Hiking for Beginners

An MBA graduate from Boston College Carroll Graduate School of Management, finance professional R. Scott Bushley has more than two decades of finance experience. Scott Bushley’s free time pursuits include travel and hiking. Here are some fundamentals for beginning hikers.

To begin, avoid hiking with experienced hikers; you may not be able to keep up. Choose short treks with other beginners instead. It is advisable to start with a trail shorter than what you would walk on paved ground. After that, you can get a map of your chosen trail to acquaint yourself with its surroundings.

Pack light, especially essentials such as water, a first-aid kit, and appropriate clothing and footwear. What you wear will depend on the path you are hiking. It is also advisable to check the weather prediction a few hours or even minutes before your trek. This information can also assist you in selecting the appropriate attire and items to bring on your trip.

If you have never hiked before, embarking on a solo hike might be daunting, lonely, and even dangerous. Having hiking friends makes the experience considerably more adventurous, and they can also assist in an emergency. Also, keep your family or friends informed about your whereabouts regularly.

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Common Hiking Hazards and How to Mitigate Them

A partner and COO at Granite Point Capital, Scott Bushley has more than 25 years of experience in the business operations and investment management industry. However, Scott Bushley always makes time for active hobbies, and he enjoys hiking.

Hiking involves going into an unfamiliar, generally harsh territory, and different kinds of accidents are likely to occur to a hiker, especially when hiking alone. The risks in hiking include extreme weather, wild animals on rarely used trails, feet injuries, and water poisoning.

Planning the hike before going on the trip is the best way for hikers to avoid accidents like water poisoning as much as possible. A hiker needs to understand the trail’s difficulty to know how much supplies to bring. They should be aware of camping and transport conditions in the event of a long hike. These factors will help the hiker calculate how much water they need on a trip and prevent them from seeking alternatives to clean water which may deliver bacteria to the system.

Hiking primarily involves moving the feet, and feet injuries are common hazards during the activity. It is necessary to buy hiking boots that are comfortable and suited for the hiking terrain to reduce the risk of injury. The hiker should also periodically take breaks while on the trail to prevent exhaustion and rest the feet.

To prepare for the risks of extreme weather conditions and wildlife visits, hikers should familiarize themselves with the wildlife in the area and other national laws surrounding hiking to know the spots suitable for camp.