The Best Gear For Taking A Hike On Vacation

Engage yourself with Mother Nature, but make sure she doesn't get the best of you on your next hike. No matter the climate or the terrain, hikes are great ways to stay fit and to clear your mind. So, while on a hike, leave as little as you can to the mind with this list of must-have hiking gear to make sure you're prepared for any and every situation.

Sometimes you need access to clean water, but your Takeya insulated water bottle is empty. No worries: The LifeStraw Personal Water Filter turns any natural freshwater source into a clean-water supply. Nothing makes hikes in nature more annoying than pesky bug bites. So, take with you the REPEL lemon-eucalyptus insect repellent that's DEET-free. You can't go wrong with bringing the INIU power bank, either, for times when you need to reconnect with the world.

No matter your needs, there's sure to be a piece of gear that will make your next hike better.

Depending on your luggage size, the number of shoes you can bring on vacation is probably limited to one or two pairs, no matter how well you tuck smaller items away inside them. But if your island trip is going to be packed with adventure and especially trails, Merrell's Men's Moab 2 Vent Hiking Shoes are perfect for several reasons.

For starters, these suede leather and mesh shoes play a dual role of hiking boot and athletic sneaker, so they're two pairs in one. And weighing just under two pounds, they aren't as big and bulky as a pair of boots. Finally, and most importantly, they're built to last, so you won't need to worry about replacing them from each adventure to the next.

What are three things we love in a pair of shoes? For us they are style, affordability and durability. The Mayzero Summer Water Shoescheck all of these boxes, as well as another crucial one: They're unisex. Available in a variety of colors, these multipurpose shoes are lightweight and built for adventures you haven't even imagined yet.

Running, swimming, surfing, training, hiking—all of your bases are covered in one pair of shoes. Best of all, they're affordable enough that you might consider a second pair.

Hiking inevitably leads to sweating, and sweating eventually leads to dehydration. What if you run out of water? LifeStraw's personal water filter is your saving grace. Essentially all sources of water become sources of drinking water, as the microfiltration membrane removes 99.999999 percent of waterborne bacteria and parasites. Additionally, the filtration technology removes microplastics (down to one micron).

LifeStraw's filter has been tested and verified using standard testing protocols that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Science Foundation (NSF) and ASTM International use for water purifiers. Each LifeStraw filter provides 1,000 gallons (4,000 liters) of drinking water.

You can purchase the LifeStraw personal water filter in packs of one, two or three. For a small upcharge, there is also a Red Cross version.

Bring ice-cold water or piping-hot tea in one of Takeya's insulated bottles on your next hike. These stainless-steel water bottles can keep drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for up to 12. This BPA-free, food-grade bottle is also non-sweat. The leak-proof lid allows for one-handed drinking and pouring, and the hinge lock makes sure your mouth and the cap don't collide during a swig.

This Takeya water bottle is available in five different sizes—14-ounce, 18-ounce, 24-ounce, 32-ounce or 40-ounce—and, depending on size, is sold in one of eight colors.

When hiking, the ideal situation is that you enjoy nature and not the other way around. Keep bugs away with this plant-based insect repellent by Repel. It's made with lemon-eucalyptus oil but isn't sticky or greasy. The spray can last for up to six hours, is DEET-free and doesn't have the traditional bug-spray smell.

You can purchase this Repel bug spray in packs of one, two or six.

If you're hiking with a fitness goal in mind, bring along this Garmin Vivoactive 3 smartwatch. It comes preloaded with 15 GPS and indoor sports apps, including ones for yoga, running, swimming and more. This smartwatch can also monitor fitness levels.

You can reliably use the watch without a charge for seven days in smartwatch mode and for 13 hours in GPS mode. The watch is available in one of six color schemes and can come with music capabilities.

With this Sport2People running pouch belt, all you need is two expandable pockets to carry your necessities. There is a large pocket made for your phone and other similarly sized items and a smaller one for keys, a debit card and more. The belt is also comfortable. It doesn't rub or bounce, and it's also water-resistant.

On a solo hike and want to listen to some music? There's a specially made hole for your earphones. For night-time adventures, there are three reflective darts on the back, too.

Use this Bearz outdoor blanket for almost anything outdoors. From a beach blanket, a waterproof picnic blanket and a camping tarp to festival gear and a hiking blanket, there's seemingly no limit to this blanket's uses. Even at an overall size of 55 x 60 inches, this blanket can fold to fit into the palm of your hand. The waterproof/moisture-proof blanket is also puncture-resistant.

In addition to your blanket, each purchase comes with matching colored pouches and carabiners. It's available in one of six colors.

Bring along this Under Armour Scrimmage backpack for utility with comfort. It's 13-inches wide, 18.5-inches tall, and it also repels water, thanks to Under Armour Storm technology. Included is a soft-lined laptop sleeve that can hold a 15-inch MacBook Pro or a similarly sized laptop. There are two zip-shut main compartments with a quick-stash pocket at the front. Mesh water-bottle pockets are on either side.

The Scrimmage Backpack 2.0 is available in one size and 14 different colors schemes.

Sometimes you need to dry off from the copious amounts of sweat leaving your body, or maybe you went for a quick swim. No matter the situation, Rainleaf's towel has a use. Its towel carries a soft, suede-like feel and is also ultra-compact and lightweight for easy packing. These towels are ideal for the beach, travel, camping, swimming, backpacking and going to the gym.

Each purchase can come in one of seven colors. There are also six sizes: X-small, small, medium, large, X-large and XX-large.

The Wsky LED tactical flashlight is one of the best flashlights a night-hiker could want. It's powered by T6S Advanced Wick Chip, producing a 150 percent larger and 70 percent brighter beam than a basic LED flashlight. With this flashlight, you can focus on objects up to 1,200 feet away.

It runs on three AAA batteries or 1x18650 rechargeable button top Li-ion battery (not included). There are also five modes on this flashlight: high, medium, low, strobe and SOS. Each purchase comes with two flashlights: one for the car or house and one to carry.

You hate to be the one to bring out your phone on a nice hike, but sometimes you need it for an emergency work email or for scheduling a dinner reservation. This INIU portable charger is 1.4-times faster than standard chargers. It can fully charge an iPhone 8 three times.

Have a friend who has a quickly dying phone, too? There are two USB ports for both of you. It measures out at 2.8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches.