Hit the Trail: 7 Pro Picks for Women’s Backpacking

June 25th, 2015 • BY WM

[This Gear we Love feature is part of our monthly series featuring the best season- and activity-specific gear picks from the highly inspiring female athlete ambassadors from Outdoor Research. They are runners, climbers, skiers, mountaineers, and more—all breaking down barriers and pushing the edge.]

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While running is her main pursuit—she tackles trail marathons and ultras plus an abundance of backcountry running—Outdoor Research ambassador Paige Patillois also an avid backpacker.

Here, she shares her top 7 women’s backpacking gear picks for the summer season—plus a few intriguing personal details.

1. Ferrosi Summit Shorts ($65): Perfect length, no movement restriction, fast drying and better looking than a lot of hiking shorts.
2. Swift Cap ($24): breathable sun protection (UPF 30).
3. Aspire Pants ($175): waterproof, must-have at the bottom of my pack for longer trips.
4. Virtuoso Hoody ($285): super light and easy to pack + allows for lots of layering after the sun goes down.
5. Echo Hoody ($59): Light sun protection, handles heavy sweating. Great for clear windy days above the tree line.
6. Women’s Reflection L/S Shirt ($79): button up long sleeve for the trails that demand a little more coverage due to temperature, sun, or bush whacking.
7. Apres Pick: Women’s Umbra Hoody ($85): Cute and cozy, everything you could want to hit the town after a long day in the woods.

WomensMovement: Best adventure planned this month?

Paige: I will be spending a week on the Eastern Pasayten Loop Trail in North Central Washington. As my race season won’t really begin until August/September I’m using this as a way to combine some backpacking with a bit of technical running in the backcountry. We will base camp at Cathedral Lake for a few days, which affords you tons of options for off-trail scrambles and long runs.

It’s a low traffic area of the state because it’s so far away, but it is some of my favorite territory as it offers panoramic views into Canada and some of the North Cascades most impressive Peaks. It also is one of the few places in the lower 48 that contains arctic tundra.

WM: Best place you’ve ever backpacked?

Paige: I have a soft spot for the Three Sisters wilderness area outside of Bend. I went to college in Portland and would head out that way every chance I got. Having grown up at the base of the cascades in Washington, I find myself looking to get out of the trees, or at least trade out the evergreens for pines and I gravitate towards high desert terrain.

 

WM: Scariest backcountry experience?

Paige: I’ve seen bears and dealt with my share of lightening but I honestly think the scariest trail experience I had was getting lost for an extra night out when I was supposed to be getting picked up by a shuttle the following day. The trail washed out in a storm the week before and I ended up having to follow out a stream bed until I could navigate my way back onto the trail. I think I was more scared about all the flack I was going to get upon showing up late at the pickup spot than being lost.

WM: Fav apres activity?

Paige: Milkshakes. Mountain towns always seem to have a secret milkshake spot, and I always find them.

WM: What’s playing in your car/iPod right now?

Paige: Lord Huron’s Strange Trails