Yodel-Ay-Ee-Ooh!!! Hiking a mountain to the peak so you can hear your yodel echo through the valley is something to put on your bucket list, but it's not as easy as it might seem. Hiking can be a dangerous sport and you need to know a lot about it before you can even attempt to climb big mountains. So let's start small and begin with the Top 5 Hiking Essentials.
No.5 - Take it slow
No one starts their first hiking trip on Mount Everest. Your first hiking trip should be short and sweet. There's a lot of things you can learn just on a 30 minute hike in your neighborhood park. Once you're ready to hike the mountains, check with your local hiking guides for a beginner, intermediate and expert chart to see which ones are good for you to try. Going from one level to the next will help you figure out what you can handle and if you want to take things more seriously.
No. 4 - Hiking Boots
Hiking Boots for KidsCourtesy of hikebloglove.com
The most important thing to take when you are going hiking is your footwear. If you are hiking in snow or rain, you need to have good traction so you don't slip and fall. But most important, you need to have a comfortable and durable shoe so that your feet do not get sore when you are hiking. If you get a blister in the middle of a hike, say good bye to enjoying the views.
No. 3 - Learning First Aid
First Aid for KidsCourtesy of www.primarytimes.net
First Aid is the best thing to know for life in general. It is especially important when there are know doctors to call for an imediate emergency. You can probably take a first aid course for free at your school. Ask your teacher about it!
No. 2 - Making a Backpack
BackpackingCourtesy of www.wta.org
In the beginning when you are hiking small trails, you should still pack a nice little bag of things that can help you. Here is a quicklist:
- Water
- Extra jacket
- Snacks
- Sunscreen
- First Aid kit
- Swiss army knife or Multi-tool kit
- Flashlight
- Waterproof matches
- Maps
This is a great start for a hiking backpack. As you get more advanced, it'll be important to pack things that may help you live for a couple of days away from civilization.
No.1 - Know how to read a map
Reading A Mountain MapCourtesy of www.telegraph.co.uk
The last thing you want to do on a hiking trip is take a wrong turn and the GPS on your iPhone is not always going to work in the country. To be safe, you should pack a waterproof map and you need to learn how to read it. If you get lost, there is a way to figure out where North is using the Sun and the stars, so practice a little bit of astronomy before you go hiking. If you want to cheat... just buy a compass.
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