Adventure Wears Hiking Boots

By Wendy LaFever

The Intel Report

The first step for planning any successful hike is to make like you're in a spy movie, and gather as much information as you can about where you're going. What is the terrain like? What is the weather likely to be? What sort of animal activity can you expect to encounter? Are there particular laws and rules that apply to hiking and camping the area? The answers to these questions will tell you how to prepare and what you need to bring with you. Fire up the search engine: If you're hiking a national forest or other public land, definitely visit the website pertaining to it. If you have any questions not answered by the site, it'll be worth your while to pick up the phone and call.

Hiking in groups is much safer—and much more fun —than hiking alone.

Don't forget, you aren't the only person who needs information. Tell your friends and family where you plan to go, what route you plan to take and how long you plan to be gone.

Lay the Groundwork

The right preparation will help you have a great hike, and it's always best to start from the ground up! Get the right shoes for your foot and for your hike. The kind of hiking boot you'll need will depend on the terrain you'll be hiking. If you'll be mostly on smooth, well-maintained trails, you can get away with a low, sneaker-style hiking boot. If you'll be on more challenging terrain, you will probably want something that comes up higher on your leg, supporting your ankle. It's a bit of a tradeoff: The higher and heavier the boot, the more ankle support and protection against injury you'll get—but you'll also have more weight, which tires you out faster.

Another important factor is the sole of your boot. When you flip hiking shoes over, you'll see that some of them have a deep tread pattern with lots of open space in them. These are shoes that are best for mud and other slippery terrain. Other hiking shoes have only a little bit of open space between the treads. These are better for rocky surfaces.

The most important thing is that you go and try on hiking boots in person before you buy them. You might be thinking, "Why should I do that? I know what size shoe I wear!" Here's why: Hiking boots are manufactured using a template called a "last." The last determines the shape of the boot—where it's broad, where it's narrow, and so on. And each manufacturer uses a different last. Some will be perfect for you, others won't be...and unless you're very familiar with the brand, you won't know until you try the shoe on. To get the best results, go shoe shopping late in the day after you've been walking around, so your feet will be about as swollen as they might get from tromping down a trail all day. Wear socks similar to what you'll have on the hike, too. Have a salesperson help you, and tell them if you intend to carry a significant amount of weight in your pack, as this can affect your shoe size. In fact, don't be surprised if you find that your proper boot size is one to one-and-a-half sizes larger than your regular street shoe size.

Now you've found the perfect shoes and brought them home. Whatever you do next, do not stick them in your closet yet! Even shoes that fit like a dream need to be broken in. Wear your shoes around the house, do chores in them and go for walks with them on.

Build Yourself Up

Have you ever noticed that your muscles were extra sore the day after you tried some new sport? Now imagine that happening when you're miles away from the nearest hot bath! You don't want that, nor do you want to be so worn out that you can't enjoy the sights and sounds of nature because you're too busy huffing and puffing. Prepare your body as much as you can before you head out.

The truth is that the only exercise that really prepares you for hiking is…hiking. When you hike or climb on rugged terrain, you use muscles that you don't normally use just to walk on a flat surface. If you've got some trails that are easy for you to get to and practice on, you should take advantage of that. If not, going for regular walks or jogs in a hilly area will help prepare your heart, lungs and leg muscles for the outdoors. Even a treadmill is better than nothing. Start slow, and build up the length and difficulty of your exercise as time goes on. To really prepare yourself, you can try wearing your backpack, loaded down with a few pounds' worth of gear or weights, to condition yourself to the extra weight. (As a bonus, this will let you know if there are any places where your backpack's straps need adjusting.)

1. Compass—to navigate if you become lost 2. Topo maps of the area you're hiking 3. Strike-anywhere matches in waterproof container—to make a fire if you need one 4. Tin foil or, if you have extra room, an actual cooking pot—to boil water for drinking 5. First-aid kit 6. Sunblock 7. Insect repellent 8. Strong rope or twine—to help you assemble a shelter 9. Whistle or mirror—to signal for help if you become lost 10. Pocketknife 11. Water 12. Energy bars

Your Tool Kit

Life has a funny way of sending surprises at you, from unexpected turns in the weather, to washed-out trails, to twisted ankles, to cell phones that can't get a signal. If you've got the right gear, a surprise like this won't be a tragedy—it'll just be one more adventure (and a great story to tell around the campfire later). Here are 12 things that should be in your pack every single time you head out:

Make it easy for yourself: Assemble all of these items into one container so they're always handy. Now you've got a survival kit. Leave it in your backpack, so you can't ever forget it.

What else should you carry along? A lot depends on where you're going and how long you'll be gone. Some items that are almost always useful are moleskin (for blisters), spare socks (or even a full change of clothes), binoculars, a camera, a small spade or shovel, poncho or raincoat, cell phone and GPS.

What If?

Part of what makes hiking a real adventure is that you can't predict everything that's going to happen. Learn what you can, make a plan and follow it.

One of the more common situations hikers run into is bad weather. A little rain is nothing to worry about, but thunderstorms—and the lightning they bring—can be dangerous. As with most safety issues, awareness is your first line of defense. Keep an eye on the horizon, scanning every 20 minutes or so to see if tall, dark clouds are forming. If you see a lightning flash, count the seconds from the time you see it until you hear the thunder. If it's less than 30 seconds, you should be putting your lightning plan into action. Many people don't know this, but lightning can jump as much as 7 miles between strikes! If you're in a high place, come down. Get into a valley or ditch. Don't try to shelter under a lone tree, because a single tall object like that will attract lightning. If you can get under a low stand of trees, that's a good shelter. But what if there's nothing like that around? Well, if you have a metal-frame backpack or hiking pole, put it down and get at least 100 feet away from it. Make yourself as small as possible while reducing the amount of you that is touching the ground. Crouch down on the balls of your feet with your head tucked down. Your hiking group should not huddle together like this—try to get 100 feet apart from one another.

A lot of people new to the outdoors tend to worry about wildlife much more than they should. Most North American critters are not interested in putting you on the menu and will avoid you if they can. Give them a chance to do this by hiking in a group and making a little noise. (Bullhorns and drumlines won't be necessary—a quiet conversation is more than enough.) If you do run into a predator like a cougar or a bear, the thing to remember is this: You aren't prey, so don't act like it.

1. Stand your ground. Running away is something that prey does, and it almost guarantees that the predator will chase.

2. Make yourself look as big as possible. Raising your arms above your head or holding a coat or jacket open at your sides increases your profile. Do not crouch down or bend over to pick something up. This makes you look like a four-legged animal.

3. Don't bother climbing a tree. Black bears and mountain lions can climb better than you can, and you don't want to turn your back on a predator if you can avoid it.

Of more concern than predators is animals infected with the rabies virus. Any mammal can contract rabies, but the most commonly affected animals are bats, raccoons, foxes and skunks. How can you tell if an animal is rabid? Look for a critter that's acting strangely. If you see a raccoon—normally a nocturnal animal—out during the daytime, that's a clue. Wild animals that act "friendly" or do not appear to fear humans may be rabid. Rabid animals may have trouble walking or they may drool ("foam at the mouth") uncontrollably. If you see a rabid animal, get away from it! Don't let it near you. Contact your local animal control as soon as possible and let them know what you saw and where you saw it.

On The Trail of Adventure

The more you time you spend hiking in the outdoors, the more you'll love being there. You'll make memories that will stay with you forever, and you'll be doing something healthy for your body, too.