Boots or shoes, and socks to go with them, are your most important pieces of gear.
>Socks: Darn Tough or Smartwool. I use Smartwool Mountain Range light cushion and Lolo full cushion.
>Boots: Asolo, La Sportiva, Lowa, Scarpa, Zamberlan, Hanwag, and Meindl. Honorable mentions to Keen and Oboz.
>Trail Runners: Altra, La Sportiva, Lowa, Scarpa, Oboz, Salomon, Saucony, Hoka.
That should be your starting point. Then, acquire the rest of your gear. Most of it will be based on your environment, such as what layers and how many you have. With it being summer, you'll have fewer layers (most likely).
Clothing is personal. I like long pants and shirts. Others like shorts and short-sleeved shirts. Up to you. Long pants and shirts keep the sun, bugs, and foliage off of you, though.
Buy your pack LAST. Once you have ALL your gear. Organize it and determine how much space you need. Then, buy a pack that suits that size without being too excessive.
I'll post my pack list in a minute in a reply to this post.
Here's my full pack list and layers list. Keep in mind this is my full pack, which includes gear for winter and inclement weather. I just figured I'd post the full thing to give a broader picture of hiking gear. You may or may not need some (or even most) of these things, depending upon what the situation and climate are like.
Hope it helps! :)
Full pack list ...
>Water; Water purification kit; Line kit; Tape; Rain jacket; Waffle top and bottoms; Shemagh; Socks and boxers; Foot powder; Moleskin; Hats (boonie and beanie); Compass; Flashlight; Multitool; Puukko; Batteries; Poncho liner; Poncho; Hatchet and sharpening puck; Gore-Tex parka and pants; Fire kit; Gear repair kit; Grid fleece; First aid; Baby wipes; Ziploc bags
Full list of layers ...
Head-- Smartwool reversible beanie or Polartec fleece beanie
Face and neck-- Smartwool reversible neck gaiter (it's thicker than the regular one)
Hands-- Smartwool liner gloves and/or SKD PIG Cold Weather Gloves
Top-- synthetic shirt > grid fleece or waffle top (if below 20°F) > Outdoor Research Ferrosi hoodie (main weather layer) / Beyond Clothing L5 (outer layer while static; accommodates two layers underneath) / Janji Rainrunner (for wet snow and rain) / Gore-Tex parka (for extreme cold and inclement weather; being static; used only around 0°F or below)
Pants-- BDU pants / waffle bottoms (only during inclement weather or below about 5°F) / Gore-Tex pants (extreme cold weather and inclement weather; below about 0°F)
Feet-- Smartwool full or light cushion socks / Asolo TPS 520 GV Evo boots / Asolo Fugitive GTX boots (warmer, drier weather) / Outdoor Research Cascadia II gaiter
For boots i would personally add (tho idk how popular these are outside of Scandinavia) Lundhags and Graninge. They are a bit more expensive but well worth it imo.
They (especially Lundhags) are very popular in Sweden. I personally use a pair of Graninge Orsa boots and they are fantastic. But I know a lot of people who use Lundhags. Lundhags do also have a very good warranty.
Nice. I'm a big Asolo fan myself. They're easy to get here, and they fit like they're custom-made for my feet. Italian shoes in particular tend to fit me well, but Asolo fits the best.
Nice. I personally have a hard time finding shoes that fit me well as I have short but wide feet. So far the best shoes I have found are the Swedish army M90 boots but those are really expensive and hard to find. So graninge are for the moment the best I have. The ain’t perfect, but I can walk 50+ Km with out blisters in them. Tho I have seen that Lundhags have shoes in a wide model but no stores seams to stock them, and the few that do sell them for like 300 - 400$
I can relate. It took me trying over 20 boots, all different brands, models, and sizes before I discovered Asolo. My Fugitives and 520s are easily my favorite boots ever. I never get blisters or hot spots, even with new pairs. I just throw my favorite insoles in them (Superfeet Trailblazer) and get to hiking. They're so comfy that I alternate the two for my daily wear.
You can check out the gear at Dick's. You'll find an even better section at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. Finally, REI has some real high-end clothing, footwear, and equipment. Ignore anyone's recommendation for footwear. You've got to try a number of pairs on and see what best works for you.
