How to prepare for a hike

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

From the weather to the patch: we take everything into account so that an exciting journey does not turn into a survival lesson.

Determine the difficulty level

To determine the difficulty of the hike, you need to consider the following parameters.

Duration and mileage

Find out how many days your hike will take. The details of the route and the speed with which you will need to go will depend on this.

In this case, it is necessary to correctly calculate your strength: it is important to understand how many kilometers per day you can overcome if you move at a pace that is comfortable for you.

You can also go the opposite way: first decide what you want to watch, and then determine how many days you need to do it.

Height differences

The mileage is also strongly influenced by the descents and ascents on the route. The more there are and the more difficult (longer and steeper) they are, the more tiring the hike becomes. This means that the more difficult it will be to overcome the same distance.

Features of the landscape and weather conditions

The features of the landscape are not only mountains, forests and rivers, but also mud, sands, "loose particles" (small pebbles flying from under your feet), swamps and the like. All this is noticeably exhausting, even if you don't have to climb anywhere. Rain and gusts of wind also take time and energy.

The weight of the backpack and the length of rest between transitions also affect the speed of movement. It is worth considering that in the first few days walking is usually harder than later, when you disperse and get used to it.

To say exactly how many kilometers a beginner can walk a day is not so simple: everything is very subjective. But in any case, it's not worth going on long hikes with difficult obstacles right away. If you are in good physical shape, then you can start with a measured walk no more than 15 kilometers a day with a gradual rise of no more than 1,000 meters. The route without elevation differences can be increased up to 20 kilometers.

If you are not ready to determine all these parameters yourself, it is better to contact travel organizations that arrange hikes - there are most often tours of different difficulty levels.

You can sign up for one of the proposed routes - the organizers have already calculated everything for you, it remains only to decide whether it suits you. This will give you experience and insight into your capabilities.

Make a route

Those who decide to plan the route themselves should be able to read the map (as well as use a compass and GPS navigator). This is necessary even if you are walking with someone who knows the area well: if you fall behind or get lost, it is important to be able to find your way yourself. A GPS navigator is also not a panacea: it can break or run out of power.

It is necessary to determine the schedule for each day in advance: it is important to know at least approximately what exactly awaits you in order to minimize unforeseen circumstances and correctly calculate your strength.

Define waypoints

Decide what sights you want to see and measure the distances you will travel on the map. When determining the mileage, remember that the map gives an error: it does not take into account all the subtleties of the relief. The numbers you get when measuring should actually be slightly larger: increase them by at least 10-15%.

Choose a place to stay

If your hike lasts longer than one day, consider where and how you will sleep in advance. You may have the following options:

1. A hotel or shelter, if they come your way. Check in advance what is included in the price.
2. Camping - this option provides either a place for your tent or a bungalow. There may be additional amenities, such as a kitchen, shower, grocery store. Find out what is there and what you need to pay for.
3. Camping. Alternatively, it can be broken at the cars in which you arrived (for example, if this is a circular route - bypassing the territory with a return to the starting point). In this case, you need to find a place where you can put your transport.

The camp itself should be arranged:

• in a dry and wind-protected area (not in an open area);
• on a site without stones, protruding roots and knots;

• protected from possible rain:

  • on a flat surface, if it absorbs water well, or on a gentle slope or a small mound so that the water flows down (lie down with your head up so that there is no headache due to increased blood flow);
  • not in a narrow place, in a depression or directly under a hill (this is where deep puddles and floods form);
  • not too far from the source of water, but not directly by the reservoir (in case of rain, it can overflow the banks, and besides, there are always more annoying insects there);
• not in a low place (there will be fog and midges), but not too high, so that during a thunderstorm it would not be struck by lightning;
• close to a source of firewood, but at a safe distance from dry trees that may fall from the wind.

Consider the size and number of tents - the area should be large enough to fit everything.

It will also be useful to find out in advance if it is not dangerous to set up a tent at the point you have chosen, for example, because of wild animals or the likelihood of mountain falls and rockfalls.

