hiking has become more and more popular over the years and for good reason i mean
who doesn't like to get outside get fresh hair get some exercise and enjoy the great
outdoors but if you're new to hiking it can be a little intimidating so if
you're looking to get your feet wet in the world of hiking stick around and watch this
video as i'll be covering my six best tips for hiking for beginners let's get
started so welcome back to my channel if you are new to my channel my name is jeanie and i
do a little bit everything on this channel from outdoor adventures to hiking kayaking
travel home life from colorado livings as i am based out of colorado so i invite you to
subscribe and follow along now i know hiking can be a little intimidating but it really isn't that
scary as you may think but you may have some questions like how do i find trails where do i
find the trailhead what do i need to bring with me how long is the trail let's jump into it and get
started tip number one get very well acquainted with the app all trails this is my go-to app for
researching all things trails so what i love about this app so much is depending on the area you are
in or looking to hike you can simply go to the app in the search bar you can type in the destination
you're looking to hike in and it will pull up all the different trails that are available in that
area what i have noticed is it sorts the trails from the most popular to the least popular so
the first few trails that pop up will probably be some of the most popular trails in your area
spend time on this app to get familiar with it but the main things you want to look at in this app
are the distance of the trails the elevation gain now for a beginner i would probably not take on an
elevation of more than 2000 feet like that's gonna be a little intense so so i would probably stick
closer to the thousand feet of elevation or even less and then i would probably not take on any
type of trail that is more than three miles you're a beginner so don't take on too much all at once
another great thing about the app it will tell you on the trails information if it's dog friendly if
that applies to where the parking trail head is there is a directions button that will lead you
right to the trail from where you're located and it will have a complete description of the trail
as well as if there are any fees involved for example if you're visiting like a state park
or a wildlife area that is involved with some type of fee it will normally list that on the trail
description so you are aware if there is any fee or day pass that you need to pre-purchase before
you get to the trailhead so once you have found the perfect trail for you to get started on your
hike roll down and this is the best part about this app is reading recent reviews from others who
have hiked this trail this is huge they definitely give you more detail from a hiker's perspective of
what the trail conditions are like if there's snow on the trail or if we just had a lot of rain the
trail might be a little muddy one thing that has been very helpful for me now living in colorado
with the mountains the front range and the western slope areas of colorado probably aren't going to
have as much snow as the mountains so you might find a really good trail you want to hike however
after reading reviews you might see there's still quite a bit of snow because it's the mountains
you're much higher in elevation so definitely read reviews to gauge the trail conditions and
also many people will add current photos so you can kind of see photo wise what trails are looking
like so if you don't have the all trails app download it right now tip number two start small
and stay local if you are just beginning hiking i suggest picking a trail nearby
that is short and easy and probably relatively flat as i mentioned depending on where you are
if there is a lot of elevation hikes you probably don't want to take something like that on you'll
probably risk hating hiking and that will just set you up for not ever wanting to hike again
let's not do that start small start easy and don't embark on anything too crazy i can tell you if you
take on a shorter hike but has a higher elevation it's going to take you longer than you expected
and it's going to be a lot harder of a workout there's a lot more breaks catching your breath
getting water when you're taking on those heart trails with that said if you are solo hiking
this is very important to leave an itinerary with some family or friends so they are aware
that you are out hiking or if you can hike with others and you all have a copy of the itinerary
that's going to be very important and you also need to be aware of the wildlife that you may
encounter on these hikes so for example if you were out in the rocky mountains you might see a
bear or if you're in more flatter areas you might see rattlesnake so definitely research the area
you are and the type of animals you may encounter so tip number three find some hiking shoes that
your feet will be happy in hiking equipment can be pretty minimal however a good shoe does really
matter when you're out hiking here's the thing though if you're looking to just do a simple
one to three mile hike your basic tennis shoe will be fine if it's an easy nice flat hiking trail
you'll probably not have any issues using your regular shoes and this would be a great way to
kind of test out if hiking is something you really do enjoy and you want to invest in there are a few
key points you need to look for when deciding on what type of shoes or boots you want to invest in
if you are looking for a good shoe there are a lot of hiking shoes available however one of
my favorite hiking shoes are the adidas terrex i bought these last year right before our trip
to glacier and these are the best hiking shoes i have ever purchased now i want to point out a few
key features to look for number one you need to find a shoe that has really good traction because
some trails may require you to hike up some rock or you might find like slippery rock areas if
you're hiking by like waterfalls or something so it's very important to find something with
good traction these are the best traction shoes i have ever had for hiking so i can guarantee they
have been work another thing i love about these shoes the front of the shoe has a hard rubber
piece that goes around your toes so when you're hiking a lot of trails are going to have rocks so
as you're bumping your feet it isn't hitting your toes it's hitting this front rubber piece in the
front of the shoe this is what's getting banged up not my toes and this is also waterproof this part
this shoe is not considered a full waterproof shoe there are shoes available like morels that you can
look for if you're looking for a tennis shoe that is 100 waterproof but they are nice and breathable
and they offer you a lot of support you don't want a shoe that's going to cause blisters or
anything so that's another thing they have to be comfortable in the summer months this is my go-to
shoe for hiking i'll leave the link in the bio to the shoes my husband also uses adidas terrax
there's lots of different colors for women and men so this is a well-versed hiking shoe now if
you're looking for something that is completely waterproof and you're looking for ankle support
