Going on a hiking trip with your friends or with your family is quite an adventurous activity. It can be fun, it can be an exercise and it will be a new and unique experience for everyone. However, you can’t just go on such a trip without properly preparing for, especially if you plan on sleeping over in nature. Before you start planning, you have to understand the different challenges you will face while you’re on the trip, so you can properly plan out everything.
If you forget some things in your plan, that may lead up to serious problems with the trip, which might ruin the experience or might even cause you to go back home. But, I’m sure that you do not want that to happen and preventing that is actually quite easy. Preparing for such an adventure does require a bit of experience or knowledge on the subject, but you do not have to worry about that. Despite proper equipment, people should also use all the “digital solutions” the have. For example, Chad Kimball suggests that different software solutions can make the hiking a lot safer. In that way, people won’t get lost during the night. .In this guide for 2024, I’m going to tell you every single tip I have regarding your hiking trip.
Pick the location
One of the first things you will need to do is to find out where you are going to take your trip. Is it somewhere close? Will it require driving? Will it be a long drive? Will it be fun? These are some of the questions you will need to ask yourself to find a place in which everyone will have a good time. I usually search for locations that none of my friends have visited before, so the whole trip can be a bit more adventurous for everyone.
It is vital to consider how long the drive will be. If it’s several hours, you will have to get up early and have to make sure that there are at least two drivers available in your group. Driving for more than four or five hours straight can be exhausting, dangerous, or might just ruin your hiking experience.
Research the place
Since we are talking about a trip that will require you to sleep overnight, there are some factors you will need to consider. The first and most important thing you will need to factor in is animal activity. When traveling in a bigger group, most animals will avoid you, but it is still better to be safe than sorry. I’m not just talking about dangerous predators such as walls or bears, I recommend going to places with a lot of animal activity. Of course, completely avoiding all animals is impossible because that is simply how nature works.
I think it is also a smart idea to do a bit of research on possible camping locations in the area. You can either use Google maps to find a big and flat clearing where you will be able to put up tents and set up camp, or you could ask around experienced hikers to give your advice on where you will be able to stay overnight.
Hiking gear
This is something that you must plan if you expect to have a good time on this adventure. Without a properly equipped backpack, you will remain hungry, you won’t have a place to sleep in and your overall experience will be ruined.
So, what is the essential backpacking gear? Well, it usually depends on what other people in your group will be caring about. If someone in your group will bring a stove and some fuel, you won’t have to worry about that. But, ensure that you will have one during your adventure because stoves are essential for these situations, according to fireinstyle.com. If someone else is going to bring a larger tent, then you probably won’t even have to bring a tent with you.
However, when it comes to food, I recommend planning your meals throughout the days by yourself and for yourself. Bring whatever you want to eat or drink. Although, I would recommend sticking with small cans of tuna or sardines to keep your backpack lightweight. You wouldn’t want several cans of beans dragging you down while hiking through the forest.
Depending on where you’re going and the length of your journey, you will want to consider carrying personal defense items, a tactical knife is always a must-have, it’s one of the most practical tools you can carry with you. Nonetheless, if you’re going to grizzly bear land you’ll want to carry something stronger, at the end of the day you want to scare away any threatening animal, you can check out Natchezss, you can find some practical items for your next camping trip.
Choose your group
The most important thing you will need to factor in your hiking plan is who will be in your group. You will have to pick which friends or rich family members you plan on taking with you. Sure, the more people come with you, the more fun you can have, but things can get pretty effective if the hiking group is too big. You won’t be able to find a location where all of you can set up camp, you will have to split into two different camping site which is against the whole point.
It is essential to properly plan on who you’re going to invite to this trip. You also need to factor in transportation, food, water, tents, and many other things to ensure that everyone has enough of everything for the entire trip. You wouldn’t want to run out of food in the middle of the day, right?
Weather
Some people prefer going on a hike while it is raining, snowing or when it is sunny outside. I can’t tell you which weather is best for hiking, but I would recommend going when it is dry and sunny. Although, if you do have some previous experience with this type of adventure, you can go ahead and do it in rainy or snowy weather.
Just make sure that everyone else in your group agrees with the idea of making the trip during such a weather situation. Not everyone loves the idea of being soaking wet because of too much snow or rain.
Proper clothing
Since I already mentioned that knowing the weather forecast is essential, it is also vital to prepare your clothing for that certain type of weather. If it is going to be hard throughout the entire day and night, you should only take light clothing with you. If it’s going to rain, you probably need a windbreaker or a waterproof jacket.
It is also vital to wear boots of higher quality that provide you with enough comfort. You will be in these boots for the next several days, so choose wisely.
As you can see, preparing for a hiking trip is not difficult at all, so by following this guide, you will be able to plan everything in just a day or two.
Kim Marks 
Nina Smith