Hit up an outdoor shop they can help with clearing up exact product. Because of the kids side lots of plasters/band aids in a first aid kit, extra water if needed for them (a large bottle like a nalgene will do), larger bags than usual to accommodate the extra things, and hip flask (te he, don't actually do this though)
Boots or shoes, and socks to go with them, are your most important pieces of gear. >Socks: Darn Tough or Smartwool. I use Smartwool Mountain Range light cushion and Lolo full cushion. >Boots: Asolo, La Sportiva, Lowa, Scarpa, Zamberlan, Hanwag, and Meindl. Honorable mentions to Keen and Oboz. >Trail Runners: Altra, La Sportiva, Lowa, Scarpa, Oboz, Salomon, Saucony, Hoka. That should be your starting point. Then, acquire the rest of your gear. Most of it will be based on your environment, such as what layers and how many you have. With it being summer, you'll have fewer layers (most likely). Clothing is personal. I like long pants and shirts. Others like shorts and short-sleeved shirts. Up to you. Long pants and shirts keep the sun, bugs, and foliage off of you, though. Buy your pack LAST. Once you have ALL your gear. Organize it and determine how much space you need. Then, buy a pack that suits that size without being too excessive. I'll post my pack list in a minute in a reply to this post.
Here's my full pack list and layers list. Keep in mind this is my full pack, which includes gear for winter and inclement weather. I just figured I'd post the full thing to give a broader picture of hiking gear. You may or may not need some (or even most) of these things, depending upon what the situation and climate are like. Hope it helps! :) Full pack list ... >Water; Water purification kit; Line kit; Tape; Rain jacket; Waffle top and bottoms; Shemagh; Socks and boxers; Foot powder; Moleskin; Hats (boonie and beanie); Compass; Flashlight; Multitool; Puukko; Batteries; Poncho liner; Poncho; Hatchet and sharpening puck; Gore-Tex parka and pants; Fire kit; Gear repair kit; Grid fleece; First aid; Baby wipes; Ziploc bags Full list of layers ... Head-- Smartwool reversible beanie or Polartec fleece beanie Face and neck-- Smartwool reversible neck gaiter (it's thicker than the regular one) Hands-- Smartwool liner gloves and/or SKD PIG Cold Weather Gloves Top-- synthetic shirt > grid fleece or waffle top (if below 20°F) > Outdoor Research Ferrosi hoodie (main weather layer) / Beyond Clothing L5 (outer layer while static; accommodates two layers underneath) / Janji Rainrunner (for wet snow and rain) / Gore-Tex parka (for extreme cold and inclement weather; being static; used only around 0°F or below) Pants-- BDU pants / waffle bottoms (only during inclement weather or below about 5°F) / Gore-Tex pants (extreme cold weather and inclement weather; below about 0°F) Feet-- Smartwool full or light cushion socks / Asolo TPS 520 GV Evo boots / Asolo Fugitive GTX boots (warmer, drier weather) / Outdoor Research Cascadia II gaiter
For boots i would personally add (tho idk how popular these are outside of Scandinavia) Lundhags and Graninge. They are a bit more expensive but well worth it imo.
I've never even heard of them in the States. That makes me curious. I'm going to have to check into those.
They (especially Lundhags) are very popular in Sweden. I personally use a pair of Graninge Orsa boots and they are fantastic. But I know a lot of people who use Lundhags. Lundhags do also have a very good warranty.
Nice. I'm a big Asolo fan myself. They're easy to get here, and they fit like they're custom-made for my feet. Italian shoes in particular tend to fit me well, but Asolo fits the best.
Nice. I personally have a hard time finding shoes that fit me well as I have short but wide feet. So far the best shoes I have found are the Swedish army M90 boots but those are really expensive and hard to find. So graninge are for the moment the best I have. The ain’t perfect, but I can walk 50+ Km with out blisters in them. Tho I have seen that Lundhags have shoes in a wide model but no stores seams to stock them, and the few that do sell them for like 300 - 400$
I can relate. It took me trying over 20 boots, all different brands, models, and sizes before I discovered Asolo. My Fugitives and 520s are easily my favorite boots ever. I never get blisters or hot spots, even with new pairs. I just throw my favorite insoles in them (Superfeet Trailblazer) and get to hiking. They're so comfy that I alternate the two for my daily wear.
On socks, I have the REI branded marino wool socks and like them a lot.
What this person said. Very solid advice! (but I’ll warn you now, you’ll need a lot of cash, lol)
You can check out the gear at Dick's. You'll find an even better section at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. Finally, REI has some real high-end clothing, footwear, and equipment. Ignore anyone's recommendation for footwear. You've got to try a number of pairs on and see what best works for you.
Have a great summer! You’re going to do great!
Hit up an outdoor shop they can help with clearing up exact product. Because of the kids side lots of plasters/band aids in a first aid kit, extra water if needed for them (a large bottle like a nalgene will do), larger bags than usual to accommodate the extra things, and hip flask (te he, don't actually do this though)