Written by Shelby MacDonald
Sporting Intentions is Prince Edward Island’s source for adventure. They have the best PEI outdoor sporting equipment in their stores and awesome staff to help you choose the best product for your outdoor adventure!
They’re celebrating the grand opening of their new location at 190 Minna Jane Drive, Charlottetown, PE, this October 2020 and we wanted to celebrate with them by sharing the top 5 hiking gear products that you can pick up at Sporting Intentions!
If you’re planning to do the Island Walk make sure a trip to Sporting Intentions is on your list of things to do beforehand!
A good pair of footwear!
An enjoyable hiking adventure can not be had unless you have a proper pair of footwear. You don’t want to remember your trip by how much your feet ached. We’re not going to recommend a brand or a type, but we would suggest getting a pair of footwear that have good structure and support, and that fit you well. Everyone’s feet are different so what works for me may not work for you. Just make sure that you go somewhere and are properly fitted for shoes that are well suited to the conditions.
A good pair of socks
As your feet are the foundation to a great hiking adventure a well fitted pair of shoes can quickly become uncomfortable if paired with a bad pair of socks. We will always suggest merino wool socks. Merino wool is so adaptable to the surrounding environments. If your cold, they keep you warm, if your warm they keep you cool. Similar to how the keep the sheep warm or cool. Merino also does not get cold and clammy when wet which is very important when hiking. We would suggest a well structured Merino sock. This will help prevent blistering and hot spots. A well fitted pair of Merino socks will also not require liners.
A Buff
This multi functional accessory will never ever be something we leave behind, especially in today’s world of COVID 19. If it’s around our necks we can quickly pull it up over my face as a mask if I get into an area with a lot of people. With UPF of 50 it’s also great to keep the sun off your neck or head.
A proper fitting day pack
Like a large backpack a day pack is going to feel so much better if it is properly fitted. Even through there is less weight then a full backpack, 4 pounds on your back all day will definitely be noticed by the evening. By having a day pack with a hip belt and sternum strap you’ll distribute that 4 pounds over your back causing less fatigue. We would also highly recommend a day pack that has a spot for a hydration bladder. By using a hydration bladder rather then a bottle you tend to drink more water evenly throughout the day keeping you better hydrated.
A good pair of pants
Pants, in our opinion, are super important. They need to serve a lot of purposes when you’re hiking. They need to non-restricting so that you have full range of motion and no areas where you feel cut off. You want them to be quick drying so that if you walk through a dewy field in the morning, or you encounter a sudden rain burst, they’ll be dry in a matter of minutes. You want them to be breathable and/or adjustable so that you won’t over heat. We personally like pants with a draw cord a the bottom so you can pull them up around your knees if needed. You can also pull the cord tight at the bottom if you have to walk through long grass and are worried about ticks. You also want to make sure that there are enough pockets in them to suit your needs. Anything you want to pull out quickly like my phone, or lip balm, we put in our pants so that they are easily accessible.
There you have it! The top 5 things to pick up at Sporting Intentions before heading out on a hike (By the way, we recommend a section of the Island Walk for your next hike!) Be sure to stop by Sporting Intentions new location to check out these items and more!