how does one get into hiking?

pinnah said:
My thoughts, rather randomly....

1) Look for hiking clubs. I suspect both the Adirondack Mountain Club and Appalachian Mountain Club have local chapters in your area. Going on group hikes with others more experienced is a great way to learn the ropes.

2) Read. "The Backpacker's Handbook" by Chris Townsend and "The Complete Walker" by Colin Fletcher are great overviews. More oriented towards backpacking but the basics all apply to shorter hikes. I would trust their advice on clothing and such.

3) For the northeast, I strongly advise against cotton clothing and cotton socks, even in the summer. My suggestion, invest in a medium weight zip turtle neck polyester shirt for cool temps, a light synthetic t-shirt for warm weather, some nylon shorts and some wool or wool blend socks.

4) Practice map reading. For general hiking in the northeast, solid map reading skills are way more important than compass skills, imo. 99% of the time, you will be following maintained trails, at least at first.

5) Seek local hiking guides. They generally give the best overviews of hiking opportunities in the area you're interested in.

6) Seek local internet forums. Very common to find forums that focus on hiking in local regions. Good places to find more localized guidance.
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:thumbup: Good info.
 
Start out slow. There are plenty of shorter, easier trails out there that are more like a walk in the woods than an actual hike. Bring a few things like water, flashlight, etc. Most of the state parks here have 1-3 mile hikes that never put you far from a ranger station or other signs of civilization and are kid friendly. Work your way up from there. Pretty soon you will start acquiring gear and finding out what works for you and what doesnt. When buying gear, spend the money on the good stuff and skip that junk from Wal Mart. One thing I still do with my friends is load up a cooler with sandwiches and drinks and go hit multiple shorter trails and make a day of it. This allows you to travel lighter and be more flexible. Pinnah posted very good info. The most important thing is to start off easy. Go slow. Dont make your first hike a ten mile trek. And get The Backpackers Handbook. Great source of info. Good luck!

Edited: I say 'around here'. I do not live in your region, but I think you will find the same trail situations I decribed above.
 
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Not all of the stuff at Wal-Mart is junk. You do have to be selective though. Items from that store which are good deals show up frequently here in gear review threads. And even the "cheap junk" can get you out there at low initial cost while you gain experience and knowledge. A lot of people are daunted by the proliferation of high cost expedition grade goods advertised in magazines. For a walk in the woods, those items may not be what you really need. You may get by for a while with a blue closed cell foam sleeping pad for $6 or so before you decide to drop a hundred on a state of the art inflatable pad. You may well get by for the first year with an Outdoor Products or Ozark Trails hydration bladder for $15 before you feel the need to upgrade to a Camelbak. Same for water bottles and many other items. It isn't money wasted as you can pass the less expensive stuff on to a friend when you do upgrade. Or keep it for aloaners to the occasional gearless acquaintence who decides to give hiking a try. Just another perspective from a frugal old Codger.
 
pinnah said:
My thoughts, rather randomly....

1) Look for hiking clubs. I suspect both the Adirondack Mountain Club and Appalachian Mountain Club have local chapters in your area. Going on group hikes with others more experienced is a great way to learn the ropes.

2) Read. "The Backpacker's Handbook" by Chris Townsend and "The Complete Walker" by Colin Fletcher are great overviews. More oriented towards backpacking but the basics all apply to shorter hikes. I would trust their advice on clothing and such.

3) For the northeast, I strongly advise against cotton clothing and cotton socks, even in the summer. My suggestion, invest in a medium weight zip turtle neck polyester shirt for cool temps, a light synthetic t-shirt for warm weather, some nylon shorts and some wool or wool blend socks.

4) Practice map reading. For general hiking in the northeast, solid map reading skills are way more important than compass skills, imo. 99% of the time, you will be following maintained trails, at least at first.

5) Seek local hiking guides. They generally give the best overviews of hiking opportunities in the area you're interested in.

6) Seek local internet forums. Very common to find forums that focus on hiking in local regions. Good places to find more localized guidance.
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Hey there Peeintheshower -

Between JVC and Pinnah I'm not sure who gets the gold medal for most useful information!

When you're starting out completely new to any activity, the terms/names/nomenclature of that activity can seem overwhelming (it's not, you'll become familiar very quickly).

Just remember hiking is simply walking in nature - no special training required. You will need some basic stuff as others have posted for you - JVC gave a great basic list - map of the area you're going (sealed in a big ziplock bag so it doesn't get wet/destroyed), rain jacket, water bottles/water bladder (CamelBak/Platipus), a daypack/backpack of some sort to carry it in. This is an abbreviated list taken from the classic "10 Essential Items" endorsed by more than a few experienced hikers/backpackers in the books you've been recommended to read.

