The objective of the article is not just to create a taste towards hiking but also to make awareness on the various aspects. Of course the word itself creates some interest but it requires some prep and knowledge as well. It is always the back packer’s responsibility to acquire the necessary info about the terrain, distance, directions etc. Hiking simply refers to an outdoor activity in natural environments on foot. Hiking in its height will be always in touch with a thick vegetation say mountains, forest, hilly areas etc. And it always includes a backpack. Enthusiasts say it’s the best way to know the pulse of nature and also many beautiful places are reachable only on foot. Hiking helps in evading the noise of vehicles and even other fellow tourists. As the hiking has a close relation to nature, it has some wild aspects to be taken care of. For e.g.:- personal safety threats, threats to the nature itself etc.
Risks, Precautions & Necessities:
Accidents, natural calamities, losing the trail or path, illness due to unfamiliar lifestyle etc are a few risks we can predict and there will be handful of unpredictable risks also. Hikers do follow an itinerary, which is usually referred to as “ten essentials”. A backpacking trip must include at least one overnight stay in the wild. Although most hikers prefer a light back pack one can’t ignore food, water, shelter and cloths. The “ten essentials” were coined by a mountaineering club back in 1930s. It includes:
1. Extra Food & Water
2. Extra clothes
3. Sleeping bag / Tent.
4. Flashlight/Torch
5. First Aid
6. A fire starter(lighter/match box)
7. Knife
8. Compass
9. Map
10. Sunglass.

Though seasoned hikers skip a few from the list, this list is considered to be the one authentic list of necessities.
Impact on environment:
Deforestation and loss of natural habitat are the two very common words we come across now days. A hiker should make sure he is not disturbing the nature for his own happiness. Usually such beautiful vegetations are very fragile. A large flow of hikers to a particular area will gradually abate the beauty knowingly or unknowingly. So many hikers follow a philosophy “Leave No Trail”. They won’t leave behind anything they brought with them, so that a future hiker will never find a trail of the one came before. If every responsible hiker took out one small bag of garbage left by others our scenic beauty will remain forever or otherwise it will perish. The motto of a responsible hiker should be “Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but photos. Kill nothing but time. Keep nothing but memories.”

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