Wildwood E2E Gear

One month ago today I hiked Wildwood End-to-End. After sharing my recap of the hike, I received a lot of questions on my gear. I’ll return soon to waxing philosophical about life through the lens of running, but enjoy my most literal and pragmatic post to date: all you ever wanted to know about the things that made the 30 mile journey with me.

On My Person

• Shoes: Hoka Speedgoat 3 – The single most important things I wore were my shoes. On training hikes I experimented with regular running shoes and sturdy hiking boots, and trailrunners were a perfect middle ground.
• Socks: REI Merino Wool Liner Crew Socks combined with Smartwool Light Hiker Socks – double socks is a tried and true hiker hack, and this combo worked decently well. I experimented with a variety of sock options on training hikes, and while I did still end up with some chafing around my ankles, this combo was by far the best I tried for extended distances.
• Sports Bra: Oiselle Spandos Jane Bra (no longer available on oiselle.com but here is a review if you can find one secondhand) – This bra is not nearly supportive enough for running, but its soft fabric and comfortable fit make it perfect for long hikes. The material is so silky smooth that I had absolutely zero chafing after 13 hours of hiking.
• Shorts: Oiselle Long Pocket Jogger Shorts – Simply the best. I have these shorts in multiple colors and they are my absolute favorites for running and hiking. The material is thick and supportive, they are long enough to protect my thighs from rubbing, and the true highlight are the enormous pockets where I stored my phone the entire hike.
• Base Layer: Oiselle Flyte Tank Top – Extremely comfortable, didn’t chafe or ride up, and had wide shoulder straps so my backpack didn’t rub against my skin.
• Outer Layer: Oisele Flyte Long Sleeve – This shirt was the perfect length and weight. I wore this for the first 17 miles without overheating, and it was light enough to easily pack into my bag for the back stretch of the hike.
• Suncreen: Supergoop – I applied a face and body base layer of 50 SPF Play Everyday Lotion before leaving home. The weather was mostly overcast, but this prevented any sunburn or skin damage (plus it smells amazing).
• Watch: Garmin Forerunner 235 – I’ve had this watch since 2018 and love it. It has fewer bells and whistles than fancier Garmins, but I use the Running setting to track distance, pace and elevation on hikes with no issues. The battery is more than sufficient for long runs, but 13 hours on the trail was too much, so I recharged using a portable battery on breaks.
• Identification: Road ID – I wear this on every. single. run/hike, and it gives me immense peace of mind to know that my loved ones could be contacted in case of an emergency.

In My Pack

• Pack Itself : Osprey Daylite Daypack – This pack was fine, not spectacular. I had plenty of storage space and appreciated having an outer zip pocket for easy to reach snacks, but I would have loved having more chest support to better distribute the weight of the pack and also front zippers to have easier access to a small pocket of snacks without needing to take the pack off.
• Water Bladder: Camelback 3L – Zero complaints. It was large and functional and held lots of water without leaking. I had more water than I needed, which meant added weight, but I’d rather have too much than risk dehydration.
• Food: As noted in my official recap, trail snacks are indistinguishable from an unsupervised five-year-old in a gas station. Throughout the day I ate Clif Bars, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, Good & Gather Antioxidant Trail Mix, mini pretzels, and Jelly Belly Sport Beans.
• Hydration: In addition to water in the bladder of my pack, I also carried a 32 oz. Nalgene of Strawberry Lemonade Nuun Sport to restore electrolytes throughout the day.
• Headlamp: Black Diamond Storm 400 – this is a lightweight lamp with a long battery life. I needed it for the first mile before the sun rose, and even though I finished the hike before the sun set, I was grateful to have it in case my pace slowed more significantly.
• Anti-Chafing: Body Glide – an absolutely essential addition to the pack. I had a small travel size to address any potential chafing before it became a problem.
• Spare Battery: Anker PowerCore 13000 Portable Charger – This has been a staple in my purse for years for emergency iphone boosts, and I needed it on the trail to ensure both my phone and watch stayed charged for the full 13 hours.
• Sunscreen: I carried a bottle Supergoop Play SPF 50 Spray and lip balm, and reapplied both every few hours
• First aid supplies: paper tape, an array of bandages, alcohol wipes to clean any scrapes, and Wet Ones to clean my hands before eating.
• Safety: I didn’t need to use my Swiss Army Climber Knife, Sabre Pepper Spray, or Fox 40 Classic Safety Whistle, but they are essentials in my pack for any distance, and I printed and laminated a map of Forest Park in case I veered off the blue diamond trail.

Recovery:

• Pajamas: After a much needed shower to wash off 30 miles of dirt and sweat, I did not remove my Stars Above Beautifully Soft Pajama Pants for approximately 48 hours. These pants are soft and light, and they contain the holy grail for all women’s clothing: POCKETS. These pants are the most comfortable PJs I’ve ever worn. Buy them immediately in every color.
• Healing: Aquaphor cured the chafing on my ankles, ice packs comforted my sore legs, and the Nektech Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager with Soothing Heat is my favorite purchase of the last year and this video completely justifies the countless hours I’ve lost to TikTok.  

I fine tuned my wardrobe, diet, and gear throughout my training and overall am beyond satisfied with how everything performed. I hope this helps you prepare for your upcoming adventures!