20 Non-Obvious Hiking Tips For Beginners
Hiking is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, exercise and explore new places. Whether you are an experienced hiker or just starting out, there are a few things you can learn to make your trips more enjoyable.
In this blog post, I’ll share 20 non-obvious hiking tips for beginners that I’ve gathered. These tips will help you prepare for your hike, stay safe on the trail, and make the most of your time in nature.
1. Start small and build up gradually
When it comes to hiking, you don’t want to start with trips that don’t fit your fitness level. Start with relatively easy trails, so you avoid injury and ensure that you enjoy your hikes. Here are a few tips for getting started:
- Choose a trail that fits your skill level. Beginners should mainly go for short, easy trails, to develop their fitness and skills, and to build their confidence. More experienced hikers can gradually increase the length of the trails they’re going for, and the difficulty level.
- Take your time and enjoy the trip. Hiking is a fun, non-competitive activity, so you’re not racing anybody on the trail. Don’t rush, take your time and try to enjoy nature. Moving faster is more demanding on your body, so it’ll just make everything harder for no reason.
- Listen to your body. If something hurts, or if you feel it’s too hard to walk, make sure to take a break and recharge. Many injure themselves just because they didn’t stop to rest in time, so don’t push yourself too hard.
You’ll enjoy your hikes much more if you start out with easier trails, and you’ll significantly reduce the chance of injury. As you get more and more into the hobby, you will understand what you’re capable of better and will be able to go for harder hikes.
2. Invest in good hiking gear and equipment
Good equipment is essential for hiking. Proper gear not only makes your life easier but can also prevent injuries and other issues.
For example, going on the trail without proper footwear can be really hard on your feet. You can hurt your feet out and even injure your ankle. A pair of good, supportive hiking boots isn’t a luxury.
I did try to go for a difficult hike without the proper equipment once. At the end of the 4-day trip, I had a few injuries and was really tired. My friend, who was properly equipped, had a completely different experience.
The main things beginners should invest in are good hiking boots and a proper hiking backpack. If you plan to go on tough treks with heavy equipment, also invest in proper trekking poles.
You’ll also need clothing that fits the environment you’re hiking in. If you live in cold weather, you’ll need warm clothing like a base layer and a jacket to keep you warm. In hot weather, you need breathable shirts and pants.
Hiking equipment lasts a long time, so investing a little in equipment when starting out can make your receipt l experience much better. Just remember to focus on the important things.
3. Plan and prepare for your hikes
A hike isn’t something you want to go unprepared for. You need the right equipment and gear, otherwise, you could potentially hurt yourself.
Being prepared for the hike makes the experience more fun and more successful. You need to plan where you’re going to walk, what you’re going to eat and drink, and who you’re hiking with.
The first thing you should plan is where you’re going to walk. Trails are marked by 3 lines of different colors, so plan the trip by sections of trails, and make sure you pass through points you need to pass through (for example, to see something or to fill water).
Just before the trip, you should check the weather forecast to make sure there isn’t some unexpected weather. If the weather doesn’t fit your plans, you might need to change them, get different equipment, or postpone the trip.
before you go on the trail, make sure there’s someone who knows where you are and what your plans are. It’ll probably be hard to get in touch with you on the trail, so you don’t want your friend and family getting worried.
4. Stay safe while hiking
While hiking is a really fun activity, it does have some potential risks you need to deal with.
For example, you can get lost while hiking, and have trouble finding your way back. To minimize the risk of being lost, make sure to read and follow signs, avoid going off trail, and use a map to navigate.
Another potential risk of hiking is encountering wildlife. There are a lot of animals living in nature, and you’re basically a visitor in their home. These animals can be dangerous.
for example, you can encounter poisonous snakes or insects, predators, or big unpredictable animals. To stay safe make sure to avoid putting your hands under rocks, watch where you step, and stay away if you notice wild animals.
5. Stay hydrated and nourished
Having food and water on the trail is one of the first things you should consider. Especially on longer hikes, you need to plan your food and water to make sure you have enough for the entire trip.
You should get water bottles or a hydration bladder to carry your water, and check whether there are places you can fill your bottle along the trail. You’ll need some water filters if you plan to fill your water with natural sources.
You’ll also need to bring food for the entire trip, or plan where to get food along the way. Packing dry food you can later cook is typically more weight efficient, but you can also bring some calories-dense foods like nuts with you.
it’s also important to consider the shelf life of your food, especially after being opened. For example, some sausages can be left outside for a few days without refrigeration, so they can be good for the first few days of a trip.
it’s better to bring a little extra water than not bring enough, but don’t go overboard. You carry everything in your backpack, so you don’t want to add too much weight.
