Sarge47

I started posting this on a thread on the forum page, however it quickly went way beyond what my original intent, which was to encourage those new to the outdoors to get out & learn to enjoy and love it! So I've deleted the thread & am starting several series of blogs here on Hiking, Camping, & fishing; starting with Hiking. The following post was my 1st post on that thread, more will follow.

Hiking, your 1st step into the wild!

So you're new at this whole "outdoors thing" and want to start getting into the woods/outdoors but you're not sure how to start. In another thread I talked about getting involved with a Boy Scout troop. Look for one that's not afraid to camp, hike & fish. If that's not possible then you might try to find a group or club of hikers. I also recommend a good, easy to understand book that teaches about the outdoors. You only need one...one GOOD one. I like the 1984 “Fieldbook: Boy Scouts of America.” This is the book that I based my 6 part blog about learning survival on. It's easy to understand as it was written for young boys as well as adult leaders. You don't need a whole library of survival books cluttering up your abode, all teaching basically the same thing. Just one good one to start, and one that teaches you regarding your geographic location. You want to learn about outdoor skills, this is a good place to start. If at all possible find a like-minded person and "hit the trail" with them. Find some easy, one day, beginner trails, in your area. Get a hold of a map of where you'll be walking, then talk to somebody who knows the area, like a Park Ranger. Pack a "Ruck," (a small backpack,) put in the essentials that you've read about, wear the right clothes & shoes, & brush up on your 1st aid knowledge that you've learned,..right? Always leave a plan with someone ou know & trust that tells them when to go for help if you're not back by a certain time.! Hike regularly, keep a journal & describe everything that you learn. Review it frequently. List things that you wished you had at the time, take them along on the next one. As you get used to hiking, gradually increase the level of difficulty of the trails your hiking. At some point you'll need to learn the next step: Camping, then you can start looking into "over-night hiking" & you'll have the time of your life.

This blog will lead the person brand-new to the outdoors down the trail to their 1st Solo, over-night hike. and also give you the resources you can use to take it to the next level...full-blown Backpacking. Enjoy

(...to be continued.)