It’s something that’s certainly increasing in popularity, and with all the glorious routes the world has to offer it really comes as no surprise why.
However, regardless of your views on hiking, it is a sport and therefore requires plenty of preparation. Without adequate preparation, the dangers can be significant and this is why the following guide has been pieced together.
As such, if you are about to embark on your first hike, it’s time to read on. Make sure you follow the tips we’ve outlined before to ensure that all goes swimmingly – and there are no problems along the way.
Let’s now delve into the suggestions.
Buddy up
This is something that might be very difficult for some of you, but others might not give it a second thought.
If you are venturing on a particularly challenging hike, it’s absolutely essential to buddy up. The ante is ramped up even further if it’s a “low traffic” hike, in which not many other people are going to be around.
It would be fair to say that the situation has been made a little safer over recent times following the emergence of gps tracker products, which can at least provide some updates to others if you find yourself lost or in trouble.
However, if you can combine technology like the above by going with a friend, it will make things much safer and also give a lot more ease to those who are around you and waiting for your daily contact.
Don’t load up too much
One of the biggest mistakes made by rookie hikers is by purchasing too many gadgets. Sure, we may have mentioned one in the previous paragraph, but it would be fair to say that this is one of the essential ones. Instead, we’re referring to ones which certainly don’t fall into this category, and rather add far too much weight to your bag. As we all know, excess weight is just going to make your hike even more difficult, so make sure you question whether or not you really need each item before jumping in with both feet. Oh and speaking of feet, make sure you wear proper footwear and that they are in good condition!
Make sure you’ve tested yourself beforehand
Another common mistake is that your body just isn’t up to the challenge. So many people approach hiking with the thought that it’s “just a walk” and no further training is necessary. Well, we are going to dispel such thoughts.
Sure, if you’re only venturing out a mile or two it’s probably not going to strain your body too much. Any more than this and you might be asking for trouble though, particularly if your route has plenty of hills.
The best approach is to test yourself against both the gradient and distance beforehand. If your route is going to be eight miles, make sure you can walk such an amount. At the same time, if the whole route has an incline of say 15%, make sure your training reflects this as well.
Leave a Reply