Instead of the usual kebabs in the nearest forest, we offer a new level of activity — a walk in the mountains. Firstly, you can combine rest with training, and secondly, enjoy nature and arrange a digital detox. We tell you how to choose the right equipment for these purposes and share beautiful routes.
Hiking or trekking: what is the difference
It’s simple: if you like to walk along mountain trails and forests, and well—marked and well-known, and return home or to a cozy hotel in the evening – this is hiking. It does not require special training, and anyone can master it — it is enough to choose a tourist route.
But tracking is more serious: it implies a full-fledged hike for several days with appropriate equipment, a heavy backpack on your back, overnight stays in tents and camping. The route can be quite difficult — along unexplored mountain trails and passes, with long ascents uphill. Good physical training is necessary for tracking. Therefore, if you have never gone hiking before, but really want to, we recommend starting with hiking.
Do I need special equipment for hiking?
As for hiking equipment, it will be enough to take water, a snack and a headlamp for easy routes: by six in the evening it is already getting dark in the mountains, and the flashlight on the smartphone takes up a hand and quickly discharges the device. On more difficult routes, you need to take a little more equipment.
Firstly, trekking poles will come in handy. They provide an additional fulcrum and relieve the joints of the lower body. Secondly, a first aid kit. In many sports stores, already completed ones are sold. Beginners often overestimate their strength — what can happen in a couple of hours? But when you walk through an area where there are unknown plants, driftwood and sharp stones, you should not neglect the presence of antiseptic, iodine, healing ointment and patches. Finally, powerbank. Although our goal is to take a break from civilization, it is much calmer when you know that there is always access to the phone.
How to choose equipment for hiking?
Clothes
The most important requirements for hiking clothing are wear resistance, moisture resistance, practicality and lightness. It is important to rely on synthetic materials that remove moisture, dry quickly and feel comfortable on the body throughout the day. The basic minimum is trousers, a fleece Olympic jacket that keeps warm and does not get wet, a T—shirt and a windbreaker. If you go hiking in the warm season, then thermal underwear is not required. For tracking, it is necessary in any weather — after all, you will have to spend the night in tents.
As for trousers, in both cases, you should choose models made of synthetic materials. Place your bet on models with a large number of pockets — when hiking, you will be light, with a small backpack, so important little things like a flashlight, navigator and phone can be put in your pockets. There are options with a special elastic weaving thread that does not let insects through.
Accessories
You will need at least a special backpack made of water-repellent textiles with compartments and pockets, a hat, high socks and sunglasses with a good lens that blocks UV rays.
Speaking of backpacks: there are also cool chips here that will make hiking in the mountains more comfortable. For example, a convenient suspension system that holds the backpack at a short distance from the back for good ventilation, an anatomical system and adjustable shoulder straps that do not put pressure on the shoulders, as well as a belt in the lower back. Aluminum plates are often sewn into the back for greater rigidity, which allows you not to overload your back and carry a heavy backpack without health risk.
For tracking, you will also need tracking sticks, which help to evenly distribute the load on the muscles and not get tired, and other equipment, including a tent, a supply of provisions, and so on.
To choose the right equipment, where everything is thought out, it is better to immediately bet on brands that specialize in tracking and hiking.
What mistakes are most often made by novice hikers?
In addition to neglecting the first aid kit, they often choose clothes and shoes incorrectly. They take shoes exactly the right size, fit snugly on the leg, and suffer when the leg begins to swell. They wear cotton T-shirts and T-shirts, in which they sweat quickly, moisture is absorbed into the fabric, heats up itself and heats the body more. Contrary to the stereotype, synthetics are better for long walks, because high-quality synthetic materials remove moisture well and immediately evaporate it.
Another mistake is to drink a lot and have a big snack during breaks. From a lot of water and food, the body becomes more sluggish. You need to drink two or three sips every time you feel thirsty. And as a snack, you should take cereal bars, dried fruits with you, which quickly saturate, and take up little space. Then the hiking will take place light, without fatigue, and no one will remain hungry.
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