fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #6122 ]

[ SECRET POST #6122 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6122 ⌋

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I want to try and start hiking. I go on long walks around my town but they are just the same streets. But I don't know how to start. What equipment do I need? How do i pick out good shoes? How do i find easy hiking places? I know I want to start with like a four hour hike but that is about it.

For an easy hike, you don't really need equipment other than shoes, water, and a cell phone (just in case).

Shoes depends on your terrain and your individual condition. Do you live in mountains, where hiking could be steep? Do you have problems with your ankles and you need more support? Do you live in the desert, where a hike could be very sandy? These are things you should take into account when picking out shoes.

Here is a website where you can find hikes, and it rates how hard to hike the path is:
https://www.alltrails.com/

I don't live near any mountainous areas or sandy. Thanks for the link!

Go online and check out trail maps in your area. They'll usually tell you beginner hikes in the area: elevation gain, maps, directions to get there, how long the hike is. If I were you, I'd start with a short 2-4 hr hike max with minimal elevation gain so around 100-300m. 500m is imo, intermediate level. 300m is prob the max you want to go if you're in decent shape.

There's a hikers checklist of things to get. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/day-hiking-checklist.html
^ smth to read and consider.

The biggest thing you need for a short hike of less than 2 hrs, is good hiking shoes/boots. If you're only going for day hikes, hiking shoes with decent tread would be better than boots. Boots while more sturdy, tend to heavier and depending on your fitness may make hikes feel worse than better. Hiking shoes are a lighter,usually cheaper alternative. Most popular brands I believe is Solomon and Merrell. There are outdoor stores that will be happy to help depending on where you live. Rei being the biggest in the states.

Appropriate clothes are a must. Dress for the worse/have on hand extra clothes if things turn bad. Depending on your area, you also might have to wear pants all the time due to ticks/ tuck in all your loose clothing.

You also need a decent backpack that will hold up getting dirty, water bottle/water system, physical map!!!( don't rely on your phone), spare clothes, food, safety blanket, compass/whistle, and very important! A first aid kit. (Mostly bandages,sterile wipes/wraps etc). There's more I'm missing, but proper clothing/maps and food is the biggest.

When you do go hiking, especially if you're inexperienced, it's best to go with a friend at least. There's a lot of dangers out there that are best mitigated by having another person just in case things go wrong.

You also need to inform ppl before going hiking of which trail you planning on going, the route and when to expect you back. It's better safe than sorry especially if you're out in bear country.

Granted now isn't the best time to hike if you're not in a tropical area/always hot area. Places get colder, wetter, darker earlier and you can get caught doing an overnight if you're not careful.

The biggest thing, is to be as safe as you can be. I live in an area where a lot of unsuspecting tourists/beginner hikers get lost or worse on the trails. Even if you think it's a lot to pack, it's truly better safe than sorry.

Thanks for the advice! I have very flat feet so I'll need to look for shoes that can accommodate those. :(

I don't really have anyone that would want to hike with me but I would definitely inform people where I am going. Not sure if solo hike is safer than trying to find some strangers to hike with as a woman.

Yeah, proper footwear for extending walking is a must. Maybe check out specialized insoles? If there aren't any cushy enough shoes out there. A lot of the hiking footwear tend to be stiffer than normal shoes so it's a sort of try and see how you feel thing.

If there are any hiking groups on Facebook, or community classes about hiking/ hiking clubs around, they might be options for you to go hiking with others.

Depending on how dangerous/difficult the terrain is, I'd usually caution against solo hiking especially if you don't know the area well. But if it's somewhere where the chances of you getting lost or attacked by wildlife is slim to none, and you're in a well populated area, it is an option.

That being said, if you're in the PNW like I am, I wouldn't do solo hiking at all cause it's so easy for anyone up here to get lost off the main trails, walk into backcountry, try to double back following a stream down and then get stuck on a cliff face.

If you're a total beginner to hiking and are interested in shaking up your walking routines, you could look into local parks and gardens for walks in a beautiful environment with very low risk. You can easily spend a long time in a big public garden and go at your own pace. Some parks and gardens have paved trails as well as gravel or dirt trails for walks of different levels. There is a lot of beauty in gardens to admire for both new and experienced hikers, so I recommend giving it a try. I really like my non slip shoes for crews new balance sneakers for long walks, it won't be right for situations where you need a boot but is a great sneaker (I first got it for work and have bought again for personal use later on). Definitely seconding the safety advice in the other comments when it comes to hiking more generally, take care of yourself! I hope you have fun!

City/county parks and nature conservancies, smaller with fewer trails, will take maybe an hour or two. State and national parks and campgrounds have more extensive trail systems that can take much of a day, but usually require some kind of paid pass (our state has them for as little as $8/day).

Fortunately, finding them is easy. Most states, counties, and cities have comprehensive websites and maps.

