WELCOME TO

TRAIL MAMA HIKES’

Experience Guide

Happy Trails, Friend!

I appreciate your choice to journey with Trail Mama Hikes! I hope this message finds you well and full of excitement for our upcoming trail adventure. I am eagerly looking forward to guiding you through the wilderness of the Laurel Highlands and providing you with a memorable experience. As you decide what items to bring in your pack, remember that an extra ounce here and there can quickly add up, leading to a more challenging hike. Choose your items carefully to ensure you are both well-equipped for this journey and minimize the weight of your pack. To ensure a more comfortable experience, it is advisable that the weight of your loaded backpack, including food and water, be less than 20% of your body weight. The following lists are some suggestions and recommendations gathered from my years of experience backpacking on the trail.

Basic Supplies List

  1. Backpack, 45 L to 65 L

  2. Rain cover for pack and/or an unscented contractor-type or trash compactor bag to line the pack

  3. Sleeping bag, temperature appropriate, lightweight as possible

  4. Sleeping pad, insulated if cold, lightweight as possible

  5. Pillow, inflatable, or small travel size

  6. Trekking poles

  7. Hiking shoes or boot

  8. Clothing

  9. Personal Hygiene Kit

  10. Bathroom Kit

  11. Food and utensils

  12. Water and filtration

  13. First aid kit

  14. Headlamp

  15. Firestarter

  16. Portable phone charger and cord

  17. Photo ID

  18. Very small amount of bug repellant, summer

  19. Very small amount of sunscreen, optional

 

Suggestions for Clothing:

*Consider the weather and dress accordingly.

*Choose lightweight, non-bulky clothing that will dry quickly. Moisture-wicking athletic materials, as well as wool, are excellent choices for hiking.

*Choose clothing that can be layered and worn all at once for maximum warmth or pared down for breathability. For the best result, choose form-fitting innerwear (underwear, base layers, hiking shirt, and pants) and work your way out to looser-fitting outerwear (fleece jacket, down jacket, rain jacket/pants, etc.). Many items will have a dual purpose. The rain jacket will keep you dry and can also act as a second layer to keep you warm if you get a chill.

*Your basic hiking top and bottom will be worn throughout the trip. Welcome the dirt! Welcome the stink! Embrace the grime! Know that you will have a refreshing shower when our trip concludes.

*The puffy jacket is highly recommended for keeping warm in dry conditions. When the jacket gets wet, its insulating properties are diminished and it takes a long while to dry. If there’s rain or snow expected, your outer layer must be rain gear.

*Frogg Toggs is a reasonably inexpensive brand of lightweight rain gear that works exceptionally well. They are available at sporting goods stores, Walmart, Target, etc.

*To keep your pack weight down, do not bring duplicate clothing items solely for the sake of cleanliness unless you feel it is truly necessary. I recommend only carrying multiples of socks and underwear.

