Hiking for Beginners: Essential Tips

Hiking is one of the best physical activities. It’s low-impact, cheap and good for both your physical and mental health. It helps with anxiety, prevents osteoporosis and offers a world of adventure and fun.

However, unlike your walks on a treadmill or local park, nature hikes involve plenty of variables which can often be quite unpredictable. While this uncertainty makes hikes interesting, you need to learn how to prepare if you’re a total beginner. Here’s what you need to do.

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Have a practice hike

A full day of walking on uneven terrain needs endurance, so you will need a few practice hikes to get your energy levels up and prepare for hardcore hikes. A great idea is to have a weekly hike in your local park in order to develop good footwork skills, test your gear, practice planning and build up your endurance.

Start small

Make sure to choose an easy hike for your first adventure—go shorter than you can walk on pavement. Here’s something that can help: you can count on a pace of around 2 miles per hour, so plan your hike well.

Also, if there are some elevations on your trail, add an hour to your ETA for every 1000 feet of elevation. Once you finish a few hikes, you will know how to plan your trip without too much fuss.

Check the weather

Check the weather a day before your hike and a few hours before your departure. This will tell you a lot about the condition of the trail and how you need to dress. If the forecast predicts rain and cold temperatures, you will have enough time to stay home instead of getting surprised miles from your destination.

Have all the essentials with you

There are around 10 essentials (or 10 essential item groups) you will need to pack for your hike. You will need navigation, sun protection, insulation, first aid, fire, tools, water, food, shelter and illumination. These will allow you to stay safe in nature, even if you come across an unexpected obstacle. Depending on the duration of your hike, expand each of these item groups.

Invest in good footwear

There’s nothing worse than uncomfortable shoes running you hike, so make sure you have the right footwear for your trip. Depending on the weather, you can choose from light running shoes to heavy leather boots.

If you’re really confused when it comes to shopping for shoes, you can consult Runnerclick.com and get all the best recommendations and tips not only when it comes to footwear, but other gear as well.

Choose a comfortable pace

When you start your hike, you might feel very comfortable, but after a few hours of walking, you can feel like garbage unless you start conserving energy. So, it’s always better to pick a lighter pace that can be maintained for hours. After a few miles of going uphill, you’ll be thankful you took things slowly.

Let people know where you’re going

No matter if you’re going alone or with a group, someone staying at home needs to know about your hiking plans. And give them some time to worry before they are allowed to call for help. You might stop more often to soak up the views or you might experience some ankle pain—all of these can prolong your hike, so only offer an approximate time of arrival.

Be eco-friendly

All those amazing tails you’re planning to hike will only stay gorgeous if we care for them. So, read a guide to being an eco-conscious hiker and encourage others to leave no trace.

If you keep these beginner tips in mind, your first hike will go smoothly and without any unforeseen events. When everything goes as planned, you will definitely be inspired to continue chasing interesting trails and spending time in nature.

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