Getting your feet wet into hiking and backpacking can be very intimidating. You need to figure out many things and have several critical decisions to make. Even worse, you hear contrary things from different long-time hikers that linger you from starting your hiking journey.
But hiking myths and hearsay shouldn’t hold you back from embarking on this adventurous hobby. Furthermore, hiking will offer numerous benefits if you make a bold move.
These include strengthening the core, glutes, and legs and improving their general body balance. As an exciting activity, hiking also uplifts people’s moods and spirits. Don’t forget, it lowers the risk of heart diseases and being overweight.
We’re here to debunk common hiking myths to ensure you enjoy these benefits and many more. Keep reading to learn more about the myths you’ll come across while starting your hiking experience.
Train For Hiking By Walking and Hiking
This is a common myth from long-time hikers or people who hate working out. If you hear it, chances are you believe it because you think best hikers have adequate experience in hiking. In fact, if you only do these two things, they can result in an injury during hiking.
Because by doing them, you don’t train your body rightly, some body parts are left weak. They can be hurt if you overuse or overwork them.
However, hiking is essential when training for more strenuous trails. If you’re planning to climb mount kilimanjaro, you don’t want your first time to hike to be climbing the mountain. You might not be in a position to do several thousand-mile walks leading up to the mountain.
You should train by making more challenging trails than you expect during the actual hike. While preparing, it’s recommended you use a heavier pack than what you’ll use that day.
Besides hiking, you can also do strength training to prepare yourself for a future hike. Ensure to focus on particular exercises that strengthen your glutes, ankles, calves, and legs during this training. You can start with bodyweight and then add weights and resistance bands to keep you more robust.
Strength training is best for preventing injuries when hiking.
Sleeping Pad Is For Comfort Only
It’s a mistake mostly with newbie campers and backpackers. They avoid getting pricey backpacking gear and opt for cheap inflatable sleeping pads. Because they believe those pads are affordable and can offer comfort, which is their only use.
The role of a sleeping pad isn’t just to make you more comfortable while sleeping like your mattress. It’s responsible for insulating you from the cold ground while your bag is insulating you from the air. So if you’ve got a cheap sleeping pad, it might be comfortable but unable to insulate you properly from the ground temperatures.
If your pad isn’t well insulated, your 15-degree sleeping is useless. You spend your night being cold because the bottom insulation doesn’t match the one on top. Just like your sleeping bag, choose a pad that’s a good insulator at all costs.
You Need to Be Thin To Hike
Many people out there think that only thin people can hike. That’s why those who want to hike plan on getting healthier and in better shape first. Others start working out and dieting to lose some pounds and be fit for hiking.
It’s understandable to see someone believe this myth. Because all the media depicts hikers as people with amazing shape, skinny and very fit, but this isn’t true.
Your hiking ability isn’t dependent on your body composition, weight, size, or shape. Your pant size and number on the weighing scale have nothing to do with your ability to go backpacking and hike. All these are false myths that might make you fearful and delay your hiking dream.
However, exercising is paramount if you undertake more challenging hikes and enjoy doing them. It strengths your core and stamina, making you have a much easier time hiking. Don’t forget it prevents injuries and makes you feel better during those hard trials.
To assure yourself that you’re fit enough going hiking, find a hiker who’s the same size as you. This will be proof that you can hike too.
Carrying First Aid Kit Makes You Safe
Many hikers believe they’re set if something happens when they’ve first aid kits in their packs. They think that their kits have everything, including instructions on using the kit if an injury or accident occurs. For this reason, they ensure it occurs on top of their hiking checklist.
Those first aid kits and instructions are helpful when hiking, but do you know the purpose of the things in that kit? Do you know you to use them? Are you sure that your kit has everything that’s needed to handle an injury?
For a first aid kit to help, you should have the know-how of using all the things in it. With this knowledge, you’ll always be prepared to do a wilderness first aid emergency when an accident occurs. Also, you’re assured of saving someone’s life in the backcountry using that kit.
You Need Latest Gear to Start Hiking
Of course, quality gear makes a significant difference during backpacking. Quality gears aren’t only lighter but also more durable and warmer. It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to get these quality gears.
Learning about what to look for when buying backpacking gear is essential. It will not only help you to make educated purchasing decisions but also help you avoid salespersons scams. Also, you’ll know it isn’t a must to have the greatest and latest gear to have a fantastic hiking experience.
Here Are the Common Hiking Myths
When you’re kicking off your journey for hiking or backpacking, you may feel overwhelmed. This is because you think you’ve got an endless list of skills to learn and guidelines to follow to be a successful hiker. However, a significant part of this list contains myths and misconceptions to confuse you.
Above are the hiking myths you’ll encounter when starting as a newbie hiker or backpacker.
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