Hiking Gear Guide Part 1: The Basics for Long-Distance Treks in Canada

Essential Gear for Thru-Hikes and the Trans Canada Trail

The Ultimate Hiking Gear Guide: Must-Have Items for Long-Distance Adventures

In Hiking Gear Guide Part 1: The Basics for Long-Distance Treks in Canada we will share the gear choices we made while long-distance hiking from Newfoundland to British Columbia over the span of four years. Canada is home to some of the most breathtaking and challenging hiking trails on Earth - none more epic than the Trans Canada Trail. Stretching over 28,000 km, this is the longest recreational pathway in the world. If you're planning to walk from the Atlantic to the Pacific and beyond to the Arctic, you will need to prepare for some of the most varied terrain on earth, including rugged coasts, urban jungles, vast expanses of open prairie, and remote mountain trails. You will also be packing for a multi-year thru-hike that will take you through snow, rain, and extreme heat - sometimes all in the same week. As a result, covering your bases without breaking the bank, or your back, can be a challenge.

Whether you're dreaming of crossing a single province on foot, section-hiking a longer trail like the Confederation Trail, or even walking coast to coast across Canada, having the right hiking gear can mean the difference between an unforgettable adventure and a painful misadventure. In this guide, which is Part 1 of 2, we'll cover the essential hiking gear for long-distance treks across Canada, based on over ten years of real-world experience hiking and photographing the wilds of Canada and beyond. Link to Part 2 is at the end of this article.  

The Basics for Long-Distance Treks in Canada: Start with the Right Pack

When hiking long distances, your backpack is your mobile home. It holds everything you'll need on the trail. As a result, you want to choose a durable, comfortable pack with an adjustable harness system and supportive waist belt. In addition, we chose backpacks with internal frames. While we appreciate the benefits of ultra light hiking, there were stretches on our cross-Canada hike, such as some of the best rail trails in British Columbia, where it was necessary to carry up to seven days of food, in addition to winter sleeping bags and warm clothes. In these circumstances we found an internal frame allowed for more comfortable distribution of weight.  As a result, when choosing the right pack for your thru-hike, it's essential to think about the weight and the space you'll need to carry both your essentials and any extra supplies you'll need along the way.

Our backpack choices for the cross-Canada journey:

Sonya - Osprey Xena 85
Sean - Gregory Whitney 95

Pro Tip: Choose a slightly larger pack (like 65–95L) than you think you'll need. You don't have to fill it, but you'll appreciate the space when resupplying or carrying extra food and water, and when having to pack it up with frozen fingers.

Footwear To Go the Distance: Comfort Over Trends

If your backpack is your home, then your footwear is your vehicle. Therefore, choosing the right shoes, hiking boots, or trail runners will be the next most important decision you make before setting out on your long-distance hike. From 800 km of brutally sharp blast rock on the T'Railway Trail in Newfoundland, to thousands of kilometres of asphalt on the best hiking and cycling routes of Quebec, to wet, muddy, and steep wilderness trails like the Fundy Footpath, Canada's trails feature some highly varied terrain. Consequently, during our 4-year hike across Canada we each walked through eight pairs of shoes!

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but the advice we provide in our Hiking Gear Guide Part 1: The Basics for Long-Distance Treks in Canada is to find sturdy, durable, breathable footwear that you feel comfortable in. We also recommend bringing a pair of sandals that you can wear around town or in camp. In particular, even though they weren't the lightest option, we chose Keen sandals which could double as hiking shoes during wet or hot weather, or simply when we wanted to give our feet a break.

The footwear that took us coast to coast:
Sonya – Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots, Keen Newport Hiking Sandals
Sean – Merrell Moab 2 Hiking Shoes, Keen Newport Hiking Sandals

Pro Tips: When selecting footwear, go up half a size or more to account for foot swelling while hiking long distances. In addition, breaking in your shoes well before you hit the trail can save you from nasty surprises on the road. Finally, switching the manufacturer's insole for a cushioned or athletic one can add extra comfort.

Choosing the Right Tent for a Long-Distance Trek

The next topic on our list of Hiking Gear Guide Part 1: The Basics for Long-Distance Treks in Canada is how to select a tent for your thru-hike.  Your tent is your home, and you'll need to balance weight, comfort, weather protection, and ease of setup. Therefore, a compact, lightweight choice is a must, but we chose a 3-season, stand-alone tent over other more popular ultralight options. In particular, going this route allowed us to easily pitch on uneven surfaces and in tight places without compromising weather protection or worrying about condensation management. Furthermore, we also took a groundsheet to protect the bottom from sharp debris and plants to prolong the tent's life. Finally, we chose a three person tent (space for 1 extra person). This allowed us to easily store our electronics and gear inside during stormy weather and when stealth camping in urban areas, and provided extra space to shelter from biting insects, high winds, or torrential rain. As a result, the sturdy frame and bathtub of our tents kept us dry and protected, even during a tropical storm on the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland, a snowstorm on the High Rockies Trail in Alberta, and impressive floods while camping along some of the best hiking trails in Saskatchewan.

The tents we called home on the Trans Canada Trail:
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3
MSR Hubba Mutha 3

Pro Tip: Practice setting up your tent at home to avoid frustrations during your hike, especially when you're trying to pitch in challenging conditions like rain or wind.

