Beginner Hiker Tips: How to Tell if You Can Do a Hike

Maybe you’re a lot like me with a desk job in your daily life and want to adventure in your vacation life. But how do you know when you’re researching a place to go if you’re able to do the hike you’ve added to your Pinterest board? Check out these tips!

1. Look at how far the hike is there AND back! When you’re looking at the map, make sure you’re accounting for coming back to where you started, unless the trail is a loop. Or if you plan on using public transportation and the trail brings you to a place where you can catch a ride. If you have to go back where you started, make sure you’re up for the trek back. A good rule of thumb for me is knowing that I can make the length of the trail at home three times over. I’m not quite as in shape as my younger days so that for me is about a mile or so. Of course, when you’re out there you’ll only walk there and back on the trail. That extra distance is to make sure that you can get to the trail and walk around your destination comfortably.

2. Check out the elevation gain! An added challenge that I often forgot about when we started hiking was the elevation gain. If you’re hiking up a mountain to get a view, check out the trail online to see how high you’ll be walking in addition to how far. It’s easy to remember that a flight of stairs is around 10 feet. So if you’re gaining 400 feet of elevation that is around 40 flights of stairs. As we just covered, you’ll have to walk that back too usually. Some people find the climb more challenging but if your knees are bad some people feel more burn on the way down. A way that I’ve practiced to see if I can do a hike we are planning for an upcoming vacation is to use the stair machine at the gym. It tells you how many flights you climb and how long it takes to get there. Now when you’re out on the trail, unfortunately there won’t be A/C like in the gym!

3. Remember your gear! You can prepare by walking the length of your trail and stepping the right amount of flights but when you get out there your gear can throw you off too. If you’re struggling on hikes consistently, while out on vacation check out what is weighing you down. Consider investing in a lightweight hiking backpack to hold your gear.

Water is important to bring on a hike but the bottle can add some weight and make your hike difficult too. Think about investing in a reusable one that weighs very little.

Take it slow and enjoy the views on the way to your destination! Make a list of states you want to visit and which trails are on your bucket list. Just plan enough time using these tips and I’ll see you out on the trails!

Happy Trails! ✨