What to Wear: Summer

On Trail

  1. Moisture wicking shirt

  2. Hiking shorts or pants

  3. Underwear and sports bra, quick drying

  4. Lightweight hiking socks

  5. Trail running shoes, lightweight hiking shoes, or lightweight hiking boots

  6. Lightweight windbreaker or lightweight rain jacket, in case of a chill

  7. Sunglasses, optional

  8. Ballcap, optional

  9. Gaiters (a covering that covers your shoes to prevent debris from getting inside), optional

At Camp

  1. Thin long sleeve or short sleeve base layer top

  2. Thin shorts or pants as base layer bottom

  3. Warm socks for sleeping

  4. Camp shoes, such as crocs or sandals, optional

  5. Warm hat, optional

What to Wear: Spring & Fall

On Trail

  1. Moisture wicking short sleeve or long sleeve shirt

  2. Hiking pants, leggings, or shorts

  3. Underwear and sports bra, quick drying

  4. Lightweight hiking socks

  5. Trail running shoes, lightweight hiking shoes, or lightweight hiking boots

  6. Lightweight rain jacket if rain is in the forecast

  7. Lightweight warm jacket (for example, fleece)

  8. Warm hat

  9. Liner gloves, optional

  10. Warm gloves, if your hands get cold easily

  11. Sunglasses, optional

  12. Gaiters, optional

  13. Rain pants, if rain is in the forecast, optional

At Camp

  1. Thin, warm long sleeve base layer top

  2. Thin, warm pants as base layer bottom

  3. Puffy jacket, if the temperature is to be below 60 degrees Fahrenheit

  4. Warm socks for sleeping

  5. Camp shoes, such as crocs or sandals, optional

What to Wear: Winter

On Trail

  1. Thin, warm long sleeve base layer top

  2. Thin, warm pants as base layer bottom

  3. Fleece jacket or mid-layer long sleeve shirt

  4. Mid-layer pants or hiking pants

  5. Underwear and sports bra, quick drying

  6. Winter boots if snow is in the forecast

  7. Midweight socks

  8. Lightweight rain jacket if rain or snow is in the forecast

  9. Puffy jacket

  10. Warm hat

  11. Liner gloves, optional

  12. Warm gloves

  13. Yak Trax or some kind of added traction for trekking in the snow

  14. Sunglasses, optional

  15. Gaiters, optional

  16. Rain pants if rain or snow is in the forecast, optional

At Camp

  1. Thin, warm long sleeve base layer top

  2. Thin, warm pants as base layer bottom

  3. Warm socks for sleeping

  4. Liner gloves and warm hat for sleeping (if there is the possibility of getting wet while hiking)

  5. Sweat pants, joggers, or down pants for sleeping

  6. Camp shoes, such as crocs or sandals, optional

 

What NOT to Wear

  1. Tank tops or no-sleeve shirts ~ may result in friction and irritation of the shoulders and back

  2. Heavy sweatshirt ~ a lightweight down puffy jacket is much more packable

  3. Cotton ~ is very absorbent, becomes heavy when wet and takes a long time to dry

  4. Denim ~ is very absorbent, becomes heavy when wet and takes a long time to dry

  5. Short shorts ~ may result in friction and irritation on the inner thigh

  6. Underwire bras ~ may result in friction and irritation on the torso

  7. Bras with clasps ~ may result in friction and irritation on the back

  8. Thongs or lacy underwear ~ may result in friction and irritation

  9. Flip flops as camp shoes ~ obstacles (rocks, roots, branches, mud, etc) at camp make these a poor choice

  10. NEW SHOES ~ may result in friction and irritation on the feet and ankles

  11. Perfume, cologne, scented lotion

 

Personal Hygiene Kit

  1. Small comb

  2. Toothbrush

  3. Travel size toothpaste

  4. Floss

  5. Unscented baby powder ~ acts similar to dry shampoo for hair; serves as an alternative to deodorant; aids in preventing chafing in areas prone to moisture

  6. Unscented baby wipes OR a microfiber cloth and a small amount of biodegradable soap ~ I recommend baby wipes due to the short duration of the trek

Bathroom Kit

  1. Ziploc bag for toilet paper

  2. Travel size unscented hand sanitizer

  3. Small lightweight trowel for digging catholes if you need to use the bathroom while on trail, will be provided for use on our journey if you do not have

 

Medications

  1. If you may need life-saving medication such as, but not limited to EpiPen and a Rescue Inhaler, you must bring these medications and inform your guide that you have them and where they are located in your pack. This is vitally important.

  2. Medication that you regularly take, but only the amount needed for the duration of the trip

 

First Aid Kit

Optional, as this will be provided on the trip

*Travel size items

  1. Bandaids

  2. Hydroseal Blister Bandaids

  3. Alcohol Wipes

  4. Triple Antibiotic Ointment

  5. KT Tape

  6. Ibuprofen and/or Tylenol

  7. Imodium AD

  8. Pepto Bismol chewables

  9. Allergy medication, such as Benadryl

  10. Small scissors

  11. Pin for blister treatment

  12. Gloves

  13. Nail clippers

  14. Ace Bandage

  15. Triangular Bandage

  16. Body Glide or similar product

 

Water

  1. 2 – 1 Liter Bottles of water, Smart Water or LifeWTR work very well because the plastic is strong OR

  2. 2 Nalgene 32 ounce bottles of water OR

  3. 2 to 3 Liter Water Bladder ~ Should not be used when the temperature is at or below freezing because the hose and mouthpiece will freeze.