In all cases, when you organize your own overnight place, do not forget to prepare:

• a tent, taking into account the peculiarities of the landscape;
• a sleeping bag that can withstand temperatures that await you on a trip (manufacturers usually indicate the temperature range for which the product is recommended);
• hiking foam or mattress under the bag;
• warm / changeable clothes for the evening and night, if necessary.

Make a contingency plan

If there are difficult-to-pass sections along the route (forests with windbreaks, mountain passes, streams and rivers, etc.), think over workarounds in advance: what if you cannot overcome obstacles? Mark the places where you can close the distance in case you linger somewhere or something else does not go according to plan: the night should not overtake you where you cannot set up camp.

Think about unforeseen situations

Make sure you know how to get off the route in an emergency if necessary. Mark the places where you will pass near cities or towns. Check if there are emergency contact points along the way and mark the nearest ones. Try to memorize vivid landmarks that will help you return to the starting point if you get lost.

Add spare days

If the journey is long, decide when and where to take days off from the crossings. Add a few extra days in case these breaks are not enough or some sections take longer than you expected.

Check the weather forecast

Much depends on what kind of weather awaits you on a hike:

• how much water you need to take - the hotter, the more you need;
• how to dress and put on shoes;
• what sunscreen to choose;
• how to prepare for the night;
• whether you need protection from the rain.

The rain on the hike is not only special clothing, but also caution when planning a route. For example, you should not walk through river beds or easily flooded areas. It all depends on the territory and the duration of the rains. At the very least, you risk getting wet and flooding your belongings. And there are more serious dangers: in 2018, in the riverbed in Israel, TEN YOUTH DEAD IN SOUTHERN ISRAEL FLASH FLOODS people who went on a campaign under the pre-war training program died - they were carried away by water.

Do not forget to look at the forecast not only for the day, but also for the night: the temperature difference can be quite sharp.

Collect everything you need

Here's what you need to prepare for the hike:

• A quality hiking backpack.
• Water. It is very important that there is enough of it: it is better to take a little more than you need, than to get into a situation where it ended ahead of time. We not only drink water, but also wash the wounds with it, and also cook food on it. It is convenient to carry it either in a bottle (flask) with a handle, or in a hydrator - a special waterproof bag with a tube (it will lie in the backpack, and the tube will be brought out and attached to the strap of the backpack).
• Food. One that won't spoil on a hike and that is easy to cook. Usually they take nuts, dried fruits, canned food, cereals, chocolate, hard cheese, jerky, cookies, candies and the like. If you take anything perishable, eat it first.
• Matches, lighter. If you suspect that there may be a problem with fuel (rain, rocky, mountainous terrain, etc.), take it as well (firewood, if possible, or a gas burner).
• Headdress. It will protect not only from the sun, but also from insects such as ticks.
• Sunscreen. Even if the sun is not aggressive, it is worth protecting your skin if you are exposed to it for a long time.
• Sunglasses.
• Mosquito and tick cream, if needed (for example, for walks in the woods).
• Personal hygiene products.
• Tent, sleeping bag and foam / mattress.
• Hiking sticks. There are uses for them, but in some cases they can even help a lot.
• Lantern.
• Gas burner and camping utensils (if necessary and it is possible to carry) or a thermos.
• Wipes (dry and wet hygienic) and hand cleaning fluids.
• Compass and paper map. They will not be superfluous, even if there is a battery-powered GPS navigator - what if the equipment fails?
• Hatchet. To take or not to take - depends, of course, on the situation. It can be useful, for example, for preparing firewood.
• Strong rope. You never know where it might come in handy.
• Mirror. If necessary, they can be given signals.
• A camera with charged batteries. If you are sure that he will not interfere.
• Powerbank. Don't forget to charge it and your phone before you hike.

Life hack: to prevent your phone from draining too quickly, put it in airplane mode.

Think carefully about what you must take and what you can leave at home, depending on the specifics of your hike. Do not forget that you will have to carry all this on yourself. You can even try to pack your backpack in advance and walk around with it for a while to make sure it's not too heavy.

