What got you interested in the outdoors, and what advice would

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>>917000
Getting /fit/ would be a good start. Walk your city park... for a few hours. Stairs are better. Can you do 50 pushups?

No need to join a gym if doing above.

Once you can walk flat and level with some stairs mixed in, hit a trail.

Bring water, jacket, flashlight, cell phn and remember where you parked!

You might hate it, but you'll be better off than sitting on the couch watching Dancing with the Stars.

>>917006
I'd like to think I'm decently /fit/. I was hitting the gym doing starting strength and cardio 5x a week before working out of state the past month. I know I won't hate it, though. I went hunting with my uncle last year and even though I didn't see much being alone in the woods was incredibly enjoyable. Do you know of any good books or resources for oblivious noobs? Or is venturing out and getting a taste of things going to be better?

>>917013
I never find reading about hiking as enjoyable as hiking, unless it's in a historical context. (Ex. JW Powell)

The exception being trail guides, which for my areas are valuable in finding new hikes in different surroundings.

Loop hikes can be tricky the first time, as you return via unknown passage. Otherwise, just turn around and retrace steps to traihead.

>>917025
Like this anon said trail guides will tell you about outdoor places near you. Look for one authored and published by a local. That should help you avoid the busiest places.

>>917000
>what advice would you give to a city dweller who's never been?
Lurk more and don't start cancerous threads like this

sage

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>>917013
Just venture out. All you need to get started on day hikes is comfy shoes and clothing that's appropriate to the weather. Reading is fine for rainy days but (apart from trail guides like the other anons said) there isn't a lot you need to know for day hikes, when you start camping it's more helpful.

Well you should probably learn to recognize poison ivy or whatever else grows in your area, and read a little bit about blister management, but that won't take long.

There might even be some semi-decent walking spots in the city if you go looking. I found a bunch of mountain bike trails pretty close to downtown just by exploring the green spots on the map. If you're in university see if they have an outing club.

I'm not that into geocaching as a hobby in and of itself, but it can be a pretty good way to find new trails and nice spots, even in areas you think you know.

Just getting out to anywhere and walking as much youd like into wilderness while keeping common sense in mind and not making dumb decisions is all you really need. Just know your limits and keep saftey in mind.

>>917437
>dumb decisions
There are two SAR in my hiking group, they get more than one call a week.

It's volunteer, so if available, they choose to go or not. Usually late at night on a weekend. Plus weekends training. They both keep recruiting me.

They rescue and sometimes, they recover.

I also work with one and ask post op analysis and it always seems to come down to the single bad decision (for adults, there was a massive effort about a year ago+ for a 4 y/o that after the fouth day became a tragic recovery).

Alzheimer's, "partying", unprepared, "stormed off", wrong turn, fell... but always traceable to that one bad decision moment...

Note, getting tired of selecting sushi