Hey Everyone!  Today I want to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart and that's taking a hike. Taking a hike has many benefits.  You get outside and breath in the fresh air.  You get to see great and different scenery.  You get to travel at a walking pace, not a jump in your car and see how fast you can get to work or to the store or to wherever everyone is in so much of a hurry to get to these days.  As photographers, we have the unique opportunity to take great photos of these places and bring them home to share with our friends and loved ones.  These walks or hikes do not need to be long-drawn-out 10 mile hikes.  They can be short and sweet by a lake or by a river.  Here I will try to give some hints on day hiking for photographers.

First is where to go?  Well, the list is endless.  Many towns and cities have greenways that were built for hikers, joggers, and bicycles to travel on and can go through parks and wooded areas.  There are many city and state parks that have all kinds of trail systems at all levels of physical ability.  And there are national parks with all kinds of trail systems.  My advice to begin with is to look at Google maps or any kind of map and make a circle, say and hour or hour and a half from where you live, and start looking for places.  Let Google be your friend and help you find places.  You will be surprised at how many there are and how close they are to you.  Some places like state parks will have guided hikes on different occasions.  One of my goals this year is to visit and hike in every state park in North Carolina.  There are 34 of them.

What should I bring?  I'm going to break this up and start with photography gear.  Don't bring everything you own.  Remember, if you are hiking you're going to carry your hiking gear, so less photography gear is better.  I would first ask myself, what will I be shooting and what kind of trail am I going to be on?  Is it a wooded trail with trees surrounding me?  If so a long telephoto lens will not be needed.  But a wide angel might come in handy or a medium range zoom.  Will I need a tripod? Think about this in the same way.  What am I shooting?  Waterfalls, then I would need one.  Low light, then I would need one.  But if it's a sunny day then maybe not.  You have to assess what you will need to take and less is better.  I commute to different towns for my job, and at lunch when I get a chance I go into the town for a photowalk or a park for a small hike.  My camera of choice for this is a point and shoot.  It's a nice one, but a point and shoot just the same, and I can get some really nice photos without lugging a whole bunch of camera gear with me.  So that is an option for a day hike also.

What else should I bring?  Common sense should be the rule here.  If you're making a day of it, I would suggest a little food and a lot of water.  If you're in the summer sun, remember you will be sweating and you need to replace that fluid, so hydrate!  But always have some water with you.  One thing I always bring is some sort of rain protection.  I always have one of those $5 emergency rain ponchos.  They are made out of real thin plastic and are good for one use but they are a life saver.  The reason I do this is because I went on a hike once and was about 5 miles in when I got caught in a downpour.  Luckily I had a large trash bag with me, and that became my raincoat and protector of my camera gear.  But from that day on, I always carry that little emergency rain poncho.  Don't forget your smart phone.  If you're taking a longer hike and one where you could get turned around, they come in handy for the GPS.  Even if you lose signal they can help get you in the right direction.  And they are a backup camera also.  Don't forget about sun protection, a hat, sunscreen, or a long-sleeved shirt to protect you from the sun.  There are lots of new materials that are lightweight and cool but will still protect you from the sun.  Sunglasses are also a must if you are going to be in exposed areas where there's a lot of sun and no shade to protect your eyes.  Also a must in the snow!  Bug protection can be a must, especially if you're in mosquito-infested areas.  There are sprays and creams you can use, but the bugs will drive you crazy if you are not using them.

What about clothing?  For summer I would say lightweight, non-cotton clothing.  Cotton is not what you want to wear hiking because it will absorb the water or sweat from you and stay wet, which could make you cold or just weigh you down.  So no blue jeans or 100% cotton T-shirts.  Wear blends and polyester-type clothing.  It will wick the moisture away from you and dry quickly.  In the winter dress in layers.  A good base layer (long johns), shirts, coats, etc.  With lots of layers, when you're hiking and getting hot, you can take some off.  And when you stop for a while and get cold, you can put more on.  What about shoes? Shoes must be comfortable and supportive.  Walking, hiking, trail, and running shoes will work.  I would stay away from boots unless you have really broken them in well.  They can give you blisters very quickly if you're not used to walking a lot in them.

What do I carry all of this in?  A small bag or backpack that is lightweight and comfortable.  You probably already have some sort of backpack or bag you can use.  It doesn't  have to be fancy, just something that can carry all of your stuff if need be. Remember to always take all of your trash with you when you leave.  As photographers we should only take photographs and leave footprints.  So take care of our parks and trails and keep them clean.

Now that you have somewhere to go and you know what to wear and are dressed for comfort and safety, go out and enjoy nature.  Take a hike and really enjoy the world.  There is always something new to see and investigate, and I usually don't have to go very far for a nature adventure.  Me I love to go out with my hiking buddy Forrest (my canine friend) and explore different places.  I get exercise, I get outside, and I get photos that are not like everyone else's because they stay at home.  So get out and shoot!  And take a hike!