Dress properly

We choose comfortable clothes that do not squeeze anywhere and do not chafe. It should be easy to put on and take off. It is worth considering the rule of three layers: underwear wicks moisture away, clothes are on it for warmth, and the topmost layer is for protection from precipitation and wind.

Shoes must be comfortable and durable. You should not wear light urban sneakers: they can tear, and you go barefoot throughout the hike (it is not always possible to immediately leave the route). Better to choose either special hiking shoes or sandals, or good trekking boots. They are stronger, breathe better and hold the foot better, the outsole does not slip so much. You can choose waterproof options that also reduce the amount of sand and pebbles getting into your shoes.

It is good to wear special trekking socks on a long hike - you can even take several pairs at once (two or three). There are different types for different conditions. They wrap the leg tighter, wick moisture away and breathe better. Professionals advise against wearing cotton socks - they easily crease and rub your feet. It is better to leave them overnight.

Think about safety

1. Do not forget to pack a first aid kit for the hike. Some pharmacies sell ready-made ones. If you are going to collect it yourself, be sure to put in all the minimum necessary preparations:

   • pain relievers;
   • drugs for poisoning;
   • antipyretic;
   • antispasmodic drugs;
   • antiallergic drugs;
   • antiseptics;
   • bandages, cotton wool, plasters, elastic bandage;
   • greenery;
   • medicines that you need for health reasons.
2. If you are going into the forest, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with the list of poisonous mushrooms and find out what they look like. These include, for example, pale toadstool, smelly fly agaric, bordered gallery and many others. Also, pay attention to the dangerous twin mushrooms, which are very similar to some edible ones. This topic can be studied in more detail, for example, in the book “Inedible, poisonous and hallucinogenic mushrooms. Directory-atlas "by Mikhail Vishnevsky.
3. Ask what plants you can use for food. It will not be superfluous to read the book "Medicinal, poisonous and harmful plants" by Oleg Zhurba and Mikhail Dmitriev.
4. Make sure you know how to deal with wild animals.
5. Tell the Ministry of Emergency Situations the details of your trip if the path lies in a hard-to-reach area: these are not only mountains, forests and caves, but also just little-visited territories, far from civilization, where there is no mobile connection. This must be done at least 10 days before the start of the trip. It is not necessary to submit such an application, but for your own safety, you should not neglect it. Please contact the service for exact instructions on the procedure for registering a hike. More details can also be found on the website of the Ministry of Emergencies. About the registration of tourist groups in the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia, responsibility and rescue of tourists in an interview with IA "TASS".

It will not be superfluous to notify relatives and friends of where you plan to be. Tell them the travel plan with dates and coordinates, phones of other participants in the trip. Agree on a contact time to clarify the location.

Learn survival lessons

If something goes wrong during the hike, you will need survival skills while waiting for help. It would be nice to learn in advance:

• Light a fire without matches. Option: Focus the sunlight through any convex glass, such as the bottom of a bottle, or even a plastic water bottle.
• Create yourself a place to sleep from scrap materials. Option: make a hut out of long branches and sticks (you can support them, for example, on the trunk of a fallen tree) and cover it tightly with foliage, brushwood and everything else you find in the forest floor (you need to overlap the material). The tighter you lay, the better the roof will retain water.
• Find your way in the forest. Learn not only to use a compass, but also to determine directions from the sun, stars and wind.
• Get water. For example, from plants: Fill the bag with twigs and leaves about three-quarters (just be sure not to pick a poisonous specimen) and place in the sun. The plant will release moisture, which will collect in the bag.
• Attract attention to yourself if you are lost and people are looking for you. There are special distress signals, such as three bonfires arranged in a triangle shape, or one very large and bright. There are many other symbols that would be useful to learn and learn.

You can read about this and much more, for example, in the following books:

• Life in the Wild by Bear Grylls.
• "Ways of autonomous human survival in nature" edited by Leonid Mikhailov.
• “Russian style of survival. How to stay alive alone in the forest "Mikhail Didenko.