Hiking Essentials from Coleyraeh

Hey, thanks for being here! Whether you stumbled on this page or found it through my Ultimate ArkLaTex Hiking Guide, I’m glad you’re here. I am a content creator, writer, and influencer based in Texarkana, the southwest corner of Arkansas. Hiking and exploring has always been one of my favorite hobbies and when I moved to this area, I made it a point to see as much as I could! I still get out and explore with my family, when our busy homeschooling and sports parent life allows. I’ve put all of my favorite hiking essentials into one place for you. If you have any questions or want to chat about hiking and adventuring, send me an email at nichole@arklatexadventures.com or send me a message at Coleyraeh in the ArkLaTex, or at ArkLaTex Adventures on TikTok or Instagram. Let’s chat about gear! (this post is a work in progress).

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission of of sales from these links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you.

Explore my affiliate shops.

I have been slowly building out some affiliate shops for you to explore, as a one stop spot for all of my favorite hiking essentials and gear. My Like to Know It shop (LTK) is linked with various apparel and gear that I love, with a small amount of midsize women’s fashion and travel items. Mostly, it’s gear that I love. Full disclosure: most of my apparel and gear is old. I buy good stuff and use it until it’s falling apart and beyond repair. If it’s linked in these shops, it’s because I use it and love it. Check out the links below:

• Shop my LTK
• Shop my Amazon storefront

The Ten Hiking Essentials.

These items are considered hiking essentials. They are what I carry for every hike and almost all of our adventures, no matter how big or small. It’s always good to be prepared! One link is a blog post that expands on why each item is important, and the other is a link to a gear list of all of the items.

• You can find the list for my favorite things in the ten essentials you need for hiking in the ArkLaTex blog post.
• Here is a link to my Amazon Shop list with the ten essentials you need for hiking.

Hiking Apparel.

When it comes to hiking essentials, proper apparel is important! However, there are lots of opinions on what is best. Ideally, personal preference is best and I always recommend starting with what you already have in your closet. As you explore more, you’ll find what you prefer. Maybe you like hiking in looser pants, or maybe you like hiking leggings (my favorite). Here are some links to my LTK account with posts about my favorite clothing. Most of my favorite adventure apparel comes from Title Nine, Athleta, REI, and some from Amazon.

• Option 1
• Option 2
• Option 3
• Favorite hiking apparel for kids

Backpacks.

As with so many gear choices, the best gear is what you already have. For many, many years, I used a cheap (all black) backpack for all of our hikes and adventures. I loved it because it had multiple pockets and compartments, plus two water bottle slots (on each side). For me, having two water bottle spots was critical so that I could carry both of my kids waters’ when they were younger. Use what you already have first, then decide what you actually need. Hiking backpacks are designed with better shoulder straps and have an ergonomic design so you can hike all day without chaffing, rubbing, or discomfort. If you’re headed out for a long day hike, or multiple day hike, a comfortable backpack is important! Be sure to test it out at home (loaded with rocks or canned food if you have to, to add weight) before you hit the trail. Here are my favorites and what we use regularly:

• Osprey Daylite Packs
• Osprey Hikelite Pack – 26
• Osprey Hikelite Pack – 18
• Camelbak Kids Mini Mule – great when my kids were little, it helped them feel “big” that they could carry their own water and snacks.
• Gregory Deva 60L – for backpacking and multiple nights.

Footwear.

There are just as many opinions about footwear when it comes to hiking essentials. I prefer to hike in a trail running shoe because they’re lighter weight and dry faster when they get wet. They usually still have great traction but they do not have as stiff of a sole. These are my go to shoes that I use for all of my adventures. Truth be told, I wear the sandals more than anything else.

• Salomon Speedcross trail running shoe
• Bedrocks Sandals Pro Cairn 3D
• Merrel Moab Waterproof Hiking Boot

Camping Gear.

Let me be honest: you do NOT have to buy tons and tons of gear to go camping. You don’t need to spend tons of money either! Use what you have, or borrow from friends to get started. As you figure out what you like, what works for you or doesn’t work, you’ll be able to zero in on what type of gear works for you. Most of my gear is quite old, because I’ve invested in quality gear that I know works, and it’s still working ten plus years later. I break it down by category in the next sections. Let’s go!

Tents.

