Hiking Guide for The Modern Warrior
Author : Steve Hanafi, Silat Sharaf Practitioner, Malaysia
Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia and one of the most famous for the magnificent view from the top
In recent years outdoor activities especially hiking have seen positive growth and acceptance in the community, and it is for a variety of good reasons. Hiking is one of the best activity if you want to build muscular and cardiovascular strength, practice walking for long-distance over different trails and terrains, build a tough warrior’s mind, build a good habit of planning, preparing, and putting together a good set of tools and gears and train the mind to prepare for the worst that can happen. Other than being good for you, it is also a great tool for you to take your family and friends out to help them to enjoy nature, strengthen your bonds, build good teamwork, and at the same time to be familiar with the harsh and unforgiving conditions that the mother nature has to offer.
The length of one hiking trip can vary from a short 1-hour hike to a 3-week (or more) hike on an ultra-trail. It can all depend on the trail, hill, or mountain that you choose to hike or the main goal of your activity. A short hike is often called a day hike and requires minimal gear, at least less gear than a full-length hike. Whether you’re just a beginner who’s just starting and trying out (don’t worry, we’ve been there) or a seasoned hiking veteran, this is your best guide that will cover the physical and mental aspect, planning for a hike, hiking tools, and gears, and what to do when things go wrong.
Physical Preparation
This goes without saying is one of the most important preparation before you start a hike or any type of physically demanding activity. Start with doing walks, runs, and try rucking a pack for a few miles and try trekking in the wilderness. Then build up with leg and core strength as those two will aid you the most. Ruck for a few hours or miles per week to not only get familiar with the feeling of having a pack on your back but also build shoulder strength to carry the load for long distances.
Being physically fit and strong is one of the base foundations for a Pahlawan (warrior), and it is for a good reason. It gives you an edge for whatever may come. Be it an emergency where you might need to carry someone over your back or on a stretcher because they got injured during a hike, or when you need to go scout for water sources and come back to your group, being fit and strong gives you the advantage, the ability to go the extra mile whenever needed. You never know when disaster can strike or when an unfortunate accident can happen, to be honest, no one knows and no one asks for it. But it is for those situations that we must prepare the most.
Tools and Gears
Your gear doesn’t have to be fancy, but it has to be functional
One of the key elements when packing your gears is to keep it to the essentials, to keep things as simple and as light as possible. Don’t put in things that you have no idea of how to use, regardless of how expensive it is or how great of a review it gets on 20 different blogs that you’ve read about it. Just, don’t. Pack light, pack smart. Pack tools that can do multiple jobs. For example, instead of packing a raincoat, a groundsheet, and a flysheet, pack a 3 in 1 poncho. A bombproof one, of course.
Being light allows you to be agile and flexible. If you’re hiking with a group and one of your mates fall sick or are unable to carry their load, you’re always ready to lend a hand. An extra 15 pounds? No big deal. Being light allows you to move faster and further while using less amount of energy. It’s economic efficiency. But soldiers “pack a 70-pound pack” you may say, yes, but the thing is they have learned and practiced and are familiar with everything that is in their pack. None that goes in their pack that hasn’t been used or trained with beforehand.
Now that I’ve mentioned about durability, comes the second tip which is; buy quality tools. Notice that I said quality not expensive. Yes, quality tools and gears are often time more expensive than China-made knockoffs, but just because something has a higher price point to it doesn’t mean that it is made of better build quality than others. Some are just pricier because of the brand or the advertising that they put into it. Do a little research before buying and that can save you a fortune while at the same time saving your ass from the punishment of having cheap knockoffs fail on you in the field.
Plan ahead, Plan far.
As the saying goes, “proper planning prevents total failure”, planning ahead is another thing to put on your checklist before you go for a hike. Plan the route for your hike, if you’re going for a long hike with a group of people, then plan for checkpoints where you will meet up should you ever get separated, study the map and bring it with you wherever you go. Plan your schedule, the rendezvous points, mealtime, rest time so that you don’t go off wasting time when you can utilize the time to move ahead or do activities together.
Have a PACE planning. PACE planning stands for Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency plans. Simply put your plan A, B, C, D. PACE is a more organized way of planning for emergencies. If nothing goes wrong then you go with your primary as planned. Should anything come up, such as bad weather, unfortunate accidents, or emergencies, then use your alternative, contingency, and emergency plan, whatever it takes to end the hike or get out safe and solve whatever problems at hand. Plan, visualize if something goes wrong, what will be your actions. This will give you a predetermined set of actions for you to follow in case anything happens. Don’t wait until something has happened and then only you’ll start to panic, not knowing what to do. Of course, planning alone does not suffice without knowledge and skills which require practice. Plan, and practice.
Avoid nightmare, bring spare and make repairs
A good multitool such as a Leatherman Signal will be your best friend in fixing or creating makeshift tools in the wilderness
This is a bit contradictory to the previous tip, to be light. But on a 40-mile hike, you don’t get much of an option when your headlamp dies because it runs out of battery, your tarp gets torn because of strong winds, or your cord snapped. Shit can happen and will happen during the times when you least expect it. The best you can do is to bring extras for those things that are prone to either; breaking or running out. When it does, the least is you have a backup plan. As the old gun adage goes “two is one and one is none”
Another good tip is to make a checklist of the tools and equipment that you need to stuff into your pack and bring along with you on your hike. Opening your bag only to discover that you left your essentials in the middle of nowhere because you forgot about it can be a nightmare for just about anyone. Bring along things that can be used as a quick fix or repair. Duct tape, sewing kit, super glue, a multitool, are a definite must. Whenever I go for a hike, I’ll make sure I have enough to make do.
When Things go South
After an incident is reported, a search and rescue (SAR) team will be deployed to look for victims, but it will take a while until the victims are found
Now that we’ve covered almost all aspects of the preparation, comes the biggest worry for all those who hike. When things go south. If anything happens, especially on a long hike, you’re most likely to find yourself in the middle of nowhere, far from civilization with help either miles or hours away (if you’re lucky enough), to add salt to the wound is when there’s no cell coverage. It could be terrible weather conditions, or you could have lost your pack; could be that you suffered from a fall, slipped while crossing a river or stream, stung or bitten by venomous animals, attacked by wild animals or by criminals, the possibilities are endless.
I’m going to sound like a broken tape but, let me repeat this, have a PACE planning. This is what it is for. Planning is key to survival. Remaining calm is another crucial part. It takes mental toughness and resilience to wade through a crisis or emergency scenario when you’re in the middle of nowhere.
One good lesson I learned from a retired Malaysia commando, he taught me to layer my kit. In the military, they have a process of layering your clothing for different weather conditions. The same goes for your kit (which will include your tools and gears). The first layer begins on your body (inside your pocket, belt, waistband), next is inside a pouch that is connected to your clothing, and the third layer is the kit that is inside your backpack. The kit is your last bet for survival and should be protected at all costs. The essentials of the kit should cover the needs for you to make fire, shelter, water, and navigate.
One of the stories that are often told to show the importance of having your emergency kit on your body is the story of two hunters who died in a snowstorm, just 40 meters away from their vehicle. Simply because they thought that they didn’t need to bring survival essentials with them.
Final Words
Whether you’re just starting out, or an experienced hiker, going on a hike for leisure or on a full-blown adventure, or just going hardcore to test your capabilities, we believe that the tips shared can aid you in what adventure you’re going to embark on. It’s always a great time in the woods and mountains, given that you made ample preparations, know what you’re doing, and take precautions. Hopefully that this guide will be of good use for those reading this on their next journey into the woods.