Hiking Gear- Beginner

What kind of terrain are you hiking in?

The most important piece of clothing when hiking is the shoes. You need something strong and that will support your ankles if you snag a branch, or rock, or trip or anything. If you hike in mountains or places that are muddy you would need shoes with lugs in the soles. The more crazy the pattern looks and the deeper the grooves the better.

When we moved to Utah I went to a few outdoor stores and tried on different brands and styles. I can't remember whether mine are Nevados or Itascas (I think Nevados they are outside in our camping stuff and don't feel like going out to check). They were the ones that "felt" the most comfortable to me and had good lugs. Lots of mountainous, rocky, dirt terrain out here and lugs are a necessity. Coleman and Denali are also good brands.

One note. You will see a lot of what are sometimes called "hiking sandles" or "river sandles". We each have a pair of these too. Mine are actually the men's style because the women's version was kind of junky. I have seen many people in our red rock mountains hiking in those things. Not a good idea. The natl park service actually puts in their papers sometimes discouraging those types of shoes for their hiking trails. If you are anywhere where there are venomous snakes its a very bad idea. Very little support, doesn't protect your whole foot from rocks/branches/sharp edges. If you live somewhere like Florida or down south on mostly flat terrain, especially if its humid or part of your hike goes through river beds or something and you aren't worried about snakes then they are okay. The reason we have them is because there are a lot of reservoirs around here and they have rocks in the water and on the shores and they protect our feet and are okay for the water.

As for advice for beginners on hiking. I would recommend trusting the difficulty level on the trails website or pamphlets or whatever. Stick with short there and backs at first or small loops. half - 2miles to start with. We personally can't really do longer then 2 miles because we have little ones and they will tire out after about a mile and a half depending on the elevation change and trail difficulty. Of course that all depends on your terrain type too. If its Florida then 3-4miles can be the same exertion as 1 mile out here sometimes.

Sierratradingpost has an excellent selection of hikers at amazing prices, and lots of reviews. I don't buy mine anywhere else. I always get ones with good ankle support, and water resistance. Do not break them in on your longer hikes. Wear when you're out and about, and then take them out for a spin.

Good socks are as important as boots. Get smart wool socks or one of their competitors. You can get some fairly thin wool socks.

Shoes arethe most important. I can't really recommend a boot because it truley does differ depending on the person's feet. I have a really wide foot and Keens work great for me. Depending on the hiking, a pair of poles might be needed. Really helped my knees.

As the other poster stated, be prepared when going into the woods. You can never be too careful.

Enjoy!

One time we went to Mesa Verde Natl park in Colorado. It was a guided tour down into one of the cliff dwellings. Our tour got cancelled because some lady passed out and the only way for the medics to get her out was by taking the steps that we were supposed to use to go down. (The way out is a ladder) Could have been altitude sickness because she was from somewhere eastern, but most likely just being stupid and not drinking enough water.

The thing I love most about hiking is because it isn't just walking or exercise. Its seeing all the cool things around you in nature or geological formations.

^ I SO want to see Mesa Verde. I'm sorry that your tour got cancelled. I hope you've had a chance to go back since then!

This is helpful. Going to Sequoia, King's Canyon, and Yosemite in August.

I agree with everyone about the shoes. It's important to take your time picking them and choose the best ones for your feet.

I love my Merrell Moab Ventilators for hiking, but they aren't very lightweight. They're pretty breathable, which is helpful. I wear good, moisture wicking socks to keep my feet dry, and they don't usually get too hot. I have really wobbly ankles, so ankle support is very important for me.

A hiking pole is also helpful, particularly if you go on a lot of really uneven trails. It's like having an extra leg for balance. I just use a good, old fashioned... stick. The downside is, it can get pretty heavy after a while and doesn't fold away neatly like a hiking pole, but it works for me.

Have fun hiking!!

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I really recommend poles. And I will put my two cents in on shoes- I can not hike in boots. I actually end up twisting my ankles more than when I wear hiking shoes. I think it's a psychological thing- my ankles get sloppy because I think the boot is offering all the support I need.