13 Useful Tips: Hiking for Beginners
As with everything, there is a beginning. And at the beginning, none of us are experts. Hiking for beginners can be intimidating if you’ve never done it before.
Being overconfident and hiking with no prior knowledge can lead to some unsavory situations and even death. Okay, that’s dramatic….but true!
As beautiful as nature is, it is equally relentless when it comes to those who delve without proper gear or knowledge.
With the following tips you’ll be right on your way to enjoying nature and hiking.
🌻 Our content may contain affiliate links. If clicked through to make a purchase, the price remains the same for you and we will earn a small commission. This helps us to continue creating useful and valuable content for you and other visitors. 💜1. Start Small
Biting off more than you can chew is a surefire way to get yourself into potential trouble. Alongside that, you’ll always remember hiking as something that was overbearing and may ruin any future enjoyment you can take from being outdoors.
Take is slow and choose a smaller trail that falls well within your fitness level. Remember, this is hiking for beginners not trail masters. Your body and mind can and will be tested as you ascend the scale of easy to hard trail difficulties.
We use AllTrails for the majority of our trail planning. If you download their app (we have no affiliation) you can actually save the trail to your phone and use the map as live navigation even without service.
This is invaluable for checking your location along a trail and worst case scenario, if you happen to get lost.
2. Be Mindful of Elevation
If a trail is just a few miles or less, it can’t be that strenuous right? Not necessarily. While researching trails, pay attention to the elevation level of the hike as well as the elevation gain.
If you’re traveling to a place of a higher altitude, hiking can become much more strenuous. The air is colder, less dense, and contains fewer oxygen molecules.
This means that you need to take more breaths in order to get the same amount of oxygen as you would at lower altitudes. Basically it’s much freakin’ harder to breath!
Also, be mindful of elevation gain. A 1 to 3 mile hike with 0 change in elevation is quite literally a walk in the park. Now take that same 1-3 mile hike, but add 1,000+ feet elevation gain. That walk in the park is now considered a rather moderate to difficult hike.
Hiking for beginners can start at many different points based on your level of fitness. If you aren’t a gym rat, it may be best to keep your first trails 3 miles or less with an elevation gain under 1,000 feet.
Start small and remember to assess elevation and elevation gain.
3. Hike Within A Group
Sure, many experienced hikers hike alone, but it’s never recommended. Aside from a maintained trail, nature is well…nature. Anything can happen outside and having 2 or more people in a group can ensure the safety of the entire group.
Should someone sprain an ankle, it’s much easier to support a person with 2 people than just one. If someone encounters a more serious injury, 1 person can stay with the injured, while the others head back to seek further help.
Lastly, if there are any predators in the area you’re hiking, there’s power in numbers. This last one is far and in between, but there are instances every year.
Don’t be a complete newb and hike alone, especially when first starting out.
4. Start in the Morning
The average person who is moderately fit can hike at a moderate pace roughly 1 mile every 30 minutes. This is not accounting for those who like to take breaks, stop for snacks, sit and enjoy the scenery, or those shooting photography.
You can easily double that time if you partake in the previous activities, which is by no means a bad thing!
As a beginner you’ll want to start in the morning so you can gauge on average how long it takes for you to complete a mile. There’s no rules as to how long it should take, but when starting out it’s best to have plenty of daylight so you don’t end up hiking in the dark.
There’s not necessarily anything wrong with hiking after dark, but as a beginner this can be intimidating and disorienting leading to some otherwise avoidable mistakes.
Once you’ve done a few short hikes starting in the morning you’ll be well aware of how long it takes you to complete a mile while hiking. You can then use that data to further plan out your day.
5. Check the Weather
If we’re being honest, we still forget to check the weather sometimes. Picture this, you picked the trail, the day, and the time. You show up and BOOM. Rain clouds, snowed in trail, or high heat warning with harsh sun exposure!
Now you can do 2 things with this information. 1) you can skip on hiking in that area all together due to poor conditions. Or 2) you can bring the right gear so you can still enjoy the trail!
RAIN CLOUDS?
- Pack a rain jacket – Men’s and Women’s
- Use a raincover over your daypack
- Wear waterproof hiking boots – See these Men’s & Women’s boots
- Use a moisture wicking base layer – See these Men’s & Women’s layers
ICE AND SNOW?
