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Nowadays the pressure in the job and also in private life is increasing. Everything has to go fast. You have a lot of time pressure and are very stressed. There is no time to switch off properly. All the more, you long for peace and balance to leave all the stress of everyday life behind.
One of the best ways to get down is exercise. So not only older people but also more and more young people are drawn to nature and the best thing is that you can not only do it alone or in pairs, but in a group. To prepare you for your upcoming trekking tour, we give you 13 tips for beginners in this article.
1. Lightweight backpack
A backpack with a smaller volume forces you to take only the essentials with you. In addition, a lightweight contains less weight and is mostly equipped with little frills. When buying a backpack, also pay attention to how it fits you on the back. Every back is different, and a different backpack might fit better on each back. So it’s best to go to a specialty shop and try out the backpacks for you.
2. Hiking shoes
The right footwear not only helps you to survive longer distances, it also protects your feet from blisters. Wear special hiking socks, they also help you against painful blisters and uncomfortable pressure points.
Tip: wear your shoes as well as possible before your big hike.
3. Preparation for long-distance hiking
Start with shorter routes on signposted hiking trails. So you can take several breaks and strengthen yourself again faster. Your type of breaks usually depends on the following factors:
- Your personal fitness level (or your participation in a group)
- The available daylight
- And the weather
4. Weather report
Find out about the weather and adjust your plans if necessary. While hiking in the rain can be a nice experience, you should avoid walking in a thunderstorm. Fog is also a great danger for beginners, as it can make you stray and take your sight away.
5. Clothing:
Get functional clothing. The functional clothing does not absorb your sweat so much on the skin. The sweat is transported to the outside of the garment, where it can evaporate more easily than inside the garment, making it more comfortable to wear on the skin.
Tip : To be prepared for any weather situation when trekking, we recommend the so-called onion principle (also known as the 3-layer principle). Depending on the weather and condition, the layer can be removed or put on.
There are 3 different functional layers:
- Baselayer: The layer includes those items of clothing that are worn directly on the skin, such as Underwear, socks, etc. It should primarily cool in warm and warm in cold, wick away sweat and dry faster.
- Midlayer: It is also known as an insulation layer and is primarily used to insulate from the cold in order to keep you warm. Fleece jackets are used here because they dry faster and are easier to wear than other materials.
- Shell layer : The last layer takes over the weather protection. It is primarily designed to protect you from weather conditions such as snow, water and wind. The following are suitable, for example: waterproof jackets, softshell jackets, leisure and trekking jackets. Make sure that the breathability is still present, so excess heat and moisture can escape.
6. Trekking poles
Trekking poles make it easier for you to climb and descend uneven routes and thus relieve your knee joints. The setting of the stick length plays an important role here. It varies from individual to individual and only enables you to provide effective support and relief on longer routes if you have the right settings.
7. Know the route
Know your route or study it thoroughly before you start. As a beginner, it makes sense to find a route on which there are many restaurants along the way. There you can plan your breaks and strengthen yourself. In any case, get a hiking map for the route so that you can always ask for the way and not get off the way so quickly. For starters, your route should be no more than five to 15 kilometers long and it is best not to have an incline.
8. Eat and drink
Eating: Take some provisions with you for your hike. But they shouldn’t be too difficult.
Example:
- Sandwiches
- Boiled egg
- Energy bars
- fruit
- Dry food (nuts, dried meat)
- etc.
Warning: Avoid cans, as they take up a lot of space and are usually much too heavy!
Drink: Remember that you can refill your drink in between. So don’t take drinks with you for the whole route. It is best to mark drinking sources on your hiking map so that you can refill your bottle.
9. Packing list
Before you pack, make a checklist so that you can check your packed items on the list. For a better overview, you can divide your things into the following categories:
- equipment
- dress
- Catering
- Health & First Aid
- Documents
- electronics
10. Distribution of luggage
Pack your backpack correctly, which saves you the tedious carrying when walking or climbing.
When packing, roughly adhere to the following points:
- Light luggage in the bottom compartment: sleeping bag
- Stow heavy loads as close to the body as possible at shoulder height: tent, provisions, water bottle
- Pack medium-weight equipment outside: clothing
- Small things in the lid compartment: keys, cell phone, sunscreen
Attention: All equipment should best be stowed in the backpack !! Bulky but light luggage should only be attached to the outside of the backpack in exceptional cases
11. Sample pack
Put your things together and go through your checklist in parallel. Take only the essentials with you and think about each item how much you really need it. For example, this does not include your favorite book.
12. Stay in sight
If you’re hiking in a group, be sure to stay in perspective. Of course everyone has their own pace of hiking, but in nature you lose yourself faster than you thought. And if someone is injured, the proximity of the others provides more help and confidence.
13. Emergency contact
During longer hikes, at least one person should be informed of your plans, they should know the day of your arrival and make sure that you are fine during the day. Even if you do not always have reception with your cell phone in nature, you should still make sure that it is charged so that you can choose 112 in the event of a fall.
