Fresh air, the smell of a campfire, beautiful views and best friends – hiking as a separate type of especially sophisticated recreation attracts many people. How to prepare for a hike, so that in the process it was not excruciatingly painful?
Here are 6 harmful recommendations for those who plan to go towards the woods, mountain passes, hordes of gnus, or alpine meadows.
Don’t Workout in Advance
Running, cardio, swimming, biking and skiing as preparation for trekking is the worst thing you can do. Why pant in the gym in preparation for a vacation? Your legs will carry you up the trail on their own, and your back will happily take on a twenty-kilogram backpack. And no, nothing will fall off, pull or pinch. Don’t pay attention to the gurus’ mantras “you should run 10 km in an hour max” – they just don’t want to share the beauty of this world with you.
Trust the Locals
Do you like to play online National Casino or take part in lotteries because you love the thrill you get due to unexpected results? Then this tip is just for you! Stealing from tourists is nonsense in civilized countries, campgrounds and tourist lodges. You can safely leave your unbuckled bike outside and go to the store to get a croissant or put your phone on charge in the campsite’s common restroom – nothing will happen to them.
Don’t Check Your Equipment
Checking your gear ahead of time is a waste of time. What can happen to a tent that’s been sitting on a friend’s balcony for five years?
Only the paranoid set up their tent in their apartment and cook a romantic dinner in their ultra-fashionable kitchen with a camping gas burner, checking to see if everything is okay with the gas supply. Zippers, moth-eaten down jackets, and cracked leather boots in the closet will add spice to your outing.
Give up the Easy Going
Hiking is no reason to limit yourself to comfort! A favorite ceramic mug, a one-meter hugging goose, and a comfortable orthopedic pillow are definitely necessities. Be sure to put them in your backpack, along with an outfit for evening campfire gatherings, a liter bottle of adored shampoo, a scrub, and a coffee maker. And don’t forget the massive cash!
Don’t Watch the Weather Forecast
If the sun is shining and the grass is green in your city, it means that spring is in full swing in the mountains near you. Throw the warm down out of your backpack, leave the raincoat gathering dust in your closet, and hit the road without any extra socks or thermal underwear. There are no blizzards in the mountains in May!
Ignore the storm warning, even if the waves go up two meters around the kayak and no one else is in a hurry to leave the secluded cove. What a little storm for an experienced sea wolf who can’t swim, and a two-kilometer crossing in open water! But then you can make a great movie and show it to fish and seals.
Create the Route as You Go
Precise route on the map in advance is built only by control freaks (they love to control everything and everyone) who find it difficult to navigate the area and make decisions on the go. Knowing where we’re going, where we’re sleeping and how many more kilometers to the shelter must remain a mystery to the group. Improvise, add interesting points, crawl through wet boulders in the dark and set up camp in the swamp at night – but the adventure will be remembered for a long time.