Of course since this is a "Blade forum" you will *NEED* a 14" fixed blade knife, a $300 "Bushcraft" knife, camp axe, bow saw, and 1,000 yards of small rope - JUST KIDDING !!!!

As Pinnah recommends (and JVC alludes to), learn to read your trail map (also called a "terrain" map). These are maps with the trails and ground contour lines (the shape of the ground hills/valleys/etc) on them. Also, as mentioned by Codger_64 and others, join a Hiking Club or meet someone at one of the local camping gear shops who you can tag along with on a hike. You can make a friend or two and learn a lot as well.

When I taught land navigation, my biggest mistake starting out as a teacher was not spending enough time with students to ensure they could read a terrain map with precision. It's important to know how contour lines on the map "look" in real life so you can keep a good idea of where you are on the trail. Unfortunately, trails in heavily used areas do change from time to time (as well as there often being many smaller trails which can be confusing). A classic text is "Be Expert with Map & Compass" by Bjorn Kjellstrom.

Since you will be on well-marked trails (usually with color-coded sign-posts), you won't initially benefit from a high level of skill with a compass. You'll just need to be able to match the direction of the compass needle to north and turn your map to make sure it's pointing north as well (called "orienting a map").

Once you've gained some confidence in the outdoors like hiking to trail shelters and you're ready to camp overnight, there are few more things you'll need (sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camp stove etc). Trail regulations are easily found on-line for about anywhere you want to go and often are printed on the trail map itself.

One thing to keep in mind is don't be overwhelmed with the equipment and try not to become obsessed with it. Rather; focus on fully enjoying nature and all the sights, smells and sounds you can encounter there.
 
Codger_64 said:
Not all of the stuff at Wal-Mart is junk. You do have to be selective though. Items from that store which are good deals show up frequently here in gear review threads. And even the "cheap junk" can get you out there at low initial cost while you gain experience and knowledge. A lot of people are daunted by the proliferation of high cost expedition grade goods advertised in magazines. For a walk in the woods, those items may not be what you really need. You may get by for a while with a blue closed cell foam sleeping pad for $6 or so before you decide to drop a hundred on a state of the art inflatable pad. You may well get by for the first year with an Outdoor Products or Ozark Trails hydration bladder for $15 before you feel the need to upgrade to a Camelbak. Same for water bottles and many other items. It isn't money wasted as you can pass the less expensive stuff on to a friend when you do upgrade. Or keep it for aloaners to the occasional gearless acquaintence who decides to give hiking a try. Just another perspective from a frugal old Codger.
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+1!

I'm the dirtbag to your frugal.

The same can be said for clothing as well.

*Mart stores usually have polyester t-shirts in their sports clothing displays. At some point, polyester is polyester.

They also usually have decent fleece (seaonal) for next to nothing. Ditto basic windbreakers and synthetic sweat pants and shorts.

Another low cost options for pant/short are Dickies work pants which are polyester twill with a dash of cotton. They do ok in wet weather and infinitely better than jeans.

I too am impressed with the Outdoor Products stuff. The packs are perfectly adequate for a first pack. If/when it blows out, you can replace it and you'll have a better idea of what sort of features you're looking for.

Regarding high price gear... Some of the costs offset their R&D (often means "rip-off and duplicate") and usually stupidly generous warranty programs. Tents, packs, boots, sleeping bags... I consider these to be high-wear items and tend to be willing to spend more for these things. That said, having a cheap get-me-by will get you out there now which gives you the luxury of following the close-out sales which often allow you to get top shelf stuff for pennies on the dollar.
 
Codger_64 said:
"Cotton kills" is a much overstated fallacy. This synthetic generation would not exist today if this were an absolute truth.
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I agree with this to a point. A better phrase is "cotton kills...when wet." I hike a lot in cotton but I do so when it's nice out and I'm not expecting rain. If the weather's iffy I start putting on synthetics. I doubt Grandma Gatewood had much synthetic clothing on her. ;)
 
Shotgun said:
I agree with this to a point. A better phrase is "cotton kills...when wet." I hike a lot in cotton but I do so when it's nice out and I'm not expecting rain. If the weather's iffy I start putting on synthetics. I doubt Grandma Gatewood had much synthetic clothing on her. ;)
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She did have a state-of-the-art shower curtain! :)
 
Opinions on her vary.

Make a rain cape, and an over the shoulder sling bag, and buy a sturdy pair of Keds tennis shoes. Stop at local groceries and pick up Vienna sausages... most everything else to eat you can find beside the trail...
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I think the translation of "beside the trail" means "in the pack of other hikers".

In any event... Carry a knife if it suits you. Like this one. Hopefully makes Codger smile.

Schrade-Walden H-15 by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
pinnah said:
Opinions on her vary.



I think the translation of "beside the trail" means "in the pack of other hikers".

In any event... Carry a knife if it suits you. Like this one. Hopefully makes Codger smile.

