What to Take Hiking in Utah National Parks

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone. #BlueLizardSummer  #CollectiveBias    We recently returned from one of the best road trips we’ve ever taken, with LOTS of biking and hiking in Utah National Parks!  As Bikeman described it,  “2380 miles through California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.  Five National Parks, 6 mountain bike routes, 6 hotels, 18 hiking trails, and 3 antique stores.  Elevations from -282 to 8300 feet.  Temperatures from 26  to 104, heat, rain, sleet, and even snow.  No flat tires, no car trouble, and no tickets but lots of bugs on the windshield and grill.”

I’ll go into more detail on each park later since we covered so much territory and I took soooooo many photos!!!  But today I just wanted to share what I packed in my daypack.  This list is what I took out with me every day when I was hiking those 18 trails. 

Much of my list focuses on sun protection because you’ll get a lot of sun on the Utah National Parks trails! 

But first let me tell you about a horrible experience I had a few months before our trip.  My face turned bright red and itchy.  I finally narrowed it down to the sunscreen I had just started using.  I hadn’t realized that there were two types of sunscreen – chemical and mineral.  The chemicals were NOT kind to my sensitive skin.  

After letting it calm down for a few days I started using a mineral sunscreen with no reactions at all.  Blue Lizard® Australian Sunscreen products use zinc oxide to provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection (SPF30+).  The zinc oxide doesn’t bother my skin at all.  Blue Lizard® Sensitive is also paraben-free, chemical-free and fragrance-free.  I use Blue Lizard® Sensitive and I got Blue Lizard® Sport for Bikeman since he was so much more active than me.  (Ibotta is now offering $4.00 off Blue Lizard® Sensitive when you join!)

What to Take Hiking in Utah

Here’s my hiking checklist.  I bought a new backpack that was small but sturdy and had lots of small pockets and zippers.  Everything on this list fit in the pack.

• maps – GPS, paper maps provided by the park, compass
• sun protection -Blue Lizard® sunscreen, hat with a wide brim, light jacket or scarf, sunglasses, SPF lip balm
• first aid kit – You can either buy a small kit or put one together yourself.
• food – granola or granola bars, dried fruit, candies (if they won’t melt)
• water – Bring a lot more than you think you’ll need!  Even when it’s cold, it’s dry, and you need to stay hydrated.  I brought the three collapsable water bottles that you see in the photo above.
• extra clothes –  The weather can change quickly so be prepared.
  • A long sleeve shirt can provide warmth if it gets cold or protection from the sun.
  • scarf or balaclava
  • gloves
  • light jacket
• money & ID  
• whistle – In case of emergency!
• toilet paper – Also in case of emergency!
• cell phone – I had very spotty coverage and none in some of the canyons.  

Other things that would be nice to have but not necessities:

• walking sticks
• binoculars
• outdoor journal
• field guides
• trash bag
• camera
• watch
• insect repellant – I didn’t need this in the Utah National Parks in April!

Blue Lizard® has four formulas: Sensitive, Sport, Face, and Baby.  And since several people have already asked me why it’s called Australian sunscreen, especially since it’s made in Johnson City, Tennessee, I’ll let you know that Australia has the strictest sunscreen standards in the world.  And Blue Lizard® meets those standards!

Notice the box says it has Smart Bottle™ technology?  Yes, the bottle will actually change colors when UV light hits it.  Great visual for kids but I had a lot of fun with it, too.

Blue Lizard® was easy to find in “The Sun Zone” at Walmart.  It was on the top shelf at our local store.

Just a few more hiking in Utah tips:

• Always let someone know where you’re going to be hiking.
• If you’re not used to the elevation, give yourself a little extra time and take it easy.
• Take your trash with you.  There won’t be trash cans on the trails.
• Don’t take anything from a National Park.  Remember the saying, “Take only pictures. Leave only footprint.”
• Take LOTS of pictures!

Don’t forget to join iBotta and earn $4.00 when you purchase Blue Lizard® Australian Sunscreen – Sensitive, 5 oz. bottle only.

Leave a comment and let me know if you’ve bee hiking in Utah.  What were your favorite trails?

 Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim

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