- Pack layers – 12 Cold Weather Clothing to Keep You Warm
- Wear waterproof boots
- Consider crampons or snow shoes
- Wear a beanie – 5 Best Outdoor Winter Beanie Hats for Men and Women
- Cover your face with a Buff Multi-Functional Headwear
- Use trekking poles
- Wear UV Sunglasses against the blinding snow
SUN AND HEAT?
- Wear plenty of sun protection including:
- Wide brim hat
- UV Sunglasses
- Moisture wicking shirt
- Pants with high UPF rating – Mens and Womens
- Womens UPF 50 Yoga Pants
Remember, lighter colors keep you cooler. White being the coolest, reflecting the most heat.
We don’t recommend beginners braving harsh weather at the start, but this is all good to know for the future.
Knowing the weather ahead of time can save you time and pain. Nothing’s worse than being mid hike and experiencing weather you weren’t prepared for.
6. Bring and Drink More Water
Bring more water than you need. Water is generally the heaviest and most important thing on your person when you’re hiking.
It’s recommended that you carry at least 34 ounces of water for every mile of hiking for a single person.
Even if you don’t feel thirsty and it’s cold out, you should still be hydrating while on the trail. Your body is always using energy and water when hiking.
3 miles is about 100oz of water. Tack on some elevation gain (which you previously learned about) and you may be needing even more water to properly hydrate.
We avidly use our trusty 32oz Nalgene Water Bottles or our 3-Liter Hydration Packs.
Do yourself the favor and always carry more water than you need. Who knows, you may also save a fellow friend or hiker.
7. Stay on the Trail
Do you want to get a closer look at that cool bug?! Or maybe you want to see over that pile of boulders? Perhaps you see a scenic overlook that’d be a bomb shot for the gram?
Whatever it may be, hiking for beginners means staying on the trail.
You’ve surely seen headlines in the news or online about missing hikers. This truly only happens when people leave the trail. If you stay on the trail, it is virtually impossible for you to get lost.
It’s the moment you wander just far enough off the trail when you realize you can no longer see it. Between common trees, brush, and scenery it’s extremely easy to become disoriented and become lost.
Don’t be that newb. Don’t be the next headline ‘Missing Hiker’ when you don’t have the experience or gear to survive outside.
So we’ll say it again nicely. Please stay on the trail!
8. Wear Proper Hiking Shoes & Socks
Sure you can hike in chucks or gym shoes and wear cotton socks on a hike. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean ya should. Let me explain.
Terrain ranges all over the place and can include sand, dirt, rocks, plants, snow, water, and all kinds of other debris. Add in incline, decline, and uneven surfacing.
Not only is deep traction on the soles important, but so is a boot or shoe that covers above the ankle to keep trail debris out. You may also want them to be waterproof. Wet feet are a nightmare to hike in and can quickly cause gnarly blisters.
This brings us to socks. Cotton is the worst material for socks and hiking clothes in general. When it gets wet, it stays wet. It also doesn’t pull moisture away from your skin, but keeps it right on top of it. A recipe begging for blisters to develop.
Hiking socks are generally made from synthetic fibers and merino wool. Both of these materials pull moisture away from skin, keeping it dry and free of blisters. Hiking socks also provide your foot with different points of compression to help further stabilize your footing and allow you to hike longer and further.
Among this you still want your socks to feel comfortable and slide on and off with ease. Our favorite hiking socks to date are the Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks for Men. Don’t worry ladies, there are Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks for Women too.
If there’s anything you should invest in first when it comes to hiking, it’s hiking boots and hiking socks.
We suggest the Merrell Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot for Men. We also suggest the Merrell Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot for Women. This model hiking shoe by Merrell is a flagship in their line and in the outdoor community.
Impress your friends with this knowledge.
9. Prepare a Light Daypack
Ah, gear. Good ol’ gear. I absolutely love gear and it shows, but on that real real, everyone should carry a light daypack anytime they hit the trail, big or small.
You may or may not have heard of the Top 10 Essentials for Hiking. Familiarize yourself with these and you’ll be far ahead of those who’ve managed to look the other way.
While we completely agree with the top 10 essentials for hiking, you could get away with a little less if you’re just starting out and tackling shorter trails.
If you’re like me, it can be very easy to turn on that ‘prepper’ mindset and bring way too much gear. There’s a common phrase in the backpacking community and that’s “ounces are pounds.” When you’re hiking, weight feels substantially heavier.
Follow this quick list and you’ll be well on your way as a beginner hitting smaller trails.
