Hiking is an activity many people simply adore. It makes perfect sense why so many people love it. What’s not to love, we are walking around surrounding by nature experiencing some of the most beautiful landscapes. Not to mention that being surrounded by friends and family while you do it provides memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life.
Probably the best thing about this activity is that you can forget about all the bustle and hustle of the modern age. Basically, there are no screens, and there’s no loud noise. Those who went hiking once are bound to repeat it. If you just started hiking, you should know that chances of you making mistakes are pretty high. Sure, this is not something that should bother you too much.
Even the most skilled hikers make them from time to time. Don’t let this discourage you. Instead, look at these as experiences that will make a much better hiker in the future. Of course, you will need to know what these mistakes are in order to avoid them. Therefore, we would like to point out some typical mistakes all hiking beginners make. Without further ado, let’s get started.
1. Not Wearing the Right Clothing
For starters, we don’t believe that you will make the mistake of not wearing enough clothes. As you can presume, when you are hiking, temperatures can change pretty fast. Therefore, you will need to have a couple of layers of clothing you can remove or add whenever the temperature makes you. Now, we would like to say that many beginners make the mistake of not wearing a hat and rain gear.
If you don’t have rain gear and you are caught in the middle of a rainstorm, there’s not much that can be done. Especially when there is no shelter around. Furthermore, avoid wearing cotton and other materials that are prone to absorbing sweat and moisture. Instead, using professional hiking clothing that helps you regulate your body temperature. If you want to check out some hiking clothes, click here.
2. Underestimating the Terrain
Every experienced hiker will say that there’s no easy hike. The moment you start thinking about something being easy, the chances of something going wrong to get higher. Of course, some hikes are easier than others, but that doesn’t mean that you should underestimate them. Who knows how many hidden things are there? So, be on your toes at all times, and only then, you will do just fine.
3. Starting too Late
Without a doubt, the best time for hiking in the daytime. Not only that you will be able to see all the beautiful landscapes and get the most out of the experience, but you will be safer. If you are not careful and you start your trip too late, you can get caught in the dark. While it is not impossible to go on hiking during the night, it is certainly not recommended for those who lack experience and gear.
Before the trip starts, estimate how much time it will need to complete it. Furthermore, avoid prolonging the end of the trip. When it gets dark, and the crew is already hiking for a couple of hours, you should stop and set up a camp. People can get too tired and their focus will not be on the highest possible level. All-in-all, knowing all these risks says that you should make a proper estimation before the trip.
4. Cooking in Tent
Cooking looks like a good idea in a situation when there’s cold outside and you are unable to continue your trip. However, you shouldn’t even think about cooking inside a tent where you sleep. The reasons are pretty obvious, a burning stone produces carbon monoxide fumes, which can be dangerous for anyone who inhales them to a certain capacity. In some severe cases, it can be fatal.
The next reason is that the tent can get burned relatively easily. You can get seriously injured in the process. Instead, you should gather some firewood and stones, and make a place where you can cook near the tent. Not too close, that is. However, the best choice would be to buy enough supplies like canned foods. In that case, you will not be required to cook. Therefore, do all you can do to prevent it.
5. Forgetting Essential Items
While gathering all the essential gear and having it in a backpack might sound like a no-brainer, there are many hikers, mostly inexperienced ones, who tend to forget them. There’s a wide array of different things that you simply cannot go without on a trip like this. Just to be certain make a list and check every item you’ve packed. That way, all the unpleasantries will be prevented and the trip will be as smooth as possible.
6. Brining too Much Stuff
Bringing too much stuff on your hiking trip can be equally as unpleasant as not bringing enough. Overwhelming yourself with too many items, mostly useless, you will get exhausted too early and not be able to continue the trip. Instead, packing only essentials is the way to go. Even with these, you should find a balance by not packing too many things.
Getting carried away with all while packing is a very common thing. We believe that the minimalistic approach is the right one in this case. We are talking about one pair of shoes, two t-shirts, one pair of pants, and a proper jacket, and you will do just fine. Don’t pack too much food, try to find the amount that will last until the trip is over.
Summary
In this article of ours, we’ve presented the commonest mistakes made by hiking beginners. While we can say that mistakes are a part of every learning process, every hiker needs to avoid them. Certainly, there’s a lot of things that could be seen and experienced on the trip, and facing unpleasantries simply doesn’t add up in this case. Every person should aware of all of these before going on a hiking trip.
