Hiking advice

I love hiking but I'm a total newb. I've cobbled together my gear and still wear sneakers.

What kind of shoes do all you avid chaz hikers recommend? And some good pieces of gear? I'm tired of being an amateur lol.

Thanks!

How fit/used to walking long distances are you?

Rigid soled shoes will keep your feet from getting tired so fast. If your feet are already accustomed to walking miles, you might get away with a more flexible sole. I prefer lighter shoes, it really depends on that factor and the type of terrain you're hiking in.

Even if you're going for a day hike, pack as if you're planning to stay the night wherever you're going. You don't have to bring a tent and sleeping bag, etc. But pack enough food and water for an overnight trip, and a set of dry clothes. Especially socks, and a sweater or good jacket. Even if the weather is supposed to be hot. When people sweat, they get chilled. It's surprisingly easy to get hypothermic when you're sweaty and the sun dips over the horizon. Mel from Moxie Collies once told me that the people who go out for day hikes in a T shirt, shorts, and with a granola bar and water bottle are the people they find dead on SAR missions.

Some other good things to have are matches, phone, knife, a little rope, first aid kit, etc.

And ALWAYS let someone know when and where you're going, and when you expect to be back. My brother always prints out a map of the area he's traveling to, traces out his general route, and calls my mom to let her know he'll be gone for X days. This way if you don't show up, people know where to look for you.

ETA: For brand of shoes, I'm a huge fan of Keens. They make fabulous hiking boots. I use their closed toe sandals a lot. They're super burly and rigid, yet light. A few of the SAR folks actually wear the Keen Newport H2O sandals on their missions. For me they worked really well in the rocky dry SW with all the cacti attacking my feet, and they work equally well in the muddy damp slippery NW.

I'm on the go so this is going to be quick.

Some people like hiking in sneakers, for me personally I choose more rugged shoes. Your foot's comfort is imperative on a hike. I also always buy waterproof shoes-under no circumstance do you want to hike with wet feet--blisters, blisters, blisters!!!! I have these and I LOVE them: http://m.rei.com/mt/www.rei.com/product/828400/merrell-moab-mid-waterproof-hiking-boots-womens,-bungee-cord?preferredSku=8284000001&cm_mmc=cse_PLA-_-pla-_-product-_-8284000001&mr:referralID=11ba8290-f6d9-11e2-a969-001b2166c2c0

Also, wool socks to slick moisture away from your feet. I just use the REI brand. And always at least an extra pair. Also, as much synthetic(moisture wicking) clothes as possible, but def synthetic undies... it can get very uncomfortable otherwise.

I can't agree with Romy enough about extra food/water/long sleeve. I bring a breathable rain jacket with me always, it was pricey but wayyyyy worth it.

I also have a paracord bracelet with a whisle and the dog has a paracord collar. I also have emergency fire starter with me always.

2 overlooked(I feel anyway) pieces that I keep in my med kit are vetbond and vetwrap... They're good for more than just dogs!!! LOL. And I always bring a sheet of moleskin.

Another thing to consider is weight, the more you carry the harder it will be on you, buy lighter weight gear if possible.

Ok, my quick second is over! HaHa!!! I have to run! But, I do a fair amount of hiking and started more whole-heartedly on overnight backcountry camping. I you have any specific question feel free to pm me.

ETA: I recommend a good headlamp over a flashlight. If you get stuck hiking at night bc you blow your turn-around time to make the summit you will want your hands free! LOL.

/whispers

vibrams

As a huge Vibram fangirl myself... I really wouldn't recommend VFFs for any heavier hiking. Light treks will be fine, but anything with length of time and difficult trails and you'll want something with ankle support, especially if you're building up your resistence.

Romy and Xpae gave excellent advice. I'm just avidly getting into hiking as well. It's incredibly challenging and rewarding!

I'm pretty fit, I walk a lot at work and for exercise. A 2-3 hour scramble over the countryside with the dog is nothing new, but I haven't done more than that. Better shoes, and a better job of packing my back are at the top of my list I admit, I'm always torn on exactly what to pack; you know, how much, what do I really need, etc.

All of those things are awesome suggestions. I'm making a list of gear, and while I have some of those things, I'm not prepared enough. Thank you for your input!

Lol, those things skeeve me out.

Vibram makes a very nice hiking shoe that aren't the creepy toes thing. That's the brand my hiking shoes are and they're fabulous. I was worried about the break in time, which turned out to be nothing and I hiked a 14'er in them two days after I purchased.

Agreed on all the equipment advice! Pack smart, small and light.

I do hard, long, rough hikes in my VFFs. I've been using them for a few years anywhere from bouldering to hilly brush and creek beds. I did a seven mile trek through Arch Angel in Alaska in my VFFs last week and felt great. Don't fret, give it a shot and see if it works for you. If not I like keens, Merrill's, and danners for boots.

