Hiking ~ What To Pack

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #SummerIsForSavings #CollectiveBias #WFM1

People are always shocked when I tell them I love a good ole hike! A girly girl in the woods?! Yes! You can be a total fashionista and still have a blast hitting the trails. A little dirt won't kill ya. I promise. You WILL survive and even have a little fun.​

All photos in this post were taken with the LG Grace camera. Minus the photos including the phone.

Plus hiking gear can be pretty fun to shop for. You will definitely want a reliable cellphone on hand incase of an emergency. You just never know what can happen when exploring the great outdoors, so you want to be prepared. My husbands new $49.88 PLUS Plan from Walmart Family Mobile, powered by T-Mobile phone just happens to do the trick for us. His fabulous LG Grace we picked up in the Walmart electronics section will be our family's go to for taking memorable photos, making sure we don't get lost via the maps app, and the brains we need on our hikes to find out what plants we happen to be seeing at that very moment since google knows all.

My hubby has been with Walmart mobile for a little over a year now! This year he decided to upgrade his existing plan to the $49.88 PLUS Plan featuring Unlimited Talk, Text & Data, which now includes up to 15 GB of 4G LTE† data, then 2G* powered by T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE† network .With the amount of outdoor activities we have planned over the summer, unlimited data (*Includes up to 15GB of 4G LTE† data then 2G*)is a dream come true! No more worring if you have used too much! Just google all those outdoors questions you have since data is UNLIMITED (Includes up to 15GB of 4G LTE† data then 2G*)!!!​

• Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to this page or your local Walmart for current pricing.

It's now easier than ever to have no contract with a clear monthly service plan!!!! You just pick a phone. My husband picked the beyond fabulous LG Grace! Then pick a plan such as the $49.88 PLUS Plan featuring Unlimited Talk, Text & Data (Includes up to 15GB of 4G LTE† data then 2G*) , activate your new phone , and GO! You can even switch to Walmart Family Mobile AND keep your current phone. The best part of all? There are no activation fees, late charges AND more data on most plans so you can enjoy more savings!!! With these savings we can definitely plan more family outings and do more this summer!

An extra bonus for customers on the $49.88 PLUS Plan: They will receive a free VUDU◊ movie rental credit valued at $7.00 each time they renew their service. Limited time offer. Available for lines active with the PLUS $49.88 plan only. VUDU◊ enabled device and account required for digital viewing. Customers must be 18 years or older to open a VUDU◊ account. Movie rental only available in the USA. Free movie rental provided in the form of a movie rental code to the value of a $7.00 VUDU◊ credit. Movie rental code allows for selection from available movies for rent. May not be readily redeemable on all new releases. Code will be delivered within up to 24 hours of the effective account renewal date. Must be used within 30 days of receiving code. Offer is non-transferable. Limit 1 per customer. Additional terms and conditions on VUDU's◊ website:http://www.vudu.com/termsofservice.html

One of our favorite local spots to hike is the Chautauqua Gorge State Forest. It's beautiful AND the perfect spot to bring the kiddos. Challenging enough to keep things exciting, yet it's a shorter trek through the woods that won't wear them out.

About 5-10 minutes down the dirt path and you will reach the breathtaking water! If your kiddo is like mine, after that hike through the woods, they will definitely want to hop into that water to cool off and swim. Definitely bring swimsuits.

Do you love the great outdoors and want to get out more and explore? Or are you a little nervous about just traipsing through nature? Hiking is definitely something you want to do your homework on before heading out! But don’t worry, you landed in the right spot if you're wondering on what you should bring.

All the gear you will need on a beginner/intermediate hike! I'm sure you will have other favorites you will want to pack once you have a few hikes down, but this list right here is the holy grail of must have items! Toss all of these items into your backpack and you will be set for your hike ​through the woods.

Map

The very first thing you will want to do is try & consolidate. Do you really need to bring EVERYTHING? What if I told you three of those items in the collage above could turn into one? That's right! Now that you have your LG Grace with an awesome Walmart Family Mobile plan, you can ditch that bulky map since you can download a maps app! You can now search any location and find your way with a simple search on maps now that you have a cellphone with a larger bucket of data (15GB of 4G LTE† then 2G* powered by T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE network!).

Camera

The other item you can ditch on that must have hiking gear list is a camera. Keep that DSLR safe at home now that you own a LG Grace! Every last photo, besides photos of the actual LG Grace were taken with the LG Grace! You can take all those photos for your scrapbook with your LG Grace since it has one incredible camera!

Backpack

I'm all about the fancy designer backpacks. I have loads of them for when I travel. Hiking? Keep the backpack simple. Save that new packpack to match your travel outfit next month since there is a good chance your bag will get dirty. If you're on the smaller weight side like myself, you will definitely want a smaller backpack so it doesn't end up weighing you down.

Water

You definitely do not want to forget the H2o! You will be plenty thirsty while on your hike. My daughter is a water hater and the girl chugs water while we're in the woods. The heat and the buring of all those calories does a number on your body. So stay hydrated!

Nutritious Snack

You will definitely want a snack in your backpack! Just like your body will be dying for that water, I guarantee it will have you starving to death as well! My favorite snack while hiking is a banana. Filled with potassium to keep me moving and beyond delicious. Not a banana fan? Granola bars are another favorite of mine as well!

Sunscreen/Bug Repellent

Another packing consolidation hack is to find a sunscreen that has bug repellent in it!!! One less thing to toss in that backpack! Keep those pesky mosquitoes away while protecting your skin from those sunny rays AT THE SAME TIME! This is definitely an item you will not want to forget. Nothing worse than having a blast in the woods and then looking like a lobster with chicken pox that evening because you forgot your sunscreen/bug repellent.

Hand Towel

In the middle of summer when the temps get ridiculously high, you will be so happy you tossed that towel into your bag to wipe away those sweat drops running down your face! Did you get wet? You can dry yourself off with your handy dandy towel as well!!

Wipes

A must have!!!! As much as I love hiking, I HATE getting dirty! I can stay pretty darn clean thanks to my wipes. Splashed with mud? No problem! Gone in seconds because of those magical
​wipes.

Sunglasses

Keep that sun out of your eyes with a pair of shades. I'm a total hat lover, but I get too sweaty wearing hats on hikes. I feel I have to take them off every so often to wipe away that ring of wetness around the brim. So I opt for the sunglasses to keep that sun away.

So now that you have your hiking gear under control, grab your Walmart Family Mobile phone,your backpack filled with your hiking gear and of course the family and get to exploring this glorious world we live in this summer.

Let's Chat!

Do you hike with your family during the summer? How would you use the $49.88 PLUS Plan from Walmart Family Mobile, powered by T-Mobile?

•*Please always refer to the latest terms and conditions at myfamilymobile.com.
•†To get 4G LTE speed, you must have a 4G LTE capable device and 4G LTE SIM Card. Actual availability, coverage, and speed may vary. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.