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ESSENTIAL THINGS YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

HIKING BASICSFOR BEGINNERS

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Let’s start with what hiking isn’t.

What comes to mind the first time you are tasked with explaining the concept of hiking? You’ll probably remember some posters or online photos of people clad in what looks like a North Pole outfit, wearing backpacks almost their body sizes, and are walking. To where? You have no idea, but they are walking. It is safe to say that what you’ve pictured in your mind is called pacing, and it generally involves putting one foot in front of the other over a distance and is often performed on a regular and

smooth path. The pace, altitude, manner, etc., doesn’t matter when walking for short or long distances (what people eventually mistake for hiking). Hiking is not the same thing as taking a walk on the pedestrian lane or on a flat surface where you had to walk a few kilos to your destination because you missed the bus or because you’re a little light on cash. Such walks do not qualify as hiking because for these kinds of walks, I bet you didn’t need more than your initial outfit (which could have been summer clothes) with no

INTRODUCTION

more than sunshades and, at most, an umbrella should the sun get too hot, or if it started to rain.

Having agreed that hiking is not just a walk, you should also know that it is not a race. There are no prizes for the first position. The prize is supposed to be the personal development and self-

healing you get from the adventure, among other things. The moment you embark on hiking with the mindset of, “I need to leave here on time,” then you’ve lost the primary purpose of hiking because one can’t tell at what stage of the journey that you’ll find what you’re looking for, especially if it is a self-discovery trip.

So, what’s the difference?If you were to walk for a kilo on the street where the roads are tarred, floors are paved, and the routes are straight. And another kilometer in the wild, rocky or hilly terrains created by nature, characterized by an undulating topography and a path almost lost to plant cover, we can agree that you will spend less time achieving the former than the latter. Well, it’s because the latter is a description of what hiking is. In hiking, you immerse yourself in nature. Everything you gain from hiking is better than from ordinary walks. Suppose it’s for exercise, fun or recreation, meditation, personal development, etc. In that case, you will have better results, but you will also have to pay a tremendous

sacrifice and face more immense risks. Hiking as an adventure sport or as a strenuous leisure holiday is safe and enjoyable. It usually starts from lower altitudes of 2000 to 2500ft above the sea level and reaches up to 20,000 feet above sea level. Each hiking location has unique routes and environmental requirements, enabling us to group hiking difficulties into easy, moderate, and challenging. You will hardly find two hikes that are similar concerning the environmental conditions. For some, you pull through easily, while you may need a higher physical endurance and experience in covering the entire distance of other types of hikes.

Who Gets to Hike?

What of General Health Requirements?

Anyone can make hiking their recreation, sport, or adventure, and while babies aren’t allowed on some hikes, there isn’t much in the age restriction aspect. Kids climb Everest nowadays, so what’s a little distance walk in nature compared

You don’t need to be overfitted to hike, and since it’s a fun way of making non-fit people fit, most first-time hikers are often not physically fit. But to be in the green, prior experience on cardio exercises, like jogging, skipping, treadmilling, etc., will be advantageous. There are few exceptions, though, and those are for extreme health issues or somewhere close. I mean, if someone had fragile bones and lungs cancer considered pro boxing for a sport, then that would be

to that? And of course, if the young can go that far, it isn’t a deal-breaker for the elderly. And what’s more? Physical disability isn’t a barrier (well, for most but not all). It’s a thing for everyone, and if you haven’t started, you’re missing out on a lot.

suicidal. Similarly, for the hikes with higher difficulty levels like high altitude hikes, such people should not embark on the trek. Why? You may ask, and the answer is that hiking puts a lot of pressure on the biomechanics and the hiker’s vital organs. If you aren’t physically and mentally able at the time, you should avoid it; however, those with diseases of the vital organs, bones, or joints injury should receive medical clearance before proceeding with the hike.

Before we go any further into hiking, let’s talk about the benefits. The things you stand to gain from hiking and the reasons are because; one may say, “as fun as this adventure may be, which I can derive from somewhere else, like an amusement park or an expensive restaurant, there are still hazards and health risks, not ignoring the finance part. So, why bother?”

Let’s start with the most obvious; the health benefits. Spending a couple of days breathing freshly brewed oxygen from nature itself is one of the most refreshing feelings after years of breathing polluted city air. Look at it as a few days of detox and factory reboot for your body systems. What of the exercise part? Since hiking is done on rough terrains, the body exerts more effort to carry it out, and it, in turn,

burns the extra calories. Walking 150 minutes out of every week can diminish the danger of diabetes by 60 percent.

After physical health comes mental health or vice versa; when it comes to our mental well-being, you seldom know that things aren’t okay until it becomes too apparent in the form of anxiety or depression. A good hiking exercise that takes you away from all the stress causes can do the trick. If you’re able to complete the activity, knowing the risks and potential hazards you faced and survived to the end is a self-confidence booster, something that we all need and doesn’t come by easily.

If you admire great artworks of nature to the point of attending gallery shows, then a hike will even

THE BENEFITS OF HIKING

get you a closer view of some of the best and breathtaking sceneries that nature has to offer. Before drones, some of the best photos of nature were taken by hikers or photographers that went hiking.

