Ten things to avoid when hiking
Manuel Andrack shares his hiking no-gos
1. No-Go: Wrong footwear
From personal experience, I can say: blisters on your feet are a real nuisance. What causes blisters? Friction in the wrong place. Where do blisters form? On the ball of the foot, on the Heel, between the toes. How to avoid blisters? By wearing comfortable shoes – I recommend (who would have guessed) BÄR shoes. Thanks to Toe freedom, friction is avoided while walking.
Hiking shoes from BÄR:
2. No-Go: Route too strenuous
Especially for beginners: less is more. Please don’t start with a route over ten kilometers. Are you under-challenged by such a short distance? No problem, you can extend the stage or take a second short circular route. Better than getting into trouble with a route that’s too long. And pay attention to the elevation gain. For every 100 meters of elevation, add one performance kilometer. A 9-kilometer circular route with 400 meters of elevation equals 13 performance kilometers.
3. No-Go: Boring trails
A wide, gravelled forest path. Dead straight, and on the horizon you can already see where you’ll be the day after tomorrow. On either side, like soldiers standing at attention, a dense spruce forest. That’s: Boooring! As an antidote to boring hiking, Premium Trails (info at wanderinstitut.de and premiumwanderwelten.de) and Quality Trails (info at wanderbares-deutschland.de) were created.
4. No-Go: Leaving trash in the forest
Many hiking beginners wonder why there are no trash bins on Premium Trails. They’re not missing – it’s the principle: everything you bring into the forest should not be left there. Not even in a trash bin, which often causes more mess than it solves.
5. No-Go: Not enough water
Especially on sunny and hot days, you should carry at least one liter of water. Hiking makes you sweat, and dehydration is no fun. Drink water while hiking, and wine or beer after. Unless you stop for a meal during the hike – then wine or beer is fine in between too.
6. No-Go: Hiking at the wrong time
In principle, hiking is great at any time. But going on a popular trail on a sunny public holiday afternoon in May is only conditionally recommended – it’s as packed as a Japanese subway. So I recommend hiking at off-peak times on weekends and holidays, early in the morning or late in the evening. Or, if possible, go on a weekday.
7. No-Go: Hiking too fast
You’re not on the run. Don’t rush. Hiking is about Pleasure, relaxation, and recovery. You don’t need to break any time records. I recommend planning half an hour of rest for every hour you’re on the move.
8. No-Go: Inappropriate clothing
Freezing in winter. Getting soaked to your underwear in a downpour. Sweating in clothes that are too warm in high summer. It doesn’t have to be this way! Before hiking, check the weather app to see what to expect, and choose your clothing accordingly. By the way, you’ll find many helpful hiking accessories (not just shoes) in the BÄR shop.
9. No-Go: Not stopping for a meal
There are still hikers who avoid stopping for a meal during or after a hike and swear by backpack provisions only. I think this is a mistake. You’d miss out on the regional specialties at the inns. Plus, as a hiker who doesn’t pay for trail use, you should support the local economy in the truest sense.
10. No-Go: Forgetting spare socks
Socks are a certain weak point when it comes to moisture. Even the best hiking sock – once it gets wet during a shower – dries relatively slowly. And you can quickly get blisters from damp socks. So I recommend always bringing spare socks on a hike.
