A Beginner's Guide to Hiking
Hi my little Chickpeas!
I know I have not done that many hikes so far, but I thought it would be a good time to discuss about my tips for hiking. This is more on a beginner basis, but I know I want to do way more. I never thought I would ever be someone to write this kind of post as I have always had a fear of heights. But then again, I have had some amazing memories due to hiking. The main one being engaged right at the top of Catbells in the Lake District. Here are something I would suggest to help with your beginner hikes:
Plan your hike:
It is always important to know your route before you go, this can be planned in a few ways: You can maybe use your friendly pal Google. This way, you can see a map, and you can also see images of what the hike can look like. I feel this can prepare you in a way on if you can be comfortable to walk hike it. Another way we have done it, is the old fashioned way: A map. Maps are really useful, and they have a way of showing you how steep it can be. Using different coloured lines, indicate the steepness of the different parts of the hike.
When planning your hike, you also will need to consider a couple of things: Knowing the weather is a really important thing. The day we hiked Catbells would have been a lot different if the weather was not right. The time of year is also quite important. I have camped in November, and it is awfully cold. I would recommend more to hike in warm, but too hot weather. I have hiked when it was around 28 degrees, it was awful.I felt light headed. You also need to consider the time it will take in order to do the hike. This is important so you can plan when in the day to do it, and also to plan other things around it, such as when to ea and what time you can be back down for. Consider also the difficulty of the hike, as I said previously, you can find that on a map.
Let's get kitted up!:
Getting the right equipment for hiking is a most, even getting the right stuff for camping is also a must (I have certainly learned this over the years). Kyle has over the years, has taught me what to have (thanks Kyle). I would recommend going to somewhere like 'Go Outdoors' for all your essentials, I went there for mine and there is so much there, and loads of offers on regularly. If you can, you could always buy second hand or borrow. If you are planning on doing a fair few hikes, it would be worth buying brand new so that it can last longer. I certainly know I will be getting my moneys worth for sure. Start off with a good backpack. A backpack is always handy to have as you do have to carry quite a few essentials. You could also take a bum bag (fanny pack) with you, this would be handy to put in some really important things that you might need to just grab. For example, inhaler, snacks or sunglasses.
Other things that will help will be good footwear. Having hiking shoes is an essential, I got mine from 'Go Outdoors'. I would recommend getting a pair with ankle support, it is helpful due to ways you will be hiking and will support you with all the hikes you will do for years. Make sure to also pack layers, especially waterproofs. It can get really cold when hiking, and the weather can be completely different through out a hike.
You should always have a phone with you if you can, it is handy for emergencies. You can even catch some pictures of some of the amazing views you get along the way too. Other things I would recommend would be:
These are my beginner tips on hiking, I will probably doing an update after a few more hikes. Just to see if anything changes. Hope this post was helpful to some of you. Let me know in the comments.
Plan your hike:
It is always important to know your route before you go, this can be planned in a few ways: You can maybe use your friendly pal Google. This way, you can see a map, and you can also see images of what the hike can look like. I feel this can prepare you in a way on if you can be comfortable to walk hike it. Another way we have done it, is the old fashioned way: A map. Maps are really useful, and they have a way of showing you how steep it can be. Using different coloured lines, indicate the steepness of the different parts of the hike.
When planning your hike, you also will need to consider a couple of things: Knowing the weather is a really important thing. The day we hiked Catbells would have been a lot different if the weather was not right. The time of year is also quite important. I have camped in November, and it is awfully cold. I would recommend more to hike in warm, but too hot weather. I have hiked when it was around 28 degrees, it was awful.I felt light headed. You also need to consider the time it will take in order to do the hike. This is important so you can plan when in the day to do it, and also to plan other things around it, such as when to ea and what time you can be back down for. Consider also the difficulty of the hike, as I said previously, you can find that on a map.
Let's get kitted up!:
Getting the right equipment for hiking is a most, even getting the right stuff for camping is also a must (I have certainly learned this over the years). Kyle has over the years, has taught me what to have (thanks Kyle). I would recommend going to somewhere like 'Go Outdoors' for all your essentials, I went there for mine and there is so much there, and loads of offers on regularly. If you can, you could always buy second hand or borrow. If you are planning on doing a fair few hikes, it would be worth buying brand new so that it can last longer. I certainly know I will be getting my moneys worth for sure. Start off with a good backpack. A backpack is always handy to have as you do have to carry quite a few essentials. You could also take a bum bag (fanny pack) with you, this would be handy to put in some really important things that you might need to just grab. For example, inhaler, snacks or sunglasses.
Other things that will help will be good footwear. Having hiking shoes is an essential, I got mine from 'Go Outdoors'. I would recommend getting a pair with ankle support, it is helpful due to ways you will be hiking and will support you with all the hikes you will do for years. Make sure to also pack layers, especially waterproofs. It can get really cold when hiking, and the weather can be completely different through out a hike.
You should always have a phone with you if you can, it is handy for emergencies. You can even catch some pictures of some of the amazing views you get along the way too. Other things I would recommend would be:
- Water.
- Electrolytes - These help with the pain after.
- Snacks.
- Suncream.
- Sunglasses.
- Map.
- Torch (if necessary).
- Plasters - These will always be helpful.
These are my beginner tips on hiking, I will probably doing an update after a few more hikes. Just to see if anything changes. Hope this post was helpful to some of you. Let me know in the comments.
xx
Super helpful tips! Thanks for sharing Becky! :D xx
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