There are lots of different opinions out there on what the best hiking essentials are, especially when it comes to tents! These are my go to tents, that I have used for nearly ten years of adventures, in all types of weather (including wind and rain). I like a backpacking tent because it is small and easy to toss in a canoe, on a paddle board, or in my backpack, plus it takes up less in room in my Subaru Outback. When my kids were little, we could fit all three of us in the backpacking tent listed below. As they’ve grown, we added a larger car camping (meaning, the tent is too big to haul in a backpack or long distance). My son prefers a hammock now, with a bug net, and that is listed below as well.

• Amazon Camping Gear List
• MSR Elixir II – My favorite backpacking tent.
• REI Wonderland 6 Tent – My favorite campground and car camping tent.
• Grand Trunk Skeeter Beater Hammock

Camp Kitchen: Car Camping.

For us, car camping is when we can set up our campsite fairly close to our vehicle. This also means we can take along some larger, more heavy, camping gear. That usually includes a larger propane camp stove, a camp kitchen table, a water jug and pump, plus some other things that make camping feel a little bit more luxurious. Here are my top favorite things for a camp kitchen set up while car camping:

• Hand pump – this pump screws on the top of a five gallon jug and it’s very convenient to have next to your cooking space for access to water.
• Tailgate table – as a camping kitchen.
• Camp stove – my exact design is, unfortunately discontinued (Camp Chef Rainier), here is a good option, or this one as well. Don’t forget the propane fuel you’ll need for the stove.
• Pots and pans set
• Kitchen utensils
• Serving bowls and cups, plus eating utensils

Camp Kitchen: Backpacking.

I’ll be honest: I use my backpacking camp kitchen set up even when we’re car camping. I love how easy it is to grab and go, it packs down small, and is very efficient. Backpacking camp kitchen set ups need to be lightweight and take up the least space possible in your backpack or gear. I also use this set up when we are canoe camping or stand up paddle board camping. Here is what I use:

• MSR Pocket Rocket Camp Stove
• MSR Pots set
• I use the same collapsible bowls and utensils as my car camping set
• GSI Backcountry Mug
• GSI Ultralight Javadrip – I use this ALL the time, for all types of camping, even on day hikes for a coffee mid day. I LOVE this adventure coffee method.

A note about good kitchen and food habits when camping: it’s always a good idea to treat every campsite as if it’s “bear country” and keep your food, food waste, and trash cleaned up and put away. I always wash all of my cooking and eating utensils as soon as we are done. If I am backpacking, I will usually hang all food and waste in a bag away from my tent, or put them in a bear canister. Smells = attracting wildlife. Keep your campsite clean.

Adventure Entertainment for Kids.

Sometimes, having the right tool makes the job easier and the same is true for getting out there and adventuring with kids! For many, many years, bringing along a simple bait net if we would be hiking by a creek was all I needed to keep the kids happy. There are a few things I always brought when mine were little (and still bring along sometimes now that they’re not so little). Here are some tools to keep in your backpack to help keep them entertained:

• A bug jar to observe (and release) insects or small critters
• A bait net for hikes along lakes or creeks
• A pocket microscope
• Binoculars or this cute kids set of binoculars, compass, and magnifying glass
• Here’s a full list of hiking entertainment items we use and love

Ultimate Hiking Guide to the ArkLaTex.

If you want even more hiking tips, packing lists, and a full guide to the best trails across the ArkLaTex, check out my ultimate hiking guide to the ArklaTex! It’s 26 pages with hikes ranging from family friendly, to bucket list worthy adventures. Plus gear tips, packing lists, seasonal hiking guide and so much more. It’s on sale for $14 through the end of November 2025.

Other adventure related blog posts.

Here are some other blog posts I’ve written that go a bit beyond the hiking essentials. These posts have adventure specific gear recommendations and inspiration to help you get out there and explore. I hope they inspire you to get out there. Don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions or need more information, nichole@arklatexadventures.com.

• Canoe Camping Lake Ouachita
• Canoe Camping with Kids
• Canoeing Little Maumelle
• Stand Up Paddle Board Camping with Kids

Thanks for being here.

If you arrived here from the hiking guide, thanks for being here! If you stumbled on this page, hey thanks for being here! My name is Nichole and I share all of the fun and adventure in Texarkana, across the ArkLaTex and beyond. If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them. Just send me an email or find me on social media (linked below in the “About Me.” Just a quick note: I am just one person here at ArkLaTex Adventures and I purposely do not have ads on my website, to give you the best user experience I can. If you’ve found this to be helpful and would like to support my work, I’d be so grateful! There are two ways you can do that, they are:

• Buy Me A Coffee – a website that allows you to “buy a coffee” and help support my work with monetary donations.
• Virtual Tip Jar – just like it sounds.

Thank you very much!