1.Don't mess with wildlife.
It's really common for people to think it’s okay to touch or feed wildlife, particularly fuzzy creatures that seem like they could feasibly be good house pets. It's important to remember that no matter how docile they seem and how close they'll get to you, they are still wild animals. Even if the animal won't do any harm to you, it's quite possible that you might do harm to it. The prime example being the smell of humans on baby animals often cause the parents to reject the infant and leave it to die.
You don't want to feed wild animals because that teaches them to be dependent on humans. While just this once may seem harmless, that's all it takes to teach an animal that human can provide food. This is detrimental due to the fact that animals become reliant on humans for food. Not only is this unstable for them but it also affects their entire ecosystem because it takes their contribution out of it.
2. Bring water.
16 oz is the starting point for one person. You’re going to want to factor in the length of the hike, and the conditions. (I.e. the sort of weather you’ll be in, how challenging the terrain is) It’s best to overestimate than underestimate. For what it’s worth, I’ve noticed that I usually end up wanting or needing more water than I've brought with me.
Try to drink pretty consistently. Someone once told me 'if you're thirsty, it's too late.' And while that sounds a bit morbid, she was right. If you are thirsty, you're probably already dehydrated. You want to be drinking even when you don't feel thirsty yet. Other symptoms to look out for are headaches, dizziness, feeling sleepy and/or weak and a dry mouth. A good way to check for dehydration is by lightly pinching your skin on your knuckle. If the skin takes more than about two seconds to return to normal, you're probably dehydrated. Lastly, bear in mind that if your hike isn't in a loop, you'll want to save half of your water for the way back.
3. Bring a buddy.
People go hiking in pairs or groups for a reason. Actually, for several of them. The main benefit and purpose in not hiking alone is that if something goes wrong, you've got somebody there to help. The most common mishap seems to be twisting your ankle (or even breaking it) and not being able to walk by yourself. Having someone with you in that situation allows you to hobble away as opposed to dragging yourself or having to wait around until another hiker happens upon you. There are also more extreme cases, such as a head injury or having someone to calm you down if you begin to panic. As you become a stronger hiker, you'll be more confident and therefore run the risk of thinking you can tackle more and more challenging terrain alone. My advice for this situation is to sit yourself down and watch 120 hours, then reconsider.
The second reason is that hiking is a social activity. Not only that but it's a rare social activity that can be as comfortable for introverts as it is for extroverts as it isn't something that social rules dictate you have to either talk or remain quiet during. It would, however, probably be wise to bring along someone who shares your proclivity.
Personally, I've also found that it can be helpful to hike with some because it decreases the chances of my having to go without something. I’m a remarkably forgetful person and so having someone else there minimizes the chances that I’ll end up trekking all over the place without sunscreen or bug spray. This also goes for spotting things. Having a few other sets of eyes is always good, in terms of noticing interesting things around you. The perfect group seems to be anything from two to five people. After approximately five people, the amount of noise the group generates considerably lowers the amount of wildlife you may encounter.
4. Don't make it competitive.
It’s very easy to make a hike into a race in spite of the fact that hiking and competition don’t mesh well at all. The easiest way for this to happen is for someone to go at a pace that’s The more focused you are on 'winning' the less focused you are on enjoying yourself and taking in the things around you, which is almost the entire point. If you get too far from your group members, you lose all the benefits of having them around.
The most helpful way to dissolve that situation can be the simplest: mention it outright. The other person or people can’t read minds, and they don’t know if you’re feeling as though they may be getting competitive.
5. Rest.
Going hand in hand with not being competitive, don't be afraid to say you need a break (or ten!) The idea of ‘no pain no gain’ is outdated, and wasn’t ever backed by science. Truth is, no pain means no pain. Nothing more, nothing less. Be kind to your body and it will thank you for it! Drink some water, chat for a bit, take in the view, then see how you feel.
While everyone hates doing it, there are times where you’re going to have to turn back. Sometimes the situation is out of your control, say a giant storm comes rolling in, but some are well within your locus of control. Your own well-being is the biggest thing that you have power over and the longer you wait to take a break and the more you push yourself, the higher the chances are of you needing to turn back.
It’s important when you feel bad to assess if it’s time to take a break or if it’s time to turn back. Always try a break first. After that, take an honest inventory of your body and tell your group or partner what’s going on. If the rest of the hike feels challenging or even insurmountable, but you don’t feel like your health is in any danger, press on. Remember, feeling like giving up is not the same thing as having to give up.
6. Be prepared, but don't go overboard.
Hiking is actually quite cheap, given that you probably have all the things you already need. Tennis shoes, a water bottle and a backpack are the essentials. For the rest, plan ahead. Check the weather to see if you need to bring a poncho or sunglasses. You don't need to go out and buy bear spray for a quarter mile hike. (I've heard of people seeing bears on hikes, I've never actually heard of someone who needed to use bear spray.)
Not only does this save you prep time, but halfway through the hike, everything is going to feel like it weighs twice as much as it did at the beginning of the trip. If you have a backpack, try walking around the block or even just the room with it, then imagine it’s several bricks heavier than it already is. That should be a rough estimate of what it's going to feel like. You want to pack as light as you possibly can. So if you can leave it behind, do.
7. Keep your wits about you.
We've probably all heard a tragic hiking story or two where someone gets buried alive in a mudslide or mauled by a bear. Truth it, we hear about those stories because they don't really happen all that often. It's even more rare for someone to get into a potentially fatal situation (or even just a sticky one) without having done something ‘wrong’ i.e. walking in areas that are marked as dangerous, not telling anyone where they are going when they are hiking alone.
The worst thing you can do if you get into a bad situation is panic. Deep breathing is proven to calm people and even cause physiological changes like lowered heart rate. If you feel yourself beginning to freak out, inhale and exhale slowly until you feel a little more grounded. Once you're feeling a little better make out a mental list of steps you’re going to take. Use common sense and don't be afraid to call 911 if you don't know what to do. That's what they’re there for!
8. Go with the flow.
Hiking isn’t meant to be excessively structured. For this reason, it’s best not to schedule a hike on a day when you have plans soon after. Some of the best hikes I've been on haven’t been the hikes I intended to go on at all. While generally, there’s an idea of where you want to go or a trail you're going to hike, getting deterred by the unexpected is half the fun. Living in a society run by deadlines and schedules, it can be easy to forget that here, you are under no pressure to stick to your original intentions. Try to think of your plan as a guideline.
This also applies for smaller detours. Don’t try to rush yourself or anyone else into skipping bird watching so you can move along faster. Hiking is all about stopping to smell the roses, so do so! Take pictures of cute little mushrooms on the side of the path or stack some rocks in a formation. Eat earlier than you intended. Everything is good.