Pro tips for hiking
If you are a hiking beginner, let our advice guide you! Canada is the perfect place to practise this pedestrian sport, no wonder it piques your curiosity.
Indeed, according to Statistics Canada, among Canadians who practise outdoor sports, 44% of them prefer excursions and hiking. Making it the most popular outdoor sport.
But before embarking on the discovery of our provinces, you must prepare yourself. The hiking pros have many years of experience and therefore a lot of useful knowledge. Luckily, you’ll find the best tips here.
Before your departure
For a great experience, it is important to be well prepared.
A physical training
Should a beginner get in shape before hiking?
Not necessarily, on the contrary hiking can be a great way to get back in shape. If you doubt your physical condition, choose your hikes according to it. Go for a shorter hike without too much elevation change.
The important thing is to go gradually and not overestimate your abilities.
Obviously, if it’s a hiking trip you have on the agenda, the physical preparation is different. For example, a trip of 15 days, 210 km at 2000m of altitude difference, the preliminary training should be a minimum of 6 months!
What to do as a preparation workout?
We recommend doing several hikes of different difficulties and different distances. It all depends on the duration and difficulty of your hike, but it is a sport that remains accessible for all physical levels.
Equipment preparation
Depending on the length and type of hike, you hope to do, your gear will vary. The essentials? Good shoes and a strategically filled backpack!
The shoes
How to choose your shoes?
Comfort should be your first priority when walking long distances. Grisport Canada hiking shoes are made according to Italian tradition and will definitely be your best allies.
From a technical point of view, materials and technologies are important. The sole must be semi-rigid and non-slip and the lining must be breathable and waterproof. From Italian leather of the highest standards, to the rubber of the VIBRAM soles, Grisport shoes are a safe bet.
Shoes or boots?
As soon as it comes to hiking in the mountains, you should have a pair of hiking boots on your feet. This will save you from ankle injuries, give you better stability, better waterproofing and protect you from blisters.
For more tips in selecting your hiking boots, read this article.
The backpack
The backpack is just as essential as the hiking boots. Again, comfort is your priority. The size of it depends on the length of the trip and the level of autonomy. Depending on the amount of food and gear to carry, you could opt for a 20L bag to a 60L bag.
In general, the backpack must at all times contain water bottle (min. One litre of water), topographic map, compass, headlamp, raincoat, first-aid kit and survival kit. The bag must have a belly and chest strap, 2 small adjustments strap near the shoulders and straps that can be adjusted in height.
During the hike
What distances or duration do you recommend for the first hikes?
The elevation is a factor that will greatly influence the distance you will be able to cover. In general, on a natural trail, the average speed of movement, including breaks, is 2 to 2.5 km per hour for beginners. So 3 hours of hiking will not exceed 8 km. If it is in the mountains, we are talking about 6 km.
For pleasant first hikes, you have to watch out for exhaustion. Don’t overestimate your abilities.
Should we pay attention to the weather?
Hiking pros know that you shouldn’t stop at the weather. Too often the weather announces a day of rain which in the end turns into a beautiful sunny day.
With the right gear, a day of hiking can be great even with rain on the menu. As for the visual spectacle offered by evaporation after a good downpour, I leave it to you to discover it for yourself … but you will have to risk getting wet!
Will you be hooked on hiking?
When practised well, hiking is a sport that will certainly please you. You will see that while hiking you get to know yourself physically and mentally. Enjoy the silence and the beautiful landscapes of Canadian nature.
Walking frees the mind and can be very therapeutic. Indeed, several studies show that physical activity increases the natural production of dopamine and serotonin. And this, while lowering the level of cortisol (the stress hormone), which has an antidepressant effect.