- Hiking Backpack (Daypack) – easily organize all of your gear and essentials
- Water Bottles or Hydration Bladder – a hydrated body is a happy body
- Wide Brim Hiking Hat – keep the sun off your head, neck, and out of your eyes
- Extra Layer for Him and Extra Layer for Her – for warmth when temperatures drop or wind picks up
- First Aid Kit – treat minor injuries on the trail
- Higher Protein Snacks – keep your energy and mood high (RX Bars are the best!)
10. Leave Music in Ear or At Home
Music is a bit controversial in the outdoor community. Many of us go outdoors to be fully engulfed by nature, to stray away from society, to recharge, and often look inside.
Hearing loud music, and a variety you may especially dislike, can turn a hike upside down.
It’s out of respect that we keep music in our ears or off the trail completely.
In short, we seek peace and quiet with the only sounds being that of the wind whistling, plants rustling, grass swaying, branches creaking, and the foot steps and sounds of animals scurrying. It’s a sensory experience to be enjoyed without the insertion of our favorite bass drops, pop music, or classic rock.
If absolutely no one is around, then who’s to stop you from using speakers? But just know that people can hear music from a speaker much further than you can tell.
If you’re the type who loves to pair music with everything (which we totally understand because we both LOVE music) then please use earbuds.
Jaybird Vista are the quintessential pair of wireless outdoor sport earbuds on the market and they absolutely slap. High quality sound that stays in your ear and add no disruptions to your fellow hikers.
Bottom line, enjoy being outside, allow others to enjoy their time being outside, and be kind!
11. Leave No Trace
Speaking of being kind, we urge you to follow ‘Leave No Trace’ principles. It’s the concept of not leaving anything more than your footsteps on the designated trail.
Trash is an absolute eyesore and it’s even worse when it’s out in a place that is otherwise untouched by humans. Taking part by leaving no trace means we can collectively protect and continue to enjoy nature as it was intended.
Beautiful, serene, and just good for the soul.
12. Leave It Better Than It Was
Hiking as a beginner, I was never told about leave no trace principles or even better, picking up trash while out on the trail. Time outside and many encounters with principle followers of leave no trace have taught us the way.
And the way is to leave it better than it was.
Even if it’s a single, small piece of trash, removing it is one less harmful article to the environment and one less eyesore for the next hiker walking by.
But trash is gross. I know.
This is why I carry a folded gallon sized plastic bag in my daypack. Anytime you see trash, whip that bag out, turn it inside out and pick up whatever trash you see. Once you’re done simply stow it away in your daypack and throw it out later on.
Trash Often Includes:
- Single Use Water Bottles (NEWB!)
- Cigarette Buds
- Food/Snack Wrappers
- Articles of Clothing
- Pieces of Plastic
- Disposable Masks (covid times)
- Beer Bottles
- Soda Cans
- Broken Gear
- Tied Off & Filled Dog Waste Bags
(this last one’s for the REAL Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts…use a dog bag waste container to seal away waste along with odors and germs.)
You’d be surprised how much can fit in a gallon sized plastic baggy.
For trash that doesn’t soil the plastic bag, you can always recycle it for future hikes.
13. Take Less Pictures
What?! Hiking for beginners means taking less pictures? Okay, what I mean to imply with this header is to be more present when you’re out hiking. I’ve prefaced hiking as something that is active, tranquil, potentially dangerous, and something we do to enjoy some peace.
Please DO take pictures. We simply suggest not getting lost in the idea of being out and hiking through pictures only.
Savor the moment you’re truly in. Close your eyes and take a deep breathe of fresh air. Slowly exhale while slowly opening your eyes. Feel the wind against your skin and listen carefully to the natural sounds all around you.
Hiking is an active hobby, but a lot of it is also taking moments to feel yourself and the natural world. As we all now, technology can starve us of these otherwise intimate moments.
Get Outside and Start Hiking Now With These 13 Tips
Hiking for beginners can be stressful, painful, and straight up intimidating. Not having the knowledge or right gear can leave a novice hiker in an uncomfortable or even perilous position.
Fortunately that novice hiker will not be you! After reading this article you’re well aware and soon to be well equipped with the right gear to tackle your first trails and all those following.
Listen to your body, know your limits, recall these tips, use the right gear, and you’ll soon be giving this same advice to the next novice, starry eyed hiker-to-be.
Lastly, as you become more serious about your day hikes be sure to check out these 16 Daypack Essentials to Keep Your Adventure Going.
Were these hiking for beginners tips helpful? Is there anything you would have added to this list? We’d love to hear from you in a comment below!
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