Walking and trekking advice

Keeping fuelled up

Main meals

Making sure both your mind and body are fuelled up is the key to a successful trek. Ideally you want slow energy releasing foods like wholemeal toast with your favourite spread or a nice bowl of pasta to fill up your carbohydrate stores. This will provide you with the energy that your body needs to take on that trek. Find out more about how to best plan you trek meals here at Time Outdoors .

Snack attack

A rumbling stomach and a nosedive in energy levels is precisely what you want to avoid when out on a hike or trek. The golden rule is eat before you’re hungry and drink before you’re thirsty. Ideally, you’ll be snacking every 60-90 minutes, depending on the length and intensity of the hike.  Much Better Adventures can help you fill your rucksack with the best snacks for your adventure.

Trekking in all kinds of weather

The key to being able to hike in all kinds of weather is being prepared. Whether it be in rainy England, through mist covered mountains, or the midday sun, having the right kit, clothes, shoes, and backpack are essential. Lightweight waterproofs are a must have too, they’ll save you during those random May showers without weighing you down. For more advice visit Lands End.

Are trekking poles needed?

Have you ever walked with poles? Are you considering trying them out or fancy learning some really useful techniques? There’s a great video from The Trail Hunter on how to do just that!

Do you know how to tie your laces?

There’s a lot to consider when choosing your walking boots, making sure you get the right ones just for you. They need to be comfy, supportive, hard wearing – and there are lots of different options for different kinds of walking.  

But, have you ever thought about your shoelaces? A lot of people leave their walking boots laced up as the came in the box, but there are quite a few different ways to lace up your boots to make sure you are getting the correct support in the right places. Whether you’re prone to getting blisters on the backs of your heels, or your toes need a bit of extra wiggle room, fixing your shoe issues is all possible with different lacing techniques! 

Mountain Warehouse show you different options – have a look, it could make your walk a more enjoyable experience.

Preventing and treating blisters

No matter how much preparation has gone into choosing your boots and socks, blisters always seem to find a way to appear. Blisters are simply caused by the friction between the skin on your feet, your socks and your boots as you are walking.

Check out this handy guide from Backpacker to help prevent them for happening and dealing with them when they appear.

How to prepare for your first multi-day trek

You’ve set yourself a challenge of a multi-day hike, exciting! Now to start planning on how you’re going to do it. Well our friends over at The Adventure Element have some top tips on how to get prepared:

1. Start walking now: mix it up with long walks, shorter hilly walks, and days of back to back walking
2. Fit in that leg-based cardio: cycling, swimming and tennis are all great, fun ways to strengthen those legs
3. Analyse how you walk: your heel should hit the ground first, your shoulders should be up and level. This will protect yourself against injury and make your movement more efficient.