You just kind of... do it.

Step 1.) Pack what this dude tells you to and follow his advice for food -- http://www.adventurealan.com/best-backpacking-food/

Step 2.) Go when temperates are cool at night, but not cold (high 40F as a minimum). This allows you to buy cheap gear to learn with.

Step 3.) Pack the gear this guy tells you to -- https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-ultimate-hikers-gear-gu...

Step 4.) Buy the cheapest lowest quality gear you can for cool weather hiking. Let it be heavy/used/whatever. Cheap shelter. Cheap sleeping bag. Cheap pack. Except -- https://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-keg-f-stove-syst... learn about alcohol cook systems. They are super light and there is no sense in buying a heavy cook system you will just re-purchase. For a pad, just get a foam ridge rest, see if you can live with it. Most thru hikers end up with a very minimal padding. Something like a thermarest prolite is an okay compromise if you can't stand a ridge rest foam pad thing. There are some ultralight air mattress options that aren't too heavy, but foam pad is easiest.

Step 5.) Plan very low risk "backpacking" at state park camp grounds where there are RVs and lots of people. Trial your gear. If you fail you are right next to lots of people and shelter. Go to places with lots of day hikes. Hike all day. Camp at the camp ground at night.

Step 6.) You should know what kind of sleeper you are. Now you have to decide... are you a camper or a hiker? If you are a hiker, be a gram weenie and buy the nicest ultra-light gear you can afford. If you are a camper, stick with comforts, plan to hike less. Check out cottage gear makers like enlightened equipment and z-packs. Their gear is great. Pay attention to skurka on water treatment: platypus plastic bladders are fine. Aqua mira (a chlorine water treatment system) is super easy.

Step 7.) Do the things. After 3 or 4 weekend trips you will start to know what is up.

Step 8.) Keep reading the blogs and gear things of crazy ultralight hikers. Expand your horizons. If you hike more, learn more about ultralight gear (http://www.adventurealan.com/2-4-pound-extreme-ultralight-ba...)

Step 9.) Learn about orienteering and navigating with map and compass. On major trails you can get away with guide books, but a little knowledge can help you out here.

Step 10.) If you are athletic stick with "trail shoes" and not hiking boots. Hiking boots are crazy. I have hiked hundreds of miles on the AT in plain old running shoes. buy nice wool socks. Accept your feet will be wet and that it is part of the experience if you are a distance hiker. Wool socks will keep your feet warm, even if they are wet :)

You will make mistakes. Surprisingly a lot of the rules of how and where you can hike are very sparsely documented outside of the main trails like the AT.

That is it. Start safe to permit mistakes. After a week of nights outdoors you will have the hang of it. You can start planning weekend backpacking trips then probably.

These are all just guidelines. I am not sold on any brand or whatever, I just use these things and know they work for me. You can spend endless hours researching gear. You just have to commit, be safe, and learn what works for you and what you like and enjoy about the outdoors and backpacking experience. Some people love camping and food and hike as a means to see beautiful places. I am a restless soul and want to tire myself out covering ground when I hike. I am there to be in motion in nature. You just gotta think it thru and figure what you like, and if you like it.

Good luck! Happy trails.

edit: I have met thru hikers that literally had /zero/ experience when they started an AT thru hike. By the time they made it about 50 miles on the trail they are throwing out hatchets, heavy foods, and heavy gear. If these folks can do it, you can to, and you can cut out the days of misery as you learn your gear is too heavy, etc.

> If you are athletic stick with "trail shoes" and not hiking boots

Use what works for you, but I completely disagree with this. I thru-hiked the AT in 2014 in full hiking boots, and didn't have any of the feet problems like friends in normal trail shoes did afterwards; I would have rolled my ancle several times if it weren't for the support, and it only took two pairs (friends with trail shoes went through a lot more when the bottoms got too worn out and got slippery on wet rocks or started to peel off).

Athletic is subjective of course. I do think boots are fine for most, so this is a good addition, but if you run a lot your ankles are probably pretty strong. And moving heavy boots every step slows you down.

Caveat: I run ultramarathons and have thousands of trail miles on my feet. Never rolled an ankle. Never worn boots for 99%. Sample size of 1, etc, but I have met many others in this camp. Shoes can get "religious".

If you are on super rough terrain or mountaineering you also want specific boots.

Number of people who were dismissive of my heavy hiking boots in the first 200 miles of the AT: too many to count (maybe dozens?).

Number of those people who went home with injured ankles: 2. Anecdotal, of course, but I certainly felt vindicated (and, of course, sad for those folks).

If you're in a super duper hurry, having your boots slow you down is maybe a slight drag. If you value foot health over speed, I, too, am a huge fan of heavy hiking boots.

Heh yeah. See below... it is sort of a religion. I really do tell most people to wear hiking boots for the reasons you and your parent commented cited though. I just felt like I should say if someone was in really good shape (like, really good) they can get away with less.

