I’m really heat-sensitive, but I always want to go hiking even if it’s way too warm out. After years of experience (and some not-so-awesome trips where the heat really beat me), here are my tips for hiking in the heat.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

Acclimatize to the Heat

If you aren’t used to the heat, it can decimate your energy levels. You will hike much slower and get tired earlier than usual. That means that you can’t just jump into your regular hikes when it is hot out. You have to start easy until you have acclimatized to the heat.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to go hiking just gradually acclimatize by ramping up to longer and harder hikes. It can take about two weeks to get used to hot weather. But that doesn’t work if you live in a place that is usually fairly cold.

You can also deliberately expose yourself to heat to acclimatize yourself ahead of hot weather. It’s possible to work on your heat tolerance through sauna, hot tub, or hot yoga sessions.

Pick the Right Hike

If it’s really hot out you will get tired more easily, so you may also want to pick a shorter or easier hike than normal. Heat also saps your energy, so your hiking pace will likely be slower than usual.

A hot day with lots of sunshine may not be the best day for ridgeline or mountain top hikes that get full sun. In scorching weather, pick a forested hike with lots of shade.  

When it’s really warm out, I also like to pick a hike near a river or lake. Often the air is cooler near the water, which can be refreshing. Plus, the best way to cool down is to jump into chilly water… which leads to my next tip, below.

Get Wet

Cool water is a great way to reduce your body temperature. I like to dunk my hat in every stream I pass. Some hikers also like to wear a wet bandana or buff around their neck or even soak a shirt in a stream, then put it on.

A swim is also a great way to beat the heat when hiking. You can pack a swimsuit, go in your underwear, or just jump in wearing your hiking clothing.

Leave No Trace Tip: Make sure you wipe off any sunscreen or bug spray before you go swimming to avoid harming plants and fish.

Cool Down with Snow

Snow can be both a blessing and a curse on a hot day. Unfortunately, the bright surface of snow reflects light, which can give you a wicked sunburn. (The reflections from snow can burn some strange places like the inside of your nose and the roof of your mouth!)

But on the upside, hikes with patches of snow can be a great way to cool on when hiking in hot weather. Stop to do snow angels! Have a snowball fight!

I like to put a snowball under my hat or in the hood of my sun shirt. Rubbing a snowball on the pulse points in your wrists or the base of your skull can also help lower your body temperature.

Avoid Hiking at the Hottest Times of the Day

It’s usually the hottest in the afternoon, around 3 or 4 pm when the heat of the day really begins to build up. Instead of hiking when it’s super hot out, plan a sunrise hike so you are off the trail in time for lunch. Or head out after dinner for a sunset hike. For either option, don’t forget a headlamp!

Drink Lots of Water

It’s easy to get dehydrated when it’s really hot out. Your body cools itself through sweating, so if the temperature is high, you are going to sweat a lot. Unless you replace that sweat by drinking water, you’ll get dehydrated.

At best, the symptoms of dehydration include increased thirst and peeing less often. At worst, you might experience headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, confusion, and vomiting. Not fun.

Bring lots of water with you. How much to bring depends on how hot it is out, how far you plan to hike, and may also vary by person. However, keep in mind that while hiking in hot weather, some people will need to consume up to 1L of water per hour. That’s a lot!

If I am planning to hike  in hot weather I will often plan to get some water along the way instead of carrying it all with me. (Water is heavy!) Do some research and pick a trail with a reliable water source. I bring my Katadyn BeFree water filter so I can treat the water before I drink it.

I also keep water purification tablets in my first aid kit for times when I don’t have my filter with me. They are pretty cheap and last for years. However, I find that they add a little bit of a chemical taste to water and take 30 minutes to work, so I save them for emergencies.

Pro tip: Know before you go. You don’t want to get to a stream and discover it has dried up. Find out how to check trail conditions online before you go.

I use a hydration reservoir so that I can take small sips of water as I hike. I use a Platypus Big Zip EVO reservoir. Sometimes I also bring collapsible Platypus SoftBottles to hold extra water since they pack down easily when empty.

Keep Your Electrolyte Levels Up

Drinking water is not be enough to keep you hydrated. We all know that sweat contains salt (aka sodium) but did you know it also contains potassium and other minerals known collectively as electrolytes?

When you have depleted electrolyte levels you may experience similar symptoms to dehydration plus the bonus of muscle cramps. Definitely no fun.To ensure you don’t end up with low electrolytes, drink a sports drink that contains added sodium, potassium, and other minerals.

Bottled sports drinks are heavy, expensive, and often full of sugar. Powdered or tablet alternatives can be much cheaper. They are also easy to carry with you so you can add them to water on the go and customize the strength of the mixture.

