Women's Travel: Five Essential Tips for Women Who Hike
With hiking season right around the corner, Marian Marbury, who started the women's travel company, Adventures in Good Company, Inc., has found that a few tips can help women get maximum enjoyment from their hiking.
"I've been guiding hiking trips for women for over 20 years, and whether it's an introductory hike in the Shenandoahs or a trek to Everest Basecamp in Nepal, these are the tips I find most helpful," Marbury says.
Hike at your own pace.
For many women, their first experience of hiking is with a male companion who takes off at a pace that leaves them gasping for breath. The most important hiking skill any woman can learn is to hike at her own pace, a pace that can be comfortably sustained without ever having to stop to catch her breath, even when going up a steep hill.
Don't wear cotton clothing.
Except when hiking in a hot, dry climate, cotton clothing should be avoided - including cotton bras. Having wet, cold clothing next to the skin causes rapid chilling. Bras are particularly bad because they are designed to be skintight. The best solutions are to not wear one and have the first layer be a fabric that "wicks" sweat away so buy a bra made of wicking material.
Stay well-hydrated.
Sometimes women hesitate to drink as much water as they need when outdoors when bathrooms aren't available, a huge mistake. Inadequate hydration leads to headaches, fatigue, and irritability. While an easily accessible water bottle is adequate, a hydration system that enables sipping water while hiking is even better.
Take care of "hot spots" immediately.
Frequently, women who start feeling "hot spots" on their feet, small areas of heat and discomfort, put off treating them out of hesitation to slow the group down. While understandable, it's a big mistake: hot spots can quickly become blisters, which are more difficult to treat. Hot spots are best treated with tincture of Benzoin and some moleskin.
Wear boots that fit correctly.
Many women have "low volume" feet, feet that have a very narrow forefoot and heel area and a low instep. This makes getting boots that fit quite challenging, and ill-fitting boots lead to ankle injuries and blisters. Buying boots from a store that has salespeople who know how to fit them and take adequate time to make sure the fit is correct is critical. Superfeet insoles provide support, add volume, and improve comfort, all of which make hiking more enjoyable.
Adventures in Good Company is a leading provider of women's travel for women of all ages, including over 20 hiking trips annually to domestic and international destinations.
