It’s Spring - Let’s Hike

This time of the year is some of the best for getting outside. The sun is bright. The air is fresh. The flowers are poking out of the ground. The birds are chirping. The weather is warm. All perfect conditions to get outside for a hike.

Hiking is one of the most accessible and affordable ways of getting out and enjoying nature. Literally all you need at the most basic are some good shoes, a map, and a sense of adventure. With these three keys, your feet and sense of wonder can you take far.

But, to make the most out of your hike, it helps to do some planning and to pack a few key essentials with you. Today, we’re going to help you with some suggestions that will help you and your family have an enjoyable day (or two) outside enjoying all that nature has to offer.

Make the Most of your Hike

These few tips will help ensure you plan your hike well - resulting in a fun-filled experience for everyone:

• Research: depending on where you live, there are likely a few hiking clubs that have websites and local hiking areas that have online maps and details. Do some Internet research and use these websites to find out about good hiking areas, recommended trails, and to download maps.
• Prepare: think honestly about your physical fitness - how long do you think you can enjoy being on your feet walking? Perhaps you should find trails that have rest areas with picnic tables or natural seating. If your young children are coming with you, think about how quickly they’ll fatigue and potentially become bored. Choose a trail that has some interesting features such as active bird feeders or look-outs into water areas.
• Communicate: tell someone where you’re going. This is vitally important if you’re hiking alone. Make sure you leave your route details with a responsible person. This of course means you must stick to your planned route! Carry a cell phone with you or have some other means of contacting someone in the event that you need help. Even if you’re going out with another person, do tell someone else of your plans.

Pack and Carry Smart

Regardless of if you’re planning a two-hour hike or an all-day affair, you need to carry some key essentials with you:

• Be Ready For Bugs: a hike can be ruined very quickly if you or someone in your group is stung by a bee, bitten by a spider, or discovers a big ant hill. To be ready for the inevitable mosquito bite or other insect bite, pack some “buzz back” with The Bug Bite Thing. The easy-to-use suction tool will have you back out on the trail in an instant - zapping the sting, itch, and venom.
• Water and Food: yes, you always need to pack water and food. Even if you’re going out for a short hike. You never know what can happen out on the trail and a bottle of water (per person) and some food can go far in preventing disaster.
• First Aid: while you have The Bug Bite Thing to ensure you’re not bothered by pesky bites, you should also pack some band-aids, a blister kit, and some antibiotic cream. These first aid essentials take up very little space and are very useful should you or someone in your group develop an annoying heal blister or slip and fall.

We want you to enjoy your hike so much that it becomes a regular habit for you and your family. The key to this is making sure the first hike is a success. So remember our tips and you’ll end the hike with smiling faces and requests for another similar outing.

Have fun. Take a slow-and-steady pace. Be ready for bugs and insects with The Bug Bite Thing.

Have a favorite hike? We want to hear about it. Please share it with us on the Bug Bite Thing Facebook page.

Enjoy nature. Hike on!