Day hiking

From Trail-Finder -- Dedicated to getting you outside

Overview

Day hiking is one of the easiest, least expensive things you can do to get out into the wilderness. Depending on conditions, it's possible to go day hiking with as little as a bottle of water in your pocket, or as much as a thousand dollars or more of high-tech gear. Day hiking is possible anywhere you can escape the sidewalk, but is usually done in large parks and wilderness areas.

Exactly what qualifies a walk as a day hike? One extreme is easy. If you're carrying tent and sleeping bags, if you're intentionally spending the night in backcountry, you're probably backpacking, not day hiking. The other end is harder to define. A 5-minute walk on the beach isn't day hiking, but a 5-mile walk in the woods is. Fortunately, exactly when it becomes day hiking isn't important. What's important is that you go out and do it.

Physical requirements

Physically day hiking is only as demanding as you make it. You can take your time on the trail, take breaks whenever you want one, and get back to the trailhead feeling better than when you left. At a minimum, you need to be able to walk the distance. Fortunately, you can work up to the distance. There's nothing wrong with starting out just walking around your block. You don't have to start with Everest.

The second requirement is that you need to be able to carry your gear. For a short trip, this may not be much more than a water bottle, but the longer your trip, the higher the elevation, and the worse the potential weather, the more gear you need to carry. Before long, you'll need some kind of backpack or waistpack. Backpacks are easier to find and can be less expensive, but if you have back_problems, a waist pack can be more comfortable.

Gear

How much gear you need depends on where you're going, how far, and when.

• Water bottle The absolute minimum you should carry for a day hike is a water bottle. The longer the hike, the larger the bottle. A half-liter per hour is a good minimum, although if it's hot weatherhot, or the terrain is rough, you'll need more. If it's cold, you'll still need water, although you might need to remind yourself to drink, since you won't be as thirsty.

• Food As your hikes get longer, you'll want to start carrying a snack. Initially, you're probably just looking at something simple, like a granola bar or a piece of fruit. The longer the hike, the more food you will need to carry.

• First aid kit Before long, you'll also want to pick up a first aid kit. Basic ones are available fairly cheap in any sporting goods store, or even the pharmacy or sporting goods department at most department stores, if you don't want to build your own. Get one that's self-contained in its own water-proof container, then add any extra drugs you may need (ie: nitroglycerin for heart problems, etc). Stick your first aid kit into the bottom of your backpack and forget it.

• Pack When your pockets just aren't big enough anymore, you need a pack. I've hiked mountains and canyons alike with just a book bag-style backpack and did just fine. They're inexpensive and easy to find. If you're going to do much hiking, though, you'll probably want a hydration pack, which carries more water, and makes it easier to get to, too.

• Boots Are hiking boots really necessary? Not always. For good, smooth, forest trail, any comfortable shoes will work, and every day running shoes are popular. If the terrain gets more challenging, or if it's wet or snowy, you'll probably need to upgrade to at least low-top boots if not high-top boots. Some special types of trails or trail conditions do well with special footwear, like river shoes, snow shoes or cross-country skiis.

• Light Think you might be out after dark? Accidents happen. People get lost. Preparation can prevent an inconvenience from turning into an emergency. Get a small, rugged flashlight and toss it into the bottom of your pack with your first aid kit. Be sure to check it every few months to make sure the batteries are still good.

• Map Knowing where you are is a good thing. A map is the most important tool for knowing where are you and not getting lost. Most parks have them available at their website or at the trailhead.

• Compass In the days of the GPS, it seems less people carry a compass. Compasses have some definite advantages over GPS's, though. For one, they don't use batteries. For another, they don't break very easily. Even without a map, a compass can be a life-saving tool in the wilderness. Carry one in your pack and know how to use it. Orienteering is a great way to learn how to use both a map and compass, and can be fun, too.

• GPS The modern, high-tech toy is becoming so inexpensive that most people can now afford to carry one. You need to take your GPS out and play with it in order to learn how to use it. You also need to remember to mark the trailhead on the cheaper models before you start, or they won't help you much. On the better models, it's not so important, since you get some level of map, even detailed topo maps on the best models. All but the cheapest GPS units now connect to your computer and let you save or load GPS tracks, giving you a "you are here" map. They're great, unless your batteries die, or you drop it and it breaks.

• Cell phone One of the purposes of day hiking is to get away from civilization... and cell phones. I do recommend bringing them, however, especially if you're on unfamiliar trails. Why? If there's an emergency, they can be one of the easiest tools to get help. Do yourself, and everyone else on the trail a favor, though, and turn it off before you hit the trail.