Gear for Utah parks

[jgenie]

We’re heading to Utah for spring break. We’ll be doing light hiking. Mostly short hikes. I think the longest hike planned is 8 miles. We have Stowaway backpacks and Camelpacks. Would either of those options be ok or should we invest in one more substantial pack? Planning on carrying water, snacks, first aid kit, camera, bug spray, sunscreen, sun hats. Anything I’m forgetting? TIA

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1098...ut_test05&SS=B

[StantonHyde]

You are totally fine with just a regular day pack. That is all I have ever used for hiking the parks. You won't need bug spray--there are no bugs! You might need to carry a rain jacket. And water--one quart per hour is the recommended amount. I have a 3 liter camelback and that's what I always carry. Just to be sure! And we carry a 2 liter jug of water in the car just so we have it. It never hurts to throw in a headlamp and I always have those tin foil emergency blankets--just in case. The biggest issue non-locals have here is remembering to drink enough water. So you could add some powder drink mix to your water if that means you will drink more. You just have to rinse out the Camelpak really well each day.

[gobadgers]

Your list looks great! Agree with lots of water - even if it's not hot, it's dry.

If you're like me, you'll want shoes with great traction to keep up with the kids :-)

[StantonHyde]

Yes to decent shoes. You will be fine with trail running shoes or hiking shoes. You won't need boots. But something with decent tread is good. I get my kids trail running shoes from Sierra Trading post and that's what they use for hiking.