There is no right or wrong way to start a hike. There also is no secret Crabby Patty formula for successfully following a dirt path for miles. The popular, yet annoyingly overused phrase, “hike your own hike,” does hold some truth because outdoor sports are so subjective. Yes, of course, there are some unwritten rules and safety precautions in place to keep people from being dumb in the backcountry. However, overall, hiking or running on a trail is not a science and is instead an artform where individual expression is encouraged. The bottom line and biggest takeaway: the hike is yours and yours alone.
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed that whenever I get ready for a day on the trail, I tend to fall into a comforting routine. This pattern of actions is nothing special or mind-blowing, but I thought I would share it here because I’m a nerd and quietly hope another hiker will leave a comment on this post about their own pre-trail rituals. I know some hikers who brew tea/coffee or do a quick yoga flow at the trailhead before hiking; human behavior is so fascinating!
For the love of gear!
To start this off, I’ll do a quick dive into the gear I normally carry. What I take for day hikes and trail runs varies depending on the location or season, but generally, the list below is what I take each time I hit the woods!
Pack: For trail runs, I take my Nathan Quickstart 4 liter Hydration Pack. This pack has a very classic vest design with two pockets on each front strap (one mesh, one zippered) and a big back pocket. It also comes with a 1.5-liter hydration bladder with a standard screw lid. For day hikes, I either stick with my Nathan or I take my Osprey Daylite. The Daylite is 13 liters with two big mesh side pockets and two zippered compartments, along with an interior hydration sleeve that can hold up to a 3-liter bladder. I can’t tell you how many trips I’ve taken this pack on; it’s one of my all-time favorites! At the moment, I need to send mine off to Osprey for a minor repair (you can thank my curious, yet determined dogs for that).
Outer layer: When the temperature dips, my Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket or Arc’teryx Atom LT is there to save the day. At some point in the future, I’ll write a post on how to develop a kick-ass layering system, but for now, I can’t give either of these jackets enough praise.
Rain jacket or windbreaker: Since running generates more body heat than hiking does, I tend to just wear a windbreaker that has a DWR (Durable Water-Repellent) coating like The North Face Cyclone Jacket or the Patagonia Houdini Jacket. For day hiking in gnarly storms, I use the Columbia OutDry Ex Reign Jacket from their Titanium collection for now and have never had any issues.
Fanny pack: This serves as a good treat pouch for rewarding or correcting Honey’s behavior. I use a Patagonia Black Hole Mini Hip Pack.
Insect repellent: Because Missouri is always infested with ticks during the summertime and I’d rather not be feasted upon, I use Picaridin. I much prefer Picaridin over Deet solely because it’s odorless and doesn't smell like lighter fluid and hairspray had a baby. I won’t go into the difference between the two of them in this post, but if you’re curious, here’s a good article that explains it better than I ever could: Deet vs Picaridin. I’ve been using Natrapel Picaridin Spray and it works well, but I tend to like the Sawyer Picaridin Lotion more.
Sun protection: To preserve my fragile ginger complexion, sunscreen is a necessity, especially this time of year. Sun Bum SPF 70 Lotion is normally my go-to not only because it works extremely well, but because it’s also vegan and cruelty-free.
Gel shots or snacks: For trail runs, I either use Gu Energy Gels or Muir Energy Gels. For longer runs or hikes, I’ll also pack a few snacks like trail mix, Clif Bars, Go Macro Bars, peanut butter crackers, or my recent favorite, dates with peanut butter.
Dog Bowl: Anyone who hits the trail with their pup knows just how important this piece of gear is. To keep my dogs, Honey and Scooter, hydrated and feeling their absolute best I use a lightweight collapsible bowl from Nite Ize. Seriously, this bowl is a game-changer. It dries quickly after each use, easily stashes inside a small pocket, and can also clip onto a collar, harness, or any ordinary D-ring, so what’s not to love?
Miscellaneous items: Chapstick, wet wipes, dog poo bags, Buffs, etc. I could not live without any of these items. Sometimes for longer excursions, I’ll bring extra socks or clothes as well.
Let’s get down to business
As far as the routine goes when I prepare for a trail run or hike, one of the dogs and I pack our gear and drive out to the trailhead. Where I live in St. Louis, it’s typically a 20-30 minute drive to the trails I frequent the most. Sometimes we’ll head to the Ozark Trail or state parks within the Mark Twain National Forest, and in that case, our drive time could be one to three hours long. On the way, I normally listen to music, a podcast, or a song that I’ve been obsessing over for weeks on repeat (please, tell me I’m not the only one who does this).
When we get there, I take my time organizing my pack, filling up my hydration bladder, or scrolling on Instagram for an embarrassingly long time without blinking. When I’m finally ready to get down to business, I’ll apply the copious amounts of sunscreen and bug repellent needed to survive the wild Missouri wilderness unscathed. Then, I’ll start stretching and warm-up those muscle tissues I’m getting ready to destroy.
Stretching!
Wrapping up
After that, I’ll walk Honey or Scooter around the trailhead until they pee, but most importantly, poop. I try to avoid having them poop while on the trail as much as possible from an environmental standpoint and also because it's annoying having to carry a bag full of shit the entire time. (A side note: if your dog poops, please pick it up. Do not be that guy who either leaves it alone or bags it up and still leaves it on the side of the trail. Chances are you will forget to grab the bag on the way back to your car, which is not cool. Be cool! Leave No Trace.)
As soon as everyone accounted for has gone to the bathroom, I put on my pack and adjust it to how I like it best. Pack fitting is not rocket science, but it can feel that way if you’re new to wearing one properly. I may dive into this topic in a later post, but for now, here’s a good reference: How To Fit A Backpack. If Honey is with me, I’ll also take this time to ask her some commands to get her ready for the hike or run and make sure she’s listening to me (Sit, Stay, Leave It, Look At Me, etc.). Then we’re off!
Hope you enjoyed this interestingly nerdy depiction of my pre-trail routine!
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As always, see you out on the trail!