When hiking in Utah valley, you have dozens of options within 30 minutes of your UVU student housing. It’s always best to be prepared, so bring a light backpack and pack these things along with you.
Water – bring enough that you won’t be dehydrated, but don’t bring so much that it’s weighing you down. Research beforehand whether or not the trail has any water fountains to refill your water bottle so you know how much water to pack from your UVU college apartment.
Snacks – If it’s a short hike and you ate a good meal earlier, snacks may not be necessary. If you’re going on a long hike, you want to make sure you eat beforehand and that you bring snacks to replenish your energy along the way. You can even make PB&J sandwiches in your UVU apartment to bring along with you.
Good Shoes – Don’t make the mistake of thinking your everyday shoes are ‘good enough’. You need shoes that offer good support, won’t give you blisters, and have good traction. There’s no worse feeling than trying to climb up a rock face and realizing that your feet keep slipping. For your own safety and comfort, don’t leave your student housing by UVU without proper hiking shoes.
Camera – Pics or it didn’t happen right? Even just your phone camera is good enough, and for safety reasons, you should bring your phone anyways.
First Aid Kit – you don’t need to bring an extensive and heavy first aid kit, just a few essentials. Gauze, alcohol wipes, a bandana, tweezers, bandaids, and ibuprofen. It may sound like a lot, but they are light and compact items that you’ll be happy to have in an emergency. If you don’t already have these in your UVU apartment, go out and buy them. Even if you don’t need them on your hike, it’s always good to have basic first aid.
Have fun exploring the great outdoors! Don’t forget to bring these things with you before leaving your UVU apartment, and always tell someone where you are going so you can be easily located in an emergency.
