We are mere weeks away from our Grand Canyon trip so we are taking inventory of our hiking gear. Now, we will be "car camping," so we don't need to worry too much about the weight of our packs. That makes life much easier! When we go on over night hiking/backpacking trips every ounce counts, but in this case, we will be just doing day hikes with smaller packs and leave our big gear behind at our campsite.
Day hikes or not, you still need good gear. Your body will thank you for it! I have a bad knee, so I pay special attention to things like hiking shoes, knee braces and trekking poles. Fortunately, I've found great ways to avoid going broke trying to acquire the gear you need. Here's my secret: REI. And, no I am not sponsored by them, nor do I work for them. I'm just a big fan!
When I first got into hiking, I was rather broke. So naturally when I heard that REI had a "garage sale" I was all about it! This sale happens periodically and essentially they take very lightly used gear and drop the price like CRAZY. I'm talking I found a pair of hiking shoes for $10! These are high-quality shoes that ordinarily would cost at least $100, and I got it for 90% off!! I was thrilled! Now full disclosure - these are not the cutest shoes in the world. I would much prefer a more sleek version, but for $10, I was sold.
Next up, my knee brace. I originally tore my MCL in high school and then again in college. It's been a long road and unfortunately, my doctor-prescribed knee brace bit the dust after a particularly tough soccer match. Now this is no way medical advice, but if you find yourself in need of a general brace, I've found you can pick up perfectly adequate braces at your local drug store. Every situation is different, but I love drug store braces! And it's especially great if you can use a coupon and get it for a discount.
Finally, I got a screaming deal on trekking poles! My husband is an REI member (I know, I know. I'm repeating a source, but it's how I roll!), and he gets notifications of sales and at the end of the year he gets a dividend. We use that dividend check and try to combine it with other discounts and save up for when we need a big ticket item - like trekking poles. We've done it a few times for things like our tent and sleeping bags.
Quality gear can make a huge difference in your hiking experience. Before you buy a knock off version or a slightly sketchy item, try to find a creative way to buy a better product at a lower price. It's worked for me! And I can't wait to put my gear to the ultimate test next month at the Grand Canyon.
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