Misconceptions:
1. Hiking is hard. ---Hiking is like many other activities in that you can choose your level of difficulty. If you want a hike to be easy, then hike on an easier trail.
2. You have to be very fit/active/healthy to be good at hiking. You don't have to be any of these things to be good at hiking. In fact, hiking can help you become fit, active, and healthy.
3. You need specialized gear/shoes/equipment to go hiking. You can go hiking with regular sneakers. By the way, a few of the longest hikes I have been on I was using sneakers and I was fine.
4. You can easily get hurt hiking. If you use common sense and be careful, you will be fine. However, it is always a good idea to do a tick check after you go hiking or stay outside for a while.
5. You should have socks like smart wool socks to cushion your feet. These are mostly useful in the winter and are not at all necessary during the summer.
Tips:
1. Bring more water than necessary. I always bring at least 2 liters (8 cups) of water . The reason I bring so much water is not because I am saving some in case I get lost. I bring all of this water because I drink it all while hiking. When you are in the outdoors it is always a good idea to pack more water than necessary because you will probably get thirsty. On my most recent hike, there was a water pump at the top of the mountain so that people could re-fill their water bottles. On that hike, I drank 4 liters (A little more than 1 gallon).
2. Bring good shoes. Yes, in the previous section I said you can wear sneakers. Wearing sneakers is fine if they are good, intact, and will cushion your feet enough when you are walking over hard rocks.
3. Know the weather. It is very important to know the weather before you go on a hike. Unless you a very determined, it is a good idea to cancel a hike because of rain. You should always cancel a hike if there is a thunder storm, lightning, a tornado, hurricane, or any other strong weather. You should always dress in layers when hiking so that you can adapt to changes in the temperature.
4. Tell someone you are going and tell them to get help if you do not check in or arrive home at a certain time. This is very important because if you do not tell anyone where you are going and you are out of cell phone reception you can get lost easily and stay lost. Aron Ralston, a famous climber and author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place, learned this message the hard way. He fell when climbing in a canyon in Utah in 2003. A boulder pinned his arm against the rock face and kept him there. He did not tell anyone where he was going and was trapped for several days. In the end, he was forced to cut off his own arm with a rock and a pocket knife to free himself from the boulder. He survived and is still climbing today using his prosthetic arm. This short story should highlight the importance of giving someone who is not hiking with you a schedule and the buddy system. If Aron had had a buddy, he probably would not have had to cut off his own arm.
5. Use common sense. If it looks like it is going to rain or visibility is low, don't go hiking. If the trail gets very steep and dangerous, turn around. Common sense is there to help you. Use it to your advantage.
1. Hiking is hard. ---Hiking is like many other activities in that you can choose your level of difficulty. If you want a hike to be easy, then hike on an easier trail.
2. You have to be very fit/active/healthy to be good at hiking. You don't have to be any of these things to be good at hiking. In fact, hiking can help you become fit, active, and healthy.
3. You need specialized gear/shoes/equipment to go hiking. You can go hiking with regular sneakers. By the way, a few of the longest hikes I have been on I was using sneakers and I was fine.
4. You can easily get hurt hiking. If you use common sense and be careful, you will be fine. However, it is always a good idea to do a tick check after you go hiking or stay outside for a while.
5. You should have socks like smart wool socks to cushion your feet. These are mostly useful in the winter and are not at all necessary during the summer.
Tips:
1. Bring more water than necessary. I always bring at least 2 liters (8 cups) of water . The reason I bring so much water is not because I am saving some in case I get lost. I bring all of this water because I drink it all while hiking. When you are in the outdoors it is always a good idea to pack more water than necessary because you will probably get thirsty. On my most recent hike, there was a water pump at the top of the mountain so that people could re-fill their water bottles. On that hike, I drank 4 liters (A little more than 1 gallon).
2. Bring good shoes. Yes, in the previous section I said you can wear sneakers. Wearing sneakers is fine if they are good, intact, and will cushion your feet enough when you are walking over hard rocks.
3. Know the weather. It is very important to know the weather before you go on a hike. Unless you a very determined, it is a good idea to cancel a hike because of rain. You should always cancel a hike if there is a thunder storm, lightning, a tornado, hurricane, or any other strong weather. You should always dress in layers when hiking so that you can adapt to changes in the temperature.
4. Tell someone you are going and tell them to get help if you do not check in or arrive home at a certain time. This is very important because if you do not tell anyone where you are going and you are out of cell phone reception you can get lost easily and stay lost. Aron Ralston, a famous climber and author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place, learned this message the hard way. He fell when climbing in a canyon in Utah in 2003. A boulder pinned his arm against the rock face and kept him there. He did not tell anyone where he was going and was trapped for several days. In the end, he was forced to cut off his own arm with a rock and a pocket knife to free himself from the boulder. He survived and is still climbing today using his prosthetic arm. This short story should highlight the importance of giving someone who is not hiking with you a schedule and the buddy system. If Aron had had a buddy, he probably would not have had to cut off his own arm.
5. Use common sense. If it looks like it is going to rain or visibility is low, don't go hiking. If the trail gets very steep and dangerous, turn around. Common sense is there to help you. Use it to your advantage.
Nice tips! The misconceptions are heard every where and it is good that you explained why they are wrong.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! The tips are great and the misconceptions are definitely widespread. Thanks for this great and helpful post!
ReplyDelete