28 Beginner Hiking Questions Answered

I’m a big fan of going out on a long hike in the countryside. Whether it’s hiking through the Lake District and seeing the expansive bodies of water, heading out into the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales, or simply heading up into the Northumbrian Hills, hiking is great for your mental health and a fantastic way to discover new parts of our beautiful land.

I’ve written the following guide to try and answer some of those beginner hiking questions, the ones that people less experienced with donning their hiking boots and hitting the trails might like to know the answer to. There might even be some questions that the experienced amongst you didn’t know either!

What Hiking Equipment Do I Need?

When hiking, there are some items that you need to take with you and others that are nice to have. What you take with you really depends on the type of hike you are heading out on and how well you know the route.

REI has pulled together a ten essentials list containing the main items you will need. These are:

1. Navigation – You should take some form of navigation equipment, whether that is a GPS, compass, map or mobile phone with built in GPS.
2. Headlamp – This is to light your way should the path get dark. Also make sure you take spare batteries as well.
3. Sun protection – You’ll want clothing to protect you from the sun when it is at it’s hottest, including sunglasses, a hat, and suncream.
4. First aid kit – This should contain the basics you might need when out hiking, including plasters, paracetamol, insect repellent and sterile wipes
5. Knife – A pocket knife or swiss army knife will do.
6. Fire – In case you get lost and need to keep warm at night, taking some matches, kindling and/or a gas stove
7. Shelter – This can be something as simple as a tarp for shelter or an emergency bivvy
8. Extra food – Always take more than you need, just in case you do get lost and run out of food
9. Extra water – You should always have water with you when you head out. You can either take extra water with you or some means of getting water and purifying/filtering it.
10. Extra clothes – Make sure you have extra layers and a warm jacket in case of an emergency

Looking at this list you’re probably thinking “do I really need a form of shelter when heading out for a hike on a well-known route?”. The chances are that no, you don’t need to take a shelter with you and this is why you need to consider the hike you are going on.

If you’re going on a daytime hike in familiar territory that will be used by many other people, you can probably get away with just taking some water with you and a small first aid kit.

How Does a Hiking GPS Work?

Before we jump into how a hiking GPS works, it is worth knowing what GPS actually is. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and it is used to be able to track your position anywhere on earth within 10-20 metres.

A hiking GPS is a handheld device that is designed to communicate with satellites that are circling the earth. By communicating with these satellites, your hiking GPS is able to work out where you are and plot your position on a map, which is loaded onto your GPS device.

It should be noted that whilst a GPS is good for identifying your current location, it isn’t necessarily designed to provide directions. This makes it different to a Sat-Nav, which uses GPS to locate your position and then complex software to identify a suitable route.

Are Hiking GPS Worth It?

Whether it is worth buying a GPS really depends on the type of hiking you will be doing.

If you are planning on going hiking in mountains, on multi-day trekking adventures or somewhere you are particularly unfamiliar with, a hiking GPS would be a great purchase, as it will allow you to work out where you are and find your way easily.

If you are travelling through more familiar terrain, or just going for a ramble through farmland, you’ll probably find that you will be just as successful at navigating using an OS map.

Can I Use My Phone GPS for Hiking?

Absolutely, your phone makes for a great GPS when hiking. You can even use the GPS functionality when you have no signal. You should make sure that you have offline maps enabled though as these often require an internet connection.

I personally love using the Ordnance Survey app, which you can sign up to below.

How Do Hiking Water Filters Work?

So you’re out hiking and you need a drink of water, but you’ve just run out. There’s a fresh-looking stream nearby and you think “I’ll just get some water from that stream, what harm could it do?”. Well, quite a lot actually.

Without knowing what is in the water, you might be risking getting some nasty bacteria in your gut. To avoid this, you should consider getting a water filter.

A hiking water filter works by filtering out bugs and bacteria from the water you are about to drink. It doesn’t kill these bugs and bacteria, it just traps them in the filter inside. This is why you need to clean your filter regularly after use.

How Do You Use a Hiking Water Filter?

