My Colorado 14ers Gear Recommendations

My Colorado 14ers Gear Recommendations

I finished climbing all 58 Colorado 14ers in August of 2018.  I’ve also climbed big peaks all over the world, including Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Whitney, the Grand Teton, and many others.  If you’d like to get into climbing the Colorado 14ers below is the gear that I used and recommend.  And everything I recommend I’ve actually used, I don’t push products for the sake of it.

 

Pack

Most Colorado 14ers in summer conditions are day hikes.  That said, you don’t need to bring the kitchen sink.  I did most of my 14ers with the Mountain Hardwear Fluid 26.  It’s a 26 liter pack that’s beautifully designed. 

It’s water bladder compatible and has attachment points for hiking poles and a nice big outer pocket that even expands to fit a helmet.

A great feature I now can’t live without is stretchy mesh pockets on the hip-belt.  I’d keep my camera in one and either sunscreen or a Cliff Bar in the other.

Another great thing about this pack is that although it has a rigid piece against the back to keep it stiff, when empty it folds in half very easily if you need to put it in a bigger overnight pack. 

Yes I realize the pack is older and probably hard to come by, but I promised I’d recommend what I used.  Looking at new offerings I’d recommend the Osprey Stratos 24 or similar as I have a smaller Osprey Pack and they’re well made.  I wouldn’t go too much below 22 liters though.

 

Shoes

Your choice of shoes is a big one and depends on you, your feet, and your ankle strength/stability.  I have strong ankles and always go with low-rise hikers.  If you have weak ankles and are prone to twist you might consider shoes with ankle support. 

I did most of my 14ers in the Salomon Xa Pro 3D GTX Trail Running Shoes.  They fit me like a glove and are nice and light, but with great traction and durability. 

They also have the “sensifit” quick lace system which I grew to love.  The cord they use in it seems thin and easy to break, but it never did.

 

Hiking Poles

Back in my 20’s and 30’s I didn’t use hiking poles.  Then age happened 🙂  I’ve also had surgery on both knees and the downhills really crush my knees. 

I cannot live without my hiking poles now, but I really only use them on downhills to take the pressure off my knees.  For that they are an amazing pain-saving device! 

I used the Black Diamond Trail Sport 3 Trekking Poles.  Their “FlickLock” adjust system is really great and these things are bomber.  They’re not the lightest, but they’re durable.

 

Sunglasses

Good sunglasses are essential at altitude.  You’re closer to the sun, the air is thinner and let’s in more UV light, and in Colorado the air is very dry which also allows more UV to penetrate.  If you’ve hiked in Colorado and been burnt to a crisp before, you know what I mean. 

I used two different pair, the Julbo Caminos and Rapid Eyewear Aspen Ski & Glacier glasses.  The Rapids are cheaper and plenty good but they fit me a tad small.

 

Water Bottle

Since I was always flying all of my gear to Colorado every trip, saving space was essential.  I hiked most 14ers with a regular Nalgene water bottle, and a Nalgene Collapsible Canteen.  The latter rolls up and packs down super small so you don’t waste space in your luggage. 

I took my Nalgene Canteen all over the world, to the summit of Kilimanjaro and to Mt. Everest Base Camp, it lasted 16 years before it finally got a small leak.  Then I simply tweeted to Nalgene and they sent me a new one – FREE!  These things are BOMBER and Nalgene backs them.

 

Hat

As mentioned the sun is brutal in Colorado, don’t underestimate it.  I often just hiked with a regular ballcap, but when the skies were clear and I was going to be out long I used the Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap with the full neck and side protection.  Yes, you can look a bit dorky in this hat but you save tons of sunscreen by not having to apply gobs and gobs on your ears and the back of your neck.

 

Helmet

Some of the Colorado 14ers require a helmet as rockfall can be a real hazard.  Check with 14ers.com to get that beta.  I used an older version of the Black Diamond Half Dome Climbing Helmet.  I’ve had mine since about 2002 and it’s never taken any major hits so no need to replace.  They’ve added more air vents on the newer models so that’s nice.  You can see me wearing it in the first picture above.

 

Sunscreen & Lip Balm

Do not, I repeat do not forget these and apply often.  I was never a lip balm person and on my first few trips doing 14ers my lips got burnt and all cracked and bloody.  It sucks.  I used the Banana Boat Sport Sticks because you can apply while you’re moving and don’t have to slather stuff all over your hands.  Just smear on.  My favorite brand of lip balm is the Aloe Gator SPF 30, I just felt they had the best SPF protection after using different brands. 

I also wore a Buff Neck Gaitor on many of my climbs to add extra sun protection.

 

Down

One of my favorite pieces of gear is my Sierra Designs Gnar Lite Jacket.  It has 800-fill DriDown that packs down super small and can keep warmth even after getting wet.  It was my go-to layer to put on after summiting to keep warm while enjoying the views.

 

Tops & Pants

I don’t have any specific tops and pants to recommend as I used many.  I have a great pair of Kuhl Hiking pants (don’t know model) that I did most of my 14ers in, and I usually wore an Icebreaker Merino baselayer on top that I can’t find online as it’s older (I’m wearing it in the top picture above and you can see the Icebreaker logo on my left arm). 

Needless to say, do not wear cotton.  Merino wool is amazing and holds back the stink, although it is pricey.

 

Microspikes

Yes even in summer you might encounter slippery and steep snow patches that might require extra traction.  Crampons are usually overkill and that’s where microspikes come in.  I used the Kahtoola Microspikes and love them.  They go on easy and are durable.

 

Other/Miscellaneous

Much of my clothes including my shell jacket and shell pants are older and I cannot find them online.  I used a Marmot shell jacket for many of my climbs and rarely used shell pants unless I was being absolutely dumped on.  I’d consider a shell jacket essential, shell pants not so much but nice to have.

 

*Gear Does Not Save You

Here’s the deal, the 14ers of Colorado are amazing but not to be taken lightly.  Most days will go fine, but if you try to do all of them I guarantee you’ll run into trouble at some point.  You can have the best gear but that doesn’t matter.  You need to prepare for these hikes.  That means being fit, and studying the routes.  I highly recommend you prepare for your 14ers trips and do proper research on 14ers.com  The site has everything you need to know and a great community to give you the latest on conditions and routes. 

Now get out there and CRUSH IT!!

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