Can’t wait to go hiking again

@BiasForAction last time I went hiking I saw some deer I just thought their so beautiful animals wow

@SW-User Awesome. Hiking and backpacking is my bag and I'd say that just you asking for advice means you're on the right track and is something you might want to explore. There's a lot of unfounded fears around being in the wilderness. But the issues most always come from those who are inexperienced and over confident. So my overall advice is that there's nothing to fear but there are things to respect. Humility in nature is our best asset.

You can spend a ton of money on gear but there's ways to do it much less expensively to start. It's like anything. If you get in to it then you'll know more about what you need and can decided if upgrading is something you want to. The things to be most aware of when you go out is weather. Have to dress for the coldest conditions you might see. ALWAYS carry a headlamp. That's no non-negotiable. As is telling someone where you're going and an approximate time you'll be back and having enough/extra food and water. Always a good idea to learn what wildlife will be around and how they operate. People freak about bears but if you know how they roll it's a breeze. Black bears are easy to be around Grizzlies take a little more knowledge

If you do need to gear up the best place to spend your money is on good hiking shoes or boots. While it's more important with backpacking, a good day pack is worth the cost. You can buy clothes online on the countless gear sites. That's where you get the deals. You don't ever want to wear cotton when it's cold or there's the slightest chance of rain or snow. Cotton doesn't dry fast so even sweat can be mess you upl. Hypothermia is something to avoid.

REI does a good job with some tutorials. Here's their take for beginners.
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/hiking-for-beginners.html

Some stuff you don't need. Like a compass. Gotta' stay on the trail until you gather experience. You even need to pay attention if you walk off a bit to take a piss, especially in a forest, because it doesn't take much to lose the trail when you're beginning. But if you get out there and it fires you up, you'll want to learn more. And the more you know the safer you are and the farther/more remote you can get.

Sorry for the long note but I'm always stoked when people are curious. Have fun out there.

@Ynotisay this was a GREAT read. Thank you very much. I’ll re-read a bit later and ask some follow up questions. But once again, thank you.

@SW-User Awesome. Glad to hear that. And if you have any specific questions, feel free. I've been at for a while and have made most of the mistakes. A good way to learn. :)