There are several different types of water filters on the market and each of them works in a slightly different way. We cover this more in our guide How to Get Water When Wild Camping. The basics of how to use each type of filter is as follows:

• Pump Filters – Drop the intake hose into water and pump the handle. This will draw the water up the hose, through the filter and into the chamber for drinking.
• Gravity Filters – Collect some water in the filter bag, tie it and hang it up. Gravity will them help the water flow through the filter to fill up your container.
• Ultraviolet (UV) Light Purifiers – Put this device into the water you have collected, turn it on and stir. After around a minute the water will be purified.
• Straw Filters – Simple put the filter end of the straw in the water and suck
• Squeeze Filters – Fill the squeeze bag with water, put your filter in the top and squeeze the water out.
• Bottle Filter – Fill your bottle with water and then add the filter cap. Now you can use it like a normal water bottle

How Safe Are Hiking Water Filters?

Hiking filters are generally very safe to use. The main bacteria you will encounter when out hiking is E.Coli, Salmonella, Leptospirosis and Giardia, which pretty much all water filters can remove.

Is Water Filtering Enough When Hiking?

If you are still concerned that filtering might not be enough when out hiking, although usually it will be, you can try doing the following as well just make extra sure:

• Boil any water before you use it. A bit trickier when out hiking as you will need to take a stove, but you can boil the filtered water for a few minutes to kill off any final nasties
• Add purification tablets to your water. These take around 30 minutes to work, but they will kill off any bugs in the water. Do this befoe filtering the water.

How to Get Water When Hiking?

If you want to know where you can get water when you are out hiking, we wrote a guide that could help called How to Get Water When Wild Camping. The same principles apply to hiking as well.

Generally, you should stick to the following rules:

• Take water from a flowing stream rather than still water
• Avoid water sources that are obviously muddied or where there is a lot of livestock
• Don’t draw water from below where someone has been washing themselves or their equipment

When Hiking, How Much Water Should I Bring?

If you’re not a great fan of getting water from the wild, you’ll want to make sure you bring enough water with you for when you are out on your hike.

The amount of water you need depends on how far you are hiking and for how long. A good rule of thumb is to take around half a litre of water for every hour of hiking you are doing, assuming this is at a moderate pace. If the weather is particularly hot, you might want to double this amount to make sure you don’t get dehydrated.

I would recommend carrying probably two water bottles for longer hikes or at least have somewhere that you can get water when walking. In the UK, the Refill app tells you where your nearest free source of drinking water is. Download this ahead of your trip and plan your hike to get to one of these spots if you want to avoid taking a massive bottle of water with you.

How Do You Hydrate Before Hiking?

To reduce the amount of water you need to take on your hike, you could drink some water before you set off.

Try to drink a quarter to half a litre of water before you start hiking. This should stop you from feeling thirsty too soon when you are out hiking.

Feeling thirsty is actually a sign that your body is feeling dehydrated. Making sure you have something to drink before you feel thirsty is a good way to ensure that you don’t get dehydrated when out on your hike.

How Do You Treat Dehydration When Hiking?

If you do start feeling dehydrated when you’re out walking, there are a few simple steps you can take to get yourself rehydrated:

• Stop hiking and find somewhere shady to take a break – If there isn’t anywhere, make sure you keep your head covered with something, even if it is your shirt.
• Sit down and rest – If you keep walking you might start to feel dizzy and could lose your sense of direction.
• Rehydrate with a sports drink or a pinch of salt mixed with water
• Cool down your body with some wet clothes – If you have a hat, shirt or bandana, soak this in water and then put in on your head, or around you neck. This will help to cool your body and make you feel better.

Are Hiking Socks Worth It?

Whilst they might not seem that important, hiking socks are an essential piece of kit. Hiking socks are made from materials, such as wool that are great at wicking away sweat, which helps to reduce rubbing against your boot as well blisters.

Whilst you might be tempted to think that all socks are the same, you would be wrong. The cotton socks that you would normally buy are designed to be durable, but not necessarily for comfort.

Do your feet a favour and buy some proper hiking socks.

Should Hiking Socks be Thick of Thin?

Choosing between thick and thin hiking socks is really a matter of what sort of weather you will be out hiking in.

Whilst thicker socks will offer a little extra protection from rubbing, they are really best suited for colder weather when you need to keep your feet warm. A mid-thickness sock is a good option when you need something durable that isn’t too hot. Thin hiking socks are best for when the trail is a little easier, and the weather is warm.

Should You Hike Without Socks?

