Selecting a location.
Before seriously thinking about how to get ready for a hike, you need to think carefully about the route. From it a lot depends - the time of the trip, the necessary equipment, transportation and the presence of conductors.
If you just want to take a walk in the nearest forest with an overnight stay, this is one thing. If you are attracted by mountain routes or hiking in an unknown area, you may need the services of a guide to avoid getting lost.
If you have not decided where you would like to go, then you can choose the goal of the trip in different ways. For example, find out the offers of travel companies. Contrary to all opinions, many travel agencies organize not only trips to the sea or to the famous cities of the world, but also ordinary expeditions throughout Russia. As an alternative, you can explore the sites and forums devoted to amateur tourism. There you can find detailed descriptions of the most interesting routes and choose the one that you like most. In addition, you can become a pioneer and go to places where you have never been before. However, it is better to make such trips if you are an experienced tourist with you.
With whom to go?
It's no secret that they usually go to the hike in a group. One to go far into the forest or into the mountains is dangerous. Choose a group carefully. It should be people in whom you are sure, which does not cause you unpleasant emotions, as quarrels far from home can lead to sad consequences. It's great if one of you already has experience of being on the wild for several days in a row. If in the group only beginners, it is not recommended immediately to choose a complex route, designed for serious loads and long stay. For the first time a short walk around the neighborhood will do.
Preparation.
Deeply mistaken are those who believe that the campaign does not require special preparation. You will have to go many kilometers, while you will have to carry a heavy load, besides, the living conditions in the forest are very different from life in the city. To this you need to be ready.
If you have thought about how to get ready for a hike, then it's worth thinking about the necessary requirements for your physical form. First, at the time of travel, none of the group should be sick. Sometimes a common cold can become a serious obstacle on the way, and the whole group will have to go back. If someone suffers from serious diseases, then it is very dangerous to go deep into the forest, where there is no communication and medical assistance.
If everyone is healthy, this does not mean that all of you are ready to go. Sedentary lifestyle does not contribute to long-term stress. Therefore, a month before the proposed start of travel it makes sense to start physical training. Especially good are long walks, training on a treadmill and an exercise bike, swimming. This will prepare the body for what awaits it. It is not superfluous to begin tempering, so you better survive the temperature drops and the night coolness.
Equipment.
How to gather in a hike without the necessary things that you are used to in your daily life? It is very difficult, but many will have to be sacrificed.
You will need a lot of things that you will share at all. The first is a tent. If the group is small, it makes no sense to have individual tents, it is better to buy one at all. If you are many, then tents suitable for 3 to 5 people, which can be worn in turn, are suitable.
It is important not to forget sleeping bags, even if the heat in the yard. In the forest at night, even in summer it is very cool, and sleeping on bare ground is not too pleasant.
You will need matches, universal knives, a tourist hatchet, a bowler, bowls and other utensils for cooking. The products that you take with you should be stored for a long time. Therefore, canned foods, rusks, dried fruits, sweets are preferred. Do not forget to grab drinking water and salt - this is very important.
Do not forget about GPS-navigators, compass, flashlight, batteries and watches. You will need a first aid kit - insect repellent, antipyretic and analgesic agents, bandages, tourniquet, cotton wool, adhesive plaster, greens, alcohol, sunburn, disinfectant ointments or sprays. Some may need drugs for chronic diseases, for example, from asthma. They can not be forgotten at home. Do not forget the means of personal hygiene, but from cosmetics and numerous creams and gels is better to refuse.
Proper clothing is also very important. It should be comfortable, easy for hot days and warm for nights. Particular attention should be paid to shoes. Its choice depends on the locality where you go. For hiking to the rivers or along the swampy terrain you need boots, for hiking through the mountains and the forest - waterproof sneakers. If you take two pairs of comfortable shoes or a sneaker, then you will not lose. On the road, everything happens, so it is better to have a spare option. In addition, in some cases it may be necessary to use mountaineering equipment - especially if you go to the mountains.
Guns, fishing rods, inflatable boats and other things can be taken at will, it depends on the purpose and route of your trek.
Remember the simple rules on how to get ready for a hike is not difficult. The main thing is to take into account all the essentials and leave for a time something that is quite possible to do without. For example, without cotton and wool socks will be much more difficult than without lipstick or shampoo.