Hiking is a lot of fun and can be a great experience for your body and soul. It’s a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city and enjoy the beauty of nature.
When you’re going to hike for the first time, it’s always helpful to set out a plan to ensure the success of your first hike.
To avoid complexity, here’s a simple guide of all the essential things a beginner must do to get started in hiking.
Things to Do Before Your First Hike
1. Find a Hiking Partner
The easiest way to get yourself started in any activity is by having an experienced guide to show you around. So, if you have a friend that is experienced in hiking, you might want to ask them for company.
In addition to showing you around and taking the most enjoyable trails and routes, they can also lend you some of their gear and give you valuable tips regarding the very specific path you took.
Of course, you might be tempted to go on a hike alone to enjoy that sense of liberation and adventure that comes with it.
But, coming from experience, it’s always better to kick start things with a partner rather than alone.
2. Choose a Suitable Time and Place to Hike
To enjoy your hike, make sure that you pick the right time and place. The hiking season is usually between spring and summer, typically during the early hours in the morning. This way, you’ll have plenty of sunlight for visibility from start to finish.
To choose a suitable trail for your hike, make sure that you have a map of the area with data and reports on safety. You may also consult experts and locals about the route.
Before settling on a hiking trail, you need to find out whether this spot goes into a loop or you’ll have to backtrack the route again.
For your first hike, choose a trail that has few intersections with other routes to minimize the chances of making the wrong turn.
A good tip here is to use street view, if possible, to sample out the trail and pick 1 or 2 beautiful spots for resting and lunch.
For your first hike, you should find a trail that takes 4 to 8 hours to finish at walking speed.
3. Gather the Right Equipment and Outfit
It’s quite essential to decide on what you wear and what you bring along for a hike because they’re everything you’ll have for the length of the hike.
Since you’re walking for long distances, you need to make sure that you pack as light as possible without missing out on any essentials.
Finding the suitable balance between having what you need and packing light depends on your personal requirements and comes with experience. However, there is a basic essentials list that you can start with, which includes:
- Map with a compass of the area
- Sunglasses, sunhat, and sunscreen
- Trail boots and sweat-wicking clothing
- Nutrition bars
- Flashlight
- Hydration pack
- First aid kit
- Waterproof matches
- Personal locator beacon
As for clothing, you need to wear moisture-wicking clothing like polyester or wool and avoid slow-drying cotton fabrics.
Depending on the weather in the region, you may need to layer your clothes. Make sure that you bring a sunhat as well as gloves and durable footwear that can withstand long hours of trekking.
4. Check the Weather
Checking the weather one day before your hike is an essential move that all pros do to stay one step ahead and avoid surprises and sudden changes in plans.
It can give you a lot of information about what to wear to stay warm or cool while factoring in the walking element. It can also show you that you need a raincoat or high boots to avoid muddy areas after rain.
5. Start Small
With everything ready, it’s time to jump into your hiking journey! Make sure that you start small to test the waters. Avoid long trails or ones that are too far or cut off civilization.
Not only will you be safer, but it’ll give you room for future challenges as you gain more experience.
How to Stay Safe and Progress During a Hike?
Have Someone Know About Your Plan
One of the main purposes of hiking is to enjoy a sense of freedom and escapism from the busy world.
Disconnecting from the outer world can be therapeutic but it can also be dangerous, as there are plenty of reasons to go off your hiking plan, and not necessarily in a bad way.
Make sure to tell someone about your hiking spot and time schedule, so they can contact authorities if any unfortunate event happens.
Learn Simple First Aid
While you probably picked a relatively safe spot for hiking, you still need to have a first aid kit with some basic knowledge on how to use it.
Such a kit would help you disinfect any wounds and scratches as well as bandage any overworked or sore muscles.
There are tons of tutorials that show you quick first aid practices that can even save a life, whether it’s you or others!
Use a Beacon If You’re Hiking in Remote Areas
Hiking in very remote areas is not recommended for your first time. However, if you’re so excited about a specific spot that is quite far, make sure that you have a personal locator beacon on you.
This device will make it easy to find you using GPS and will allow you to send SOS signals to all radars and aircraft that pick up the signal.
Pick a Pace You Can Maintain Throughout the Trail
To progress throughout the trail, make sure that you pick a pace that you’re able to maintain. This will help you stay on schedule while avoiding overworking your feet or exhausting yourself.
Top 5 Hiking Spots in North America
- Glacier National Park – Montana, U.S.A
- West Coast Trail – British Columbia, Canada
- Banff National Park – Alberta, Canada
- Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming, U.S.A
- Yosemite National Park – California, U.S.A
Wrap Up
In the end, I hope that this brief guide has helped you figure out the essential points to get started in hiking the right way!