Hiking is a Budget Traveler's Friend

One of the best budget friendly travel activities is hiking.  Hiking is pretty cheap: if you bring appropriate clothing, food, and water, you should be set. You already have most of the things needed for hiking.  Everyone I know has shoes, shirts, and pants of some kind.  Since you're  travelling on a budget, you know that buying food from a grocery store is cheaper then going out to eat.  Some things I recommend you take on any hike:

Food- The longer the hike, the more you should bring.  If your hike is going to take more than 3 hours, I would pack some sort of lunch.  Sandwiches are good and cheap.  Granola bars are always welcome on a hike too.

Water- You might think you don't need any water for a short hike, but it never hurts to have some around.  Your hike won't be any fun if you get thirsty.  Don't let the absence of water ruin your hike.

Tools of the Trade- So food and water are pretty obvious essentials that you need.  There's a few other things I'd recommend taking:
- A head lamp, if you get hurt and are out by yourself, being stuck on the trail at night could be a terrible experience.  The head lamp will help you find your way out.
- A pocket knife,  remove slivers or stingers, cut up some wood, or whatever else you might need it for, this all purpose tool can help on any hike.
- A light backpack to carry everything.  If your backpack is too big, it can slow you down. Pack your food, water, and tools in as small a backpack as possible.

One more thing, when you decide to go hiking, tell someone where you are going.  If something happens out on a trail, you might not meet anyone for hours.  Hours could lead to a bad situation. Give someone the information, so if you aren't back when expected, they know where to send help.

Alright, I went over the basics of hiking, now to explain why hiking is awesome and, for some people ,life changing.  Some of my favorite memories are hiking around the parks where I grew up.  I thought places like Newton Hills, the Palisades, and Devil's Gulch were the coolest things around.  I loved hiking there because it felt like we were almost there all by ourselves.  The world felt like it was welcoming us to explore it.  Now, as an adult, going hiking allows me to see these wonders of the world, and to get out of the mundane routines of daily life.

Hiking trails exist to get you places that your car can't.  You can't get to the summit of most mountains with a car,  but you can do it on a hiking trail.  Waterfalls miles from civilization are just waiting to be discovered.  Some hiking trails might only see 1 or 2 people during a whole day. Do you  find your cell phone distracting?  It won't get reception on a lot of trails.  A hike can calm a restless traveler as they find themselves deep in thought and in awe of their surroundings. Hikes come in a wide variety of lengths and difficulties, which means there is a hike for everyone.  Hiking is good for your mind and body.  It gives you time to think, and a summit hike will test your fitness.

The budget minded traveler should look at hikes as one of the most attainable things to do on a trip. When searching for a trip to go on, check for awesome hikes.  They are usually free, and most could be worth the trip all by themselves.  You just need the clothes on your back, your will, and time.  Get out and experience the world away from technology and people. Reacquaint yourself to the world and to your thoughts.  After a good hike you will feel like the world is your playground.  The best thing about that feeling is it's true.

Part 3 of the Road Trip comes tomorrow!!