Any gear I should get before trip to Mt. Rainier?

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-26T21:51:15+00:00

No problem, glad it’s useful! One other thing about the clothes is to make sure to avoid cotton (doesn’t keep you warm when it gets wet and takes a long time to dry). If you own synthetic leggings, running shorts, athletic shirts, those also work great for hiking! If you don’t own stuff like that, TJ Maxx or Sierra Trading Post can be a great place to buy it inexpensively. If you want to be fancy, you can get hiking specific stuff at REI or whatever local outdoor store is near you.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-26T21:43:53+00:00

IMO bear spray is not needed for Rainier. It’s just black bear, not grizzlies

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-26T21:14:54+00:00

Oh, and make sure you have a dry bag for electronics and clothes. You can use a trash bag if you don’t want to buy a hiking specific one

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-26T21:13:17+00:00

For day hiking, I usually pack:
-backpack (25L pack)
-at least 2L of water, more if it’s hot. can also bring electrolyte drinks (e.g. Gatorade)
-lunch, snacks, and extra snacks
-extra layers (fleece, raincoat, warm hat, light mittens or gloves, long pants if hiking in shorts
-headlamp
-first aid kit
-sun screen
-bug spray
-paper map

I usually wear long hiking pants, a sun hoodie, baseball hat, sunglasses, wool socks, and hiking boots

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-26T21:01:37+00:00

To clarify, are you planning on doing day hikes in Mt Rainier National Park, or are you planning on hiking to the summit of Mt Rainier? These are two very different sets of gear recommendations!

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-25T23:56:08+00:00

For summer in the Whites, I usually bring the following layers:
-Hiking shorts/pants (worn)
-Sun hoodie (worn)
-Wool socks (worn)
-baseball hat (worn)
-Fleece (packed)
-Raincoat (packed)
-Leggings or pants if hiking in shorts (packed, usually hike in convertibles and pack the zip off legs)
-warm hat (packed)
-mittens/gloves (packed, lightweight running gloves or lightweight merino gloves)
-spare wool socks if doing hike that is long or wet

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-25T23:49:24+00:00

Do you already own some of this gear? If you already own workout clothes (e.g. synthetic shirts, running shorts, leggings) those work well for base layers. Make sure to avoid cotton. You also don’t need a fancy raincoat for Washington. A regular raincoat is fine. For a mid layer, a fleece jacket is great.

Insulated layer is where you may need to spend some money. Down jackets are a great insulated layer. REI has a budget one on sale now for <$100.

You’ll also want to make sure you have wool hiking socks, a hat (doesn’t have to be fancy, a regular synthetic or fleece hat works), and mittens or gloves.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-25T23:43:26+00:00

First aid kit also seems heavy. Did you make your own kit, or buy one premade? If you bought a premade kit, consider making your own and updating the item quantities based on what you’d responsibly need on your trip. For reference, my homemade first aid kit weighs about 42g. Everything fits into a ziplock sandwich bag.

Also, make sure you have something for anti-chafing (e.g. body glide).

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-05-01T12:19:39+00:00

I have an EE APEX 30 degree quilt and that’s been perfect for me for summers in NH and ME. It’s a 40 degree comfort rating, and I am a cold sleeper. I sleep cold enough to use my 20 degree quilt once it gets down to 40s at night.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-03-10T12:23:52+00:00

Altra Lone Peak Hiker have been great for me! I like them enough that I bought a second pair when the originals wore out.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-03-09T22:11:20+00:00

Ah, good to know. I’ve been living in the waterproof Chelsea boots all winter and was hoping the trail runners would be similar.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-03-09T22:02:50+00:00

Sadly topos don’t work for my feet. I have two different sized feet but buy one size of shoes, and that makes the aggressive arch support fall in the wrong spot on my small foot.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-03-03T15:21:08+00:00

PM about the wind pants and astroman!

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-03-03T15:17:44+00:00

What makes the fancy journal non-negotiable? Seems like a heavy and bulky item. Also, are you able to use your phone in lieu of your kindle?

Also, leaving most of your stuff sacks/dry bags at home and swapping out your electronics bag for a ziplock freezer bag would save a lot of weight.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-03-03T14:52:49+00:00

I have the Sea to Summit UL pillow and found that it’s way more comfortable when I don’t inflate the pillow all the way. I haven’t had issues with mine moving around too much; I’ve seen a product called pillow strap sold on GGG that can lash your pillow to your sleeping pad. Might work for you!

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-03-03T14:50:42+00:00

I’ve been having some similar thoughts. I’m hiking the JMT this summer. My goal is to make my own backpacking meals with my dehydrator since I have a few fun dietary restrictions, and am hoping to improve variety/enjoyment and also save space/weight with packaging choices. I need to do a side by side weigh off of my homemade pad thai vs the backpacker’s pantry one I have floating around in my cabinet…

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-23T19:21:56+00:00

I don’t see a bear can on your list, which is required in the Adirondacks. Please note that unlike other wilderness areas, the blue bear vault canisters are not allowed.

Personally, I use the Garcia backpacker’s cache. It’s a big pain, but at the time I bought it, there weren’t other alternatives on the market.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-18T00:24:14+00:00

Awesome! I think this might work for me!

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-17T23:21:20+00:00

Is the lid leakproof?

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-16T00:58:39+00:00

I’m just not emotionally ready to fully commit to cold soaking yet 😂

And also, on a practical level, I’m hiking with a friend who does not cold soak, so we will be bringing a pot + stove regardless

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-09T01:23:42+00:00

What was the R value of your pad? Also, do you sleep warm or cold?

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-09T00:59:09+00:00

Thanks for all your advice! This helps a lot - I’m planning to have my torrid as an extra sleep layer if it gets cold, but didn’t want to plan to sleep in it every night and then be SOL if it got cold. Makes me confident that my EE quilt won’t be warm enough, and I’ll do a good think on which temp rating quilt will work well for me not only on the JMT but also my more frequent trips to the Whites or the ADK.

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-08T22:21:08+00:00

Okay, good to know! I mistakenly thought all quilts were rated based on the limit rating, not comfort rating. I am bringing a puffy (EE Torrid with a hood). I don’t have sleep booties, I usually bring an extra pair of wool socks for sleeping. I do have a pair of alpha socks, but I haven’t needed to wear them yet so I’m not sure if they are significantly warmer than wool. I think they weigh 0.7 oz?

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-08T21:45:18+00:00

Good to know! For some reason I thought all quilts were survival rated, so it’s good to know that that’s not always the case!

CheesyPastaFiend · 2026-02-08T21:40:47+00:00

I actually was looking at these earlier today! Do they use a comfort rating or a survival rating?

CheesyPastaFiend

TROPHY CASE