James and Shereen discuss the benefits of touching grass, and how to get outside this summer.

Picking your route - keep it short at first. If you’re having fun, you can always loop back.

All Trails (www.alltrails.com )is a great app and has a wheelchair friendly filter. You can search for a local route that is the right length and pretty flat. Try to leave a review so that other trail users can get recent info on conditions.

Avoid too much elevation gain – if you have a paper map this means avoiding crossing too many contours. If you can’t avoid elevation gain, opt for a shorter hike. Going down an be taxing as well, so make sure to keep some energy in reserve.

Lots of modern smartphones have a built-in step counter. Use this to estimate your daily walking right now and shoot for a trail that isn’t more than that in length

Try and set off early, it’s less hot and the animals are more active.

If you’re in front country on groomed trails just bring some water and a snack and a well-charged phone. Any supportive comfy shoes are going to be great, don’t overthink it. All trails will help you navigate and there will probably be a big sign at the trailhead advising of any specifics. For example, some parks might suggest bear spray or warn you about snakes, which can be a risk even in urban areas. You can check online as well to prepare for any specific requirements of being in a given area.

Meetup and REI (https://www.rei.com/events/a/camping-and-hiking-hiking?s_kwcid=PS_CAE_Google%7C416_&s_kwcid=PS_CAE_Google%7C21700000001699351_43700072373470246%7C58700007954053469%7CCAE_PB%7C71700000098564971&gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds) are great places to meet people to hike with. REI offers WTF hiking events as well.

Equipment:

Some hats I like - felted wool hat (I got mine for 15 bucks at one of those REI garage sales, don’t pay $60 for a hat https://tinyurl.com/ymfvc5e7) , legionnaire hat

Shirt I look for wicking, pockets, and a loose fit. Here is my Backpacker story on shirts https://www.backpacker.com/gear/apparel/best-collared-shirts-hiking/

T-shirts I like include the Gore contest (https://www.gorewear.com/us/en-us/contest-20-tee-mens-101075?variant=9049) and this Patagonia Tropic Comfort hoodie (https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-tropic-comfort-natural-sun-upf-hoody/41930.html?dwvar_41930_color=BUGR&cgid=mens-tops-long-sleeve)

Trousers – The main focus here is breathing well and having good flexibility to move as you move. One or two extra pockets is nice, as is a waist that doesn’t cut into you. I don’t prefer to wear a belt if I can avoid it when hiking. I have about five pairs of these Prana Stretch Zion trousers, which can often be found on sale. https://www.prana.com/p/stretch-zion-pant/2056941.html?dwvar_2056941_color=Mud

For climbing, buy stretchy jeans at a second-hand shop and cut them between the knee and the ankle.

Socks - Thin Merino socks are great, and you can wear them a long time before they get smelly. I tried the warranty, and both Feetures (https://feetures.com/ ) and darn tough(https://darntough.com/) will replace your socks for free.

Wind layer for chilly alpine starts, or runs that go into the night, or just when it is windy, I have been really enjoying the OR men’s shadow wind hoodie - I like the peaked hood. I see these marked down below $100 all the time, so don’t pay MSRP (https://www.outdoorresearch.com/products/mens-shadow-wind-hoodie-300899)

Other clothes

Look at outdoor vitals for good value https://outdoorvitals.com/ . If it’s still chilly where you are you can’t beat their Vario hoodie (https://outdoorvitals.com/products/vario-jacket ). It was my only warm item for a few weeks in Colorado and Utah and it saved my ass.

You might also want a light waterproof but if it’s warm I don’t mind being wet

Boots vs shoes

Most people will be more comfortable in shoes. If you don’t wear boots for work or casually, and you’re not carrying much weight, don’t go spending money on a hiking boot. Getting a stable shoe option gives you some of the benefits of the boot, without as much weight or rubbing.

I lie to trail run, and so all the shoes I use are double-duty for hiking or trail running. I don’t like shoes with stiff, hard midsoles which rules a lot of “hiking” shoes out. My trail running shoe rotation right now is

Salomon Genesis https://tinyurl.com/yz5krn36 -I love how light these are, and they have side walls which make them very stable. They have enough stack to protect my feet, but not so much that I eat shit because I can’t feel the trail.

Saucony Xodus ultra 2, https://www.saucony.com/en/xodus-ultra-2 . These have really nice foam in the midsole that I love for running. They’re also very stable, and well cushioned. I run in these all the time, and they’ve been pretty durable and very comfy. They are a little tall, so if you are really worried about turning an ankle they may not be the best.

merrel agility peak (https://www.merrell.com/US/en/agility-peak-5/58229M.html?dwvar_58229M_color=J068117#cgid=men-footwear-trail-running&start=1 ) and long sky (https://www.merrell.com/US/en/mtl-long-sky-2/ ) .The Agility Peak is a solid, well-cushioned and well-ventilated trail shoe that works really well with gaiters. It’s great value and comes in cool colours. The Longsky is what I go to when I want a more precise shoe, I like to mess about off trail and these are great on rocky trails and very well-ventilated. Shereen also says these are “cute”

Under heavy load, I do like boots. Salomon quest 4 (https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/quest-4-gore-tex.html#color=77341 ) is my go to, and I have stockpiled spare pairs in case they change it, but I’ve enjoyed Vasque boots a lot in the past and they are often overlooked. It’s really important to try on any boots you want to buy.

Chacos are the best sandals = https://www.chacos.com

Backpack

You’ll have to choose between frameless ultralight bags, internal frame bags (The majority of the market, and external frame bags)

The lighter you get the less structure and organization you get. A nice option that is pretty light, but still very comfy, is the radix from Mystery Ranch https://www.mysteryranch.com/radix-47-pack You can often find MR gear on sale, and their equipment lasts forever. I have taken other MR bags literally all over the world filled with camera and audio gear and they’re still looking great.

I like packs that have a running vesttype front. I’m going to mention some running specific stuff in another episode but the camelbak octane 25 is a nice bag for a day hike https://www.camelbak.com/shop/deals/octane-25-70-oz-hydration-pack/CB-2205.html . I carried someone’s dog in it once.

I like HydraPak reservoirs https://hydrapak.com/

Poles make hiking easier on your knees. I have a pair of One Way poles that I have been using on and off trail recently and have yet to break, I normally massacre hiking poles so these get my seal of approval. Make sure they are sized appropriately for your height. https://www.onewaysport.com/us_en/trekking-poles-highlights

We will cover what goes in your pack in another episode but I do want to say don’t ever hike in the backcountry without a means of communication (which is not your phone if there’s not signal where you’re going), navigation, water, clothing appropriate for the next 24 hours where you are (which might mean packing for overnight lows), any meds you need that day, a small first aid kit, and some snacks

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