Lia and David's Grand Canyon gear

Lia says:

• Dirty Girl gaiters kept dust and sand out of my hiking shoes and kept my feet from getting irritated or blistered. My socks were encrusted with red sandstone above the gaiter line, but stayed soft and clean below! The gaiters kept the boot laces clean, too, which I appreciated when I needed to readjust my lacing. And at only 1.2 ounces, the gaiters add no burden. They were widely envied on my hike; I could have given away half a dozen pairs!

• The Leki Thermolite AERGON XL had the perfect combination of ergo handle, long grip, flip-lock top adjustment, and anti-shock. I wouldn't have given up any of those features to save money. The poles let me hike with stability and safety down the steep South Kaibab Trail, and with power and efficiency up the Bright Angel Trail.

• Fox pole gloves (bicycling gloves?) are excellent. Good padding, breathable mesh, and no scratchy Velcro. I fear the nice lightweight ones I have are no longer available, though.

• My Tag Safari Convertible Safari Pants were lovely. Very lightweight, soft cotton women's trousers that converted to a comfortably short pair of shorts with several pockets. The South Kaibab Trail was icy at the top and sunny hot at the bottom, so these pants kept me comfortable the whole hike.

• The Sunday Afternoon Adventure Hat was perfect for the whole trip. It provided encompassing shade against the thin, sunny desert air, and it was soft enough to tuck under a parka hood when necessary at the cold canyon rim. Its adjustable band let me wear a fleece watch cap underneath when I needed to. I could have given a lot of these away on the trip, too.

• Camelbak hydration backpacks rule! I carried the three-liter Vantage FT, which had enough room to store all the of layers I needed to peel and carry as I descended, plus lots of food and an over-cautious amount of first-aid supplies. [David says: Total agreement on Camelbak; I carried the Fourteener, a little smaller but with the same three-liter bladder. (Alas, I see that in 2015 it says it is discontinued.) Note that neither pack would have been sufficient had we not used the duffel service to send most of our stuff on ahead by mule.]