Hiking is an enjoyable and healthy outdoor activity. It becomes more enjoyable when you well in advance. Hiking helps you get away from your tiring, busy city life and go into a new environment that relaxes your mind and improves mental health.
Whether you like walking in the woods or going for an epic journey, detailed planning is an important element that will make your hike a success.Wherever you decide to go hiking, here are some essential tips to know before starting your journey.
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Things to Know Before Going Hiking
Hiking experts strongly advice hikers to share their trail plans with close family and friends. Sharing information on when to start and when to return will keep them alert and help them know if anything goes wrong. Furthermore, leaving a hiking plan will help you have a comfortable hike because your family and friends know where you are.
2. Get the right gear and test
There are essential items every hiker should not lack when going for a hike. Before you leave, it is important to ensure you have everything you need and test whether everything is in good condition. It would be disappointing to go hiking only to realize some items in your backpack are missing or not in good condition.
If you are planning to go for a one-day hike, wearing lightweight clothes will enhance flexibility. You can carry some extra in case the weather changes, or you extend your hike.
Still, if you are planning to spend more time outdoors, you will need a spacious backpack, warm & cozy clothes, enough food supplies, sun protection, and bug spray.
If you are new to hiking, your first hike should be on a well-known and marked trail so that you don’t get lost. Well, you should be prepared for getting lost. Before you leave, read the trail description and don’t rely on your smartphone to guide you.
In areas with hills, mountains, and valleys, the network can be a problem, and Google Maps won’t be of much help. The most reliable navigation tools are maps and compasses. I know it sounds old school, but a map and a compass are your best bet.
You only need to know how to read a map, and how to use a compass to help you take a bearing. If you are following a well-marked path, you won’t need these tools but are a must-have.
4. Check the Weather
After planning everything and selecting your trail, you will need to check the weather forecast for the area. You have to check the forecast on the morning of your hike. This will help you plan on what to wear for the hike. Because the weather changes at any time, you will have to avoid unpleasant conditions, such as snow, lightning, hail, and extreme heat.
Always have a backup plan if the weather gets worse, for instance, a short route back home or some instant shelter. While you get used to hiking, it is good to hike when the weather is fair for the first few hikes while you advance.
5. Check the local wildlife
Safety is important when going hiking. The wildlife is full of many animals, both friendly and unfriendly. Depending on the area you want to go to, check the wildlife in the area.
Because many hikers love mountain areas, research whether there are mountain bears, snakes, lions, moose, aggressive birds, or any animal that can be a threat.
The funny thing is that most wildlife animals fear you as much as you fear them and following a well-marked trail will keep the distance. Sometimes you can meet these animals, and you have to know how to protect yourself.
For instance, if your hiking area has bears, you can carry bear spray for protection. If you are hiking as a group, you have to know how to administer first aid in case one hiker gets attacked or injured by an animal.
6. Carry first aid supplies or kit
Though hiking is not a dangerous outdoor activity, there are many dangers from wild animals, injuries, or getting lost. Before you go out, it is always to carry a first aid kit and make sure it has all the supplies. Ideally, it is good to know how to take care of yourself because you don’t know when you will be injured.
Although we all have different medical needs, a good first aid kit should have the following supplies:
- A roll of medical tape
- Alcohol wipes
- Anti-inflammatories
- Anti-biotic ointment
- Bandage and gauze
- Tweezers
- Snakebite kit (if hiking in an area with snakes)
- Eye drops
- Bear spray (if hiking in an area with bears)
- Antihistamines for bug bites and bee stings
- Gloves (non-latex)
- Non-latex gloves
- Personal medications.
7. Start early
In hiking, time is essential. For an added advantage, it is always good to start hiking early regardless of the season or where you are going hiking. Starting early helps you avoid crowds on popular trails. Still, if you are going in high-altitude areas, starting early allows you to be off the trail by the afternoon when thunderstorms roll in.
Hiking has no specific time to start, but it is good to start early so that you can recover or get back on time in case you get lost or injured.
According to hiking enthusiasts, the appropriate hours to hike are in the morning between 6 and 9: 00 p.m., or between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. Why these hours? During these hours, the body is active and full of energy that will fuel you for a long-distance until you get tired.
8. Make sure you leave no trace
On your first hike, you must observe good trail etiquette. You have to respect nature and be a good steward of it. During your hike, you have to avoid littering as much as possible. When out there, know that even dropping small pieces of paper or fruit peels that don’t seem to cause harm is disrespectful to nature.
So, avoid breaking branches, don’t pick flowers while dropping them, don’t blast music, and stay on the marked trail.
If you feel the need to use a bathroom, leave the main trail and go somewhere you are not seen, and avoid being lost. In addition, don’t interfere with trail markers and signs because these can affect other hikers relying on them.
As a bonus, you have to greet other hikers you meet on the trail. Just smiling and saying hello makes you friendly. Maybe you will need them later in case you get lost or injured. There you go. Hit the trail!