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Preparing for Your Hike
So you decided to travel rim to rim? Thinking of through hiking the PCT? The App. trail?
What about going for a four or five mile hike in your local woods? Well nothing will make your
trip worse than not being prepared for it when you arrive there. You might think hiking is just
walking. I mean, how hard can it be? Even a short hike can really take it out of you. So here is
my guide to being ready for your hike, be it basic or epic.
I have traveled over 50 miles per day before and also did a 44 mile race on 3 technical peaks
over 12,000 feet. I have hiked all over the country in every condition from 14,000 foot
mountains to the trails behind my house. If you follow my easy steps you’ll be able to reach
your goal no matter how big it is. So here is what you need to do:
Get everything ready. You need to have all your equipment together, whether it is a light lunch
and a water bottle or a 75 pound pack for a two week long adventure. It is key to practice
like you play. Take a backpack with you on some conditioning hikes if you plan to take one
when you actually begin on your expedition.
Be prepared. Taking some mock up hikes will help you know whether or not you will need
things like tissues, or sun screen. This will help you notice just how much an extra pound or
two might be.
Bring extra stuff If you want to up your conditioning a bit, fill a few extra Nalgenes. Each
one full of water is about two pounds, so you are increasing your weight. If partway through
the hike, you start to get tired, you can always dump it out. When I was training for my
race, I used to walk with a 35 pound pack for hours at a time. I did this even though I knew
on race day I’d only be carrying around 9 lbs. This gave me the self esteem and strength to
go longer and feel better through the whole race.
Hike more than once a day. If you are training for a more intense hike, and you want to be
ready, but also have a pesky thing called a job that keeps eating away at your hiking time,
consider going on two hikes a day to increase your mileage. Lots of days I’ll hike to work
and back home, giving myself another 20 miles for the day.
Learn to do things while you hike. If you feel like your hiking practice time is wasted, you
are most likely to stop doing it. I started hiking with a small tape recorder that I talked into
while I hiked so that I had most of my ideas out before I arrived at work. Because of that
use of time, I was able to do more in less time. My hiking time was also my working time.
Record your workouts. It is an age old practice, even ancient Greek Olympians recorded
their training routines. Seeing your progress and keeping track of what you do can really help
you keep focused on a result.
Begin small. Everybody begins somewhere, and everyone starts at a different level. Your beginning trips should be fairly easy. Don’t try to do 100 miles on your first trip, just continue increasing your distance each time you go out. I remember my first real hike when I was 7 years old with my dad. We only went about 4 miles, but I was sure I was going to die. Now I can walk all day, why? Because I never gave up. I have increased my distance little by little during my whole life.
Be calm and remember to keep going. As my dad once told
me anyone can give up, not everyone can keep going.
Find what you enjoy. I enjoy hiking by myself but my friends can’t stand it. You need to
know what you like, so you can keep it fun. If you don’t enjoy it, you will not keep doing it.
Have a goal. It can be challenging, even if you enjoy it, to continue. Anyone who tells you
hiking isn’t hard is a liar. But if you have a reason, you can get through any of those rough
times. I like to set goals because reaching them gives me a rush. But, some people hike for
a cause. Things like the MS walk, or other charities will give you the option to hike to raise
money. Other events are for health. Having a purpose keeps some hikers going. At one
point your body wants to quit, so you have to walk with your heart.
About the Author
Brian is a lover of the outdoors and has great experience hiking, camping and more. He also loves http://www.moosejaw.com/
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