Outdoor Gear I Use

Bear spray is bear spray (regardless of the brand). But I use Counter Assault because they have been very supportive of me on my social media. Living in the Yukon, I won’t leave home without my bear spray, even in the winter! This bear spray has the ability to spray 40 feet, but hopefully I will never have to test that out! Counter Assault also makes an inert (practice) spray, and I highly recommend picking up a can to practice with.

The majority of hiking, camping, and fieldwork that I do it out of cell range, so it is imperative that I bring along a safety communication device. I love how compact my inReach Mini is and it has been very reliable for my trips. It has a great battery life, wonderful accuracy, a handy phone app that I can connect offline to make messaging easier, and I find their subscription plans very reasonably priced. It’s also my go-to for winter running because it tolerates the cold better than my phone does!

I have three different pairs of hikers that I alternate between depending on the duration and terrain of the hike. These are my go-to hiking shoes for shorter, less steep hikes. I find them incredibly similar to a good pair of trail runners (I’ve even used them during a run once when I forgot my runners at work!). They are comfy, breathable, have great traction, and are very waterproof. They also have a boot version of this shoe, which would provide additional ankle support ( I don’t have that one… yet!).

Cozy String Lights

One of my favourite pieces of frontcountry camping gear – my solar powered string lights! They truly make your campsite, car camping, or cabin stays feel so cozy! I have now brought these on many camping and cabin adventures and they make me so happy!

These are the boots I rely on for all of my overnight hikes. I find them incredibly comfortable and durable. The harder and firmer material gives me the most ankle support out of my three hikers – which I need when carrying a heavy 65L pack. They are waterproof with great traction – what more could I ask for?

The best winter boot I have ever owned! Snow comes quickly in the Yukon (we get about 9 months of snow each year – and even more in the mountains), so having a great pair of winter hiking boots is essential for me. The traction of these boots is phenomenal and they lace up super tight around the ankle and calf. I have trudged in many a deep snow, and built many snow angels, and have never had wet feet with these boots! They have a temperature rating of -40 C and this Yukon girl can confirm they have been wonderful in those temps! I also really love how they don’t feel clunky like other boots that have similar temperature ratings.

I am convinced that this is the best sleeping pad out there. Not only does it pack super small, but it has one of the most impressive R-values around (7.3!!!). And for someone who lives in a very cold place, this R-value is truly divine. I am obsessed with this piece of gear.

I’ve never been overly fussy about my hiking poles (maybe I should be?), but when I lost my poles in a creek a few summers ago, I knew I wanted to replace them with the same poles because I adored these ones. They fold up nice and small (allowing me to easily attach them to my pack), they are light weight yet incredibly durable, and they have been just as fantastic up a mountain as in the snow. I’ve put my poles through quite the beating, and they never seem to fail.

This has been a newer addition to my backcountry gear, and I can’t believe I didn’t treat myself to this sooner! I was always skeptical about bringing a pillow into the backcountry – feeling like I needed to rough it- but this one packs down incredibly small (about the size of a pair of socks, maybe even less!). It is easy to inflate (blows up in seconds!), and it’s quite the comfy and large fluffy pillow! I will never go on another overnight hike without it!

I wear a Scat Belt constantly – especially when I am hanging out around camp or when I am hiking and running. Having my bear spray on my lower back is my preferred place for easy accessibility. I have both the Cub version (that holds just the bear spray) and the larger Griz size (that also holds my phone and keys), but I tend to always prefer using the Cub. Like all bear spray carrying devices- practicing retrieving your bear spray is key!

I am a huge fan of hiking and running data, and love looking back at past hikes and annual totals (like elevation gain and distances). I love this watch and the Garmin Connect app because of the battery life (it even charges itself while in the sun), the handy training features that keep me on track for my ultra training, and because it because it has been fantastic in -40 C temps.