Are you planning a hiking trip? Hiking can broaden your horizons and refresh your outlook. You can enjoy the outdoors and relax your body and mind. Bring family and friends along can also make it a good bonding experience.
Of course, planning a hiking trip depends on where you plan to go and how long you plan your hike. You need to take into account whether the hike will be a couple of hours or longer, whether you go during the day or night, how many people will be going with you, etc.
How Much to Spend
How far you want to travel to get to your hiking destination will play into your budget. Travelling to your hiking location will probably be a large part of your budget. Also, take into account your hiking gear and hiking tools, and your accommodations. Sit down and write down all expenditures you can think off and make a budget of how much you want to spend.
Research Your Location
You want to go out to nature for you hike, but it’s a good idea to get online with your computer and do some good research of where you’re going. Most popular hiking trails have websites and/or forums of people who will leave feedback. You may also already belong to some online communities of hikers. Basically, get as much information and feedback from those who have already hit the hiking trails you are planning to embark on.
Navigation Tools
With today’s affordable technology, it’s a no-brainer to bring navigation tools with you on your hike. You can have the basic tools like a compass and maps. However, invest in a good quality GPS and learn how to read topological maps.
How Long to Hike
Figure out how long you want to go on your hike when you’re planning a hiking trip. It can be a couple of hours or it can be a weekend getaway. Knowing the duration of your hike will let you plan out other logistics. Related to the duration of you hike is what your daily miles of hiking will be. This will vary by experience of the hiker. Also, the terrain of the hike will play a role. The average hiker may struggle to go 10 miles per day, so setting a limit of about 5-6 miles per day may be ideal.
Know Your Location’s Climate
Know how hot or cold the weather will be for you hike, and plan accordingly. Extreme heat or cold can be potentially dangerous, so don’t take the possible weather conditions on your hike lightly.
Accommodations
Plan ahead about what accommodations you’ll need when your get to your hiking destination. Do you need somewhere to sleep during the night? If so, you’ll need to check into hotel availability for your area. If you’re going to pitch a tent, make sure you check the rules and restrictions for that area.
Protect Your Health
You’re out to enjoy yourself on a hike, not to get sick or injured. If there is a lot of sun, bring some sunscreen to protect yourself against UV rays. Sunglasses are necessary to protect your eyes. Invest in a good first aid kit in case there are any medical emergencies. Make sure anyone who goes on the hike carry any necessary personal medicine that they need. When you’re planning a hiking trip, don’t forget about health and safety.
Don’t Forget That Camera
The point of going on a hike is to make great memories. With today’s technology, anybody can take pictures with their cell phones. That’s OK and many cell phone cameras do have high quality resolution. You may also want to take a dedicated digital camera to maximize your picture taking. Also remember about battery power. Depending how long you hike, you’ll need to recharge your phone or camera. Taking a portable batter supply or even a solar charger is a good idea for long duration hikes.
Hopefully, these basic tips on planning a hike trip are helpful to get you going. Like mentioned above, take advantage of online resources to really research your hiking destination. Get those valuable feedback and tips from those who have already done the hiking trip. Have fun!
