I’m not going to insult your intelligence by calling this the “Idiot’s Guide” or anything of the sort, but I will try to keep this series specific and easy to understand. The first task for your adventure will be to decide what your goal is. There are many different ways to enjoy the outdoors. These posts will primarily deal with hiking and backpacking.
A few different ways to enjoy the outdoors on foot are listed below:
- Day Hiking – Traditionally, day hikes involve driving to a parking lot, hiking a few trails, hopping in your car and driving home. This can be an excellent way to get started. Some day-hikers still carry small packs filled with drinks, snacks, or other supplies for the day of hiking.
- Backpacking – Backpacking usually involves carrying everything that you will need for an overnight or extended stay on your back during a hike. This can allow backpackers to cover much longer trails or just take their time on the trail by spending the night.
- Peak Bagging – This is more specialized term and can be either backpacking or day hiking. It is typically used to refer to climbing a summit. This can be done in one or more days, with or without a backpack.
- Slack Packing – Slack Packing is a mix of Day Hiking and Backpacking. Slack-packers typically try to tackle longer, backpacking trails, but without carrying a backpack or staying on the trail overnight. Slack -packers will typically carry a small day pack, hike as much of the trail as they can in one day, then leave the trail and go home or to a hotel. The next day, they will return to the same point in the trail and resume their hike.
You don’t have to limit yourself to only a single type of hiking, but choosing your goal or how you would like to get started can help you narrow down the specialized gear you will need.
Stay tuned for additional articles about getting started in backpacking!
If you’d like some additional reading on gear definitions check out this article on the “Big Three” from a fellow outdoor blogger.
Atlas Alex 
This is awesome! I wanna start hiking and this is definitely useful since I hadn’t even heard of some of the terms here
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Glad you liked it! We’ll be getting more in-depth in the future. What kind of adventure are you planning for?
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Don’t really have anything specific right now, I just don’t want to be limited anymore by not knowing anything about hiking. I really wanna go to the Tayrona and the Ciudad Perdida in Colombia right now, but haven’t really done it because I feel so unprepared! Looking forward to reading some more 🙂
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Preparation is one of the keys to a successful adventure. It looks like you are on the right track. If you have anything specific you would like to know more about, let me know and I’ll do my best to assist.
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I think I’m definitely a day hiker, though I could probably enjoy slack hiking too. I enjoy the outdoors, just not sleeping in it. :p
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You never know, staying up late around a campfire with no place you have to be is a great feeling. Maybe you’ll try it someday and like it. A lot of the comfort factor has to do with what gear you have as well.
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This is true. I won’t say never, but I can hardly imagine it would ever become a hobby of mine.
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Thoroughly enjoy your blog! Tips for newbies like me are always helpful! Always wanting to learn more backpacking tips to ensure safer treks.
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Thanks for the feedback. I’ve had some great mentors and just want to pass along the knowledge. Let me know if there are any topics you’d like to know more about!
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Will do! Thanks!
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