Want To Start Hiking? Plan Your First Hike With Ease

Image Courtesy of: Pixabay

Your first hike is an adventure you are likely to remember for the rest of your life. So the pressure is on to make sure you remember it for all the right reasons. Planning your first hike can be challenging when you’ve never been on one before. You might not know what to bring, where you should go and for how long. Not giving your first hike plenty of consideration beforehand can also increase the chances of you becoming lost or ill in the process. This is naturally something you want to avoid. So to help you plan a safe and unforgettable first hike, use these planning tips for beginners.

Be realistic

You might have dreams of completing a particularly difficult hiking trail that takes days or even weeks to complete. But this is probably not the best idea for your first hike. You need to be realistic about your current fitness levels and hiking abilities. This should strongly influence your choice of hiking trail. Look for trails in your local area that are designed for beginners and don’t take too long to complete. These trails will allow you to familiarize yourself with what hiking is like and ensures you don’t push yourself too much. Going on an extensive hike when you aren’t experienced could result in you becoming ill or injured. So always remember to be realistic when choosing an appropriate trail.

Ready for any trail – the Top 5 Hiking Boots of 2013

You may be looking for the best possible hiking boots as either due to needing a new pair after your favorite old pair has finally worn out or maybe this year the call of exploring the outdoors has led you to buying a first pair but aren’t sure exactly where to start.  It can be tricky navigating through all the brands and models to find the footwear that is most suited to your needs due to certain types being preferable for particular environments and types of trails so Nightgear has put this list together to show the best of this year’s Top 5 Hiking Boots to help you choose the perfect pair.

Columbia Bugaboot Original Omni Heat Boots

These have all the favored style of the classic Bugaboots but have been packed full of technical features making them a decent pair of winter hiking boots in every respect.  The Columbia Omni-Heat technology is comprised of a thermal reflective liner and 100g of insulation which works to effectively keep heat inside so your feet stay nice and warm while the oiled full-grain leather shell, suede upper and pigskin collar and tongue stops any water and works to prevent colder temperatures from getting inside.  Each of the Columbia Bugaboot Original Omni Heat Boots outsole is made from Omni-Grip high traction rubber so even the worst trails won’t stop you thanks to their grip, while the moulded EVA midsole provides all day long comfort so if the weather and the route ahead is tough then these are ideal.

FGR - 10/7/2011 - Who's Racing This Weekend

The weekend is finally here and tonight we eat pasta. I can't wait. If you haven't read the last post then you maybe wondering why I'm so excited to be eating pasta. Well aside from it being one of my most favorite things next to peanut butter, funnel cake, need I go on? It's the pre-race meal. You see, tomorrow I'm running in the Coalfield 5K tomorrow, so tonight is fueling night and pasta is what the doctor ordered. Is anyone else participating in any races or events this weekend? If so what are your pre-race rituals/meals/activities? With all this talk of races and stuff, I think it's time to get down to the real business of the post and start highlighting the giveaways going on in the realm this week.

Okay, well to be quite honest, I haven't seen a whole lot of giveaways going on this week. There are a few going on at Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine online. You can head over and get entered for those. They always have some pretty cool prize packs including trips, etc.

Gear Review: Women's Vasque Taku GTX Hiking Boots

Anyone who knows me well knows that I don't wear boots. I'm a hiking shoes girl, and have been since the mid-90's when I discovered how nimble and airy light I felt while wearing them. Plus, they take no time to break in, to dry if they get wet, and they're easy to slip on and off. I could go on, but this review is for the boots.

Tim - who is constantly on to me about wearing something "with more support" - signed up to get an opportunity to review these Vasque Taku GTX hikers and the Goodhew Medium Hiker socks over at the Outdoor Blogger Network. At the same time, he was in the running to win those Vasque trail shoes you've heard so much about.

Because he won the shoes, he thought it only fair to give up the opportunity at the boots and socks, but requested that I get them to review instead. Funny how things work out. He sort of mentioned it to me, but really kept the details a secret until he was certain I was getting them. I know what he was up to. Trying to convert me to boots... humph!

More Thank You's!

Seems like we can't say thank you enough! We appreciate all our friends and fellow bloggers - and most of all, you - our readers.

Tomorrow, I'll be hitting the trail to try out - for the first time - my new Vasque Taku GTX hiking boots and the Goodhew High Performance socks thanks to Outdoor Blogger Network.

Many thanks to OBN, Vasque, and Goodhew for the opportunity to review these hiking essentials!

Keep a watch out for the reviews on both the hiking boots and the socks.