The trail might be considered your second home, but unless you’re a nomad, you probably have an actual shelter you sleep in when you’re not hiking. How you live at home is probably very telling of what kind of person you are, or at least what interests you possess. While every hiker lives two lives, the one outside and the one indoors, we can guess that your home probably has a few of these very important items.
Every hiker needs a food dehydrator in his or her home so they can prepare meals for the trail. A food dehydrator allows you to bring nutritious foods that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to bring, either because they’ll go bad or they’re too bulky. A decent food dehydrator costs about $50 and we’re sure it’s paid for itself by now.
Sometimes, the hiking gear needs to sit in the closet for a while. As sad as that might be, and as eager as you might be to take it out of the closet, you need to take care of your gear while it’s there. Moth balls help to keep your clothes in good condition. Dryer sheets or fabric softener sheets help keep the clothes smelling fresh (especially because moth balls smell awful).
Even if you’re able to hit the trail every weekend, it’s nice to experience the outdoors and some fresh air whenever you get a chance. Every hiker’s home needs this if they don’t already have it. Whether you have a porch, a yard, or a little tiny space outside your front door, get a bench or something to sit on. Come out here to read a book, drink a glass of wine or a beer, or to just sit and admire the nature around you.
A hiker’s home should have plenty of maps. Whether you hang these up on the wall and mark the places you’ve explored, or you keep them folded up in a basket near your coffee table, they’re pretty much a necessity. The maps not only let you dream about your next adventure, they also help you physically plan it out. (And later plug into your GPS!)
It’s safe to assume that if you’re an avid hiker, you’re probably passionate about the environment. While there’s the occasional backpacker that doesn’t hike responsibly, we’re hoping you don’t fall under this category. The way you live on the trail, therefore, should be very similar to the way you live at home. Try to buy environmentally-friendly products when you can.
Not all hikers are the reading type. We get that. But, a bookshelf doesn’t have to be only for displaying books. You can put up your favorite hiking photographs, things you’ve collected from your hikes, cool hiking-related displays, etc. Of course, we aren’t opposed to recommending a few good cookbooks or hiking memoirs to put up there, too.
While most hikers are probably minimalists, we can bet your closet has a nice blend of clothing for every season. You got your winter clothes, your summer clothes, your rain clothes, your snow clothes, your “it’s-a-little-bit-chill- today” clothes, etc. Below that, you have a few pairs of hiking boots, sandals, and maybe a pair of trail-running shoes. Maybe there’s a hat, gloves, a scarf, and compression socks throw in there, too. How accurate are we?
What hiker wouldn’t want to have the beauty of hiking staring them in the face every morning when they wake up? Decorating your house in a hiking theme would be the perfect way to bring the trail home with you. A hiker’s home might have anything from hiking-themed comforter on the bed to hiking-themed pillows on the couch. They might have hiking-themed jewelry and hiking-themed t-shirts. We wouldn’t be surprised if your house looked like you basically installed a forest right inside of it.
Hikers don’t live in tents all year round (even though many of us which we could). That being said, it’s not surprising that a hiker’s home would include many of these items, to connect them to the outdoors even when they can’t be there.
Written by
hanalarockRelated Articles
Backcountry Skills
Maps, generally speaking, have been around since the times of Babylon. Though they’ve evolved over time, the basic concept remains the same: We must know where we are and where we’re going. When it comes to the outdoor world, a person can easily look at a globe or a standard map of the country they […]
1 min read · Aug 22, 2019 · Christina Applin
Backcountry Skills
If the time has come for you to get into nature, the time has come for you to get prepared for it. You want to be comfortable. You want to be safe. And, of course, you want to have a great time! The following 10 hacks will help to ensure your adventure goes swimmingly! Garbage […]
1 min read · Aug 20, 2019 · Christina Applin
Stories
I was just recently introduced to Tim Dube and Capitol Hill Outfitters and really appreciated his story. We’re all about helping people get out into the wilderness to do some backpacking, camping and hiking and Tim is serving an area that definitely doesn’t get enough of it! Can you tell us a little about you […]
1 min read · Aug 12, 2019 · Ian Campbell
Backcountry Skills
When the temperatures begin to drop, layering up properly becomes more important than ever, especially for anyone pursuing wintertime outdoor activities such as ice climbing. Too many layers can be cumbersome and cause overheating while too few layers can lead to a chilly and potentially miserable day out. If you have plans to head out […]
1 min read · Jan 24, 2019 · Ian Campbell