Corcovado beach, Costa Rica
Trekking is a fun and invigorating travel activity that can be enjoyed all over the world. Multi-day hikes through forests, jungles, deserts, or high up in the mountains are all possible locations you may want to consider on your next trip.
Many of my favorite travel moments have happened while trekking through the wilderness. But without proper planning, a trekking adventure can quickly become a nightmare. These are my top suggestions for helping to make your trekking experience one to remember.
Pack Light
Even if your trek is longer than 2 days, you should really only need 2 sets of clothes. One to wear during the day while hiking, and another set to use at night while the first set dries out. Make sure to pack something warm, because it can often cool down rapidly at night. Bring a light waterproof jacket or poncho for the rain.
Take Care of Your Feet
If you take care of your feet, they will take care of you. Make sure your footwear has been broken in a bit before you go on a long trek – don’t wear brand new boots. Whenever you stop on the trail for a long rest or a lunch, take off your boots, socks, and insoles and let them dry in the sun. Bring something to treat blisters if they occur. Duct tape works surprisingly well!
An exploding eruption from active volcano Santiaguito
Drink Plenty of Water
Your body will sweat out all your liquids while trekking. It’s important to replenish them often. If you plan to filter water at streams, drink a liter of water at the stream before filling your bottle up again. You never know when the next water source will appear. I like to drink 2-3 liters of water right before starting a hike to help reduce the amount of water I have to carry.
Watch Out for the Sun!
Always make sure you carry strong sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. Nothing ruins a nice trek faster than a bad sunburn. It also sucks the water out of your body, which can lead to dehydration.
Don’t Get Lost
Getting lost in the middle of nowhere is never fun, and it can also be dangerous. Prevent it from happening by using a map & compass, staying on the trail, communicating with your hiking partners, and traveling with a guide if needed. A GPS device can be nice too, but don’t rely on it as your only tool as electronics fail all the time. I like to carry a small emergency survival kit as well. It lets you start a fire, signal a plane, boil water, or go fishing should you need to. Many are small enough to fit in your pocket.
Trekking to Active Volcano Santiaguito
Rest Often
Trekking isn’t a race. Don’t feel pressured to go faster than you can. I like to take lots of 30 second breaks while I’m hiking to stretch my back & legs. Very short breaks won’t ruin your rhythm but they’ll help to keep your body fresh on long journeys. Stop and enjoy the scenery too, which brings me to my last tip…
Wake Up for the Sunrise
Sunsets are easy for people to experience when they are relaxing around camp at the end of the day. But waking up early to watch the sunrise is much harder. Especially after a long, exhausting day of trekking. Make yourself wake up early for the sunrise anyway, I promise you won’t regret it. 
Have you ever been trekking before? Have any additional trekking tips you’d like share?
About the author: Matthew Karsten is traveling around the world indefinitely. Vagabonding on a budget while sharing his wild adventures, photography, & experiences with you. Be sure to check him out at ExpertVagabond.com
You can also find out more about Matthew on Facebook | Twitter | Google+