i would go with a hiking boot now i typically wear these more in fall possibly spring winter hiking
just because it is completely waterproof and it's a little bit taller on the ankles so if i do end
up hiking through possible mud or snow i get a little bit more protection these are the columbia
newton ridge waterproof hiking boots these have been awesome for hiking if you're looking for
more support more protection highly recommend i'll leave these down in the bio as well and there is
also a front i want us there could be like a steel plate in it or some type of hard rubber
underneath here can't even squish it it's hard if you're knocking your toes on rocks your feet are
still protected they're a quality columbia boot so can't go wrong with that number four invest in a
good hiking backpack this kind of relates back to the hiking shoes if you have a standard backpack
at home and you're just kind of trying out hiking you don't need to go buy a fancy backpack that's
not necessary play for your first 2-3 hikes any type of backpack will be just fine and then when
you're ready to re-evaluate if you want to invest into hiking is when i would recommend investing
in a backpack here's my backpack i'm a big fan of osprey they have so many different types of hiking
backpacks and this is just the standard daylight backpack which is one of their smallest backpacks
which are perfect for shorter hike day hikes now if you're going hiking into the woods and staying
the night you probably need something bigger because you need to pack more things or if you're
hiking and you have family and children with you you may need to pack more items so a larger
backpack will do but if you're solo hiking this is a perfect little backpack for you as you're going
to want to carry lots of water personal belongings snacks there's also hiking backpacks that offer
like a water bladder that are connected so if you don't want to carry water bottles you have
a water bladder that you can hook up this one does not offer that we don't like water bladder
backpacks if we prefer having water bottles but that is a personal choice so there are water
bottle pockets on each side there is great straps that are perfect support for your back as well as
inside there are lots of different compartments to tuck away all of your personal belongings
i will leave the link in the bio and that leads me to tip number five know what to bring with you as
well as know how to dress go back to some of the items that i carry in my backpack as i mentioned
depending on where you're hiking you may want a bottle of bear spray we have a keychain that is
also a whistle and a compass typically i bring two bottles of water on any hiking trip i typically
have some type of protein rise with me i am a big big fan of rx bars they are a clean a protein bar
and they are just perfect to slip in your backpack and if you're out on the trail and you need a
little snack you can pull one of these out another very important item that is always with us anytime
we're out on a hike it's just a mini first aid kit it has all the essentials in there if anything
were to happen to you on the trail and attached to that is a mini flashlight just in case anything
were to go wrong and it starts getting dark and you know you're not going to make it back to your
car by the time it gets dark you have a flashlight we're just getting started these are definitely
some of the essentials you'll definitely want to keep in mind we also always have a small bottle
of sunscreen in our backpack you are out in the elements all day long so it is very important to
have protection possibly some sunglasses i always have a hat for the most part it keeps the sun out
of your face to prevent any type of sunburn as well as you can go hiking without chapstick
so that's another must now as far as dressing for the hike you want to dress in layers when you're
starting out on a morning hike if it's early in the morning it might be pretty cool and by the
time it gets mid morning to early afternoon it's probably going to warm up quite a bit normally i
have some type of t-shirt and tank top and then on top of that i have some type of zip up long
sleeves and or some type a sweatshirt i'm usually wearing some type of leggings so definitely check
the weather before you go out hiking and tip number six know how to stay on your trail when
you are hiking when you arrive to the trailhead of the trail you're about to embark on if there
is any sort of map anywhere just snap a photo of it on your phone i also always recommend to take a
screenshot of a trail that you might have on your phone and you can also print out a copy to have
a physical copy with you if you're hiking with a group or with another person it is essential that
both of you have a copy or a screenshot or a photo of the trail so both of you can reference back now
referencing back to the all trails app a fantastic feature is that you can use the app during your
hike and it will track you along at the trail so you can kind of see where you are now it's
technology does technology always work perfect absolutely not and that is why another item i
will always have in my backpack is an external phone charger just in case a phone was to die
and we need some type of assistance no matter where i go for any type of hike i will always
have a little external charger with me to charge my phone will you always have service and will i
be able to load that map absolutely not and that's why you need to have screenshots of your maps
watch for different landmarks as well like certain roads or if there's like a specific tree that was
really interested and stood out to you you can kind of remember that landmark on your trail and
make sure you know how to use a compass before you head out really research the hike before you go
don't get to the trailhead and then try and figure out everything replanting your height will set you
up for a very successful and enjoyable hike now don't forget if you are lost or you're just kind
of turned around and you see other people don't be scared to ask fellow hikers for some assistance
okay we can all get turned around especially when we're out in the middle of the woods or if we're
on trails that lead to other trails so when in doubt don't be scared to reach out to other tigers
on the trail for a little assistance all right you guys that is my top six tips for hiking for
beginners so get out there and crush your hikes enjoy every minute and just know your first time
hiking might not go perfect but you'll learn as you go you'll figure out what works best for you
you gotta start somewhere so just go and enjoy it hiking is not perfect there's a lot of
unknowns when it comes to the great outdoors but i am so excited for you to embark on your first
hike hiking has definitely changed my life and i hope it changes yours too so good things are
waiting for you trails are waiting for you get out there enjoy it and if you have any questions
be sure to comment below so to all my newbie hikers thank you so much for tuning in i hope
this was helpful and if you haven't already be sure to give this video a thumbs up and subscribe
for future vlogs we'll see you guys in the next vlog or we will see you on the trail bye guys