The Gear Matador Editors Love For Spring Hikes

The hiking itch hits long before the first Spring bloom. Wildflowers, rushing streams, and the long-awaited return of the color green signify that it’s time to hit trail – however, spring also comes with unpredictable weather. Sudden rain showers are as common as lingering patches of snow at higher elevations, making trail conditions more challenging. This time of year requires sturdy, waterproof boots, layering up with moisture-wicking and weather-resistant clothing, and a resilient pair of trail pants. This is the spring hiking gear Matador outdoor and gear editors Suzie Dundas and Tim Wenger are using in 2025 to be prepared for the season’s ever-changing elements.

We hope you love this Spring hiking gear! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to make a purchase. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.

Platypus DayCap In-Bottle Filter

Photos: Suzie Dundas

The DayCap In-Bottle Filter is one of those products that makes me wonder why it took so long for me to learn about it. It’s supremely useful for day hikes when you don’t want to carry a filtration system (and will be near a water source, of course).

I do a lot of day hiking and I usually just carry two Nalgenes full of water, or a filtration system. But the Platypus DayCap – a screw-on filter that turns any Nalgene or other wide-mouth bottle into a water filter – is now the only thing I carry on hikes (along with a bottle, of course).

The perks of the system are obvious, as it makes drinking filtered water on-the-go as easy as possible. I always travel with a big bottle, like a Nalgene, and this is now the only top I carry, giving me access to clean water. It’s about $40-$45, weighs barely anything, and replaces my old system of squeezing a water filtration bag until my hands hurt.

There are a few downsides: namely, you’ll have dirty water on the inside of your bottle, so you probably won’t want to use it again without the filter until you give it a good wash. And since you can’t use it to fill other people’s bottles or hip packs with clean water, each person in your hiking squad will need their own. To overcome those issues, you’ll probably want to look at a slightly pricier all-in-one system, like the Grayl GeoPress (which is also extremely useful).

Price: $40.48

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Landmark Project T-shirts

Photo: Suzie Dundas

It’s no secret that parks, wildlands, and protected parks and monuments in the US are at risk of being shrunk or losing protections under Donald Trump. Whether you think that’s a good thing or a bad thing might depend on your political affiliation, but it’s undeniable that it’s happening.

Personally, I think it’s a horrifically bad thing, and it hurts me to think about the undoable damage that could happen to everything from national forests to national parks. That’s why I’m trying extra hard to support brands that give back to environmental causes – and Landmark Project has been doing that since its inception. The brand was founded by a group of nature-lovers who wanted to create sustainable, pro-park clothing. Now, the brand has donated more than $1 million to organizations ranging from the US Forest Service to the High Fives Foundation and Chesapeake Conservancy.

Fortunately, I think it is fashionable, especially if you’re outdoorsy. I just picked up two t-shirts for summer – “Save a Place for Wildlife” and “Keep Our Forest Green and Growing” and you can bet I plan to be wearing them on the trails this spring and summer. (And everywhere else, too). – Suzie Dundas, commissioning editor

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Fjällräven Expedition X-Latt Insulated Jacket

Photo: Suzie Dundas

It’s no secret that Fjällräven gear can be pricey, but the brand is pretty transparent about why: it uses eco-friendly materials, eschews fast fashion, and has extremely high standards for how products are produced. Those sound like buzzy marketing terms, but the Swedish trekking company has been doing that before it was cool (since 1960).

The Expedition X-Lätt Jacket is my go-to insulated jacket for hikes, airplane rides, or any vacation where I’m only bringing one jacket and need it to work with everything. I love the straightforward and simple design and the fact that it’s easy to fit into its own internal storage pocket. But what perhaps what says the most about it is that I’ve been wearing it for a year, smashing it into dirty backpacks, wearing it through brush and forests, sleeping in it on planes and throwing it on the ground at camp, and it barely shows any wear. That’s impressive considering it’s been getting a hell of a lot of wear.

The sizing is super standard. I’m 5-foot, 7-inches, and usually wear a size 4 or 6. I’ve got room to layer in a small. My husband, who heard me rave about mine so much that he got one, too, is 6-foot, 1-inches, and reported that the men’s sizing is also exactly as expected.  – Suzie Dundas, commissioning editor

Price: $205

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Arcade Motion belt

Photo: Tim Wenger

The issue with wearing most belts for serious travel and outdoor recreation is that they’re not flexible. The Arcade Motion belt exists for one reason – to solve this problem. The adjustable belt clips in rather than buckling, meaning it won’t juggle or loosen at any point throughout the day. An added benefit here is that this makes it easier to control the extra belt length so you don’t have strap dangling sloppily by your side.

I keep the Arcade Motion belt on the hiking pants I wear the most and generally remove it only to wash the pants. The belt is stretchy, made of recycled materials, and the black color matches pretty much anything. It’s classy enough that when paired with a decent-looking pair of hiking pants, heading to happy hour after a hike doesn’t require a change. – Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Price: $54.95

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The North Face Summit Series Breithorn Hoodie

Photo: Tim Wenger

Photo: Tim Wenger

In the Colorado Rockies, a good spring hike tends to evolve some light mountaineering. If you elect to get up high, you’re likely scrambling over snow-capped boulder fields, crossing rushing streams of snowmelt, and in the case of late-spring ski touring, you often need to hike a bit to get to the point where you can strap into your skis or splitboard and skin up. Early mornings this time of year remain below freezing, and that’s when you want to be out because the safest spring hiking and touring conditions are before the accumulated snowpack begins to soften in the afternoon. I’ve embraced The North Face Summit Series Breithorn Hoodie for these occasions.

