4 Tips For Preparing For Your Next Hike

Walking sounds like the easiest exercise in the world, but it’s not as hard as hiking. A walk through the park when you’re taking the dog for their last round is a nice, leisurely thing to do. A hike is a risky adventure that you take for the adrenaline rush, the challenge and the chance to see a different side of the place you may have lived your whole life. You can manage the risks when you go on a hike, as while there are risks with anything in nature, you are the person in control before you even set off.

Preparing for a hike should be done carefully, so that you don’t find yourself off the beaten track and truly in wild country. There should be more than one of you, and you should have spoken to some experts at 4WD Supacentre so that you have all the right equipment to take with you. You know, in case your day hike ends up an overnight adventure under the stars. Below, you’ll find four great tips for preparing for your next hike.

Trail Research. You can’t just announce one day that you’re off for a hike and you’ll be back later. You have to prepare properly for a hike, choosing a known trail and even joining a local hiking club. While it’s nice to print a guide and head out, try to go with a group so that you have people watching your back while you watch theirs.

Physical Prep. Unlike the leisurely walk in the park that I mentioned earlier, a hike is more physically demanding than you think. You’ve got a heavy pack on your back and you’re climbing up the sides of steep hills at points during the walk. Spending some time with the treadmill doing hill climbs with your pack on your back can help you to prepare the weight that you’ll be carrying with the distance that you’ll be going.

Plan. Once you have prepared physically and done your research, you then need to plan the trip so that your friends and family know where you will be at every step. Make a list of your emergency contacts and any markers along the trail so that you can keep track of where you are.

Suit Up. The clothing that you wear for your hike is so important. The most technical safety gear you will carry with you is the clothing on your back. You want clothes that will breathe while staying as waterproof as possible, don’t allow you to overbake in the sunshine and keeps away the bugs. You also need lightweight, sturdy boots to keep your feet comfortable the entire time. And lots and lots of spare socks!

Going on a hike takes planning, patience and practice, and you need to implement each of these so that your hiking experience is one that you will want to repeat. Hiking is great for the soul – and the glutes – so make a point of choosing somewhere beautiful

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