What's up guys! In this video we're going to highlight the 10 essential hiking tips
for beginners. These are tips that we've learned over the years of hiking just
through trial and error ourselves and we just hope that they help you keep safe on the trail
and also give you some more confidence to enjoy hiking safely. So enjoy the video!
We are Zac and Ine, full-time digital nomads from the United States and Belgium.
We met while studying abroad in 2018 and have been traveling the world together ever since.
We're here to inspire your next adventure, whether it's hiking in the Canadian Rockies,
a road trip through the US, or backpacking across Africa. On our channel you'll find
unfiltered videos of hiking guides and the best things to do in destinations around the world.
So as hiking tip number one we have that you look up the route beforehand. Why is this important?
Because you want to know what to expect on the trail, you want to know whether there's
snow conditions, or also just in general like is it doable. How to check that? For example,
you have the free app All Trails, there's a lot of trails that are recorded on that and it's quite
known in the hiking world as well. And usually people post reviews like about the hike that they
did that day and then you can kind of see like okay is there going to be snow or ice. But also,
there are for example YouTube videos that you can check. It usually gives a really
good overview because you can see the trail as well as you can read blogs or even guidebooks.
So for hiking tip number two we recommend having a really good backpack. And one of
the main things you have to have, which this one does, is chest straps and also hip straps.
And the reason for this is it's going to take pressure off your shoulders when you're hiking.
Another few important features that you want is a lot of different compartments, especially
when you're storing your first aid kit and water and things like that. A sweet spot for like size
is between 20 to 35 liters and there's some really good brands out there. Here's Hagloffs and there's
also Osprey and different ones. We'll leave some information in the description below too.
Our hiking tip number three is to get hiking poles. It really improves your balance as well as
your stability and we really noticed it ourselves on the trail that it boosts our confidence.
And also it really helps you maintain your posture, for example it really takes off the
pressure of your on your knees, but also on your hips, and your lower back. So these are hiking
poles from Glymnis and they are collapsible as well as lightweight, so they easily fit in your
pack. And so we're gonna show you how to actually use them. So to start you open up this strap.
You put it all down here. These parts all connect. Then there's this thing here where you just
pull until you hear a click. And then this one kind of adjusts
to your height, so depending on what's comfortable for you.
So hiking tip number four is to have really good hiking shoes. We've seen it a lot on the trail
where people are just wearing running shoes. And it can be really dangerous, especially if you're
walking on loose rocks, and going over tree branches and stuff like that. You need good
hiking shoes that have grip so you're not going to slip. You should also make sure that they have
good ankle support like above the ankle so that your ankle isn't twisting when you're going over
uneven ground. And the last thing you want to make sure is that you have a little bit of space
in your toes. Don't get them that are too tight because that could cause blisters.
It could also even make your foot fall asleep if you're going out there too long on the trail.
Hiking tip number five is to bring enough water and snacks that boost your energy. We have a 3
liter camelbak and which is great because it's quite big it fits a lot of water and
it fits in the backpack. But there are also, for example, water bottles out there with filters.
Or you can also just have another normal bottle of water and buy some purification tabs.
And especially if you know that you have access to the river to refill your bottle. That's another
solution and it's a little less heavy. And when it comes to snacks, you can just take very nutritious
foods with you such as nuts, bananas, granola bars, all things that kind of boost your energy.
So for our sixth hiking tip we recommend bringing a flashlight and a first aid kit.
The flashlight is essential especially if you get stuck out after dark you don't want to come home
not be able to see things and then trip and fall. The other essential first aid kit things are
bandages, painkillers, hand sanitizer, and also foot care. So especially if you're on a long hike
you might get some blisters you need blister plaster as well as antiseptic and wound cream.
Hiking tip number seven is to bring a rain jacket and warm clothes. When you go hiking
in the mountains, it is important to know that the weather can change abruptly at any time
so it is very important that you have rain jackets with you in case it rains, it storms. And also
some warm clothes because you never know on the top of the mountain it could be pretty cold.
So for hiking tip number eight we recommend bringing navigation on any trail that you do.
So you could do this in multiple ways: you could have a physical map of the area,
you could have a compass, or you could also download maps.me which is a free app. You
can download it on your phone and basically any area that you go to, you just need to download
the area and then it will have hiking trails and roads. So if you ever get off-trail you can just
find your way back to it by opening up that app. It's really essential, it's something that we've
used a lot basically every hike that we do we make sure we have our maps.me downloaded first.
Hiking tip number nine is to bring area essentials. So for example,
if you're hiking in North America and there are bears on the trail it's very important that you
have bear spray with you at all times. But also, for example, very often in the mountains there's
a lot of mosquitoes so you want to make sure you have your mosquito spray with you. And as
well like sunscreen, when it's very hot, it's sunny, sunscreen and a hat are very important.
So for our last hiking tip we recommend telling someone where you're going. It's really essential
on any length of hike, but especially if you're doing a multi-day one. Tell someone like your
friends or family or neighbor where you're starting, where you're ending, and how long
it's going to take you. Because if something does happen to you on the trail, then that
person can notify the police and they can start a search party and you might avoid a big disaster.
So that's it for all of our hiking tips. I hope you enjoyed the video and enjoy your next hike!