2019 Christmas Gift List -> Hiking & Travel Gear That Goes The Distance

December 20, 2019 by libertatemamo 14 Comments

There’s only a few days left until Christmas (wow!), so I know I’m REALLY late on getting this list out. Oh well!

Thankfully Amazon Prime delivers in a few days (even here in France!) so there’s always hope to get these in time for the 25th. Or you can always save this list and buy yourself something special later on (a New Years gift for a new year of travel perhaps?). Either way, I’m in it for the long haul and my 2019 gift list is too. This year I’ve decided to focus exclusively on travel & hiking gear, and not just any old stuff but the equipment, clothing & paw-related items that have gone the distance for us.

All my absolute favorites are in here, tested by years on the road, which means every item is quality. We’ve used it, we’ve abused it and it’s gotten the Wheelingit stamp of approval with all thumbs and paws up. So, if you’re looking for that perfect piece of travel gear perhaps you’ll find it here. Enjoy!

For those not shopping today, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous New Year!

Full Disclosure -> This post contains affiliate links, which you may chose to use (or not) as you wish. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases 🙂

Best Travel Shoes -> Keen Sandals Forever!

I’ve been a firm fan of Keen sandals for around 10 years now, specifically the Newport H2 Water Shoe. They’re firm enough to be used for hiking, comfortable enough to be worn everyday, can be used on land and in water (e.g. river crossings) and are durable enough to survive the 365 days a year that I use and abuse them. Honestly, I rarely wear anything else! I typically buy a new pair once per year when I see a color on sale so that I have an “old” pair for hiking and one “new” pair, for fancy dates :). Oh, and I DO wear these with socks in winter (see below)

For those curious Paul is also a KEEN addict, but his choice of shoe is the lighter Clear Water CNX Model. For his Camino de Santiago trip he also fell in love with the Agility Synthesis Flex Sneakers (they went the full 800km without a hitch!).

PRO TIP: for KEENS unless you’re dead-set on a specific color, check pricing for ALL color options in your size. You’ll often find $10-$40 difference in price between different colors.

Best Socks -> Merino Wool Anything, But Especially Darn Tough (Vermont)

I’ve been through a lot of socks in my time, and only a rare few have impressed me enough to go back and buy them again. Merino Wool is key (nothing wicks and keeps your feet happier) as well as shape & cushioning. I’m a firm fan of Smartwool socks (have been for years), plus I also really like Danish Endurance socks (which I’ve used a lot here in France), but IMO the sock to rule them all is Darn Tough from Vermont.

Darn Tough are pricier than other socks, but they’re super durable, darn comfy & come in all kinds of cute colors and motifs. Plus they have a lifetime guarantee!! I have both the thicker boot version (for winter) and the light crew version (for summer), and BOTH are on my wishlist again this year (hint, hint Paul…!)

Fav Travel Leggings -> Safort Yoga Leggings, Long WITH Pockets!!

I pretty much live in leggings, but it’s always a struggle to find ones that fit because of my ridiculously long legs (my normal inseam is ~35″!). Plus I want pockets, darn it (why, oh why don’t designers like pockets???).

Thankfully I discovered Safort Yoga Leggings a few years ago and they are perfect!! They’re nicely long (you can cut them if you have shorter legs than me), boot-cut (another thumbs up), very flattering, thick enough to be completely opaque (and VERY durable!), comfy enough to wear daily aaaaaand {{ding, ding, ding}} THEY HAVE POCKETS!!

Over 2,300 other people on Amazon agree with me on this one so I know I’m not alone. I own every single color they make of these and pray daily to the legging Gods that they never discontinue this style.

All-Round Jacket -> Columbia Mighty Lite Jacket

I’ve been looking for the “perfect” long jacket for a looong time, ever since my previous jacket (a shorter Patagonia down jacket) gave out after ~18 years of service. Another Patagonia would have been great (the Down With It Parka looks AWESOME), but I really wanted something a little lighter and cheaper this time around.

So after reading a bunch of reviews (e.g. Outdoorgears does wonderful write-ups) I pulled the plug on the Columbia Mighty Lite Jacket, and I’ve been very happy with my choice. It’s light-weight, flattering, and surprisingly warm thanks to it’s snazzy omni-heat layer. Plus it didn’t break the bank at under $100 (on sale). This jacket won’t take me to 19,000 ft in Nepal like my last one did (it’s not nearly warm enough for that), but it is now my #1 everyday jacket. Oh and it’s another Amazon item with over 2,500 positive reviews.

NOTE/ Columbia also makes a Heavenly Jacket that looks identical to the Mighty Lite. Honestly not sure what the differences are between the two models, but it’s another alternative to look at.

