Day Hiking 101 with Guest Writer Ann Marie White
Frogs chirruping by the creek. Birds singing earlier, louder. The world slowly growing greener, warmer. These signs of spring are arriving around my home in the Carolinas, which means my ideal hiking weather is returning--aka not freezing. Last year, the arrival of spring brought the beginning of my thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, but this year I’m working full-time and don’t have the time or money to thru-hike another long trail. So I’m taking full advantage of the shorter trails in my area and all the wonderfulness of day hiking.
The Joys of Day Hiking
Day hiking (a hike that takes less than a day to complete) has many advantages to overnight and long-distance hiking that make it wonderful and well-worth your time:
Day hiking is a great way to explore areas that aren’t accessible by car such as waterfalls and beautiful mountain views.
You don’t need a ton of gear to participate, unlike overnight trips. I’ll cover the essential things to bring in just a minute, but they’re all cheap and easy to get. No hundreds of dollars worth of equipment needed.
It’s great exercise, and you can make it different every time by choosing a different trail to visit.
To follow that, you can use day hiking to train and get more comfortable with the outdoors before heading out on overnight trips if that’s something you’re interested in.
If you get soaked/tired/miserable, you can just go home to recuperate and return another day without ruining a whole multi-day trip.
Day hiking fits into your daily life much easier than overnight camping trips. You only need one free day, or even half a day, rather than multiple free days in a row.
Okay…but how?
Going for a hike may seem like it requires a lot of work and planning, but it doesn’t have to. Here’s some tips and tricks you need to know to execute a successful, stress-free day hike.
Resources for finding a good hike:
My favorite day hiking resources is the Alltrails app. If you grant it access to your location, it will suggest trails in your area. You can then filter the options by distance, difficulty, even keywords such as ‘waterfall’ or ‘dog-friendly’ if you have any specific desires for your hike.
Google, of course, is also a good resource (but typically many of the first few suggested sites will be Alltrails). Other good websites are National or State Park websites or blogs of local adventurers.
Books and maps can also be useful, but they can contain outdated information. But they can definitely be a great starting point at least. Local outfitters are also a great place to start if you’re looking for some great hikes and general hiking information, the employees are typically well-informed on the surrounding area.
Ann Marie at Angel's Landing on a day hike in Zion National Park
Essentials for day hiking:
One of the wonderful things about day hiking that I mentioned earlier is that it doesn’t require much by way of special gear or equipment. Here I’ll go through some key things you need to have before you leave the trailhead.
Appropriate clothing. What this means exactly will vary depending on the weather conditions, but in general, you should be wearing good footwear (tennis shoes, trail running shoes, hiking boots, hiking sandals) and wool or synthetic clothing. Think moisture-wicking, fabrics you’d workout in. Cotton, while very sustainable as a material, increases the chance for chafing when worn during exercise. So leave your soft comfy cotton at home or in the car to change into after your hike. Wool and synthetic clothing cut down on chafing and will be more comfortable to wear during your hike. I personally prefer synthetic materials for my hiking clothes, except for my socks.
Extra layer(s). My rule of thumb is to have one layer of clothing warmer than I expect to need. But again, what this means exactly depends on the weather. If you’re hiking up in elevation, it will most likely be cooler and windier at the top, so you may want another layer. The same is also true if you are hiking to a waterfall.
Water. No matter how short the hike, bring water. A good recommendation for how much water to carry is ½ L (or about 2 cups) of water per hour spent hiking, but your hydration needs change depending on the temperature, weather, and elevation. For a thorough explanation of hiking hydration, check out REI’s article here.
Snacks. I would also say you should bring some snacks no matter how long the hike is, because it’s nice to have something on hand if you get hungry. Also, there’s always a chance the hike lasts longer than you expected and your body needs to be refueled. Great day hiking snacks include granola/protein bars, jerky, dried fruit, and of course, trail mix.
Flashlight. I never set off down a trail without a flashlight, even if I’m expecting to finish my hike before noon. The vast majority of hikes conclude without an emergency, but in the event that something happens and you wind up in the woods at night, a flashlight is a huge game changer (and possibly lifesaver).
Toilet paper and trash bag. This is the ultimate item for “rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.” Most of the time, I don’t need toilet paper on a day hike, but I carry it anyway, just in case. An explanation for how to use the bathroom in nature while respecting the environment is outside the scope of this article, but REI has a great explanation here.
First aid kit. Nothing crazy extensive, but it’s nice to carry some basics such as band-aids, antibiotic ointment, small alcohol swabs, sunscreen, and bug spray (depending on the weather). And of course any medication you regularly carry with you (I have asthma, so my inhaler is always in my backpack).
