Learning What You Need to Know in Order to Enjoy Hiking:
If you can walk, hiking is easy. Really! Hiking is simply going for a walk, but
doing so the wilderness. Its not really that much different than taking a walk
anywhere else except that the surfaces you are walking on may be more uneven
than the paved or flat surfaces you usually find in a city.
In addition to walking you need to be prepared for whatever the weather
conditions are when you go for a hike, and you need to be able to find your way
back home again.
Probably the closest thing to hiking that you can do in the city is to go for a
walk in the park. If this business of hiking is really new to you going for a
walk in a park is probably a good way to get started. Find a park that has some
unpaved walking paths or just some open areas where you can get a feel for
walking on unpaved surfaces. I find walking on unpaved surfaces much more
pleasant than walking on concrete or payment. The hard city surfaces give my
feet blisters faster than walking on bare ground.
One of the best ways to get started is to start with short hikes first. That way
if your muscles or your feet aren't used to hiking or if you find you are not
properly dressed for the weather you won't suffer unnecessarily.
One of differences between hiking and walking around in town is that you need to
become more aware of your circumstances and what you need in order to take care
of your body. While you are hiking there generally won't be a car, bus, house,
store, or any other shelter to duck into if you get too hot or too cold or too
tired or too hungry. And depending on when and where you go there may not be
anyone else around. If you miss judge something on a short hike, it won't take
long before you can get back to warmth, shelter, food, water, and more familiar
surroundings. If you want to do it the easy way, use short hikes to learn what
you can expect before attempting to tackle longer hikes.
Learn about hiking by doing it at the time of year when the weather is the
nicest. Remember you're going to be outside. Summer in most areas is usually the
best time of year for hiking because the weather then is most pleasant, but if
you live in an area such as the desert you may want to start hiking in the
spring, fall, or even winter when temperatures are more moderate. Choosing
friendly weather will mean one less thing you have to worry about while you are
finding out what this hiking thing is all about. Later after you have gained
some experience and want more variety or challenge you can go out when the
seasons are less friendly.
Start out by hiking with others in a group. It is also a good idea at least at
first to go with other people who have already been hiking and know what to
expect and can help you out when you don't know what to do. If you don't have
some hiking friends that are willing to take you along with them, you can
probably find some more formally organized groups to go with. Check with local
hiking clubs, municipal parks and recreation departments, outdoor supply stores
to see if they have some organized hikes scheduled. If you have trouble locating
any of these, go to your public library and ask the reference librarian for
assistance.
Some people find they enjoy hiking so much with a group that they never get
around to hiking by themselves. Others really enjoy the solitude of hiking
alone. It gives them a chance to think about things, or the opportunity to not
think and just experience. There is something to be said for both approaches,
but I recommend hiking with a group first if you are inexperienced.
One of the most common mistakes made by the hiking novice is the wrong choice of
footwear. Choosing the right footwear is very important. Hiking by definition is
walking which means being on your feet. So you should choose footwear that is
designed to make your feet comfortable while walking not footwear whose sole
purpose is to look good and get attention. Some people prefer hiking boots, but
you do not need boots to go hiking especially if you are just going hiking for a
few hours or a day. A good pair of walking shoes is quite adequate in most
areas. There are people who like to hike while wearing sandals. There are even
people that hike barefoot. What you don't want to wear hiking are dress shoes
that are designed with walking foot comfort as a last consideration. The
footwear needs to be comfortable and needs to have the kind of sole that won't
have you slipping on any surfaces that aren't perfectly flat.
Another common mistake is to buy brand new footwear and wear it for the first
time on a hike. This is more of a problem with boots than it is with shoes. Give
your feet a chance to get used to any new hiking footwear by wearing it for
short periods around your home or for short walks in the park. Generally the
heavier the footwear the longer it will take for your feet to get used to the
new shoes. If you wear something on your feet for a hike that don't already feel
very comfortable, you may be sorry. Blisters are the most common result, and
while not life threatening blisters certainly aren’t fun. They can in fact be
quite painful.
The clothes you wear are also important for comfortable hiking. Wear only clothes
that feel comfortable while you are walking. Generally this means loose fitting
clothes. You don't want clothes that will bind with every step you take. At the
other extreme you don't want your clothes so loose that they get in your way and
trip you up or catch on things as you walk by. Your clothing should also be
chosen to help your body maintain a comfortable temperature while hiking - not
too hot and not too cold.
The best type of footwear and clothes to wear while hiking will vary some based
on locale and weather. Sandals for example probably aren't a good choice for
winter hiking where there is a lot of snow. Really warm clothes aren't desirable
for hot, sunny hiking weather, and clothes that aren't warm enough can be
miserable in cool to really cold weather. That's an advantage to learning about
hiking by going with a group. You can ask around and find out what's most
appropriate for the area and time of year in which you will be doing your
hiking.
Experience will be your best teacher if you're paying attention. To gain
experience start out with some short, easy, group hikes. Ask questions when
something doesn't feel right or you don't know what to do. The experience you
gain will help you make sense out of what others have to say, and pretty soon
you will be able to decide for yourself what feels most comfortable to you while
you are out walking in the wilderness.
Once you have some experience under your belt, if you want to do more by
expanding your hiking season, or going out for longer trips, or going it alone,
or tackling more difficult terrain, check out the other information available
here and elsewhere for ideas. Consider these ideas and techniques in light of
your own experience. Then experiment. Try different techniques. Test different
pieces of gear. Find out what works best for you. Hiking is a very personal
experience. What works best for you, what brings you the most joy while hiking,
won't be the same for everyone else. Don't worry about it. Get the most out your
hiking that you can.
The rest of the information on this web site is all designed to help enhance your
hiking adventures. Season it with experience and digest it at your own pace.
Most importantly enjoy your hiking. Good luck and happy trails to you!!