Schrade-Walden H-15 by Pinnah, on Flickr
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Codger almost always smiles! But knife choice, for a city dweller who has to get to the woods first, might be something a bit more non-threatening, but still useful in size and durability. This one belonged to John Hart, the Lone Ranger.
2hn5kk3.jpg
 
The way to start is to visit the state parks, get trail maps, and take some hikes. You can stay in motels at first or car camp in state parks if you want to and use the location as a "base camp". For day hikes, get a small pack of your choice to carry such things as water, first aid kit, camera and equipment you use, compass, and so forth. I personally enjoy trees and native plants and I often have field guides with me. I tend to keep them in a zip lock bag to keep them dry just in case it rains.

One of the things I do in my state or area is get books titled something like "waterfalls of xyz state". These tend to make day hikes very pleasureable rather than just hiking through the woods trails.

The basics are tent, probably 4-man as a base camp and something you can set up by yourself, air mattress/pads, old pots and skillets, coleman stove or something similar, hand saw for wood, knife or three. We or I started out this way and then moved to longer hikes. Now I'm back to day hikes and base camp approach. Generally people don't bother your stuff in parks and you can leave to hike and come back with your stuff intact. But it happens.

I found that if you stay at State Parks, they often have showers, fresh water source, and electricity at camp sites. I sometimes carried an extension cord and a light to plug into the park electricity for tent use or just to have available around the camp site. This is not wilderness or back country camping but it is still fun and gets you out to do things.

As you do stuff, you will determine the kind of camping you prefer and the equipment you need. Our car camping grew to the point that we hauled coolers, tarps and all kinds of junk essentially filling up the back of a pickup with junk (much of it unnecessary). Then, I started to pare down the load.

You can make camping whatever you like in terms of comfort. Best to go with a friend but I have done a lot of camping by myself. Friends often aren't interested in the things you are. Make sure you tell somebody where you are going and perhaps the trails you might be hiking. A short email to a family member is all that is necessary along with some basic information on your destination, objectives, and when you will return.
 
Ater handling dad's 1580T, I gave my folder to my son so it would stay in good hands and replaced it with the Schrade 1520T . Affordable (yes, made in China) for me and with the most welcoming feel in hand, sense of control ... and certainly time tested. Lone Ranger! Well, who knew!

DSCF0336OLDTIMERSCHRADELIGHT750MED_zps8106535b.jpg
 
panzertroop said:
Just staring walking in the woods! The rest will come to you over time.
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I understand that you mean "learn by doing", but bad things sometimes happen when people with little or no expreience in "outing" just start walking in the woods.

One of two missing Orange County hikers found.

One of two hikers missing in the Trabuco Canyon area of Orange County since Easter Sunday was found alive Wednesday night, authorities said.


Nicolas Cendoya, 19, was being taken to a trauma center, authorities said. Search crews had not found his hiking partner, Kyndall Jack, but were scouring the area.

Cendoya was "dehydrated and very confused," said Lt. Jason Park of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Cendoya was found about half a mile from where the two had parked their vehicle.
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First time I went hiking was to get away from it all.
Did some research and went to delaware water gap, sunfish pond..
It kicked my ass, and I have been addicted ever since.
Nothing like your heart pounding half way up the mountain.
 
HI, I'm just outside NYC in Bergen County NJ. There's a ton of great day-hikes within a 20 min drive of the GWB. Check out Norvin Green State Forest, Ringwood State Park, and Mahlon Dickerson Park. I found adequate PDF maps online. My advice is not to rely on GPS. A little compass knowledge can really save your bacon and there's plenty of easy to find info on the web. Get a good set of shoes, tell someone where you'll be, and just go!
 
I printed a map out online, then stopped at the ranger station to go over my hike.
I got lost here and there, but all part of the fun.
Boots,small first aid kit, compass, water, backpack w snacks, camera, EDC, trail map and tick spray!
 
Leave the camo at home. If something happens, you get lost, fall, catch yourself in a improvised snare and can't get out, it'll be a lot easier for rescue to find you in clothes with some color, instead of camo.
know where you'r going and have an idea how long you'll be gone and let somebody know.
have fun.

everybody keeps railing on cotton killing people, I say its pride, most people that get lost won't even admit it to themselves untill its a forgone conclusion, and somebodys got to go find them. Get wet and keep walking instead of stoppng to build a fire and get warm.(maybe not the guys on here, but other guys)
doesn't take much for a day hike to turn into a search and rescue situation.

I hear, New York city has some pretty good librarys, bet they have a ton of books on hiking.

oh, and my spell check isn't working.
 
also, if I go alone (I know, not advised) I use an Android program called "Real Time GPS Tracker" that updates my location to a map on the web so my girlfriend can call the park rangers if I don't check in after a few hours. Of course, you need cell coverage...
 
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