You've got your hiking boots on, your worries left at home and a sprawling trail in front of you.
You leave the built world behind and become surrounded by dense nature. No sounds of cars or chatter, just the calming symphony of birds singing, streams flowing and a breeze whistling through the trees.
Feel the sun on your skin, fill your lungs with fresh air and smell the ecosystem around you. There's a world of adventure opportunity ahead.
Welcome to the world of hiking!
It's 100% everything it's cracked up to be, and so much more. If you want to hit the trail but you're not sure where to start, you've come to the right place!
Over the years we've learnt all the hiking tips and tricks and have put them together in this guide. You'll find all the info you need to become a hiking pro, no matter your level of fitness or experience. Everything you need right here.
In this hiking guide you'll find:
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According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it's "the activity of going for long walks in the countryside" but we think it's more than that.
Hiking is when you deliberately spend time walking in a natural setting, often done on hiking trails. These trails can go through mountains, lakesides, forests, deserts etc, can take hours to months to complete and would be at the least light exercise.
At the same time, it also doesn't have to be done at a high intensity, or a long period of time, and it doesn't need to be about getting from A to B. Our advice is to plan your first hiking trail and find out exactly what it means to you.
There are hundreds of hiking benefits but these are just some of the most important ones.
READ MORE: 10 Invaluable Tips for Beginner Hikers
To make the most of your time on the trail, a little planning goes a long way (particularly for first-time hikers). The good news is that hiking prep is surprisingly easy, and we've gone through the steps below.
Oh, and if you're planning a BIG trip, you might also want to check out our guide on how to plan an adventure quickly and easily.
There are quite a few different types of hikes, some more suited to beginners than others.
Short day hikes are great starting points to safely build up confidence and knowledge. Then, you can slowly build up to more demanding hikes when you're ready.
And if you're thinking of camping on your hiking trip, you might wanna check out our Beginner's Camping Guide and Packing List too
If you're just starting out we'd suggest thinking about your ideal hike. To find the perfect route, there are a few things you need to think about:
Pick the right hike for YOU and the time you have.
For your first one, pick something close to home which is easily within your fitness level and not too technical.
Pay particular attention to elevation gain! Even if a hiking trail is short it could be made much harder if it's all uphill or on difficult terrain.
Now you know the kind of hike you want to go on it's time to start looking for the trail.
Keep in mind the details listed above and whether you'll find amenities for food, water, shelter etc closeby.
Below are some good places to find hikes nearby or inspiration further afield:
For more inspiration, check out these hiking options in France, beautiful trails in the UK and Portugal too!
For beginner hikers, it can be nicest to start off with a partner or group. It's enjoyable to share the experience as well as being safer, plus, it's someone you can split the planning and preparations with!
Friends, family, partners, children are all great options but you can also think about joining local hiking groups.
Towns/cities might have hiking groups who organise trips, or you can look for local groups on things like Facebook or MeetUp. This can be a great way of experiencing hiking for the first time whilst not having too much pressure to plan everything yourself.
Want to go hiking on your own? Make sure the trail is well within your capability, you're completely prepared with a working phone (will you have signal?), navigation, food and equipment. Then make sure you tell someone where you're going.
Keep reading below for some extra safety tips in the following sections.
Do you take part in or run a hiking group? Tell us in the comments below so others can hopefully join you!
With the hike decided, now check the conditions with local weather forecasts.
Don't rely on big national forecasts, try and find smaller regional ones which are more accurate. If you're hiking a popular mountain or region, you might be able to find forecasts specifically for the trail or peak.
Local weather apps can also be useful for your planning. We like Windy!
Pick a day which will be enjoyable - there's no point going for your first hike in a storm. Once you've picked a day, then you can decide the things you need to take with you hiking (you'll find advice in the next section).
For more detailed advice for different conditions, check out our guides below:
Picking the best hiking clothes will depend on where you're going and at what time of year.
Below you'll find some general recommendations for year-round conditions, and if you'll be somewhere hotter, colder, wetter etc you can add or take off items. These are some of the essentials you should focus on:
For a complete guide to gear and clothing, for both summer and winter, our day hiking packing list has a much more detailed breakdown.
Obviously what YOU need for YOUR trip may vary greatly, but above are the foundations you should focus on. If you're looking to buy new hiking clothes, you can find everything you need at outdoor retailers like Cotswolds (for UK hikers) and REI (North America).
With your clothing sorted, now it's onto the equipment in your backpack.
For safety, you should consider having the hiking essentials below in your backpack for every hike. They're always in ours.
Find more info and guides on our Outdoor Gear and Reviews section
If you're like us, half the fun of hiking is taking some tasty vegan grub to eat in a stunning location. Fun aside, it's super important to take the right amount of food and water with you because a hungry hiker is not a happy hiker!
For food, opt for things that are lightweight, easily stored and have a good amount of calories and carbohydrates. We put together a guide to the best vegan hiking foods which you can use for ideas.
When planning your route, consider: will there be water available along the way?
Taking too much water will weigh you down whilst not enough can be extremely dangerous. If there are reliable refill spots along the way, you can go with less and top up as you go.
It's generally advised to drink 1 litre of water for every 2 hours of hiking but this will change depending on temperatures. To be extra safe carry more than you need, just in case you decide to hike for longer or get lost.
If you're going on a shorter hike then perhaps your average water bottle will do. If you need to carry more water then pack a water bladder can be brilliant.
You can also consider buying a water filter or water purification tablets to drink from natural water sources.
Explore more.
For hiking beginners and pros alike, if you're away from populated areas it's especially important to stay safe. Stick to these tips and you'll stay safe on the trail!
Once you get back home, there are a few tips you're going to appreciate!
We're very lucky to have beautiful parts of the world to hike through - let's make sure we protect it. Here are three things every hiker should be aware of on the trail.
We put together a complete guide to sustainable hiking, if you're looking for extra tips!
There are a few simple considerations you can have to keep friendly with your fellow hikers:
As long as you prepare properly and pick a sensible hiking trail, hiking is safe for beginners. Just remember to follow the additional safety tips above.
Yes, and many people choose to hike in trail running shoes. Trainers might not provide as much weatherproofing or ankle support but just make sure they're comfortable and have good traction.
The best prevention is to wear comfortable hiking boots which fit properly and good hiking socks. It's also best to break your footwear in first, before you try longer routes.
No, just comfortable walking on potentially uneven terrain. You can build up your fitness gradually by planning easy hiking routes and having breaks as often as you need to.
Start easy, wear comfortable shoes and take plenty of food/water.
We always want to help more people spend more time on the trail. You really can't beat spending a day hiking - it's something we think EVERYONE should try at least once - so hopefully this guide can help!
Still not sure how to start hiking? Give us a shout in the comments and we can share some more tips!