Hiking is easy with these tips. Get advice on backpacking, hiking, and the great outdoors in this video.
Pace yourself
Don't take too many long breaks
Maintain good posture
Keep a light spring in your step
Bring plenty of food & water
John Flaherty has a great love for the outdoors. In 2003, John and his wife started Central Coast Outdoors in northern California. His company provides hiking, kayaking, and biking services for those wanting to be closer to nature. John has traveled all around the world through his love of hiking.
JOHN FLAHERTY: Hi, my name is John and in this segment we are going to talk about how to hike. And we are going to cover some of the basics of what is happening with your body and some things to avoid and good things to do while you are hiking. A lot of people might think it is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. And truly it is. That is what hiking is all about. And it is rather simple. But there are some things to think about as you are doing this. Our first is proper pacing. A lot of people that I know when they go hiking; they start out hiking very fast. They get very aggressive and they go out. Remember, you are possibly going to be out there for multiple hours. Pick a speed that is comfortable for you. If you are going uphill, it is perfectly okay to go slower and to rest and take frequent breaks. If you are moving along smooth level ground or a downhill stretch, like this stretch here, it is perfectly okay to open up and walk a little bit faster. Most people will acknowledge that you should not be going any faster than four miles an hour if you are hiking on a trail. Most people average about two miles an hour so do not overdo it. Conversely taking a lot of longer breaks is not a good idea because your muscles will tend to get cold. Once you get warmed up, it is good to keep moving and take shorter breaks. Some people when they put a pack on tend to bend over and hike like this. Open up, get good posture, have a nice straight back. If you are going uphill, you might want to lean in a little bit. If you are going downhill, you might want to walk with a little bit of a spring in your step like you have got shock absorbers on. When you are on the trail especially if you are going for a longer hike, make sure that you have plenty of food and water. Your calorie consumption while you are hiking is going to be dramatically higher than if you are just sitting at your desk or sitting and watching TV so make sure that you snack frequently. I myself when I am hiking cannot go more than two hours without taking a snack, sometimes every hour I am going to take a snack. And make sure that you carry plenty of water on your hike and that you drink frequently. Again, your body, particularly on a warm day like today is going to be losing a lot of water and you want to make sure and replenish that water for you to be drinking far more water than you would again if you are at home or in the office just sitting around. So armed with those tips, I hope you have a wonderful hiking experience.
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