There are lots of options out there including Gatorade, Nuun, DripDrop, and more. Lately, my favourite is Liquid I.V. They have flavours that use real sugar, which I appreciate since I don’t like the taste of artificial or alternative sweeteners, and some of them do bag things to my guts.

Prepare for Low Appetite

When it’s hot out, many people don’t feel hungry. It’s also common to get indigestion or nausea. I often have to force myself to eat when it’s really hot out because I know from experience that if I don’t eat, I’ll feel even worse.

Over time, you will figure out what foods work for you in hot weather. I often bring a variety of things in the hopes that something I pack will appeal to me. Salty snacks like trail mix are great for replenishing salt.

Snacks that have lots of electrolytes are also a good idea. If I’m feeling really off, the one thing that I can reliably eat is energy chews, like Gu Energy Chews, Honey Stinger Energy Chews, or Clif Shot Bloks. They have lots of electrolytes and are a good source of quick-to-digest carbs.

Wear Sun Screen

Getting a sunburn is a surefire way to feel even hotter than you already do. Wearing sunscreen is always a good idea when you’re hiking, but it can be challenging on a really hot day since your sweat will wash it off.

You can try using sweat-resistant sports sunscreen, but you’ll still have to reapply it often. I like Sun Bum Sunscreen since it stays on fairly well and is reef safe. Their hands-free sticks are great for putting more sunscreen on your nose on the go.

Wear Sun Protective Clothing

Instead of having lots of exposed skin and relying on sunscreen, you could choose to wear a wide-brimmed hat and a lightweight long-sleeved shirt for sun coverage instead. When your sweat soaks your hat and shirt, it actually helps to keep you cool!

My favourite sun hat is the Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat. It has a wide brim in the front and a cape in the back to protect your neck. It’s made of really light fabric and the brim folds so it’s easy to stuff in your pack. And the best feature – it has slots in the brim to hold your sunglasses!

Lately, I’ve been wearing a long-sleeved sun hoody to avoid having to reapply sunscreen as often. The Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Long Sleeve Hoody provides UPF 50+ sun protection but is made of lightweight fabric so it doesn’t feel too hot.

I’ve got more sun hoody reviews and a full guide to how to choose a sun hoody in my guide to the best sun hoodies for hiking.

Use an Umbrella

This tip might sound strange, but it’s a popular strategy with desert hikers: use an umbrella for shade. When I trekked to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal the weather at lower elevations was so hot and muggy that I found using an umbrella for shade helpful. It looked dorky, but it really worked!

You can figure out a way to attach an umbrella to your backpack straps MacGyver-style to keep your hands free. Thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail often use specialized ultralight umbrellas for both rain and sun protection. (They aren’t a good choice for windy days or brushy trails though.)

Manage Your Sweat

When it’s hot, you’re going to sweat. As I already mentioned, sweating depletes your electrolytes and washes off your sunscreen. But there are a couple of other ways that sweating can affect your hike.

Firstly, it gets in your eyes and that stings, especially if you wear contacts like me! I use a face cloth-sized PackTowl to mop my forehead. It’s a microfibre travel towel that dries quickly and has a snap loop so you can attach it to your pack for easy access. I always bring one when hiking in hot weather.

Secondly, if you get sweaty feet, you can be prone to blisters. Wear well-ventilated hiking shoes if possible (you don’t need those big waterproof leather hiking boots on hot dry days). I wear Salomon XA Pro trail runners when it’s hot out.

Choose synthetic and wool blend socks that breathe well and don’t absorb moisture. Bring an extra change of socks to swap out at your halfway point. My favourites are the Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew socks.

Pack extra bandaids and blister dressings and be sure to stop and tend to your feet at the first sign of a hot spot. Don’t wait until you have a giant disgusting blister! Need more blister tips? I’ve got a whole post on How to Prevent Blisters When Hiking!

Prevent Chafing

If you’ve never chafed on a hike, consider yourself blessed. Chafing happens when your skin and/or clothing gets damp from sweat or rain and then rubs together. Common places to get chafed include butt cheeks, crotch, and feet. All the fun places!

To prevent chafing choose hiking clothes made of synthetic fibres like polyester or nylon that don’t absorb as much water as cotton or wool. Of course, this applies to your underwear as well! For underwear and sports bras look for seamless options or a version with flat seams. My guide to the best hiking underwear has lots of options.

If you are prone to chafing you may also want to get some anti-chafe sports lubricant like Bodyglide. Apply it before your hike as a preventative and maybe even bring it along with you to reapply. This stuff has literally saved my butt on more than one occasion 🙂 (TMI? Sorry, not sorry!)

