4 Things You Don’t Need to be a Hiker
Picture a muscled figure with trekking poles and a satellite phone on the eternal snowcap of a mountain.
That person is a hiker.
Now picture a person wearing tennis shoes and an old backpack walking a dog through the woods.
That person is also a hiker.
How about a parent pushing a stroller along the boardwalk of a quiet beach?
You guessed it--that person can be called a hiker, too.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to hike.
Maybe you think your hiking days are behind you, or so far ahead of where you are now that they aren’t worth thinking about.
But you can be a hiker now!
You don’t need to be in perfect health.
You don’t need expensive gear.
You don’t need mountains.
And you don’t need to finish every hike you start.
You DON’T need to be in perfect health
My husband and I once joined some friends on an evening hike to some hot springs.
The hike was only two or three miles, but due to my asthma and my husband’s recent foot surgery, we fell behind and reached the springs well after our friends. Despite the huffing and puffing and some slight embarrassment at being so slow, it remains one of my favorite hiking experiences.
Turning a corner and finding the steaming pools nestled in a small valley, soaking in the water as the sun went down, chatting with old friends.
It was magical.
I’m so glad we did it and that we didn’t let our health issues scare us out of trying.
Regardless of which aspect of your health is worrying you, start small.
Pick a short loop or out-and-back easy or easiest trail on the TrailCollectiv app, and go in knowing that you may or may not finish the trail.
That is okay. The purpose of the first hike is to test your limits in a safe way on an easy trail.
Bring snacks, water, and a friend to help you get back if you push yourself too far.
Then do it again!
Soon you’ll discover which surfaces make your knees hurt, or which plants give you allergies, and you can either avoid those trails or come prepared.
A note on accessibility:
Yes, hiking does often connotate uneven terrain, which can be challenging if you deal with mobility or balance issues.
But if you know where to look, there are also many trails that are flat, paved, and stunning.
One purpose of the TrailCollectiv app is to help people of all ages and abilities find trails that work for them.
TrailCollectiv is part of the growing movement worldwide that is committed to provide trails for everyone.
The app includes the surface of each trail (paved, hard-packed gravel, etc.), and shows which trails have uneven terrain, stairs, or even technical parts with ropes!
Please reach out if you have trails to add to the app OR accessibility information on any of the existing trails.
You DON’T need expensive gear
I’m a stay-home parent married to a full-time grad student.
Someday we might have the income to buy the cool hiking gadgets and outdoorsy clothes that I see on Instagram.
Right now, what I do have is plenty of daylight and time with my kids! (SAHM life!).
I don’t intend to waste this time just because I am not wealthy.
Borrowing is an option to save on expenses.
If the hikes you want to do require gear that you cannot afford then consider borrowing from a friend or connect with a local hiking group and borrow from their members.
For example, bear spray (which rarely gets used, but is important to have handy in bear country), can easily be borrowed from a friend.
Used gear is also an option.
Buying gently-used items like ice spikes, hiking poles, rain jackets, and hiking packs, can save on costs.
But don’t let your lack of gear stop you from getting outside.
There is a balance between having the right gear for each adventure to keep you safe and not hiking because you don’t have the “best” gear.
Make sure to pack the essentials to stay safe.
And remember, there are lots of amazing trails to explore within a city that don’t require a ton of gear. Food, water, and some first aid supplies might be all you need.
Start with basic trails (the easiest and easy trails on the TrailCollectiv app). As you progress, you will discover which fancy gear items you would actually use and love.
Upgrade slowly, and for now, see where you can go with what you have or with what you can borrow.
You DON’T need mountains
I grew up in Utah so my idea of a hike always involved a mountain.
Now that I’ve lived in the American midwest for half a decade, my definition of a hike has evolved to any time spent moving my feet in nature.
I was worried about moving away from the mountains, but a friend who had lived in both the mountainous west and flat midwest comforted me.
“You know how you love the desert (the other thing Utah has a lot of) even though it’s not the same sort of beautiful as the mountains?” He asked.
“That’s how it is in the midwest.”
He was right.
Some of my favorite hiking spots have been a paved bike path through a prairie of black-eyed Susans, a sandy shoreline on Lake Michigan, and a limestone gorge thick with mossy hemlocks.
I’ve experienced the peace and the beauty of these places without gaining a single foot of elevation.
Pockets of nature can even be found in the middle of a bustling city.
Columbus, Ohio, for example, has twenty amazing nature preserves called “metroparks” scattered throughout the city and suburbs.
The aim is to have at least one metropark within five miles of any resident in the county.
I’ve visited all but four of these parks, and I’m amazed at how I can get from a freeway to a forest in a matter of minutes.
Even the regular city parks in Columbus often have a small grove of trees with a footpath, and that can be all I need to get my daily dose of nature.
A hike is not less-real because it’s flat!
You DON’T need to finish every hike you start
This is a lesson my two kids are forcing me to learn.
I can tell when we’re reaching the halfway point on their abilities, and it’s usually well before the halfway point on the trail.
Sometimes, we push and keep going.
Usually this is if I have a big bag of jelly beans to motivate them or an extra adult to carry the one child I can’t carry.
But if not, we turn around. And that’s okay.
Think about why you’re out here--why you’re really outside.
Being okay with turning back is a healthy mindset which will help you be a safer hiker and enjoy hiking more.
Remember, just going outdoors is worth it!
Many studies have shown that “nature experience is associated with psychological well-being.”
Being in nature can help with anxiety, depression, and general overwhelm.
Something about a tiny intricate wildflower growing out of a massive fallen log just calms us down and seems to put life in perspective.
Weird? Yes. True? Also yes.
So if you’re out here in the meadow or in the desert or on the mountain or in a park or on the prairies, you are already enjoying the benefit.
If you are too tired to go to the end of the trail, or too hungry, or the sun is setting and you didn’t bring a flashlight, then go ahead and turn around.
You don’t need to finish the hike today.
You don’t EVER need to finish the hike.
It’s not a contest or an exam.
And sure, maybe you can’t say “I summited Mount XYZ,” but you could still say, “I hiked it,” or “I experienced it,” or “it made me a happier person.”
And that’s why you’re here after all.
So there you go.
You--an average human with average gear and access to a place with rocks or trees or sand or whatever--can get out and go.
And you can turn around whenever you want to.
You, my friend, are now a hiker.
Now time to find your next trail!
Author Jordan Monson Wright
Jordan Monson Wright has lived (and hiked) in Utah, Wyoming, Southern China, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio. Her favorite hiking buddies are her two small boys. She loves her husband, her kids, good food, good books, and Jesus Christ.
Find her on Instagram @cbusfamilyhikes for hiking or the Hot Mess Writer’s Club for writing.
