Category: hiking

When for some people hiking started as a family vacation tour to some town or village in the back country, and in order to get occupied , their family members might have given them a copy of what’s called backpacking. Some others would have been doing this since long time and not able to remember the time from which they have been strapping their boots and wandering in the wilds for miles.

What ever it may be, one point is sure: There is only one purpose by which we go for hiking. That is none other than enjoying the beauty that our Mother Nature offers.

A person hiking for the first time can very well be recognized the minute we see him from his approach, hobbling with a backpack of not less than 50 pounds (often for a trip of two nights), which is essentially equal to the flatbed of Beverly Hillbillies, a tent of 10 pounds, a dozen of bagels, a couple of running shoes and a large number of watchable things, which might seem handy during hiking.

Though this is a picture bit amusing, this is true for most of the hardened veterans of back country when they are a beginner in this field. But need not worry. If at all you are a starter in the field of hiking, you will soon be able to put many miles on your boots. As time passes, you will be on the way of fine tuning your art, till finally your backpack does not appear like a truck and you do not carry many a number of bagels.

Here follows some advices and tips you may feel useful, before you would learn from experience and fetch your degree from on-the-trail University.

Have Fun

That is certainly what it is meant for. Though you may have many other reasons for putting your shoes on, at the end all these would come down to a single thing – fun. However, without fun what is it worth for? Who would simply bear all the hardships of it, when it is the numerous bug bites and the few scrapes that is awaiting them. Who would bother to go for a hike if not for fun?

Follow this piece of advice. Spend time with nature. Have fun. Breathe the fresh air. Watch the formation of a cloud. Rule no.1 is “No stress”. Going for hiking, breaking this rule, is a waste.

Be Prepared

You simply cannot forget regarding your safety since it is said that hiking is all meant for fun. You have to keep in mind that you are going outdoors. Anything may happen. Inadequate preparing is the main reason for most of the back-country misses and disasters. In sufficient clothing, inability to find correct routes, incorrect judgment calls- all of these are responsible for the dangerous situations that hiking may lead to.

In order to get best prepared think about all the conditions you may enter into while going for a back-country hiking. Get packed accordingly once you are able to figure out the ways to deal with them. An inquiry can be made at the park management in order to get advice regarding the local conditions and permission procedures.

Know Your Equipment

It is not that bad to be a trail dork, particularly when your life is on the line. Knowledge about the material of insulation of your sleeping bag will not certainly spoil the cool image you have when there turns out to be a storm or when the night appears freezing cold.

It is always good to know about your equipment as you cannot expect when your gear may be called upon once your life is in danger.

Hiking vacation is also called by different names like Trampling, Bush bashing and whacking. They are also commonly called as trekking, backpacking and hiking trips. Hiking ,if looked as a word meaning ,then its the ‘exploration’ in the path taken which is adventurous .From narrow gullets to deep valleys, tiny streamlets to impeccable sceneries etc. will all be included in the hiking vacation.

Whenever you go on hiking, you need to be cautious and give consideration to few things which is fun filling and exciting. If you never went through any vacation of hiking before, there are some basic things which you should be ready with.

Backpack that you carry along

One of the most important things to take into consideration for hiking is backpack. Not a simple backpack or less prices backpack. You really need a backpack which can accommodate all your things as well as be comfortable throughout your trip.
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In order to choose the proper backpack, you need to be careful and keep some few things in mind. Try to select the backpack with straps that are wide apart which will be more comfortable than the other narrow ones. Try to work out a solution and the many things you are going to take in your backpack and make sure about the trajectory you are going to take and take things accordingly. It is assured anyway that ultimately your shoulders and back will ache for a long time after the trip. With the backpack with wide straps you can distribute the weight and thereby, can reduce the pain on your back and you will get some relief for your shoulders.

You can also select a backpack with extra padding which will give support to the shoulders and back. There are backpacked which have an attached belt to your belly and which goes around your waist. This will help to give some back up to your pack. The size of the backpack also need to be considered and you should choose the one which is big to stuff out all your items inside ,though the rule is to take as littlie as possible, so that your backpack won’t be so big and it could be used as an open truck bed.

If you are in hiking vacation that the companies usually provide, you never need to worry about the amount of things you bring along as most of these provide to move the big luggage for you.

Food and water

As nobody can survive without food and water, it’s the essential part of hiking vacation. If you are in one of the social clubs which arrange hiking vacation for you, then you need not worry, as they will offer ready made lunch and dinner for the hikers. But still be readily prepared with some food. You can take tin food, ready mix and can keep biscuits and other things in case of urgency as you may never know when you need.

Drinking water is an item which cannot be excluded from your list of things .You need to bring the water always, though the hiking trajectory passes by a river or you can get water in the way. Don’t take any risk and depend on water of the river or from the shop there and take enough drinking water needed throughout your trip ,for the whole duration of the walk .Carry a few bottles with you and keep a portable water purifying device.