6. Bring a first-aid kit
A first aid kit is something people tend to forget and neglect because they rarely use it. But when you do, you really need it. In cases or emergencies like an accident or injury, having a first aid kit with you can be a matter of life and death.
There are many different items you might want to include in a first aid kit, but the bare essentials are bandages, done gaze, iodine, a medical needle and string, and some band-aids.
If you have any specific medications you might need with you, make sure to bring them as well.
7. Hike with a companion
hiking with a companion can make hiking more safe and more fun. While solo hiking can be really fun, and a great opportunity to be alone with your thoughts, most people choose hiking in a group for a reason.
As a group you can split different shared items that you all use, so the total weight each one had to carry is lower.
A companion is also someone you can turn to when you’re in trouble, injured, or lost.
If you don’t have someone to hike with, you can check with your friends if there’s someone who’s into hiking and want to join you on a trip. You can also check Facebook groups – many host hiking events or simply try to find hiking companions in the group.
8. Dress in layers
Weather can be temperamental, and change over time during your hike. Whether you’re hiking in a really cold area, or in a relatively hot climate, the best way to ensure that you can adapt to weather conditions is by dressing in layers.
Dressing in layers allows you to add or remove layers while you hike, so you can change your clothes if you’re too hot or too cold. That is why in most conditions you’ll see avid hikers dress in multiple relatively thin layers, instead of wearing one heavy coat.
An uncomfortable body temperature, high or low, can be a real issue while hiking. Being too hot, for example, can make the hike harder, and even cause you to overheat. You can get sick from being too cold. You have to consider the temperature while outdoors.
Choose how you layer based on the hiking conditions. Get multiple thinner layers instead of one heavy coat, and dress according to the weather. Remember that at night the temperature drops, so you might need some additional clothes for the evening.
9. Break in your hiking boots
Going on a hike with brand-new hiking boots is really a bad choice. Many hiking boots need to be broken in and hurt your feet in the beginning.
Going on a long hike with boots you’re not used to, and that you haven’t tried walking with before, can hurt your feet and cause a lot of blisters and major discomfort. While on the hike you won’t really have an option rather wearing the shoes, even if they hurt your feet, so you’ll have to bite your lips and suffer until the finish line.
The best way to avoid that is to break in your boots before going on a hike. If you need to get new hiking boots, do it two weeks before going on the hike. To break the shoes in, wear them outside and get used to them.
You don’t have to wear them every day, and if the shoes cause you discomfort take a break from wearing them. You can also use band-aids to cover areas you feel discomfort in, pad your feet, and avoid blisters.
10. Leave no trace
Minimizing your impact on the environment while hiking is essential to keeping nature flourishing. A small fraction of hikers leave their trash on camping grounds or in nature, cause damage to different areas in the trail, and cause harm to wildlife. They destroy nature for the rest of us and can cause real damage to wildlife.
Leave No Trace is a set of principles to minimize the effect you have on the environment, specifically while doing outdoor activities((National Park Service, Leave No Trace Seven Principles)). Many hikers follow these guidelines to keep nature great for everybody.
These principles include guidelines for disposing of waste (making sure you leave nothing behind), leaving what you find (not building anything or taking anything with you), minimizing campfire impact (light and ashes), and respecting wildlife and other visitors.
This way of thinking is more sustainable than the alternative, so embrace it and leave no trace.
11. Bring a map and compass
Hiking trails are typically marked with clear 3-color signs, but sometimes they’re hard to find or read. You often find yourself looking for trail signs when you’re hiking, unsure where you are and how far you still have to go to finish the trail.
With a map and a compass, you’re way less likely to get lost on the hike, and if you do, you’ll have an easier time navigating back on the trail.
When going on a hike, you need some navigation tools to use on the trail. These can be physical maps and compasses, or digital ones. Navigating with digital navigation tools is typically easier because they use GPS to locate you on the map.
Many hikers use their phones as navigation tools, with some trails app. Others use a GPS navigation device.
If you want to use a physical map and compass, the process isn’t complicated but does require some practice. You first need to locate yourself on the map and use the compass to orient yourself.
12. Wear sunscreen and a hat
Protecting your skin on a hiking trip is really important. Many hikers, especially light-colored ones, can suffer from sunburns and skin damage when they forget to take care of their skin. Using sunscreen and a hat on the trail can reduce the risk of injury.
Depending on your skin color, you need to get sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, and preferably over 50((Healthline, Every Sunscreen Question You Have, Answered)). Remember to reapply sunscreen every few hours, because it wears off and loses its effect.
A wide-brimmed hat can also help protect your skin and is more effective than a cap. It covers your face and the back of your neck, which are areas that tend to get sunburnt.
13. Listen to your body
A hike can be a strenuous activity that requires a lot of energy. Some hikers push themselves too hard and get injured. Your body gives you signs that the activity is too difficult and that you need to rest, and you should listen to it to avoid injuring yourself.