Sleep Systems: Rest to Fuel Your Thru-Hike

After hiking all day on the Trans Canada Trail,  or on any long-distance trek, your sleep system matters. In particular, a good night's sleep can rejuvenate your body and keep you motivated. As with other aspects of your gear, the prime consideration is your own comfort and preferences.  For example, whether you choose a sleeping bag or a hiking quilt, or opt to carry a sleeping bag liner for extra warmth will be determined by whether you sleep hot or cold, on your side or back, and your preference. In addition, you will likely need to make changes as the seasons turn.  For example, we used spring sleeping bags while hiking some of the best trails in Ontario during the summer months, but switched to winter bags as we entered Manitoba in the fall.  In general, we chose down sleeping bags over synthetic ones due to their higher warmth-to-weight ratio, compressibility, and longevity. Furthermore, from May to November we were relatively comfortable with bags that had a temperature rating of 0˚C to - 6˚C.  In addition, we chose full-length, inflatable, insulated sleeping pads because they provided superior comfort, especially for side-sleepers, on uneven surfaces. We also found they packed down smaller, and provided an effective temperature barrier on cold and frozen ground.

Our Sleep System Selection:
Sleeping Pads: Klymitt Insulated Static V (R rating of 4)
Sleeping Bags: Marmot Never Summer (winter), Thermarest Parsec (spring)

Pro Tip:  We consider a dry bag for our sleeping bags to be part of our sleep systems in order to avoid disaster when our backpacks get wet.  In addition, our stuffable down jackets double as a warm layer at night and as a pillow.

Layer Up: Clothing for Canadian Climates

When packing clothing for a long-distance hike across Canada, our best advice is to focus on durability, versatility, and layering. If possible, every item should serve multiple functions. For example, a down jacket can double as a pillow or Merino wool leggings can be worn as a base layer or for sleeping. In addition, choose moisture-wicking, quick-dry fabrics that are easy to wash on the go and don't retain odours, such as Merino wool. Finally, in our experience, layering is key for adapting to Canada's unpredictable weather, so packing breathable base layers, insulating mid-layers, and waterproof outerwear is the best strategy. 

• 3 Merino wool base layer shirts (1 long-sleeve and 2-short sleeve)
• 1 pair Merino wool leggings (for sleeping, and warmth)
• 2 pairs of convertible pants (Columbia, Prana)
• 1 hiking skort (Columbia)
• 3 pairs of Merino wool hiking socks (Smartwool or Darn Tough)
• 3 pairs of moisture-wicking quick-dry ExOfficio underwear
• Lightweight rain gear: jacket & pants (NorthFace)
• Lightweight windbreaker (Patagonia)
• Packable down jacket for warmth (Patagonia, Eddie Bauer)
• Wool gloves and toque for cold weather

Hydration & Cooking: Lightweight and Efficient

Staying hydrated during a long-distance thru-hike is critical, and carrying the right tools for water purification can save you from unpleasant illness. We each carried two water bottles—one 1L bottle for daily use and a larger 1.5L bottle for longer stretches between water sources, hot days, and campsites that lacked a water source.  For example, we frequently used our back-up water bottles during the long, hot, summer days when we explored some of the best hikes in Manitoba.

• Water Filter: 2 Sawyer Squeeze filters, 2 1L pouches, cleaning syringe.
• Stove: MSR WhisperLite
• Cookware: 2 TOAKS Titanium Cups and 1 Titanium Pot (lid can double as 2nd bowl)
• Two titanium spoons and a small multi-tool Swiss Army knife

Navigation: Staying on Track Across Canada

The Trans Canada Trail is not a single uniform path. It weaves across mountains, Boreal forests, farmlands, and along highways, rural range roads, and city streets. Signage is inconsistent, with some sections being well marked by local trail groups, and other stretches having few or no signs for hundreds of kilometres. However, even when you are hiking a shorter, more consistently signed trail, having the reliable and trustworthy tools for navigation is non-negotiable.  In particular, when hiking in remote, challenging, or unknown terrain knowing what tools to use, and how to use them is key, and redundancy is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

• Smartphone with several of our favourite Top Hiking Apps for Travel in Canada, pre-loaded with appropriate offline maps and GPX tracks for the province we were currently hiking. In particular, we relied on the Gaia GPS app for offline navigation, Google Maps, and when available the Trans Canada Trail app.
• Paper maps, compass, and research: We did our research beforehand, making sure we had a general idea of where we were headed, the terrain, and length of time it should take us to arrive at the next re-supply point. We always carried a compass and map as a backup in case the phone or GPS was lost, damaged, or ran out power
• Garmin inReach: A satellite messenger such as a Garmin inReach was indispensable for its satellite weather forecasts, its SOS function, its ability to track our progress and position, and for use in emergencies or to reassure family when cell service was absent.

First Aid and Emergency Gear: Being Ready for Anything

Even minor injuries can become major obstacles on a thru-hike. For that reason, we never walked without a compact first aid kit. In particular, bandages, blister treatment, antiseptic wipes, painkillers, medications for upset stomachs, antihistamines, and a small pair of sharp scissors were always included in our kit.

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing."

by Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Final Thoughts: Hike Your Own Hike

Long-distance hiking in Canada is an incredible adventure. However, success comes from being prepared, comfortable, and adaptable. Therefore, the hiking gear you carry should reflect your comfort, your goals, and your pace - not someone else's checklist. In this post we've shared some of the basic gear items every hiker needs for survival while thru-hiking in Canada. However, as we trekked across Canada we carried some additional gear items that we would consider absolutely essential. To find out what else was in our packs, click link for Hiking Gear Guide Part 2: Beyond the Basics.

Hiking Gear Guide for Long-Distance Treks Across Canada

Gear Up for Canada's Trans Canada Trail and Beyond with Expert Hiking Tips and Recommendations