Not experienced? Don’t bite off more than you can chew unless you’re at least “athletic.”

You don’t need much to hike.

A water bottle. Plenty of water. Food is less important just have sustenance. Nuts, a couple protein bars… But man a backpack with a bladder/hose is nice. But also, consider weight.

Hiking shoes help, running shoes are totally fine. Skate shoes/chuck Taylor’s/work boots will cause issues over long distances.

If it’s hot, and over 10 miles, I recommend bringing a change of clothes. But again, consider weight/distance/experience.

Pace yourself. And pace your friends in your group. And speak up. Start slower than any of you feel makes sense. Get in gear. Find your pace together. Never start fast. If you’re not alone, my rule of thumb is everyone should be able to have a good laugh without needing to stop. When In alone I go “slow enough I’ll never have to stop”. So don’t push, unless like, that’s the goal.

Stretch often. Before, during, and after.

Lastly, if you’re getting winded, two tips:

1. Use your whole lungs. When people hyperventilate, they rarely use all of their lungs capacity. If you feel that “out of breath” feeling getting difficult, breathe “through your lungs. In thirds.”

By this I mean full inhale, exhale about 1/3. Inhale a bit, exhale down to about 1/3 remaining, inhale a bit, exhale to 0. Repeat. This will oxygenate your blood a lot better than staying up in that top 1/3, as we instinctually do.

2. Hands locked on top of your head. Elbows out. Relax your shoulders. Your lungs now do not have to lift your shoulders to get a full inhale. This will help you recover faster.

That’s it. Start hydrated. Finish hydrated. Stretch. Go slow. Breathe. Hiking is easy.