Its 800-fill down – burly and warm enough to keep me warm above 10,000 feet. The hood is helmet compatible, so it works well for rock climbing, mountaineering, and skiing, meaning I can wear it on the way down as well as on the way up. It’s built to remain puffy even when wet and beads water off of the material, so there’s no need to wear a shell jacket unless you’re skiing in powder.

The cinch cord tightens around the neck to lock in warmth and lock out moisture. I’ve never found a better puffy for actually being out in the elements, and the bonus with the Breithorn is that it looks good, too. The most notable feature is that the Breithorn Hoodie packs into its left-hand pocket down to the size of a purse, so it fits easily into a backpack once the temperatures rise. I keep it in my spring touring pack so I always have it with me. – Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Price: On sale for $301 at Backcountry.com

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Lowa Renegade EVO GTX hiking boots

Photo: Tim Wenger

I’d heard about Lowa Renegade hiking boots many times over years, and even edited a review of them from one of Matador’s most trusted outdoor writers a couple years back. But it wasn’t until I saw them in person and strapped them on for the first time that I was fully sold. I live in western Colorado, where seasons often blend together. A typical spring hike covers everything from dry trail to mud to snowpack, and to effectively hike here in spring I need boots that are sturdy, water resistant, and burly enough to conquer both high desert sandstone and alpine dirt, in the same day.

The Lowa Renegade EVO GTX boots do this perfectly. I recently wore them on a typical spring day described above – and found excellent footing on rock and trail stretches that were wet, as well as an ability to hold grip on steep sections of rock like I encountered hiking up the Palisade Plunge trail. The trail is steep, and I felt confident moving both up and back down once I’d reached my turn-around point. These boots are the ultimate hikers for variable conditions, and that’s exactly what I want during mud season.

Beyond performance, the Renegade EVO GTX hiking boots fit well. They’re snug, but don’t cramp the ankles – I made a mental note to tie them tighter next time because, although high-top hiking boots are often awkward on slick-moving desert rock because they restrict impulsive movement of the ankles, these boots didn’t do that and I found myself both appreciating the flexibility and wanting just a touch more support. If they’re good enough for Zelenskiy, they’re good enough for me. – Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Price: From $240 to $325, depending on style

Check out Matador’s full review of the Lowa Renegade hiking boots

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Stio Hardscrabble Insulated Glove

Photo: Suzie Dundas

I was given a pair of Stio Hardscrabble gloves at a media event in Wyoming in winter of 2021/2022, and I thought “cool, I like Stio. I’ll try them.” Now, three years later, I’m still wearing them for pretty much all cold-weather pursuits. They’re still in great shape and warm as can be, and I haven’t been good about caring for them (as in, I haven’t treated the leather or cleaned them – ever).

They’re probably meant to be ski gloves, and they work well for that. But I wear them year-round, since anyone who regularly hikes in high-elevation environments knows early morning can be quite chilly. I also get cold on backpacking trips, especially as temperatures can swing wildly, and I’m prone to getting cold, especially after a few days of heavy calorie burning on the trails. The waterproofing is ideal, and the fit is snug enough that I have no problems with using hiking poles, or even typing a text). But truly, the most impressive thing is that they’re still extremely warm, even after three years of heavy use and plenty of months spent squished in the bottom of hiking bags.

Oh, and one important note, or maybe this is just me: the interior lining is attached throughout the glove, making them much easier to take on and off with sweaty hands. I’ve worn ski gloves that have fleece liners, and the way the fabric scrunches up when my hands start overheating makes them nearly unwearable. But pulling the Hardscrabble Gloves on and off is a breeze, with a quick Velcro tab to endure the cuff stays tight. They’re my go-to, and if these ever fully wear out, I’m sure it won’t be long before I buy another pair.

(By the way, they’re unisex. I have slightly small hands for a woman, and wear a size small in these). – Suzie Dundas, commissioning editor

Price: $159

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Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles

Photo: Andy Verbonitz

I’m a big fan of the Z-fold trekking poles because they fit inside a backpack when not needed. Over the years I’ve owned multiple pairs of Black Diamond poles and never had a pair I didn’t like – but the Carbon Z is my favorite because its collapsability doesn’t compromise its durability. The poles are super light and have a comfortable foam grip that doesn’t drive my fingers and joints nuts after a couple hours on the trail. The baskets are small but enough for composure and to block mud splatter. These can be interchanged with snow baskets if you plan to get up high enough that this is necessary. – Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Price: $142.46

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Fjallraven Vidda Pro Trouser

Photo courtesy Tim Wenger

Don’t hike in shorts. Especially in April. Unless, of course, you like getting mud on your legs, bug bites, and scrapes from each jagged plant you pass by. For the rest of us, there’s the Fjallraven Vidda Pro Trouser. These are the best trekking pants for hiking in the mountains in spring because they’re burly – they’ll keep your legs warm, they’ll hold everything you need at easy reach including a multitool, and the elastic cuff and boot hooks can be tightened to keep moisture and mud out.

I’ve been wearing the Vidda Pros on the trail for four years now and still use the same pair – I’ve never had a pair of trekking pants that’s more worthy of the investment. They fit well, not super loose and baggy like so many hiking pants, but rather they are built to move with the body. I actually wear these around town on occasion as well – it helps that I live in a small outdoorsy town where it’s actually in style to do so – and regularly have people ask me how I like them. I’ve even worn them for splitboarding on super-warm late season days when snow pants are too much. – Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

$169.95

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