James and Shereen discuss the benefits of touching grass, and how to get outside this summer.

Picking your route - keep it short at first. If you’re having fun, you can always loop back.

All Trails (www.alltrails.com )is a great app and has a wheelchair friendly filter. You can search for a local route that is the right length and pretty flat. Try to leave a review so that other trail users can get recent info on conditions.

Avoid too much elevation gain – if you have a paper map this means avoiding crossing too many contours. If you can’t avoid elevation gain, opt for a shorter hike. Going down an be taxing as well, so make sure to keep some energy in reserve.

Lots of modern smartphones have a built-in step counter. Use this to estimate your daily walking right now and shoot for a trail that isn’t more than that in length

Try and set off early, it’s less hot and the animals are more active.

If you’re in front country on groomed trails just bring some water and a snack and a well-charged phone. Any supportive comfy shoes are going to be great, don’t overthink it. All trails will help you navigate and there will probably be a big sign at the trailhead advising of any specifics. For example, some parks might suggest bear spray or warn you about snakes, which can be a risk even in urban areas. You can check online as well to prepare for any specific requirements of being in a given area.

Meetup and REI (https://www.rei.com/events/a/camping-and-hiking-hiking?s_kwcid=PS_CAE_Google%7C416_&s_kwcid=PS_CAE_Google%7C21700000001699351_43700072373470246%7C58700007954053469%7CCAE_PB%7C71700000098564971&gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds) are great places to meet people to hike with. REI offers WTF hiking events as well.

Equipment:

Some hats I like - felted wool hat (I got mine for 15 bucks at one of those REI garage sales, don’t pay $60 for a hat https://tinyurl.com/ymfvc5e7) , legionnaire hat

Shirt I look for wicking, pockets, and a loose fit. Here is my Backpacker story on shirts https://www.backpacker.com/gear/apparel/best-collared-shirts-hiking/

T-shirts I like include the Gore contest (https://www.gorewear.com/us/en-us/contest-20-tee-mens-101075?variant=9049) and this Patagonia Tropic Comfort hoodie (https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-tropic-comfort-natural-sun-upf-hoody/41930.html?dwvar_41930_color=BUGR&cgid=mens-tops-long-sleeve)

Trousers – The main focus here is breathing well and having good flexibility to move as you move. One or two extra pockets is nice, as is a waist that doesn’t cut into you. I don’t prefer to wear a belt if I can avoid it when hiking. I have about five pairs of these Prana Stretch Zion trousers, which can often be found on sale.

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