Try to pace yourself, not walking too fast if you feel pain or any uncomfortable physical feeling. A hike is something you should enjoy, and not rush through to complete as fast as possible.
14. Research the trail before you hike it
Before going on a hike, you should look into the trail, to learn and plan everything you can about it. You should ensure that it’s suitable for your skill level, that it has nice views you’re going to enjoy, and that the supplies and gear you bring fit the hike.
You can find out a lot about a trail by researching it online. There’s a lot of information on various websites, and many of them have complete descriptions of how to complete the trail, how difficult it is, and what you need to bring with you.
You can also ask around with people you know who completed the trail or even discuss the hike on Facebook hiking groups. If you’re going on a hike, chances are that someone already has done that before, and can give you some tips and information on how to do it yourself.
15. Wear appropriate socks
Some beginner hikers make the mistake of wearing their normal socks when hiking, thinking they’re good enough to keep them clean and comfortable. But wearing the right socks is essential to preventing blisters and discomfort while hiking.
Good hiking socks are made of breathable material and are padded to protect your feet and reduce chafing with your boots. They should be higher than your boots. Many recommend Merino wool hiking socks, but there are different alternatives.
Typically most socks that are marketed as hiking socks should be better than the alternative, but I’d go based on a recommendation because quality does vary.
16. Stay on the trail
Going off trail might seem fun at times, but can actually damage the environment and potentially put you in danger. The designated trails are there for a reason, and as a hiker, you should stay on the trail as much as possible.
The trail is an area designed for travelers to go on. It’s there for the hikers, but also for the animals that are in the area. Hikers that go off-trail disturb the wildlife, and scare animals that are in nature.
The areas outside the trail can be unsafe. I’ve discussed the main dangers of hiking in a previous post and noted that one of the dangers of hiking are falls and getting lost, which rarely happen when hikers stay on the trail.
As we discussed before, in most conditions staying on the trail is as easy as following the trail markers. You do have to stay aware of your surrounding to avoid missing signs. If you find yourself off-trail, or can’t find the trail markers, you can try to locate yourself with a map, or go back to the previous marker and make sure you’ve gone in the right direction.
17. Take breaks and enjoy the scenery
Hikers go to nature to enjoy their time, and not to complete the hike as fast as possible. While the physical effort is one of the fun parts of hiking, you should also take your time to enjoy where you are.
The views you can see on a hike are not something most people get to experience in their day-to-day life, and they’re a major reason why many people enjoy hiking – so you should take your time to enjoy them!
These breaks are also important for you to catch your breath, and recharge your body so you can continue walking. Especially if you just completed a hard section of the trail, you should take some time to rest, drink some water, and rest, at least for a few minutes.
I especially like to make stops in places with nice scenery, for example taking some time to enjoy a nice view after climbing a mountain. You should also choose a shaded area, so you can actually rest without the sun in your eyes.
18. Use trekking poles
Trekking poles are simple handheld poles that are used to help hikers walk. They reduce the load on your back and knees, improve your balance, and can actually help you trek faster.
Trekking poles are especially useful when you hike with a heavy backpack because they significantly reduce the load on your joints. I tried hiking with and without trekking poles with carrying a heavy backpack and felt how much of a difference they make.
Trekking poles also improve your stability and balance, and really help when you walk on uneven terrain. They add two more contact points with the ground, making you way more stable.
If you want to read more about trekking poles, I wrote an entire post about whether trekking poles are worth it. I also detailed who should and shouldn’t get them.
19. Bring snacks
Hikes can be very physically demanding, so you need a lot of energy to complete them. On a long hike, you can quickly get hungry if you don’t have any food with you. Bringing some snacks to eat on the go makes a fun break, but also helps you keep your energy levels high.
I especially recommend bringing some healthy nutrient-dense foods, like a trail mix, fruits, and nuts. They’re usually very lightweight, but contain a lot of calories, and taste great.
The best way to carry most foods and keep them from making a mess in your backpack is with a sealable container. A quality food box with a lid will keep everything organized, and prevent squishing of your food.
20. Carry a flashlight or headlamp
Even if you plan on hiking only during the day, you should bring a light source like a flashlight or a headlamp, in case you get lost or need to continue hiking after dark. It can also provide light in case of emergency if you’re somewhere dark or simply lost after sundown.
Before you go on the hike, make sure your flashlight has full batteries. You can also carry spare batteries, they’re useful for many different devices.
Final Thoughts
We’ve covered multiple different tips for beginner hikers, that can make getting into the hobby much easier and more fun. Hiking is a really fun activity, so if you have the right mindset and all the gear you need, you’ll definitely have fun.
