From strolling the boulevards of Buenos Aires to hiking in the Canadian Rockies, walking provides good exercise while stretching your mind and soul.
To maximize the joy that comes with vigorous bipedal activity, it’s important to plan. No matter what the activity, it’s always wise to carry a first aid kit. Adventure Medical Kits makes sport-specific and ultralight, watertight options. Or throw together your own in a Ziploc bag.
Even if your route includes pinxtos at a seaside cafe in Spain, a trailhead food truck or a wild blueberry patch, carry an emergency snack (Honey Stinger’s gluten-free and kosher Almond Pumpkin Nut & Seed Bar packs 14 grams of protein). Electrolytes like Tailwind’s small packets of Electrolyte Powder help you rehydrate and re-energize.
As for the rest, a trail run requires a different set of tools than a multiday trek and a rugged day hike necessitates different gear than an afternoon of urban exploration. Here are a few basics in each category to get you started (all items come in men’s and women’s versions unless otherwise noted):
City Walk
Shoes
Hard surfaces require a supportive, comfortable shoe with some grip, but not a heavy, chunky tread. For women, Dansko’s new Peony Walking Sneaker ($140) is based on the same arch technology and…
