Beginner Hiker Moves: 10 Smart Ways to Survive Your First Trail

Beginner Hiker Moves: 10 Smart Ways to Survive Your First Trail

A reluctant hiker’s guide to not embarrassing yourself in front of nature.

If you’re new to hiking, you might already be imagining disaster scenarios like:

  • “What if I get lost?”

  • “What if there’s a bear?”

  • “What if a squirrel judges me?"

Calm down. You’re probably hiking a friendly little loop where the most dangerous thing is tripping over your own feet. The second most dangerous thing is a squirrel giving you that “you really wore those shoes?” look.

This guide will help you survive your first hike with your pride mostly intact.

1. Pick an Easy Trail (Your Ego Will Recover Later)

For your first hike, choose a trail nice and easy, heck maybe even paved.

A good beginner-friendly trail is:

  • 1–3 miles

  • Minimal elevation gain

  • Marked with signs as clear as a children's museum.

Well Planned Journey suggests starting small so you don’t immediately hate hiking forever.
Source: https://www.wellplannedjourney.com/hiking-for-beginners/

Think of this as the “tutorial level” of the outdoors.

2. Check the Weather (Nature Can be Moody)

Weather can turn on you faster than a raccoon turns on someone holding trail mix.

Check:

  • Temperature

  • Wind

  • Storm forecasts

  • Sunset time

  • If the sky looks like it’s plotting something

The American Hiking Society stresses planning ahead for conditions.
Source: https://americanhiking.org/hiking-for-beginners-essential-guide/

If it looks bad, bail. Nature will still be there tomorrow, judging you from afar.

3. Tell Someone Where You’re Going (Like a Responsible Adult)

Before you hit the trail, tell a friend:

  • The trail name

  • When you’re starting

  • When you expect to finish

  • Which snacks you brought (optional but appreciated)

The USDA Forest Service recommends always leaving an itinerary.
Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/hiking

This is how you avoid becoming a “hiker found after chasing a squirrel off-trail” headline.

4. Hike With Someone Who Matches Your Chaos Level

A good hiking buddy does:

  • Encourage you

  • Walk at your pace

  • Share snacks

  • Laugh with you, not at you, when you lose to gravity

A bad hiking buddy:

  • Sprints ahead

  • Says things like “Almost there!” when you’re definitely not

  • Feeds squirrels, creating tiny monsters who now expect tributes

USDA recommends hiking with a partner for safety.
Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/hiking

Choose wisely.

5. Pace Yourself (This Is Not a Race)

Trail speed is not sidewalk speed.

Expect:
30–45 minutes per mile as a beginner.

Bearfoot Theory emphasizes that pacing is crucial for safety.
Source: https://bearfoottheory.com/hiking-safety-tips/

Move slow. Take breaks. Pretend you’re admiring nature instead of gasping for air. Works every time.

6. Stay on the Trail (You Are Not a Woodland Creature)

Follow the path. Follow the signs. Follow the very obvious dirt line that is clearly a trail.

Reasons to stay on the trail:

  • Safety

  • Avoiding erosion

  • Avoiding poison ivy

  • Avoiding accidentally participating in a squirrel turf war

Forest Service strongly recommends staying on marked trails.
Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/hiking

Unless you are a professional ranger or an actual squirrel, stay on the path.

7. Respect Wildlife (Yes, Even the Sassy Squirrels)

Do not feed, touch, or attempt to barter with wildlife.

This includes:

  • Birds

  • Chipmunks

  • Deer

  • That one squirrel staring at you like it owns the place (it does, actually)

Chelsey Explores notes that feeding animals is dangerous for everyone.
Source: https://www.chelseyexplores.com/tips-for-first-time-hikers/

They don’t need your snacks. They have your fear.

8. Bring Essential Gear (Especially the Snacks)

Your survival depends on three things:

  • Water

  • Snacks

  • Not angering a squirrel

Pack these essentials:

  • Water

  • Jolly Ranchers (our official fuel of questionable decisions)

  • Trail mix

  • A light layer

  • A simple first aid kit

  • Phone

  • Optional trekking poles for dramatic effect

Washington Trails Association outlines these basics as essential.
Source: https://www.wta.org/go-outside/new-to-hiking/safety-essentials-hiking-toolkit

Snacks are both nutritional support and emotional support.

9. Take Breaks (You Are Allowed to Sit and Question Everything)

Breaks are not weakness. They are strategic survival moments.

Use breaks to:

  • Drink water

  • Regulate the meltdown forming inside you

  • Eat a Jolly Rancher

  • Glare at a hill

  • Let a squirrel pass so it doesn’t judge your pace

Hiking is not an endurance competition. Stop whenever your soul requests it.

10. Know When to Turn Back

(This Makes You Smart, Not a Quitter)

If you’re:

  • Tired

  • Overheated

  • Out of water

  • Hearing thunder

  • Being mocked by squirrels

  • Feeling done

Turn around. Hike another day.

NPS states that knowing your limits is essential to safety.
Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/hiking-safety.htm

Even seasoned hikers bail sometimes. You’re allowed.

Conclusion: Messy, Slow, Snack-Fueled Hiking Is Still Hiking

Your first hike doesn’t need to be epic. You don’t need to conquer a mountain or win a race. You just need to walk a bit, breathe, look at some trees, and try not to take personal offense when a squirrel side-eyes you.

At Lousy Outdoors, we celebrate:

  • The slow hikers

  • The snack-dependent hikers

  • The reluctant hikers

  • The “why is the trail going up again?” hikers

Hiking is lousy. Do it anyway (and bring extra snacks in case a squirrel tries to negotiate).

In our next blog we'll cover why Mockingbirds are jerks.

Back to blog