Your entry into hiking doesn’t have to be complicated! With some simple tips on suitable trails and the basic equipment you need, you’ll be on your way to your first hikes quickly and safely. Let’s get started together and find out how you can begin your hiking adventures.
You’ll need:
1. a pretty, small, and safe hiking tour
Your very first hiking tour should ideally start near you and have an easily accessible starting point. If you don’t know of any well-known viewpoints, lakes, or other popular destinations in your area, then ask friends or family. Or let one of the planning apps like Alltrails or Komoot help you find an idea.
Your hike should be short. Both you and your equipment are untested, so you should gradually work towards the goals you have in mind. For your first tour, 5-10 km (3-6 miles) is entirely sufficient. That’s hikes of 1.5-3 hours. It might sound little at first, but if you realize along the way that the shoes don’t fit, the backpack is uncomfortable, or you’ve completely underestimated the ascent, then every single kilometer will still be a thousand damn long meters to walk. The better you know yourself as a hiker and your equipment, the more ambitious you can set your goals later on.
But for starters: keep it as simple as possible. Stick to the forest highways (the wide forest paths) and field paths. Feel free to take the lift up or down and don’t let others’ enthusiasm about these great side paths impress you. Narrow paths are often more exciting to explore, but the wider paths often have better views. There’s no reason to avoid them.
When searching in apps and forums, it’s best to look for popular family hiking trails in your area. They are usually excellently signposted and largely hazard-free, regardless of the weather. So they’re perfect for beginners.
One last tip about the tour itself: If your tour does not take you on hiking trails in Central and Western Europe that are close to civilisation, you should find out about possible dangers from the flora and fauna in your hiking region (simply ask at the tourist information office nearest to your hike). There are animals and plants that we Central Europeans never have to worry about, but which can ruin the most beautiful hike in the rest of the world.
2. the suitable weather
For your first hike, you’ll need a day with truly friendly weather. Sunshine with a few clouds and your comfort temperature are ideal. Check your favorite weather app both a few days before and again right before setting out. If only rain is forecasted, you can consider still going on the tour if you already have good rain gear. But thunderstorms and any severe weather conditions (storm, hail, heavy rain, etc.) should definitely be avoided.
And if it has been raining longer in the days leading up to your hike, you should check your tour again. You wouldn’t want to struggle through mud baths on your hike. Paths soaked by prolonged rain can take up to a week to dry out. Even longer in areas protected from the sun.
And the only sensible outing on humid and hot days is an early hike to the lake, where you’ve already organized your motorized transport back in advance.
4. the right equipment
For hiking, you’ll need:
- Comfortable shoes that you can walk in for long periods and that can easily handle small stones and slippery terrain due to their grip.
- Also, a pair of socks that don’t create folds on the foot (hiking socks are usually slightly padded and remain wrinkle-free even after kilometers). A helpful trick for ladies to avoid blisters: Wear a pair of thin but sturdy nylon socks under your regular, thicker socks. This usually works well as long as the shoes are big enough to comfortably accommodate everything without chafing.
- Comfortable, loosely fitting trousers made of elastic material (to prevent chafing), which don’t tear at the sight of the first bush and are easily washable. Prefer darker colours. For your first day trip, a simple pair of jeans will actually suffice, especially if you hike in the right weather.
- Any top that suits the current weather and weather forecast. A T-shirt or polo shirt paired with a fleece jacket always works well, but use what you have.
- A jacket that is also suitable for the season. Even in midsummer, it’s advisable to have at least a lightweight rain jacket with you, providing excellent wind protection for when it gets breezy at the viewpoint.
- Seasonally appropriate accessories (sunglasses, sunscreen, and sun hat in summer, scarf, hat, gloves in winter, etc.). Make sure to always cover your head or at least have a scarf/buff with you to cover your head. The sun will mercilessly burn your noggin if it gets the chance.
- And of course, you’ll need a backpack that sits on your back without bumps and can hold water, provisions, and backup gear. If you don’t mind, you can also use any other preferred type of bag (body bag, messenger bag, reusable plastic bag, or tote bag). However, carrying anything in hand over several kilometers is incredibly uncomfortable, so the straps should always be long enough to at least be worn diagonally from shoulder to the other side of the body if you can’t improvise a backpack.
As standard, you’ll need in or on the backpack:
- a small trash bag for your own waste
- possibly a rain cover for the backpack, just in case
- a hiking map of the route and/or a mobile phone with a good mapping program (preferably offline maps). If you rely on your phone, its remaining battery life should exceed the expected hiking time plus breaks by at least one and a half times, even with continuous GPS use. Otherwise, you’ll need a recharging option (think power bank plus charging cable, tested for functionality). If you’ve planned a day trip and your phone is supposed to navigate and record the whole time, then definitely bring along a power bank and cable. And if you have one or can organize one: a compass.
- If you already have a small first aid kit, then pack it. It’s always good to be able to take care of scrapes or scratches yourself or to help others.
- One of the standard emergency items is always a whistle. We all hope never to need it, but it’s always good to have it in your rucksack or, better still, on your person, if you already have one.
4. Provisions and Water
Your backpack should definitely contain a snack and water. You should always have a minimum of reserves with you. This is to prevent any problems arising just because
- you’ve underestimated the distance, or
- the ascent was more intense than planned, or
- the planned café has unfortunately been permanently closed for two months (or worse: is currently on its annual vacation), or
- you accidentally overlooked a junction while chatting and have to walk back a kilometer to get back on the trail.
Pretty much all of these have happened to me…
On regular days and without steep ascents, about 1 litre/quart of water should suffice for approximately 8 km (5 miles) of trail, with often 2-2.5 litres/quarts being enough for most hiking days up to 25 km (15 miles). However, once you’re planning larger ascents or temperatures hover above 25°C (77°F), you should plan for a recharging option on your hike or have 1-2 litres/quarts extra with you from the start.
By the way, plastic reusable bottles from carbonated drinks (mineral water, cola, Fanta, Sprite, etc.) make excellent hiking water bottles. Their caps are better equipped to withstand shaking during the hike than those of still drink bottles.
5. and off you go outdoors
And off you go. Load up your backpack with food, drink, and other equipment, add a rain cover for yourself and the backpack depending on the weather forecast, put on your shoes, and head outside.
Sometimes it’s more important to get out there than to have the perfect equipment. And as long as it’s just a few hours in easy terrain, not much more can happen than realizing that the shoes aren’t suitable for hiking, you’re not as fit as you thought, or the rain cover urgently needs some work.
Mind you, this applies to trips in easy terrain that you either know like the back of your hand. Or where you can confidently follow field paths and forest highways and, with some common sense, maybe risk a few extra kilometers to the next village. But not risking your neck on steep trails.
Already when heading for unfamiliar hiking trails, you should inform yourself beforehand about what to expect and possibly adjust your equipment. But for a first outing outdoors, the above-mentioned equipment is sufficient.
With the first experiences, you’ll quickly learn and can then tailor your equipment to your needs. Everyone is different, and so one person loves their minimalist ultralight gear, while another wouldn’t set foot in the forest without their heavy-duty military gear. It’s no wonder the Americans often say: HYOH. Hike your own hike!
But to be able to do that, you need to get out there and gain your own experiences first and foremost. And come back safely home to implement those experiences into better equipment if necessary. Or rejoice when everything finally clicked and the hike was simply beautiful.
If you’ve found a taste for hiking after the first outings and want to do longer or more challenging tours, I’ll tell you more on my pages about how to dress for hiking, what you need for your day hike, and how to plan an unforgettable day hike.
Happy hiking!