Hiking without socks is not recommended. When you are not wearing socks, you are increasing the likelihood of your boots rubbing against your feet, which will lead to blisters. Your feet can also get hotter, leading to more sweat and more blisters.

You don’t have to break the bank on some expensive socks though. Any cheap hiking socks will do rather than no socks.

There are some exceptions to this rule, which are if you buy some specific hiking shoes that are designed to be used without socks, such as the Vibram 5 Finger Trail Running Shoes.

Should You Wear Socks Under Hiking Socks?

You don’t have to wear two pairs of socks when camping, however, wearing two socks when hiking is a good way of keeping your feet dry when taking a long hike. Dry feet will reduce the risk of your feet swelling and help to prevent rubbing, which will lead to blisters.

There is also the added benefit that two pairs of socks will provide more protection from rubbing against your boots.

Also, in colder weather, wearing two pairs of socks will help to keep your feet warm, which can only be a good thing.

What Kind of Socks Should You Wear Hiking?

When looking to choose hiking socks, you should try and choose socks made from one of the following materials:

• Wool – Wool is the most popular material used for hiking socks. As a material, wool helps to provide cushioning inside your boot due to it’s thickness as well as being great at keeping your feet dry. By regulating the temperature and keeping your feet dry, you are far less likely to get blisters than with basic cotton socks. There is also the added benefit that wool is naturally antimicrobial, meaning they don’t get as smelly as other materials. Most footwear specialists will recommend wool socks for helping to prolong the life of your hiking boots.
• Nylon – Nylon hiking socks are rarer than wool socks, but are still a good material. This synthetic material is durable, which means your socks will last longer, as well as faster drying than wool.
• Polyester – Polyester is a great alternative to wool as it can keep your feet dry, provide insulation and dries quickly. This material is often blended with wool to make a perfectly balances hiking sock.

Should I Go Hiking Alone?

Hiking alone can be a very enjoyable experience. Getting out and enjoying nature, listening to the sounds of birds, the wind in the trees and flowing water can be great for your mental health.

If you are to go hiking alone, you need to make sure you are very well prepared and know the risks as hiking alone can be dangerous.

If you ensure that you balance the risks when it comes to hiking alone, there is no reason why you shouldn’t go alone.

If you want a bit more of a purpose for your hike, why not take a four-legged friend with you. This way you can have some companionship whilst you’re out in nature.

Why is Hiking Alone Dangerous?

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail! If you head out hiking alone and don’t prepare you could easily get into trouble.

When hiking alone, you could face the following dangers.:

• No one to help if you get injured – If you were to stumble and fall when out hiking on your own, there won’t be anyone there to help you. Whilst you might be able to cover some basic first aid on yourself, doing things like putting a sling on will be more difficult.
• You might get lost – If you are not prepared with a route or don’t carry a GPS with you, there is an increased chance that you will get lost. If you know you are a poor navigator, try and avoid hiking alone in unfamiliar territory.
• Increased risk of being attacked – If you are out on your own there is always an increased risk of being attacked. Whilst this is highly unlikely and you would be very unlucky if it happens, you should make sure you have what you need in case it does, such as a rape alarm or something else to protect yourself.

When Hiking, Who Has the Right of Way?

Generally, when you are out hiking there is no right of way, however, it is common courtesy to give way to people when on the trail in certain situations. It is good etiquette to let people through on narrow paths who are coming uphill, as they are more likely to need to keep their momentum going. Also, if there is an obstacle on your side of the trail, you shouldn’t cross to the other side of the route ahead of someone else who has a clear path.

The way I see it is, just be nice to people and thank them if they yield to you.

How Do Hiking Trails Get Made?

If you’re a seasoned hiker, you’ve probably come across a variety of different types of trail, from basic paths cut through the woods, to full blow concrete walkways up mountainsides.

There are several methods used to make these types of trails, with the method chosen suited to the task at hand and the accessibility to the desired path. For more comprehensive, easy to access routes, normal constriction equipment, such as diggers and steam rollers will be used. For harder to reach spots, these are likely to be made by hand, using more basic equipment.

Of course, there are some trails that are made simply as a result of human use. These are often called “desire lines” and show the route most commonly taken by people walking across the area.

Who Maintains Hiking Trails?

