10 Simple Hiking Hacks to Take Advantage of Today

I’ve got 10 simple hiking hacks to help you have a better hiking experience.

These hacks are so simple that you’ll be able to do every one of them.

Hiking hacks really make enjoying nature and the outdoors a lot better.

Simple Hiking Hacks List

Here are the 10 simple hiking hacks to make your hiking experience easier.

1. How to break in your hiking boots? Wear them everywhere you go outside of hiking after you purchase them. Wear them around the house. Wear them to the grocery stores. Wear them to the bank. Wear them to work or school if appropriate. That’s the best way to break in new hiking boots.
2. How do you save space in your pack? Take stuff out of the packaging. This is one of the best simple hiking hacks out there. Pack the tent, enough steaks to pin it down, and the poles if carrying a tent. Leave behind all the bags that come with them. If anything comes with a bag or container, try to pack it without it if possible.
3. How to keep the contents in your backpack dry? Put a trash bag in your backpack and then put the contents of the bag into the trash bag. Then you can tighten the trash bag up without tying it in a knot. This will keep everything dry if it rains on you during a hike and you don’t have a poncho or rain shell for your backpack.
4. How do you find your way back to where you started? Pack a compass with you. Before you leave the trailhead, point to the compass in the direction of the trailhead or your vehicle. Note the direction of the trailhead or your vehicle. If you get lost or don’t know which trail to follow, follow the direction towards the reading you took with your compass.
5. How do you know how much daylight you have left? If you’re unsure how much daylight you have left on your hike, there is a neat little hack you can take advantage of. Stretch your arm out towards the horizon of the sun. Every finger width from the horizon to the sun is at least 15 minutes of daylight.
6. What kind of first aid kit should you pack? Pack a sandwich bag first aid kit. Buy a regular small kit. Take out what you know how to use and put it in a sandwich bag that zips shut. Add any additional items you might need. I pack antihistamines for bee stings. That’s your kit. You should only take what you know how to use and what will likely be used.
7. How to combat bad odors while hiking? Pack a tea bag! Really! A tea bag is a great form of odor control. If you’re camping overnight, toss a couple in your hiking boots to help cut down the smell if they stink. If you pack out used TP in a Ziploc bag, throw in a tea bag to help control the odor. However, I’m unsure if I’d use it to make tea afterward.
8. How do to get poison ivy oils and ticks off you after a hike? This is one of those simple hiking hacks that we use every time we get done hiking in the summer months. We bring a cooler with ice and bottles of ice water. We include a sandwich bag with two rags and DAWN dish soap. We wash our face, neck, arms, legs, and feet off with the rags. Dawn will cut off the poison ivy oils (it must be cold). Then we wash again with 99% rubbing alcohol. That will get anything else off, including tiny seed ticks.
9. How to ensure your pack is comfortable on every hike? Always loosen your straps and adjust your pack every time you put it on. If you take it off during a hike to rest, loosen your straps and readjust when you put it on. This is especially important for the shoulder, hip, and sternum straps.
10. How to keep your feet dry after your boots are soaking wet? Bring an extra pair of socks. Bring four plastic shopping/grocery bags. If you get your boots and socks soaking wet, take them off, dry your feet, and put on the dry socks. Then put two grocery bags on each foot and put your boots on. The bags will keep the water from soaking into your dry socks.

And that’s 10 simple hiking hacks to help you enjoy your hiking trip. I’d love to know what other hiking hacks you practice in a comment below! Please share this article with others if you’ve enjoyed it. Consider subscribing to my free monthly newsletter for more tips like these.

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