 

Water filtration

* Optional, as this will be provided on the trip

  1. Sawyer Squeeze OR BeFree OR Aquamira Drops

  2. Bag or bottle for collection

Dining Supplies

  1. Dry bag big enough to hold all of your food, will be provided for use on our journey if you do not have

  2. Long-handled metal or hard plastic spoon, will be provided for use on our journey if you do not have

  3. Lightweight cup for coffee or hot chocolate, optional

  4. One napkin for every meal eaten on trail

Cookware

*Optional, as this will be provided on the trip

  1. Lightweight pot

  2. Lightweight stove

  3. Small fuel canister

  4. Lighter OR matches

  5. Microfiber cloth for cleaning

 

Suggestions for Food

  1. The food package available for purchase covers your main meals, you are responsible for providing your own snacks and beverages.
  2. During a backpacking trek, the body exerts itself considerably, often beyond its regular activity level. As a result, people typically require increased nourishment. Chances are you will experience greater hunger than usual while on trail. You must be prepared for this. I recommend bringing several more snacks than you think you will need. For example, on day 1 of Gateway, we will have a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and an evening snack. On day 2, we will have breakfast and possibly 2 snacks before getting off trail.
  3. Instant coffee and/or hot chocolate are a wonderful treat at camp, especially when it is cold.
  4. If we use the water pump as our water source, the water will likely have a metallic taste. Mio or any flavoring will help resolve this.
  5. Cooking will be as simple as boiling water. Backpacking meals are designed to be lightweight. They are either dehydrated or freeze-dried. To cook, we boil the appropriate amount of water and add it to the bag, stir, seal, let it sit for 20 minutes, and ~ it’s time to eat a delicious meal!
  6. Mountain House, Packit Gourmet, Peak 2, and Backpacker’s Pantry are popular backpacking meal brands.
  7. Numerous online resources detail how to assemble custom meals, like combining ramen noodles with chicken and parmesan cheese. If you choose this option, organize the ingredients boiling water in a ZIPLOC brand quart-sized FREEZER bag. (Generic brands have been known to fail.) The meal will be cooked inside the freezer bag within a cooking cozy, keeping the cooking pot tidy.
  8. Lightweight food ideas: nuts, chocolate, granola bars, dehydrated fruits, jerky, peanut butter crackers, cheese its, hard candy, cheese sticks, single-serve peanut butter packet, ramen noodles, Knorr sides (both rice and pasta varieties), instant potatoes, oatmeal, tortillas, chicken/salmon/tuna packets, pepperoni, instant pudding, Carnation Instant Breakfast
  9. Wherever possible, transfer items to smaller packages and do not bring the original containers. For example, do not bring a box of single-serve almonds. Only bring the packages of almonds. If the almonds are in a big container, divide them into single servings using small bags.
  10. A can opener will not be available
  11. Do not bring any glass containers

Food

  1. Gateway
    Day 1 : lunch and dinner, at least 3 snacks
    Day 2 : breakfast, at least 2 snacks

  1. Trailblazer
    Day 1 : lunch and dinner, at least 3 snacks

    Day 2 : breakfast, at least 3 snacks

  1. Summit
    Day 1 : lunch and dinner, at least 3 snacks
    Day 2 : breakfast, lunch and dinner, at least 4 snacks

    Day 3 : breakfast and lunch, at least 2 snacks

How to Pack

  1. To protect your gear from getting wet, line pack with an unscented contractor-type or trash compactor bag

  2. Bottom of the pack items (items only needed at camp)

    • Sleeping bag

    • Sleeping pad

    • Pillow

    • Clothing you plan to sleep in

  3. Core of the pack items

    • Cooking supplies

    • Personal hygiene kit

    • Portable charger

    • Food bag

    • Clothing

    • Water Bladder in the sleeve along the back of the pack OR on top of everything inside your pack so there is little chance of puncture

  4. Top of the pack items (items you may need during the trek)

    • Insulated jacket

    • Gloves

    • Hat

    • Rain jacket

    • First Aid

  5. Pockets (items you will need during the trek)

    • Snacks

    • Bathroom Kit

    • Sunglasses

    • Headlamp

    • Water bottles

    • Water filtration

    • Bug spray

    • Map

    • Camp shoes (I do not recommend putting these inside the pack because they may be dirty)

    • Rain cover

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns at [email protected]. Let’s make this excursion an adventure to remember.

I am looking forward to seeing you soon!

Happy Trails,

Georgetta Frederick
Trail Mama