Top 5 Hiking Mistakes

We have all done it. We've all headed out on a hike and messed up. It takes practice, research and commitment to be a strong hiker who knows what they are doing when in the middle of nowhere.

Here are a few of the most common mistakes people make when they decide to start hiking. Read these. Learn these. Be a better hiker!

#1 Wearing The Wrong Clothing

• Ok yeah let's go hiking with flip-flops on. Seriously? These people drive hikers crazy! Take a second to consider for a moment that you are going into the forest where pavement does not exist. Think about what you are wearing so you can be prepared for the weather and the conditions of the trail. 
• Typically I wear workout gear because I do day-hikes. I wear tennis shoes/hiking shoes depending on the trail, workout pants, sports bra and tank top. Depending on the weather I'll carry a jacket too. If I am hiking in the winter I am layering like crazy but still have big, thick shoes on to manage the terrain.

#2 Not Prepared/Pack Too Little

• If you are hiking for longer than a mile, you're going to need some stuff with you. It is hilarious but also terrifying when I see someone going on a super long hike with nothing but a single bottle of water. Not a Nalgene, I'm talking about an Arrowhead bottle.
• Always, always, always bring water. Not sometimes, not only if it is hot out....always. Say it with me....ALWAYS! And plenty of it!
• You're also going to need to bring pepper/bear spray, maybe a snack, you're phone, sunscreen, clothing if the weather changes, etc.
• I carry a waist pack if the hike is under 4 miles and my Camelbak if it is longer or if I am going to be out for awhile because it carries more stuff.

#3 Didn't Do Hike Research

• Ever go out and that 2 mile hike turned into 6 miles? I have been there. I'll admit to getting caught up in the beauty of the forest and missing a left turn. Oops. This is dangerous though.
• Use the power of Google to make sure you know how long your hike is, the difficulty and read people's reviews of it.
• I went out on a hike that was only 1 mile. Super simple! Until I got there and saw it was a mile straight down big boulders of rock which I wasn't prepared to have to climb down or back up. 

#4 Didn't Check The Weather

• I mean really???? Okay, I admit I've done this one too. Two miles into a hike on the side of Mount Elden it pours on us. I am not talking a sprinkle or some rain....I am talking full on waterfall coming down on us. The trail was a huge mud pit and we had to make some tough decisions on how to get out. 

#5 Not Following Leave No Trace

• If I see someone break this sacred rule I will lose it. You're going to go out into nature and respect it. That's the rule and that's the expectation.
• All the people who go out to Fossil Creek and leave beer cans and their trash everywhere deserve to be banned from enjoying every piece of nature. I could go off on this for days, but I'm just going to keep it to this: stay on the trail, pick up your shit and respect everything you encounter in the forests of our world.