The responsibility for maintaining a hiking trail commonly lies with the landowner. In the UK, every bit of land is owned by someone, including organisations such as The National Trust, English Heritage and the Forestry Commission.

For some hiking trails, you might find that there doesn’t appear to be any particular “maintenance” being carried out of the land. This is more common when you are crossing through farmland and other land owned by smaller landowners. This is typically the case when you are being allowed access due to the UK right to roam rules. In these circumstances, the landowner probably won’t provide a well-laid path for you, but they also won’t make the path unpassable.

If you find a hiking trail that is dangerous and uncrossable, the best thing to do is to notify the landowner at your earliest convenience.

Is Hiking a Sport?

The Council of Europe defines sport as follows:

“Sport” means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.

Council of Europe

Whilst hiking might be a form of physical activity, the lack of competitions, governing body and rules and regulations make it hard to call a sport.

If you are looking for a sport that is similar to hiking, trail running might just be the sport for you. You will cover similar terrains to hiking, only you will do it at pace.

What is a Good Hiking Pace?

A good hiking pace will vary depending on the terrain you are covering. Generally, most adult hikers will be able to walk at a pace between 2-3 miles an hour, allowing for the different terrains you will encounter.

If you are covering nice, flat and well-laid hiking routes, there is no reason for you to drop below your normal walking pace, which will typically be between 3-4 miles per hour. However, climbing up hills, walking over rocky terrain or through a forest with lots of roots, you should expect your speed to drop as low as 2 miles per hour, maybe less.

Thinking about your hiking pace is really only important when trying to work out how long it should take you to cover a route. Once you are out in the great outdoors, try not to worry about how fast you are going and enjoy the scenery!

Is Night Hiking Legal?

Yes, night hiking is legal. Night hiking is a great way to experience a well-trodden path in a very different way. Whether you want to head up a big hill to watch the sunset or see if you can encounter some nocturnal animals, you will not be breaking the law to do so.

How to Keep Safe When Night Hiking?

Whilst night hiking is legal and a novel way to enjoy the countryside, there are some factors you should consider before heading out on your first trip.

• Know the route before you go – Navigating at night is far trickier than in the daytime, so now is not the time to try a new route. Try and hike on a route that you already know or one that is really well laid out and very difficult to get lost on.
• Take a GPS with you – In case you do get lost, make sure you take a GPS with you so that you know where you are and can (hopefully) find your way back onto the trail with ease.
• Take a light with you – Take a head torch with you to make sure you can light up your route. Try to use your light on a lower light setting to avoid distubing animals and to protect your battery. Also make sure you take a backup, just in case.
• Don’t go alone – Now is not the time to head out hiking alone. Being on your own the dark is dangerous as, should something serious happen, it may be a long time before help comes.
• Always tell someone your plans – Even if you are going with someone else, it is wise to let someone know where you are going, when you will be back and how to get in touch with you if you are not back when expected. Better to be safe than sorry!
• Stick to the designated route – Whilst you might be tempted to explore the world around you and get a sight of some animals off the beaten track, doing this at night is not recomended. As visibility is reduced, you increase your likelyhood of getting into trouble and potentially getting injured.
• Prepare for the weather – Night hiking will naturally be cooler than day hiking, so you should make sure you wear warmer clothes than you would do during the day, even during the summer months. Also make sure you take the right jacket to cope if the weather turns. Our guide to Wild Camping Jackets has some great recommendations that are also suitable for hiking.

What’s the Difference Between Hiking and Walking?

Hiking and walking tend to be used interchangeably, however, there is a slight difference between the two.

Walking normally refers to heading out for a short journey on foot, which is usually not too strenuous. Whereas hiking tends to be a longer walk, typically over several hours, out in the countryside.

We discuss the difference more in our guide Is It Walking, Hiking, Rambling or Trekking?

Why Do People Hike?

People often hike for a variety of reasons, but the typical reasons are: to discover somewhere new, to see a really nice view, to experience nature and the mental health benefits of being out in the countryside.

Personally, I love hiking because I really like heading out for a good walk in the outdoors and feeling like I have truly earned the coffee and cake/beer and pie at the end.

Summary

I hope you I have helped answer some of the questions you had about hiking. At the end of the day, hiking is a great way to experience nature (did I say that already?), discover somewhere new and have a good time doing it!

Happy hiking!