For emergency supplies, those thermal blanket things are great for unplanned overnights. Also pocket handwarmers, trioxane tablets, and lighter.

The tablets you can get on ebay for pennies, and burn with a hot blue flame for a couple of minutes. You don't want to burn them in an enclosed space, but for starting a campfire they are awesome and handy in areas where fire starting materials are likely to be damp. They also burn long enough that you can heat one can of food with one tablet if you want to lug heavy cans of food around. I keep some in my car emergency kit and bring some when I go hiking too.

I'm on the opposite end not recommending Merrell. I have my Sirens replaced three times before I gave up and got a pair of Keens. Water proof shoes that couldn't withstand two inches of dewy grass. My Keens have not failed me yet, but I'm interested in trying Vibrams.

Gear I don't carry any thing special, but I don't over night it. I have a nice Under Armour backpack that carries every thing I need.

Alright, it's 1am.... I just got home from work and I need to wind down, so I am going to take the time to type out a halfway real response to this and not the one I typed before. This is also my first minute of having any sort of time to sit down and do this. LOL.

The first principal of hiking is that everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for the next... That being said there are a few guidelines to follow.

Shoes:

Ideally your shoes will be snug in the heel and loose in the toe. Too much heel movement will cause rubbing... Which will cause blisters. It will also allow your feet to slide forward in the shoe. I lost my toenail to my Keen boots this way. They're too wide for my feet and heading down the mountain my feet were smashed against the front of my boot... It was very painful, but I was on a mission to get home and didn't care. However, your feet will swell when you hike so you need room to accommodate for that, you also don't want your feet hitting the front of the shoe for the above reason. It's recommended to buy about a 1/2 size bigger than your normal shoe size, and again you want a snug(not tight) fit in the heel and a loose fit in the toe.

I wear Merrell Moabs and I love them. I tried the sirens and I seriously hated them... Just did not fit my feet at all. I have a pair of Keens, but Keens seem to run wide and I have narrow feet... so they just don't quite work with my feet. I have VFFs, but I dislike them on real trails... I don't like the way rocks feel under my feet and if I step on one funny it hurts and I throw my balance off trying not to put too much weight on the rock. I haven't tried any of their other shoes, so I can't comment. I do have vibram soled sandals and my Merrells are vibram soled as well. I would recommend buying shoes(at least until you find you make and style) from REI. If you keep the receipt or become a member you have 1 year to return anything you buy for a full refund no questions asked. Go try on shoes and then buy the most comfortable pair... Then test them out.

Clothes: Bring Layers, keep the sweat off your skin.

Below treeline you could be sweating a river, you hit treeline and it's suddenly windy and freezing. If you don't have layers and your clothes are wet you'll freeze.

Moisture wicking(synthetic material) will draw the sweat away from your body and dry quickly. This will help prevent chaffing, bacterial/fungal growth, as well as getting too chilly from being wet. There are all different types of hiking specific clothes... I own a lot of them... My preference is to wear a yoga top and running tights. The layers I bring are my rain jacket, my soft shell water/wind resistant pants, and a long sleeved top... I have different weights depending on the day/conditions. Lots of good stuff can be found on the REI clearance rack.... Pretty much all my hiking clothes is off of clearance racks. LOL.

Do not wear cotton, do not wear jeans. Cotton absorbs moisture and holds on to it... Not a good combo when hiking.

Packs: Wear your hip belt! Measure your back!

REI/EMS or really anywhere that sells hiking packs will measure your back for you. For a daypack it's not such a big deal to have the right size, for the bigger packs it is... But it's still easier on you to be sized right. The hip belt should be snug right around the iliac crest, this will transfer the pack weight onto your hips and save your shoulders and back lots of pain. I also recommend hiking poles, they help take weight off your knees, especially on the decent. Having proper weight distribution really helps your body!

And speaking of weight distribution, pack as much as possible so the heaviest items are bottom/center with the weight going out equally on both sides, lighter items on top. This keeps your pack centered correctly on your back and doesn't throw you off. Also, if you have water bottles in your outside two side pockets, use the same size bottles and try to drink equally from each side.

Weight: lighter is ALWAYS better... But light weight can be expensive. This is going to be more problematic if you decide to start camping... But just keep in mind, you're better off buying the lighter quality gear over time than buying everything at once so you have it... Just to replace it later with the better quality. I was able to buy 90% of my gear used, so keep your eye out... I don't have the best most expensive everything... But I didn't buy heavy and cheap just to have things. There are a lots things you probably already own that you can use until you are able to buy the awesome hiking version of it. LOL.

Ok... It's now 2am and I am seriously tired. LOL. I may come back to this when I have more time and add to it... Might be a few days though with my schedule. LOL.