Active men and women who adore exploring the great outdoors would usually prefer a vacation full of physical challenges and experiences to laying on a couch for a week. However, if you’re slowly coming round ot the idea of an active vacation, then a hike might be a good starting point.
Hiking is somewhat of a specialist outdoor pursuit, and if you have never planned a hike before, then this article is most definitely for you.
Invest in Proper Walking Shoes!
First and foremost, even if you have already found what you believe to be a pair of aesthetically attractive and sturdy trainers for your first hike, you need to look at your footwear choice.
There is simply nothing worse than being faced with a long hike up a steep hill and realizing you are developing blisters and your new hiking shoes are soon going to be causing extreme pain and discomfort.
Make sure you invest in the right pair of walking shoes for you. Wide fit walking boots for women are the right choice should you usually wear wide-fit shoes in your professional life, and most importantly, never go for the cheapest brands. Additionally, do ensure to spend the time to break in your new walking shoes ahead of the hike.
Always Respect the Natural Environment
Under no circumstances should you leave behind any trace of your hiking expedition, which means making sure you take every single piece of trash with you and that you leave flowers and other shrubs undisturbed.
Not even biodegradable or perishable items, such as fruit peel, should be discarded in the wilderness, and you should also go to great pains not to break any branches or destroy any flower petals.
Never Rely on Your Mobile for Directions
Beginner hikers often make the mistake of downloading the route into their smartphone and believing that this will be enough to keep them safe and to stay on track.
However, many areas of the most popular hiking trails are entirely devoid of signal and, therefore, will render your phone useless, so instead, you should bring a physical copy of the map.
Additionally, you need to keep your mobile phone charged in case of an emergency, not draining the battery quickly by constantly checking Google Maps.
Start the Hike in the Morning
Even in the summer, when the days are long and sunset is not till after nine o’clock at night, you should still be sensible and set off on your first hike in the morning; basically, the earlier, the better.
Not only does this drastically reduce the chance of you getting lost in the pitch black, but it will also mean you will avoid the bulk of the crowds and coach trips that tend to gather at places of interest.
Always Tell Someone Where You Are Going
Finally, it is essential for your safety and security to tell a close friend or trusted family member where you are planning on hiking, what time you are planning on finishing, and how you are traveling there.
This way, should there be an accident, you will have someone out there looking for you sooner rather than later.
This was very Helpfull!!