Hit the trail? Yes!

We not only made it a full year; we haven’t stopped yet. We’re at over 160 weeks in a row and still counting! Our hikes have varied wildly in distance and difficulty.

The shortest walk was less than a mile, though we might be forgiven such a quick jaunt given that it was -25°F that day. Our longest hike was about 26 miles in a single day as we traveled the perimeter of a local lake. While the majority of our walks have been in decent weather, we have had to trudge through rain and mud, wind and snow, even that ever so fun mix of sleet and freezing rain.

There have been weeks when we really struggled to find the time to a hike into our schedules and weeks when we went on multiple walks, just because we could. There are several benefits to going hiking or just plain walking on a regular basis.

Getting the heart rate up every now and again is a good thing. Let’s face it, most of us could probably benefit from more physical activity, ideally from doing something we enjoy. Regular exercise and activity will help with weight loss, increase flexibility, and keep the cardiovascular system working well.

The important thing to remember here is to not overdo it. You’re in charge of your own hike. Take your time and don’t feel like it is a race. We’ll talk about choosing hiking locations a bit later but something you’ll want to consider is the terrain. If you haven’t been hiking in years, starting off on a trail that has a 500 foot change in elevation might not work out well for you.

That said, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, especially after you’ve hit a few trails. Take the more difficult path from time to time. You’ll get a great sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed the hike.

When you are ready to hit the trail, do a little stretching first. Obviously, your legs do much of the work with hiking so get them ready.

One thing my wife and I have come to understand very well is that it is difficult to be in a bad mood when you’re hiking. The combination of fresh air, sunshine, and endorphins is all but guaranteed to lift one out of the doldrums.

Granted, there are times when frustration can come into play, such as when it seems like it is just one hill after another, but even then, it isn’t the same kind of stress that comes from, say, financial issues or problems with coworkers.

We’ve found that if we’re having a bad day, a walk in the woods tends to improve our moods considerably. There is also a sense of accomplishment when completing a particularly long or difficult hike.

When you’re out on the trail is a great time to practice a few different skill sets. We routinely run across a wide variety of animal tracks, from squirrel and raccoon to deer. The ones we cannot identify immediately we might take photos of and check resources at home.

At many locations, there is a trail map available. It might be a paper map you can stash in a pocket or it could just be a sign that’s posted at the trail head. In those cases, we always make sure we snap a photo of it with our phones so we can reference it as we go along. Having a map helps us in practicing our navigation skills. Using land features, we can figure out our location on the map and stay on the correct trail, even when the trails themselves aren’t clearly marked.

Taking new equipment on a few hikes is a great way to test it out in a somewhat controlled environment. For example, if you buy a new pack to be your bug out bag, load it up and take it out on several hikes. That’s the only way you’ll know if it will be comfortable for the long haul. Pay attention to how it feels when you’re hiking on different terrain, from hills to ravines, and play around with the different adjustments to get a proper fit.

New footwear always requires a breaking in period. Wearing the boots or shoes on a series of increasingly longer hikes over the course of a month or two is a great way to do so. New outerwear can be more accurately judged for fit and comfort under real use than it can while trying it on in a store.

There are well over 10,000 state parks in the United States, most of which have hiking trails. In addition, there are countless county and municipal parks to explore. One of the easiest ways to get started is to do an online search for hiking trails in your county. Numerous websites provide user reviews that will help you gauge the difficulty of the trails as well as conditions.

There are a few states that do not require a fee for entrance to state parks. For those that do charge admission, many offer an annual pass that might be a more economical option if you plan to visit their park system several times throughout the year.

In addition to actual parks, there are also state natural areas, conservatories, arboretums, and other such places also offer a range of trails. You might be surprised at how much nature you can even find in an urban area. We’ve found more than a few parks where you can feel like you’re out in the middle of nowhere, even though city sidewalks aren’t that far away.

Every year, there are numerous news stories about people who went hiking and ended up lost. Some of these turn out just fine, others not so much. Quite often, just a little advance preparation will go a long way toward keeping you safe.

Any time you plan to hit the trail, tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back. If you aren’t in touch with them by a specific time, they should contact the authorities. They should be able to provide them with your name, your vehicle, your last known location, and your description.

Always keep a small survival kit with you. This kit should include:

Carry a cell phone as well as a small power bank for when the phone’s battery gets low. You can save some battery life by setting the phone to airplane mode when you’re not using it to make calls or send texts.