Summer trail essentials from Osprey Packs, Honey Stinger, AdvoCare and Adventuress. We’re giving away product, too! Look for information at the end of this post.
Summer is made for time on the trail. Whether we’re biking, hiking or riding, here are some of the summer essentials we can’t live without.
Osprey Raven 10 Hydration Pack
Before you take it to the trails, you need a good day pack. For a well-designed lightweight women’s specific hydration pack, I don’t think you can find better than the Osprey Raven 10.
The Raven 10 is a mid-size pack, with a 3 liter bladder (good for a warm weather 3 hour ride), a full size storage compartment, a top slash pocket for little things like keys, a quick access front pocket and a tool pocket. There are even hip belt pockets for those items you want close at hand.
Clearly, you’ve got plenty of places to stash your food, a jacket, and extra tubes.
Best of all, the pack fits really well with a comfortable, breathable harness and hip belt, and my favorite Osprey feature, the AirScape back panel, that provides ventilation and helps distribute weight more effectively.
Osprey Raven 10 Hydration Pack. Photo courtesy Osprey.
The Emergency Blanket
A few years ago, Santa brought us emergency blankets which he then thoughtfully tucked into our hydration packs. Over time, the blankets have been squashed and the boxes are falling apart. Still, we carry them.
And this summer, this diligence paid off. Riding at Phil’s World, near Cortez, Colorado we were caught in a heavy storm, complete with flash flooding and hail. Rather than get soaked, my husband and I huddled under the blanket, staying dry, somewhat warm and sheltered from the full impact of the hailstones.
A well-traveled, seldom used, essential.
When the storm broke, we stuffed the bag in my pack and when we got home, we dried it and folded it up into a tidy bundle, ready for next time, whenever that may be.
Not bad for a $5.00 investment.
Adventuress On-The-Go Skin Care
Clean up with these wipes from Adventuress.
Here’s a summer essential I didn’t know I needed until I tried it.
After a dusty morning of downhill biking, my friends and I arrived at lunch, dirty, to say the least. So we wiped off the grime with Fearlessly Refreshing Facial Wipes.
Made of seven soothing plant extracts, including quince, willow bark, sugar maple, orange, lemon and olive leaf, the wipes are non-drying and surprisingly hydrating. My face felt great after using them!
Followed up with a preloaded, single use SPF 30 Sunscreen Swipe, we were ready for an afternoon of fun.
Adventuress (YouVee’s) Sunscreen Swipes.
The (YouVee’s) Sunscreen Swipe contains a natural, physical sunblock (micronized titanium dioxide) and a chemical sunscreen (otcinoxate).
And while I felt slightly guilty using single use packets, the environmental impact from the facial wipe was less than cleaning up in bathroom using paper towels. Plus, the convenience is huge and the quality is high.
Even better, you don’t need to find a bathroom or paper towels to use them. You can be anywhere.
Instant Energy from Honey Stinger and AdvoCare
I’m all about snacks, and whenever I forget snacks, I pay.
So when we go out on the trail, be it skiing, biking or hiking, I bring instant energy.
Since I’m not a big fan of “fake” food, so my trail snacks tend to be nuts, fruit or cheese.
This summer, however, I have a new passion: Honey Stinger Organic Waffles. Call them energy food, or call them dessert, but if you like slightly crunchy, subtly sweet treats, you’ll love these.
Ummm! Honey Stinger waffles in adult and “kid” sizes.
They come in many flavors, but I’m a traditionalist, sticking with classic honey for my easily transported deliciousness. Available in regular or “kid” sized, I’m a big fan of the little ones!
And although I’m not a “fake” food person, my sons love AdvoCare Rehydrate Gel in lemon. Your basic gel shot, the AdvoCare version has balanced electrolytes and carbs for energy. The rehydration part comes from all the water you drink as these go down.
Another option that I like better, is AdvoCare Rehydrate electrolyte replacement drink mix. A perfect boost during, or after, hard exertion, I really like the mango pineapple flavor. In addition to a full spectrum of electrolytes, Rehydrate also contains amino acids, carbs and antioxidants.
So much better than Gatorade. And, you can buy it here, from my local western Colorado friends!
All we have left of the gels are the box they came in and one lonely, red-dirt caked packet pulled from the depths of a pack.
Giveaway Information
Adventuress Skin Care collection founder Michele Carter and AdvoCare’s Matt Warren have put together two giveaway packages.
Package one includes a box of 12 Adventuress Fearlessly Refreshing Facial Wipes and 12 (YouVee’s) Sunscreen Swipes, along with a box of Rehydrate Gels from AdvoCare.
Package two includes a box of 12 Adventuress Fearlessly Refreshing Facial Wipes and 12 (YouVee’s) Sunscreen Swipes, and a box of Rehydrate Powder pouches from AdvoCare.
To enter, please leave a comment, sharing your favorite summer time trail essentials.
Two winners will be chosen randomly on Monday, August 18th at noon MDT. Good luck!
What summertime trail essentials do you recommend? Please share!
To facilitate this post, I received samples of Adventuress Facial Wipes and Sunscreen Swipes. I was also featured as an Adventuress of the Week on Facebook. All opinions are my own and are exactly what I would tell my family and friends.
Also, through October 31st, if you buy a 24-pack of Adventuress Wipes or Swipes online, they will donate $1 to Bike-4-Breast Cancer.
© 2014 – 2017, braveskimom. All rights reserved. Any use or publication of content, including photos, requires express permission.
Water, lots of water
Precisely why I LOVE the Osprey pack. Used it the first time on a long, hot (albeit beautiful) trail near Dolores, Colorado called Bean Canyon (Boggy Draw system, for those of you interested). Last year, I ran out of water. This year, thanks to the Raven 10, I had plenty. And it didn’t weigh a thing!
Thanks Keith!
Water! Also I carry honest brand bug spray, all natural… Not a fan of bugs, haha..
I hate being bitten, but I also hate DEET! Thanks for the tip on Honest Brand Bug Spray! I’ll go find it!
Let’s see – water, bug spray, sunscreen, snacks. 🙂
All good! Any favorite brands, products or bottles you’d like to shout out?
Thanks!
Applesauce packets and kid carrier.
You know, applesauce packets are a great idea! And the kid carrier….that’s what makes hiking with a little one possible! Thanks!
A hydration pack was essential. My 4 and 6 year olds loved drinking out of mine and all the snacks it held kept them going so we could make it to the waterfall and back. Next time they need their own kid sized packs, if they make them that size.
Hi Hilary,
Yes! Kid size hydration packs exist and are a great thing! We had them from Kelty, and they were the perfect size, but I did not like the seal on the bladder…it tended to leak if not screwed in properly. Osprey makes a line of kids packs, but not hydration specific, which is too bad!
Thanks!
Trail essentials include sunscreen, hat, and snacks (homemade date balls are my favorite).
Want some! Homemade date balls sound incredible. I will now go search for a recipe! Thanks!
Water, and typically some Gatorade powder. That Advocare rehydrate looks intriguing, though. I’d like to try that!
Thanks Sarah! Like Gatorade, Rehydrate has carbs in the form of sugar, so you don’t want to make a habit of drinking too much of it! But I find it great for replenishment and it’s not too sweet!
Water, almonds, and Chia bars!
oooh! Almonds. I love almonds and have a slight addiction to tamari roasted ones. Strangely, I eat them in my home, but never take them on the trail! Great tip!