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  • Gear Guides
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  • Tips & Safety
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what to do if you get lost hiking Getting Started

What to Do If You Get Lost Hiking: 5 Steps

June 13, 202618 Mins Read

Getting lost on a hiking trail is more manageable than most beginners fear, and far more common than most trail…

beginner winter hiking Getting Started

Beginner Winter Hiking: What You Need to Know

June 13, 202615 Mins Read

Winter hiking for beginners is possible on the right trails with the right gear. Most people skip snow hiking basics…

10 essentials for hiking Getting Started

10 Essentials for Hiking: What You Actually Need

June 12, 202615 Mins Read

The 10 essentials for hiking are a standard list of gear categories that have kept hikers safe for decades. Not…

exposed trail meaning hiking Getting Started

What Does ‘Exposed’ Mean on a Trail?

June 12, 202616 Mins Read

Exposed trail meaning in hiking refers to sections of trail that leave you vulnerable, either to a significant drop on…

why is hiking so hard Getting Started

Why Is Hiking So Hard? (And When It Gets Easier)

June 11, 202620 Mins Read

Why is hiking so hard when you can walk 5 miles on a treadmill without breaking a real sweat? The…

why do hiking trails cost money Getting Started

Why Do Hiking Trails Cost Money?

June 11, 202616 Mins Read

Why do hiking trails cost money when you can walk out your front door for free? It’s a fair question,…

when to turn back on a hike Getting Started

When to Turn Back on a Hike

June 9, 202619 Mins Read

Knowing when to turn back on a hike is a more specific skill than most trail guides describe. It is…

what is a thru-hike Getting Started

What Is a Thru-Hike? Honest Truths for First-Timers

June 9, 202618 Mins Read

What is a thru-hike? Here is the honest answer in one sentence: a thru-hike is the act of completing an…

what are cairns on hiking trails Getting Started

What Are Cairns on Hiking Trails?

June 8, 202615 Mins Read

What are cairns on hiking trails? They’re stacked piles of rocks placed along a route to mark the path, indicate…

how heavy should a day hike backpack be Getting Started

How Heavy Should a Day Hike Backpack Be?

June 8, 202616 Mins Read

The first time I loaded a pack for a day hike, I brought everything. Two water bottles, a full first…

best time to start a hike Getting Started

Best Time to Start a Hike: 3 Rules That Work

June 7, 202617 Mins Read

The best time to start a hike is earlier than most beginners plan for. Not as a preference. Because three…

best beginner hikes in the US Getting Started

Best Beginner Hikes in the US: 15 Trails Worth Starting With

June 7, 202621 Mins Read

The best beginner hikes in the US are not the ones with the most dramatic views or the longest reputation.…

hiking vs trekking difference Getting Started

What Is the Difference Between Hiking and Trekking?

June 6, 202616 Mins Read

The hiking vs trekking difference is one of those things that seems clear until you try to explain it to…

best time of year to start hiking Getting Started

Best Time of Year to Start Hiking: All 4 Seasons Ranked

June 6, 202620 Mins Read

The best time of year to start hiking is fall, for most beginners in most of the United States. Not…

offline trail maps for hiking Getting Started

Offline Trail Maps for Hiking: Download Before You Go

June 5, 202615 Mins Read

Offline trail maps for hiking are not a nice-to-have. They are the difference between a fork in the trail being…

hiking with asthma Getting Started

Hiking With Asthma: What Actually Works

June 5, 202617 Mins Read

Hiking with asthma is a management problem, not a fitness problem. That distinction matters more than anything else on this…

STRETCHING BEFORE OR AFTER HIKING Getting Started

Stretching Before or After Hiking: What Works

June 4, 202618 Mins Read

The short answer to stretching before or after hiking: do it after. That answer will frustrate anyone who spent 10…

trail blaze colors and meanings Getting Started

Trail Blaze Colors and Meanings for Beginner Hikers

June 4, 202616 Mins Read

Trail blaze colors and meanings are the trail’s primary language, and most beginners pick them up by accident rather than…

How to Plan a Hiking Trip for Beginners Getting Started

How to Plan a Hiking Trip for Beginners: 9 Steps That Actually Work

June 3, 202616 Mins Read

If you want to know how to plan a hiking trip for beginners, the honest answer is that the planning…

National Parks for Beginners Getting Started

National Parks for Beginners: 5 Steps to Pick Your First One

June 3, 202615 Mins Read

National parks for beginners can feel like an overwhelming choice. There are 63 of them across the United States. They…

What to Eat on a Day Hike Getting Started

What to Eat on a Day Hike: 6 Foods That Work

June 2, 202620 Mins Read

What to eat on a day hike is the kind of question that sounds obvious until mile four proves otherwise.…

How to Find Hiking Partners Getting Started

How to Find Hiking Partners Near You: 6 Methods

June 2, 202616 Mins Read

How to find hiking partners is something almost every new hiker hits around week three. The first hike is usually…

HOW FAR CAN A BEGINNER HIKE IN A DAY Getting Started

How Far Can a Beginner Hike in a Day?

June 1, 202618 Mins Read

Here is the direct answer to how far can a beginner hike in a day: most adults starting out do…

Elevation gain hiking explained Getting Started

What Does “1000 Feet of Elevation Gain” Actually Feel Like? 5 Honest Truths

June 1, 202618 Mins Read

Elevation gain hiking explained in plain terms: it’s the total amount of uphill climbing on a trail, measured in feet.…

fire lookout hiking trails Getting Started

What Is a Fire Lookout Trail? 7 Reasons Beginners Love Them

May 31, 202618 Mins Read

Fire lookout hiking trails are maintained paths that lead to historic fire towers built across US national forests and parks…

hiking motivation tips Getting Started

How to Keep Hiking When It Gets Hard: 6 Mental Tricks

May 31, 202618 Mins Read

The hiking motivation tips that actually work on trail are not about mindset or mantras. They are specific mental maneuvers…

HIKING IN THE RAIN TIPS Getting Started

Hiking in the Rain Tips: When to Go, When to Turn Back

May 30, 202615 Mins Read

Most rain hikes are fine. That is the honest starting point, and most hiking in the rain tips content skips…

HIKING FOR WEIGHT LOSS Getting Started

Hiking for Weight Loss: 6 Methods That Actually Work

May 30, 202621 Mins Read

Hiking for weight loss works. Not as a slow burn that requires patience and optimism. As a calorie-expenditure tool that,…

GROUP HIKING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS Getting Started

Group Hiking Tips for Beginners: 5 Rules That Keep Everyone Moving

May 29, 202619 Mins Read

The most useful group hiking tips for beginners have nothing to do with how fit you are. They have to…

BUILDING HIKING CONFIDENCE WHEN YOU FEEL OUT OF PLACE Getting Started

Building Hiking Confidence When You Feel Out of Place

May 29, 202619 Mins Read

The honest answer to building hiking confidence is that it does not come from reading more articles about hiking. It…

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