I decided to do a little research to see if I could find any actual studies. Didn't find anything. Some interesting data about military using combat boots vs. running shoes in PT, but that is pretty different from rooty/rocky/slipper trails like the AT. I am gonna have to say anyone that feels too strongly about one or the other should proceed with caution because there is no real evidence one way or another, just religious camps. :)

I'm sure I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about the whole thing; I'm jealous of people like you who never roll their ankles!

Know your own capabilities is a good approach, in most activities.

Yep. Find what works, and try the alternatives when there is no good science one way ir another.

What an excellent and helpful comment. Thanks for sharing that.

REI Garage Sales are excellent sources of incredibly cheap and good equipment. Become an REI member so you can take advantage!

If you live in Seattle, check out the Mountaineers. If in Portland, the Mazamas. First and second largest mountaineering groups in the US iirc. I learned to climb through maxamas, you'll learn to do it right. They don't just climb though, lots of hikes and training.

Finding a group in your area that's open to beginners can be an excellent way to start out, because they'll be planning the hikes and navigating, and can tell you what you need to bring.

With a bit of experience, you can start to pick up on basic navigational skills, etc., and be able to judge what equipment works and what you're lacking.

You don't need much to start out. Some good sneakers/tennis shoes/running shoes are fine for most on-trail hiking, and then just a liter or two of water (more in hot/dry climates) and some food/snacks for an average dayhike with a group where others are navigating.

On your own, you'd want some sort of map/compass, GPS or phone with GPS capability and relevant hiking maps of your area.

A good first step would be to go to REI. They have a liberal return policy if the gear you buy doesn't work for you. They have good trail books at the bookshelves that will give you plenty of well-categorized hikes organized by region and difficulty. Start with a decent daypack, hiking boots, and a basic survival kit (water bottles, first aid kit, emergency blanket, knife). Try out a few dayhikes of five miles or less, at that point you'll rapidly learn enough to know what direction you want to go in next. It's not that big a leap afterwards to getting a multi-day backpack, a tent, a sleeping bag / pad, a water filter, and a stove.

Take a look at your local Sierra Club chapter or outdoor goods store (REI for example). There are a ton of "Beginner Hiking/Backpacking" type classes.

The Washington Trail Association (http://wta.org) is a great resource for hikers and backpackers in Washington State.

See http://www.wta.org/hiking-info/basics for introductory information about hiking and backpacking.

Seconded, but in NY here.

If you're in NYC, there are several hiking clubs which are very friendly to beginners which you could join.

Big state, but I assume NYC?

Yeah, city.

Here are two recommendations for places within proximity to you:

The Palisades Interstate Park is just across the GW Bridge in New Jersey. It has hiking trails all throughout the park but I would recommend the northern section and the "giant steps" trail leading to the "peanut cascade".

New York's Hudson Highlands is just across the Hudson River from Bear Mountain. There's a nice scramble trail at Breakneck Ridge.

Thanks.

I roped a buddy into doing the Old Croton Trail this spring as well.

A good way is to sign up for group hikes and camping trips from REI and other places. You can also look for hiking clubs and ask for help, or find people at work/school who hike. Finally, you can start doing research by yourself and learn by (sometimes painful) trial and error.

My first major hike (9 days at Torres del Paine, solo, I was 19) was hell, shitty gear, overweight backpack and so on, but was amazing and I learned a lot.

It is far easier to hike in groups, there are major gains in weight (stuff for 4 people weigh far less that 4X stuff for 1 person).

Just a small comment I don't recommend anyone to try to learn hikes/camping by themselves. Hike and camp with a buddy until you are very, very experienced (even then I still recommend not being alone).

Not so much of an issue if you're hiking around well-populated areas with celular coverage, starting with day hikes and eventually extending to overnight. Or by camping with your car.

I must admit I was pretty stupid to do Torres del Paine alone with little experience and bad equipment, but hey, I was 19.

I've done it two more times since then, both alone. But one detail worth mentioning is that for famous hikes like TdP, you're rarely alone, there are usually dozens of people doing the same hike, and you end up teaming up with them and hiking together. I'm still good friends with most of the people I met on the trail, especially remote trails.

Sometimes it's not an option. I've survived years of solo hiking but I do worry and try to keep to places where someone would find my body within a day and only hike in warmer months.

>https://www.rei.com/outdoorschool/hiking-camping-classes.htm...

Is this the type of thing you mean? REI is a brand I've seen so I wasn't aware they did things like that.

I'll be traveling a lot but I'll be hiking/camping alone since I don't have a spouse, so groups would be a great way to make friends and not have as much risk.

Yes, REI is a outdoor sports chain, with a lot of stores across the country. They are actually a coop, owned by the consumers. You become a shareholder by spending money on the store, and get 10% back after becoming a member. Really great company.

That's a good place to start.

Meetup.com is great for just getting into hiking, just search "[your city or metro area] hiking." Equipment couldn't be easier, wear comfortable walking shoes (sneakers are fine) and bring sunblock, snacks, and water. If you start hiking a lot, you may want to invest in dedicated hiking shoes, a hydration pack, trekking poles etc. But you don't need any of that to get started in easy hikes.