5 Tips for Going on a Hike

If you have not been running lately due to restrictions on your area, hiking is one activity you can consider. You can do it without compromising social distancing protocols. It uses different muscles and is less taxing on the joints than running.

Hiking is a great way to challenge yourself physically while getting in touch with nature. You can hike alone, or with friends, and each experience is completely unique. The setting of your adventure may change every time, but these five tips will help you no matter where the trail takes you.

Wear comfortable shoes.

This is the first tip for a reason – without comfortable shoes, your hike will be a miserable experience. If you’re heading out on a long hike, test your shoes out ahead of time on a smaller adventure and be sure they’re a comfortable fit. If you’re planning on becoming an avid hiker, you may want to splurge a little extra on a great pair of hiking boots or shoes. For short, beginner trails, a comfortable pair of sneakers should do the trick.

Tell someone where you’re going.

Even if you’re hiking with family or friends, be sure to alert someone of the location you’ll be hiking and an estimated time frame of your journey. This is especially important for strenuous hikes or multi-day backpacking journeys. You should also keep the location tracker active on your phone, so you can be found easily should anything happen. 

Familiarize yourself with the area.

Do your research ahead of time on the location you’ll be exploring and look up tips specific to the hiking area. For example, in the Mt Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippine, has steep trails, giant rock boulders, thick mossy forests and wild animals in its forests.

You should also look over a map of the area to get a good idea of where each trail will take you. There are some great trail apps you can use on your phone to keep you from getting lost as well, and on some, you can download them for offline use as well in case you lose service.

Pack accordingly.

A great rule of thumb is to pack as light as possible for your journey, but that doesn’t mean you should be underprepared. Consider the time it will take you to complete your hike, and be sure to bring along high-protein snacks and enough hydration to last you throughout. Keep an eye on the weather as well, and make sure you have adequate clothing to keep you warm or cool along the journey. 

Enjoy the experience.

The most important part of hiking is to have a great experience enjoying the natural wonders of the world around you. Whether you are embarking on a long backpacking trip in the Philippines or through Whistler or a day hike in Banff in Canada, there’s so much to see and each experience is unique. You can even make a great day out of hiking in your backyard (and, if you look at Whistler homes for sale right now, some of the best hiking in the country CAN be your backyard) – the important thing is to stay safe and have a great time!