our Ultimate Checklist for Florida Day Hiking Essentials:
A lightweight, waterproof, sturdy backpack
An insulated water bottle
Snacks
Hiking shoes
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Raincoat
GPS or some sort of trail map
Flashlight
Pocket knife
First Aid Kit
A few bonus suggestions:
Water Shoes
Baby Wipes
Pop-Up Emergency Shelter like a Bivy Sack
Trekking Poles
Other odds and ends
Since we also visit a number of state parks as well as hiking our state forest. I also keep the kids Junior Ranger Program folders in my hiking bag, and our Adventure Book, which is a traveler's journal that I keep pictures in and get stamps for at the various state parks that we visit. I think some sort of paper and pen is always a good idea to have in your hiking bag, you never know when you might want it. I keep our car keys and any cash we might have in my bag as well, incase we decide to pick up something at a camp store on our adventures. Other than that Ruth and I occasionally will wear our baby carriers on a longer hike, so that we can carry the boys if necessary.
I hope you pack up a bag and hit your local trails. What all do you carry on a hike, do you carry all the stuff, or are you a minimalist. Anything you think is a essential that we left off our list?
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