How to start hiking

Regardless of the size of your backpack, look for one made from a durable, weather-resistant fabric, such as pack cloth, with tightly stitched seams, inside seams covered by fabric, tough zippers, and zig-zag or perpendicular stitching at stress points and load-bearing surfaces. Prices will vary from about $20 for a simple daypack to about $500 for the Rolls-Royce of expedition packs.

As for what to put in your pack, don’t think you have to lug as much gear as a Sherpa on Mount Everest. If you're going on a daylong hike, you can get by with a warm fleece, food, a basic first-aid kit, sunscreen, bug spray, a hat and plenty of water. Haynes recommends taking along one litre of water for every hour of your walk.

When it comes to snacks, forget the barbecue chips, candy bars and glazed crullers from the doughnut shop. Haynes recalls that when he led a group hike in Cape Breton one time, "this woman had nothing but cola and potato chips for her kids. It was dreadful." Haynes gets energy from dried figs, dates, nuts and apricots on his hikes, while Garnick packs sandwiches, oranges, raisins, granola bars and nuts. Southam suggests throwing a few extra energy bars into your backpack – just in case.

For hikers venturing into the backcountry, Garnick recommends packing collapsible hiking poles, a waterproof poncho or other rain gear, a fleece jacket or shirt, extra socks, a compass, a map, a whistle and mirror for signalling for help, sunscreen, a first-aid kit, insect repellant, an emergency foil blanket to keep you warm if you are stranded overnight, a sun hat, gloves and a toque. Other essentials include a knife, a headlamp, waterproof matches, light rope and toilet paper. Add a sealable bag to carry out the paper and leave a clean, litter-free landscape.

Rules to live by
Safety first
Inconsiderate, ill-informed hikers are the scourge of the trails. For one thing, flicked cigarette butts or flying embers from campfires have started many forest fires. If you must build a fire, the Canada Safety Council recommends clearing an area with a three-metre diameter, making a circle of rocks around the fire and keeping a bucket of water, sand and a shovel nearby.

"I would always discourage people from lighting fires in the backcountry," says Southam. "It can be damaging to what are often very fragile environments. That said, I think you should carry some waterproof matches in the event that you need to light a fire for safety purposes."

If you absolutely must indulge in hot soup or tea on the trail, buy a lightweight stove. Some butane stoves are small enough to fit in your pocket.

Leave no footprints nor ...
• Scoop when you poop. If fire is the No. 1 problem on trails, No. 2 could be, well, number two. With no outhouses on many long trails, poorly placed poops can be a disgusting problem. Leave No Trace Canada, a national nonprofit organization, advises hikers to dig a hole 15 to 20 centimetres deep and at least 60 metres from water and trails. Cover the hole when you are finished, and don't leave your used toilet paper on the trail. Ideally you should seal it in a plastic bag and take it off the trail, but at the very least, bury it.

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