Hiking for Beginners: The Ultimate 101 Guide for New Hikers
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Loading... - Shem Nzioka
- 29 Sep 2022
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Hiking is one of the absolute best ways to get outdoors. You can escape crowds and disconnect from technology. But hiking for beginners can be intimidating.
There are so many pieces: buying the right gear, picking a trail, finding hiking buddies, wildlife, and trail safety.
That’s why I’ve put together this no-BS guide to hiking for beginners. I’ll teach you how to find and train for hikes, what to pack and wear, and how to take care of yourself and our parks when hiking.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to conquer any trail and embrace the outdoors. And maybe you’ll fall as in love with hiking as I am!
What is Hiking?
Before we dive into all the ways you can become an expert hiker, let’s start with the basics.
The definition of hiking is “the activity of going for long walks, especially in the country or woods”. Basically, any kind of walk that isn’t on a road or sidewalk is a hike.
Hikes can come in all shapes and sizes, so here’s a breakdown of the types of hikes you might hear folks talk about.
Types of Hikes
· Day Hiking is what most people are doing when they say hiking. A day hike is done in a single day (I know… pretty obvious right?). This can range from a quick 1-mile hike to an all day, 12-hour journey.
· Backpacking (or trekking) is a multi-day journey. Trips entail carrying your gear with you to spend the night in nature – including a tent! Backpacking trips can be as short as one night or for months at a time!
· Thru-Hiking is a type of backpacking that starts and ends at different locations. These trips tend to be longer, like the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail.
This guide focuses on day hiking – that’s my bread and butter! Day hiking is the perfect way to ease into outdoor adventures and build foundational knowledge.
Hiking Guide to Finding and Choosing Beginner Trails
Before you can set out on a hike, you have to find the right trail! There are so many resources to help you find awesome trails in your area, particularly for beginner hikers!
· AllTrails is the most popular hike planning app with over 100,000 trails worldwide. You can search hikes based on difficulty, length, elevation gain, and route type. You can also search in ‘map view’ to find hikes close to you! AllTrails provides tips on getting to the trailhead, restroom facilities, and reviews from other hikers. Read More…
