Hiking is a great activity that has many benefits. Your Hiking Checklist is dedicated to helping hikers and new hikers with their preparation for a hike. Do you know what you need to know? Are you physically prepared for the trail you intend to hike? Do you have a hiking checklist? Hiking is an intense activity that can be very dangerous if you don't have enough knowledge of where you are, the locations climate and even the wildlife present. Research is very important for understanding vital characteristics of a location. Look at the Hiking Essentials page for tangible and non-tangible essentials that you need to know to prepare for a hike.
Questions to think aboutTerrain.
What is the climate?.
Is the ground going to be dry or wet?.
What is the terrain?.
Are you going to be in direct sunlight?.
If camping, what is the weather like at night?.
Do you need to prepare for potentially dangerous wildlife?.
Are there rescue sites nearby?.
If so, how many and how close are they?.
External Factors.
Many things can go wrong on a hike and during a hike your vigilance and common sense will keep you safe most of time. What happens if something happens away from your hiking location that puts you in an emergency. The last thing you want to do is get into a "what if " discussion with yourself, but anything can happen at anytime. If you're hiking in Yosemite Nation Park and there's an earthquake some survival and emergency gear could end up being a life saver. Be prepared for anything is the message here. For checklist items look the Hiking Checklist and First Aid pages.
Can you Handle the Hike?.
Hiking intensity is also something very important to understand. The last thing you want to have happen is getting stuck on the trail, because you physically can't handle the hike. I was recently at Yellowstone National Park checking out the two waterfalls of the Yellowstone River. The river goes through the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and there is a set of 330 steep stairs to get to the viewing point of the second waterfall.