6th November 2025

No One Knows What They’re Doing on a Hike (Including Me)

A gentle reminder that we’re all just out here winging it, one snack stop at a time.

Hiking Looks Very Organised on Instagram

Let’s talk about how hiking looks vs. how it actually is.

According to Instagram, hiking is:

• A perfectly curated backpack with compartments that make sense
• A slow-mo video of someone tying their boots (probably named Matilda or Jett)
• A scenic summit selfie where no one is sweaty and someone brought a drone 

According to real life, hiking is:

• Wondering if you locked the car
• Googling “how much water is too much water” while packing
• Pretending you know the difference between a kangaroo track and a shortcut
• Mild existential panic when you realise the sign says “Loop Trail” and you weren’t planning on looping anything 

If this is you,  congratulations.
You’re doing it right.

That Moment You Realise You’re Not the Only One Faking It

Here’s the secret no one tells you:
No one knows what they’re doing out there.

Not really.

We’re all just guessing.
Following the person in front.
Hoping we’re not the person everyone else is following while we’re guessing. (ps. Im not just talking about the trail).

On our hikes, I see it all the time:

• People who panic-pack five apples and no sunscreen
• Someone who accidentally brought two left shoes
• A woman who thought she was signing up for yoga and is now halfway up a bush trail 

And every single one of them?
They still have a great time.

The Myth of the “Proper Hiker”

Let’s just retire this idea that you have to be a “hiker” to go hiking.

There’s no test.
No gatekeeper.
No one checking if you can name three native shrubs and recite your last Strava stats.

You don’t need:

• Fancy gear
• A deep love of inclines
• A spirit animal
• A well-balanced macro diet 

You do need:

• A willingness to laugh at yourself
• Decent shoes
• An open-ish mind
• A snack (preferably shareable) 

Things I’ve Personally Done on a Hike That Prove I’m Just Like You

• Gotten lost with a map
• Over-packed six pieces of fruit and two bags of protein balls for a 2-hour walk
• Tripped over nothing while trying to act cool
• Convinced an entire group to go “this way” that was definitely not “the way”
• Wore white socks and lived to regret it 

Do I still consider myself a hiker?
Absolutely.

Because here’s the thing: the only difference between someone who “hikes” and someone who “doesn’t” is that one of them just… started.

That’s it.

So What Is Hiking, Really?

It’s not a sport.
It’s not a personality.
It’s not a proving ground.

It’s just walking… outside… with intention.
Sometimes with other people.
Sometimes with a few emotional breakthroughs.
Sometimes with zero breakthroughs and a very good sandwich.

You don’t have to be “ready” to go.
You don’t have to feel brave or fit or zen.

You just have to want something different than the usual rush.

Come Wing It With Us

If you’ve been waiting for a sign that you’re “outdoorsy enough”,  here it is:
You are.

If you’re worried you’ll slow the group down, you won’t.
(And if you do? We’ll slow with you.)

If you’re tired of pretending you’ve got it all together,  please, join the club.

We are proudly figuring it out as we go.
And we’ve saved you a spot, somewhere in the middle of the pack, snack in hand, breeze on your face.

Come hike with us.
No prior experience in map-reading, tree-hugging, or existential clarity required.

Written by Kate Gibson 

Kate Gibson is the founder of The Hike Collective –  a nature wellness tour company helping women reconnect to themselves through slow, soulful hiking experiences across Western Australia. As a mum, business owner, and lifelong seeker of ‘something more,’ Kate created the kind of adventures she craved: meaningful, no-pressure, real-life moments in nature. When she’s not guiding hikes, you’ll find her laughing too loud over coffee, getting lost on purpose, or rewriting the rules for what success really looks like.