How to Hike

Hiking is basically walking for extended periods of time in nature. It’s fun, it’s nice, there are good views, it helps you relax.

There are a couple things you can do and buy to make your experience better though.

Do:

1. Eat your water and sip it throughout the day: When I have a long day ahead of me, I usually start it with a watermelon or a whole package of grapes. I bring a bottle of water with me as well, which I sip on throughout the day. I don’t gulp.

2. Get good shoes: I wrote a previous post about which type of hiking footwear I prefer here, but the important thing is comfort and that the shoes are broken in. Blisters ruin hiking trips, so break your shoes in prior to the trip and probably bring band-aids if you have a long hike ahead of you.

3. Plan your trip: Look for pictures and reviews online, know what you want to see and where those things are.

4. Bring camera and binoculars (”binos”): In regards to animal viewing, binos are going to be vital. Animals aren’t usually coming close enough that you can just see every aspect of them in detail. Rather, they are up on some mountainside or far off on the prairie. A good pair of binoculars is a great addition to your pack.

5. Bring food: A smoothie typically suffices for me, but bring whatever. One thing, don’t change your diet because you are out on the trail. That will just make you uncomfortable. Eat what you normally eat.

6. Workout: Be able to walk for hours uphill and on uneven terrain.

7. *Extra credit: Bring safety equipment when necessary. In some areas, bears are a real concern. Bring bear spray and a whistle when it is necessary. Ps. This is not necessary in the vast majority of the United States.

There are also a couple things that aren’t really necessary and identify you as green.

Don’t:

1. Bring a speaker: This is the equivalent of leaving your weights everywhere in the gym. Everyone hates that guy. People want peace and quiet on the trails. If you need music, bring headphones.

2. Buy all the shiny gear (for one hike): fire starter kit, emergency blanket, even hiking pants…etc. I’m guilty myself but really, most of that stuff is overkill for an afternoon hike on trails that people are using literally all the time.

3. Pack your whole wardrobe: Again, overkill. Maybe an additional sweatshirt, but that’s it. Extra weight is actually a much more common ruiner of trips than the cold is. You are going to work up a sweat.

Cliff note/The Big Don’t:

1. Be too heavy: Pack as light as you can. The vast majority of the time, think about best case scenario, not all the possible contingencies.

A good picture of how much I pack on most hikes (smoothie canister supporting camera).