Lightweight Towels -> Go Microfiber!

Paul discovered the importance of a good towel when he hiked the Camino De Santiago earlier this year, and we’ve discovered the same together while RVing in our mini-rig in Europe. We both want towels that are light and soft, dry quickly (so we don’t have to drive around with a musty smell) yet are large and comfy enough to feel like “real” towels without the weight.

Microfiber towels fit the ticket, but they do vary quite a bit in quality and how well they actually dry you. We’ve used Mountain Warehouse Towels for over a year now (the “Large” 70cm x 130cm size) and have been very happy with them. Another option to look at is Rainleaf, who make a microfiber towel with over 2,700 positive reviews. Don’t think you can go wrong here.

Natural Washes & Soaps -> Dr Bronners Rocks

If you backpack or boondock a lot, you’ll want some natural wash liquids that are bio-degradable (so you don’t hurt the environment when you use them) and multi-use. For this Dr Bronners Liquid Soaps are my absolute top pick. In my many years of travel I’ve rarely found anything that beats them. They’re ECO-friendly, and you can use them for literally everything from body and hair washing, to cleaning dishes and surfaces. Personally I’m a fan of the lavender and peppermint scents, but if you just want to try ’em out you can always get yourself a snazzy 5-piece sample pack.

Oh and if you prefer hard soaps rather than liquid, Dr Bronners has those too (we use and like them a lot) plus I also recommend Indigo Wild Zum Goat’s Milk Soaps which are a smidgen pricier, but absolutely luxurious to use (Paul is a huge fan).

Pet Travel Supplies -> Bags, Paw Protection & More

We are a family of traveling paws, so we have a few key recommendations here.

For the kitties we are fans of the Sherpa Travel Bags (we’ve used them for over 15 years). They are soft carriers which are super durable, and the right size to bring on the majority of airplanes. For our travels to Europe we had to downsize to a slightly smaller carrier (to meet Air France size limits) so we switched to the 4-way expandable Smiling Paws Bag, which we’ve been equally happy with. We looove the expandable sections and we love that we can collapse them down flat when we don’t use them. The kitties give both bags 8 paws up.

Our dog Polly prefers to walk “au naturel”, but when the occasion demands it she will (reluctantly) accept paw protection in the form of Ultra Paws Durable Boots (very handy during our desert travels in areas with “jumping Chollas”), as well as Mushers Secret Paw Protection Wax (it’s simply the best wax out there).

When she is on the road she likes to ride in the RV in safety with her Kurgo Crash-Tested Harness. And when she needs to “freshen up” she does permit us to bathe her with Earthbath All-Natural Dog Shampoo (ECO friendly and Bio-degradable, of course). Nothing else will do.

Hiking & Daytime Bags

No matter how you travel (RV, plane, car) you need a good hiking bag for your daytime explorations in nature.

For many, many years we’ve used CamelBack MULE Packs and they’ve definitely gone the distance for us! Our first packs, which we bought over 15 years ago are still going solidly today.

When Paul and his dad hiked the Camino de Santiago earlier this year however, they both needed something a big larger so they bought Osprey Packs, aka the “Camino Pack” (pretty much everyone on the trail uses them). Paul went for the Osprey 22 Liter Pack (which has now also become our new favorite daytime pack) while his dad went for the larger Osprey Stratos 36.

Another set of bags that we always carry with us on our travels are packable shopping bags. We use them for groceries, market shopping, daytime shopping...you-name-it. I’ve always liked the type you can pack into a little pouch and then either slot into or clip onto a handbag (e.g. with a little carabiner). We use zero plastic grocery bags in this house!

Extra Hiking Gear

Whenever we’re out hiking there are a few extra pieces of gear we always carry with us.

A good headlamp is a must. We use it in the RV (when we need to do repairs), when we hike and whenever we walk the dog at night. It may look geeky, but having your hands free is awesome. If you buy one, get one that is at least 200 lumens (NO less) and has a red light (great for night vision including night photography). Our fav brand has always been Pezl and this Pezl Tactikka fits all the needs.

A multi-tool is another awesome piece of gear to travel with. Many folks love Swiss Army Knife (Paul did carry a small Swiss Army Pocket on his Camino hike, mostly for the bottle opener methinks), but we’ve always been partial to the Leatherman Wave. We like the fact that it has pliers, plus a solid knife and a small wood file on it, in addition to all the other usual stuff. It’s not the lightest tool out there, but IMO it’s the best. We’ve owned and backpacked with ours for over 15 years.

There’s probably plenty of other stuff I’ve forgotten to include, but hopefully this list gives you some ideas, should you be searching for them. Happy Holidays!!