We, the Traveler team, were also beginners once and made many or even all of the mistakes mentioned here. Only those who were lucky enough to enter the world of hiking with an experienced mentor who told us what not to do did not make all of them.
In this article, we have compiled 5 common mistakes to make the start of your hiking career more enjoyable!
1. Going on a hike that is not suitable for your preparation
Regardless of whether you want to enjoy nature, find and test yourself, or simply do it for sport, choose a hike that suits your fitness level!
To prevent hiking from turning into physical torture and improving your health instead of harming it, as well as becoming a satisfying activity that you'll want to repeat over and over again, start small !
Start with shorter hikes, where you will not only prepare physically, but also break in your shoes and test out other equipment - socks, backpack, clothing.
2. Blisters
Failure to follow the first point most often results in painful blisters.
This problem also happens to experienced walkers, as many factors influence the formation of blisters. There are many folk remedies for continuing on with blisters, but it is much more painless to prevent them from forming in the first place !
Quality hiking socks and well-fitting shoes are the most important prerequisite for a successful hike, but that alone does not guarantee that blisters will not form.
As soon as you feel something rubbing, stop immediately and fix the problem! Apply a special blister patch BEFORE a blister forms, change your socks, tie your shoes differently - do everything possible to prevent a blister from forming!
Read more about the importance of proper hiking socks here . And before you buy shoes, read this article.
3. Painful, blue, or even lost toenails
The reason is shoes that are too small.
This is one of the mistakes that almost every hiker who comes to the store to buy decent hiking shoes admits to making.
The sizes indicated by each manufacturer vary slightly. For example, Mammut shoes are 0.7 sizes smaller than the average EU shoe size. Therefore, when purchasing shoes, look at the manufacturer's size guide and measure the length of your foot.
In hiking shoes, the toes should not touch the toe. Depending on the model and manufacturer, hiking shoes should be taken up to two sizes larger than everyday shoes .
When walking long distances, your feet swell , so your shoes should not be too tight.
It is very important to measure your shoes with the hiking socks you will wear on your hike, as they can vary in thickness and can also "steal" at least half a size.
4. Carrying even a small amount of weight is painful
Reason – inappropriate size/incorrectly adjusted backpack.
It's not enough to just buy a hiking backpack. The length of the backpack's back should be appropriate for your height, the contents of the bag should be properly packed, and the weight should be carried on your hips, not your shoulders. Read more about backpack size and adjustment in the article "How to Choose and Carry a Hiking Backpack" .
5. Cold even with a warm sleeping bag
The most common reason is an unsuitable carpet.
You bought a proper sleeping bag, put a foil blanket or yoga mat underneath, but it's still cold? How is that?
This is because where the body touches a cold surface (the ground, hammock, cold mattress), heat is released and a sleeping bag alone cannot insulate it. To sleep warm, use a mattress with an indicated thermal resistance, which is internationally denoted by the letter R. Read more about it here .
If you haven't bought a sleeping bag yet, read this article first.
Are you an experienced walker and can you walk without blisters? Share in the comments how you manage it!