These are the things I never hike down the trail without, but for more things you may need to take, here’s another REI article (REI is my favorite resource for all things outdoors if you haven’t noticed).
Tips and tricks for the trail
In no particular order other than the order my brain thought of them, here are the top tips I have for a safe and successful hike.
Be familiar with the principles of Leave No Trace. Leave No Trace (LNT) is the name for the guidelines that help hikers recreate in nature in an environmentally responsible manner. Many of these principles are already discussed as tips/essentials in this article, but we don’t have time for a complete discussion of them so please check them out here. Please understand and practice LNT when heading out on a hike so that the beautiful world you experience can be preserved for others.
Know where you’re going. Have a map, an app, or a friend who knows the trail to guide you. Also, know how the trail is marked. Most trails use blazes–colored markers on trees–to guide hikers along the right path. Knowing what color/shape blaze your particular trail uses is very important, especially if you’re hiking in an area with lots of trails. Cairns–stacks of rocks–are another common way to mark trails, especially above tree line or in other places where trees are scarce. Be sure to never unstack these cairns.
Listen to your body. If you’re feeling tired or sick before reaching your goal, listen to your body and turn around. That mountain or waterfall is not worth the risk of pushing yourself too hard, which is a good way to need rescuing.
Check the weather forecast. Be aware of the expected temperature, and if any storms or precipitate are heading your way. Either be prepared for the forecasted weather, or change your plans if the weather looks unfavorable. Also remember, if your hike is at a higher elevation, know that the weather up there may not be the same as at your elevation. It may be colder or stormier at higher elevations.
ALWAYS tell someone where you’re going. And make sure it’s someone who isn’t going with you. Tell them exactly where you’re going, what hike you’re doing, and when you plan to be back. Then contact them when you return so they know you’re safe. This way, if something bad happens, when they don’t hear from you they can tell the proper authorities and get help headed to you.
If hiking with music, hike with one earbud in. This advice has two parts. Part one, if you’re hiking with music, please wear earbuds so that any hikers nearby who would prefer not to listen to music while hiking aren’t forced to listen to yours. Part two, listen through only one earbud. This allows you to hear what’s going on around you, such as a hiker behind you needing to pass or wildlife tromping through the woods nearby.
The uphill hiker has the right away. Typically trails are only wide enough for people to hike single-file. If this is the case, when two hikers are hiking in opposite directions, one will have to step slightly off trail to let the other pass. When this happens, whichever hiker is hiking downhill should stop and step-aside to let the uphill-going hiker pass. Sometimes the hiker going uphill will stop because they want a break to breathe, in which case that’s fine, you can keep hiking downhill. But if they seem to be chugging along, and you’re the one going down, please pull over and let them go on by. Please don’t wreck their momentum, hiking uphill is already hard enough.
Ann Marie with two friends at Triple Falls in Western North Carolina
Final Thoughts
Day hiking is a wonderful way to spend the day, but it can be a little bit scary/nerve-wracking to new hikers. Please don’t let your fear keep you from going, if you just get out there you will gain the confidence and experience to conquer that fear. If you’re nervous, start small. Find a popular trail with lots of hikers, or something really short and easy, or in a less remote area, or all of the above. It may also help to go with a friend, whether they have hiked before or not, there’s safety in numbers so you may feel better with an inexperienced friend than alone. If you don’t know anyone who wants to go, join a hiking Facebook group (there are some out there just for women that are super great) or use other outdoor internet communities (this one right here for instance) to make new friends.
And finally, don’t diminish your experience by falling into the “only trap.” The “only trap” is where you think and speak of yourself as “only a day hiker.” You’re “only going for a day hike” rather than going for an overnight or long-distance backpacking trip. I’ve met so many people who fall into the “only trap” and speak of themselves and their experience in a dismissive, almost derogatory way. As if they are less worthy or less important because they aren’t experiencing nature in the most difficult way possible. That’s just not true. First off, there’s always going to be someone doing something harder than you. I’m a thru-hiker, but I “only” hiked one long-distance trail last year. There are people that hike three times that distance in one year. And people that do even more than that. And secondly, so what if you’re “only a day hiker”? Are you enjoying it? Then that’s literally all that matters. You are out here hiking. Not at home on the couch, which you easily could be. Get outside, explore this incredible world, and don’t diminish your experience by saying you’re “only a day hiker.” You’re a hiker. And all hikers are amazing.
If you have any hiking questions, feel free to drop them below, we’d love to answer them! Happy spring, and happy hiking!