The issue with most public parks in that they are flat. I live in the Midwest so everything is so very flat. But I might be able to find some more state park nature preserves that would work.

It really depends on the location, and tbh, if you're not used to hiking I'd keep it shorter for your first try. Hiking trails can be more challenging than city walking because the trails are rougher, there are elevation changes, etc. etc. Four hours isn't what I'd call an easy hike!

For good shoes, a decent pair of sneakers should be okay unless you're planning on hiking a rough/long trail. A good water bottle is also helpful, maybe a backpack for snacks, appropriate clothing for the weather. You shouldn't need a whole lot more for an easy hike.

Depending on where you are, I'd look at parks in your city, nearby state parks, that kind of thing. In the U.S., state parks generally have websites with info on facilities, trails, trail maps, etc. There are also various hiking websites that will have reviews, but if you're not near a popular spot they might not be very helpful.

Four hours was just the maximum. Two to three works as well. I'll have to visit a sporting goods store next time I go to the city.

If you have an REI near you, they are a good place for having a good selection of gear and people who will help you find the right shoes. Smaller sporting goods stores can be just as helpful, but usually have a smaller selection.

As far as the actual hiking part goes, if you have a town recreation department they might have information about "area hikes." Some even have guided hikes/classes.

Looks like the nearest rei is a couple hours away. Which isn't too bad. And I'll definitely need to go in store to find shoes for my flat feet.

I only skimmed comments but saw you mentioned flat feet. Merrell is one of the biggest names for hiking shoes and they do have some that are good for flat feet. You don’t have to go to REI to find shoes; Rack Room Shoes, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shops, and all the department stores at malls stock at least some hiking shoes. Oddly, Bass Pro Shops near me had a humongous selection that was more than twice as large as REI. They also carried plus size clothing in store (my REI stops at size 14 and I’m stuck ordering online if I want their stuff).
Plus, Amazon carries them! That’s actually how I got my two most recent pairs. I had to do a couple returns to find my right size because this was the first time I could order women’s sizes (I have big feet and they used to only make a small selection in larger sizes but now they do it with all of their shoes!). Amazon had much better pricing, too.

To get started, you really just need to go out and walk. If you’re going to walk solo, I highly recommend carrying bear spray. You could carry mace or pepper spray instead but bear spray is effective against humans and most wildlife.

If I’m just day hiking a couple miles, I carry a small backpack with a 2 litre water bladder. I stuff a Clif bar and some band aids and neosporin in there. I have a little whistle on the chest strap as an emergency signal. That pack is actually meant for cycling, but at 3 liter size it is plenty large enough for me to go a few miles in rough terrain (I’m in a mountainous area and the trails are all moderate or difficult).

For longer day hikes or if my dogs are with me I carry a 20L bag because I need to carry more water and some actual food of some sort, particularly for my dogs who each get a full meal every 6 miles of rough terrain or 10 of easy. They get strips of dog beef jerky on catch our breath rests between.

If you end up needing or even wanting a backpack, I recommend making the journey to REI and getting fitted for one. It sounds silly but what an awesome experience! Until I did that I had no idea I’d been wearing my little backpack wrong for years. They are not one size fits all and how they’re meant to be worn isn’t how most people wear them. I studied the REI website and also the Osprey website and read loads of reviews. When I got to REI, I had it narrowed down to two models but I looked at everything in person just in case. The employee who fitted me helped me select between my two choices based on what I want to do.

To find places near you as well as some other tips, I highly recommend checking out two subreddits (you won’t see any assholery in them, don’t worry): r/hiking and r/backpacking
You can search your state/city/town in the subreddits and see if anyone has hiked around you and what trails they liked and didn’t.

I also recommend using Avenza for a digital trail map app. AllTrails is nice for reading reviews except you’re only allowed to read a little bit before you hit a paywall. Google reviews are free LOL And with Avenza you just download the map and it can track you on the trail, even in airplane mode. Some trail maps cost money (usually $1-2) but some can be really pricey. So far the 15 sites I’ve been visiting on a heavy rotation the last couple months have all been free. Avenza does not have reviews or any of the social media features of AllTrails though, so AllTrails may be worth the subscription cost for you if that’s what you’re interested in.

State parks have been the best spots for me because my state has tons of them and there are over 30 within 2 hours of me. State and national forests are also fantastic places to visit. I’m also near a National Park but it’s inconvenient to travel there and it’s super popular and crowded. Yuck. Hiking for me is more about getting away from people so I go to the less popular places.

I’d just Google hiking near (town) and then scroll through the pictures and set off to see the pretty places you find in the results. Take some water and have fun!

Already a lot of great advice. I have one advice that might sound silly but cut your toenails before hiking if you haven't already.

Oh - not the OP this is v good advice. Will do tomorrow.

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