With a little awareness, you can learn from the most common mistakes made by beginner hikers and avoid them! No one is born a professional mountaineer, and experience is the best way to gain skill. Here are a few of the most important ones.
Hiking and mountaineering are exciting and dangerous activities that require skills, awareness, and experience. Even the simplest mountains, if you don't pay attention to the details, can become a setting for mistakes, leading to disasters. Here, we will briefly explain some of the common mistakes in hiking and mountaineering.
One of the most common mistakes among beginner mountaineers is not paying attention to the weather conditions. Bad weather can ruin a hike and even put you in danger, so always check the weather forecast for the area you plan to hike in.
You might be a light traveler, but when you go camping, you need to prepare for living conditions for a few days, and that means paying attention to your sleeping comfort. If you're sensitive to pillow quality, it's better to bring your own, and make sure your sleeping bag and blankets are warm enough. Also, don't forget to place a waterproof mat between the tent and the ground. With awareness of the area's weather, bring suitable blankets and sheets to keep you warm while you sleep. For a comfortable, long sleep, earplugs and an eye mask can also be helpful.
A professional nature traveler never leaves their shoes outside the tent. This is because, at night, animals are attracted to the smell of sweat from your shoes and might either attack you or carry your shoes away. To avoid getting the inside of the tent dirty, place your shoes in a plastic bag, seal it tightly, and bring it inside. Also, it is recommended to bring a pair of plastic slippers for comfort and short walks around the tent.
Anyone who has set up a tent in the dark knows the nightmare that awaits those who arrive late at the campground. If you arrive late, not only will it be difficult, but you might also end up near the bathroom or in a crowded spot. It's better to plan your trip to arrive a few hours before sunset, giving you time to choose the right place. Look for a flat, dry area that isn't covered with branches, which could cause your tent to slip in the rain. Setting up a tent in the dark forest makes it difficult to see, and you might not set up your gear properly.
It doesn't matter how long your hike is, make sure you have enough water to stay hydrated and enough food to maintain your energy. Carry at least one liter of water for a short 3-kilometer hike, and at least two liters or more for longer hikes. This is one of the most common mistakes beginners make, and it’s directly related to your survival. Thankfully, modern hiking backpacks make carrying water much easier. When packing food for your trip, choose options that are easy to eat and keep your body energized, such as sandwiches, nuts, and lightweight foods. Salty foods are great for replenishing the salts lost through sweat.
It’s unclear what conditions tent makers and designers live in that they make such mistakes regarding the size of the tent! Our advice for tent size is to never trust the product box labels, especially if you're buying online. If it says the tent is for three people, read it as "for one person with personal items!" If a tent is listed as being for two people, it will likely only accommodate one person.
Tools like maps and compasses are often at the top of every essential gear list for hiking, but they are useless if you don’t know how to use them. Navigation is a vital skill, and underestimating it is one of the most common mistakes beginner hikers make. If you're planning a winter hiking trip but don’t know how to use safety and rescue tools like an avalanche beacon or an ice axe, it’s better to change your plans.
If you have any experience with nature hiking or mountaineering, feel free to share it in the comments. You can also read the article below for more information on hiking and mountaineering.