If you do end up getting chafed, get some zinc oxide cream, sold as diaper rash cream. Babies know what’s up – it works fast to soothe chafed skin. I often carry a tiny travel size tub of this on backpacking trips.

Know the Signs of Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is no joke. It can actually kill you or damage your organs. Heat stroke happens when your body temperature gets too hot (over 104F/40C).  

Symptoms of heat stroke include headache, dizziness, lack of sweating despite the heat, skin that feels hot, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat and breathing, and confused behaviour. At its worst, it may lead to seizures and unconsciousness.

I had mild heat stroke during my trek in Nepal. I felt weak and dizzy and started to vomit. It was a bit scary, but at the time I didn’t realize how dangerous heat stroke can be.

If you think someone has heatstroke, seek medical attention immediately. Get off the trail if possible and/or call for help. Move the patient into the shade and try to lower their temperature. Pour cold water over the patient and have them drink liquids with electrolytes as dehydration and heat stroke often occur together.

In Nepal, our guide poured cold water over me, then helped me hike a short distance to a teahouse where I sat in the shade and drank Coke and a sports drink. I rested for a few hours and my temperature came down enough to continue trekking, even though I felt weak.

Use Caution at Creek Crossings

Hot weather can cause snow to melt rapidly, turning formerly placid creeks into raging torrents. Research the trail before you go to see if there are unbridged creek crossings that could be dangerous.

If you arrive at a fast-moving creek, be prepared to turn around in case it is not safe to cross. And remember that a creek you crossed in the morning may be running MUCH higher in the afternoon when you have to cross it again on your return journey.

Skip the Hike If It Is Really Hot

Every year hikers die in extremely hot temperatures in places like Death Valley National Park. If the forecast is for temperatures over 100°F /38°C, consider skipping the hike. Hiking in weather that hot can be dangerous. Save the hike for another day – it’s not worth your life. (Psst – my guide to weather apps for hikers has tips for accurate backcountry forecasts.)

Final Thoughts

It can be tempting to stick to your normal hiking plans when it’s really hot out. But it pays to be a bit cautious. When the temperature soars, I dial back the intensity, pick a forested hike to a lake, and wear sun protection. I know if I don’t, I’ll feel awful and won’t enjoy my hike.

What are your top tips for hiking in hot weather? Let me know in the comments.

READ NEXT:

• Tips and Tricks for Hiking in the Desert
• The Best Weather Apps for Hiking
• Best Sun Hoodies for Hiking
• 16 Things to do Before a Hike
• The 10 Essentials: Things You Should Bring on Every Hike
• How to Prevent Blisters When Hiking

The post Tips for Hiking in Hot Weather appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

Skip Weekends and Holidays

If you’ve got time off during the week, use it to go for a hike. The trails are practically deserted. If you can’t get weekdays off work, chances are you at least have your evenings free. One of my favourite times to hike is weeknights after work. Just don’t forget your headlamp!

Avoid the Most Popular Hikes in Your Area

If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve probably seen the same 5 local hikes pop up in your feed over and over again. They’re popular for a reason: they’re gorgeous. But they’re going to be full of people. If you want quiet trails, avoid them. (For a list of crowded trails to avoid in the Vancouver area have a look at my list of the most Instagrammed hikes. Some of these will be a lot less busy on weekdays, but they definitely are not the place to go for some alone time.)

Grab a Guidebook

Unlike social media or click bait websites, guidebooks don’t just focus on the top 10 most popular (and Instagrammable) hikes. Guide books often contain dozens of hikes. Not all of them will be as scenic as the the popular hikes, but most of them will be worthwhile. I like guidebooks since they provide a curated hiking experience: the author went out and hiked tons of trails, then chose only some of them to include in his or her book. Once you find a guidebook author who has the same taste in trails as you, you have a big list of hikes to do.  For years my favourite guidebook for Vancouver has been 103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia. There’s a new edition of that book out now called 105 Hikes in and Around Southwestern British Columbia, and it’s written by my friend Stephen Hui! It includes a bunch of off-the-beaten-path hikes along with lots of perennial favourites.

Go Early

Most hikers make it to the trailhead around 10am. If you go earlier than that, you probably won’t encounter many hikers until you are on your way back. If you’re super keen, take a headlamp and start your hike in the pre-dawn hours so you can catch the sunrise from a mountain top.

Stay Out Late

The trails are most crowded in the middle of the day, but people start to clear out by around 5pm. I guess everyone just wants to get home for dinner? In the summertime it doesn’t get dark until quite late so bring a picnic and have your dinner on the trail, then enjoy your hike back to the car in solitude. At other times of the year, head out for a night hike with a headlamp.

