We’re not saying that it’s spork simple, but getting geared up for the summer hiking season really is as easy as finding good shoes, some sunglasses, a pack and a guidebook. And we’ve got tips to help you narrow down the choices.
We’re lucky in Colorado because there’s more than enough great outdoors for all of us to use. We can explore urban trails, or wander deep into the silent wilderness, or pick something in between. Whichever happy path we choose to walk, there are a few basic supplies required to get off on the right foot. – Dana Coffield and Colleen O’Connor, Denver Post staff writers
BOOTS
Although fit is the paramount issue to contend with when you’re looking for hiking boots or shoes, there are a few questions to ask yourself before you buy:
Where do I want to hike or walk?
How often will I use them?
Will I be carrying a heavy pack?
The answers determine whether you need light trail runners or pricey mountaineering boots, a waterproof lining or boots the come up over your ankles.
Once you’ve determined the features you need, try on at least three different pairs in your price range. “Make your decision off of the feel,” says Nate Goss, assistant manager of the shoe department at Jax Outdoor Gear in Fort Collins. “If the boot or shoe doesn’t fit, you’re going to be miserable.”
And there are plenty to choose from.
This year, Patagonia has rolled out shoes and boots made from 30 percent recycled rubber, environmentally friendly leather and packaged in a recyclable cardboard box. Check out the the lightweight Huckleberry and Finn hikers for men and women (starting at $100).
Merrill has stopped “shrinking and pinking” its hikers, offering the Siren series (starting at about $85) made on a women’s foot form. This means the shoes and boots are narrower and the arch is in a different place, presumably the right place for a woman’s foot.
BOOK
“I wish I knew the name of that bird!”
It’s a lament frequent as birdsong along Colorado’s hiking trails.
Easy solution: tuck “Compact Guide to Colorado Birds” (Lone Pine, $13.95) into your daypack.
This quick-reference guide to 105 species of birds in Colorado is stuffed with fun facts, like how the lark bunting -the Colorado state bird – is one of just six songbirds found only in North American grasslands.
Especially helpful is the list of Colorado’s top 25 birding sites, chosen for their broad selection of communities and habitats.
They include Cherry Creek State Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Pawnee National Grassland, which happens to be internationally known as a spectacular place to see birds of prey, along with red-headed woodpeckers, black-billed magpies and gray catbirds. Just head for the easy Birdwalk Trail, and flip open your new bird book.
SUNGLASSES
If there’s one piece of gear not to leave home for the trail without it’s sunglasses.
They need to be UVA-UVB blocking, which means that they keep damaging ultraviolet rays from the sun out of the eye and off of the sensitive skin around the eyes.
The lenses should also be polarized, which reduces glare. After that, your decision is all about style and budget.
Jenn Scanlon, who manages the camping department at Jax, says glasses with interchangable lenses are especially popular among people who do several outdoor activities. Good news for people put off by the idea of wearing the blade-style glasses favored by distance runners: The Native brand “Silencer” line ($125) features full-frame glasses that have a spring near the bridge that allows you to easily pop the lenses in and out.
Pick amber for fishing, clear for riding your scooter at night and gray for just about everything else. “Gray, green or brown lenses are what most of us should be wearing,” she says.
If you plan to tackle some serious high-country trails, Scanlon recommends picking glasses that have sidewall protection to keep intense rays from bouncing off the inside of the glasses onto your eyes. Julbo has mountaineering glasses that run $40.
And, yes, your kids need shades too.
Julbo feels the pain of parents trying to keep eye protection on the little guys, so it developed a line of baby and toddler shades. Brightly colored and unbreakable, the Looping line runs $25-$30 and includes Croakie-style elastic bands to keep the glasses from getting away.
STAY COOL
No need to haul a mess kit out on the trail. Especially not when there are convenient origami plates, cups, bowls and game boards to take along with you.
Available at Jax and online at orikaso.com, fold-flat tableware made from polypropylene will keep the kids busy while you’re whipping up supper, rinse off quickly and take up about 1/32-inch per piece in the backpack.
BACKPACK
While daypacks are reasonably easy to choose – Do the straps adjust to fit comfortably, and does it have enough room for the gear you’ll need for the day? – you’ll need help picking a backpack for spending a few days walking in the woods.
Try several. Packs come in different lengths, which means a short woman doesn’t have to struggle with a pack sized for an NBA player. Go ahead and adjust the shoulder and waist straps to make sure you will still be balanced, even when the pack is fully loaded.
Trekking into the wilderness for a week or so? Check out the award-winning JanSport Whittaker LR Backpack (about $270), which offers a roomy 4400 cubic inches of space to stow your gear.
Lightweight and waterproof, this adjustable suspension pack features a top-loading main compartment plus a quick-access alternative entry on the lower front.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Which sleeping bag? What tent? A canoe? Do I really need a canoe?
Some outdoor shops make it easier to figure out exactly what kind of gear you want and need by renting things like sleeping bags, pads, camping stoves, tents and packs. “Try before you buy,” offers Jax’s camping manager Jenn Scanlon.
At REI, $25 will let you try a 3-person Taj tent for the weekend (pick up Friday, return Sunday) before commiting to the $229 it would take to buy the tent.
For another $20, you can snooze in a sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees. It comes with a pad and a liner that Tom Appell, a sales specialist at the Boulder store, says you definitely want to use. “You gotta get a little dirty when you’re camping,” he says.
Stores sometimes hold demo days for bigger- ticket items, like canoes. For example, Jax is holding its annual boat demo today from noon to 4 p.m. at Rolland Moore Park in Fort Collins. REI will let you try flat-water canoes and kayaks at Bear Creek Lake Park starting at 9 a.m. on June 9.
“It’s a great way to test out a wide selection of boats,” says Jax salesman Bryan Vernetson.