Suppose you also dig cultural diversity or want to try by exploring new places and meeting new people. In that case, hiking is an excellent way to achieve it together with other benefits. The city life can be so demanding; growing, studying, going professional, getting a job, and working with other city people makes you so professional and humdrum in your life approach. Many people often feel detached from their core after living the city life for long. A hike is a chance for a real break for people lost in the bubble of city life, especially one with a settlement or a town so different from the city scrappers.

You meet with people who are natural and original in their ways and thoughts. You walk through the forests, hills and caves, trails, cross the waterways with thick vines or thin bridges, which could be suspended in manners that shout hazard. It gives you the absolute freedom to just be yourself as a human and not a person bearing the weights of your official titles’ responsibilities. You get to meet with people who are happy to see you and welcome you as a person and not because of the expensive service you are buying at a resort hotel.

Hiking, at first, might seem so, but it is not all about spending; you can also make money from hiking in the capacities of hike companions and taking people’s pets (especially dogs) on hikes.

There are different groupings that one considers when hiking, and they include;

Hiking in terrains with or without trailsIt’s not that there aren’t terrains with trails that aren’t tough or difficult, but it gets tricky when there isn’t any trail to follow because, in such situations, you need more than your regular gear for terrains without trails. For example, imagine hiking in a desert or similar terrain that sweeps off your track in a few hours. You will need a compass to find your way back or even navigate where you are going unless your aim was to get lost.

Hiking solo or in a groupThe reason for choosing either of the means depends on your motives for the hike. For example, suppose

you were hiking for self-exploration or personal development. In that case, trekking solo will be better, especially if you’re the kind of person who likes doing things at your pace. However, if you were trekking to cover some distance, then doing it with a team will be better. Also, there is the chance that hiking as a team will be less hazardous as team members are helping hands. Another benefit of hiking as a team is that; the hiking becomes fun and lively, your motivation is intact, and you get to travel light since the teams’ equipment will be shared among members. Also, as a bonus for being in a group, you get to try out other cool gadgets brought by team members.

TYPES OF HIKING

Day and overnight hikingIn day hiking, the whole activity spans for the day’s light and ends before dusk. They are usually short and common among beginners, people going on picnics in the wild, or people who want to blow off some steam and spend some alone time with themselves. For day hiking, you don’t need to pack much gear. However, even if you intend returning to your starting point, car, or camp by dusk, ensure you have a flashlight or headlamp and clothes

appropriate for the climate in which you’re hiking with the chance of getting caught in a storm.

The overnight hikers intend to set up camp in the woods or wherever the sundown meets them, and they can’t move any further. When backpacking for overnight hiking, get enough quality food instead of quantity. You also need some protective gear since you will be spending the night in the wild, and of course, a camping kit.

Distance hikingThese people mean business. They are the pros in hiking, and for them, days are only a matter of numbers. They are determined, and they put in all the work to reach their goals. If you intend to go on such hiking, then you need to plan appropriately. As veteran hikers, they know how to pack “heavy” lightly, and they do so by carrying mostly equipment that has multiple functions.

Hill and mountain hikingIt may be short or take days, depending on your speed and elevated land summit. Not all mounts are steep and rocky, some allow for hiking, and it can be a very thrilling experience as you gradually ascend to heights that are thousands of feet above sea level. An advantage health-wise is that the descent is as beneficial as the ascent to our physical health.

Hiking for hunting, fishing, and photographySome of the rarest games have their habitat very deep in some areas that can be easily accessed by hiking. And it is so because if you go in heavy, that is, with vehicles, you might scare them off in addition to disturbing the trails for other hikers and the habitat generally.

Thru-HikingThe hikers in this category live for hiking and can spend months on it. To successfully achieve this feat, you’ll need lots of money and a perfect plan to see you through when you start.

Planning your hike

Calculating your available time

You need money too

It is one thing to pack your bag and set off for a hike and another to map out the correct hiking routes you will follow and their difficulty level. Do the math of what the hike will cost you, available halts for the night camps, research the weather conditions from

The time you have in hand for a holiday starts from the day you take your air trip until the day you fly back and reach your hometown to join your school, college, or place of work. The number your sum gives is the number of days you have in hand. The day and time you reach your hiking destination until the day and time you need to start your

You may think that since you will be deep in nature, you won’t have to use the money you in the place you are going, but your hiking experience could go south without cash. Whatever your estimated expenses are, apart from the cost of tickets, which do not vary easily, you need to carry an extra 30 percent to see you through any difficult situation, such as road blockage

the time of commencement, the required clothing, equipment, food, money, medicines, accessories, photographic equipment, shoes, and all those which will make your hike a successful and memorable one.

journey to take a flight back home are the number of days you have in hand for hiking. You should also include a day for resting and sight-seeing. Some settlements may have more tourist sites than the hiking terrain. Why waste the flight if you can enjoy everything with proper calculations?

due to landslide, political strikes in the valleys. Such unseen problems in the hike may get you delayed, and every moment of such delay will cost you an extra amount of money for food, water, room rent, and whatnot. If you hired a porter or hike partner, the charges and food expenses will also keep piling, and guess who gets to pay for those additional days?

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OUR HIKING PRODUCTS YOU NEED FOR PACKING AND HIKING LIKE A PRO

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