Hike in All Four Seasons

A lot of people think of hiking as a summer activity and that’s when trails are the busiest. If you get out on the trails in spring and fall, you’ll find way less people. In winter the popular snowshoe trails can be busy, but low elevation hiking trails are often super empty.

Stay Overnight

Even if a trail is busy during the day, only a tiny fraction of hikers will opt to camp. Backpacking trips can be a great way to avoid the crowded trails since you get relative solitude in the evening once all the day hikers leave. (And in the morning before they arrive.) Most backcountry campgrounds are fairly small so at worst you’ll have the share the area with a few dozen other people… and they’re probably seeking solitude too.

Don’t Be Afraid of Bad Weather

There’s nothing like a little drizzle or fog to scare away the crowds. Even if the day just calls for a tiny bit of rain, I find that the trails are much less crowded. (Plus sometimes the sun comes out after the rain.) If you’re prepared with rain gear, a bad weather hike is a great way to find quiet trails.

Avoid Easy Trails

The easiest trails are great for all kinds of hikers including beginners and families. And since lots of types of hikers can hike easy trails, they all do. All at once. Easy trails are crowded! In contrast, only fitter, more experienced hikers can tackle difficult trails. And since there are fewer experienced hikers, difficult trails are much quieter.

Don’t Hike Short Trails

Just like easy trails, short trails get crowded since most people have time for an hour or two on the trail. But once you start looking at hikes that take more than 6 or 8 hours to complete, the crowds really thin out.

Find an Alternate Route

You can get to some popular destinations by more than one trail. The main route is usually super busy, but the alternate routes are often nearly deserted. (Of course you’ll have to deal with the masses when you get to your destination, but perhaps the quiet on the way there will be worth it?) Pick up a trail map and see if you can find another way to get to your favourite spot.

Look at a Map

You don’t have to follow turn by turn hike directions set out on a trail app or in a guidebook. You can plan your own route. I like to do loop hikes so I often use maps to plot out my own route. Openstreetmap.org is a great online resource for maps. They don’t have every single trail, but in areas close to cities they come pretty close. Also watch out for phantom trails – sometimes there will be trails shown on the map and when you get there, there’s no actual trail on the ground. The risks of open source mapping! (Tip: Toggle the “cycling” layer on to see elevation contours.) I like to hike with a paper map on the trail, especially in an unfamiliar area. Head to MEC or REI and see what trail maps they have for your area. Amazon has some great options too. (Tip: Choose dedicated trail maps where possible instead of government issued topographic maps. Topo maps are great for off-trail navigation but they aren’t updated often enough to show all the trails.)

Pick a Theme for Your Hikes

A great way to discover new trails (and to keep your hikes interesting) is to pick a theme, find all the local hikes that fit your theme, then tick them off one by one. Some of the hikes will be popular busy ones, but lots are bound to be hidden gems with no crowds. Here are some hike theme ideas to get you started: hikes to big trees, trails to waterfalls, hikes to lakes you can swim in, hiking up every single peak in one park, etc. (I actually started a project like this a few years ago: I wanted to hike to the top of every single mountain on Vancouver’s North Shore. I didn’t make all the summits, but I did learn a lot about North Shore trails… and myself.) The best way to find all the hikes for your theme is to look at maps. For Canada I love the Backroad Mapbook series. For America I like DeLorme’s state specific atlases.

Get Out of Town

Hikes that are close to the city are often the most popular since they are easy to get to. If you drive more than an hour outside of town, the crowds really thin out. Better yet, drive a couple hours further. Or go away for the weekend: lots of small towns have great hiking and far fewer hikers. From Vancouver, consider heading to the Gulf Islands, Pemberton, Sechelt or Kamloops for a weekend hiking get away. (Some of my favourite areas are Galiano Island in the Gulf Islands and Wells Gray Park near Kamloops.)

Drive a 4×4

Many great hikes are located off logging roads. When the trails were first built the roads were active and easily navigated by regular cars, but over time the roads fall into disuse, aren’t maintained and become nearly impossible to navigate with a regular car. If you’ve got a 4×4 (or can make friends with someone who does), lots more hikes will suddenly be available to you. To find hikes accessible by 4 wheel drive, the Backroads Mapbooks are awesome.

How do you avoid crowded hiking trails?  Tell me in the comments.

READ NEXT:

• 5 Tips for Hiking in the Rain
• The 10 Essentials: Things You Should Bring on Every Hike
• 16 Things to do Before a Hike

The post 15 Ways to Avoid Crowded Hiking Trails appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.