When you go on a hike, the trail might seem like something organic — like it’s always been there and no one person planned how it would look. The reality is that creating hiking trails takes an entire team of planners and builders. And if they do their jobs right, it will feel like they were never there.
Let’s get physical, physical
🏋️ Get into gear on Amazon’s Big Spring Sale.
- Track your steps, heart rate and more with a Fitbit (25% off).
- Get a smart scale (37% off) to measure more than pounds.
- Recover from sore muscles with a massage gun (45% off).
- Grab a nonslip yoga mat (34% off) for support.
- If you do Pilates like I do, this bar kit (23% off) is great.
- Hop with a cordless jump rope (19% off) that won’t tangle.
- This running armband (23% off) holds your phone and earbuds.
- Hit the trails with hiking poles (23% off) that fold up quickly.
- Protect your skin with SPF 50 sunscreen (33% off).
🥤 Quench your thirst: An insulated flask (15% off) and a hydration backpack (17% off) help you stay cool on the go.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🥾 Going hiking? Your map app might send you off a cliff. UK mountain rescue teams were called out last year. Blame bad directions and folks blindly following routes. So, use a proper map, learn a few survival basics and maybe pack a flare just in case. “Recalculating route” shouldn’t mean straight into the abyss.
32% more
Calories burned walking at a 10% incline. I like a real hill outside, but a treadmill works, too. FYI, a 5% incline boosts your calorie burn by 17%. Add on a weighted backpack (it’s called rucking) to burn an extra 200+ calories an hour. I was hiking yesterday when suddenly I ran into a cougar. It almost made me puma pants. 🐅
🪦 Microsoft is killing off its free VPN: Not enough people use it, and they want to “invest in new areas.” Funny how they can’t do both after hiking their subscription prices. Need a new VPN? Never go looking for free options — too risky. Try my pick.