Most people think that there is only a slight difference between trekking and hiking – a difference as small as between faucets and taps, alligators and crocodiles and maps and GPS tracking systems.
They are right to some extent as the difference between the two is only that of some connotations attached to both. Let us look into so that we may not get confused in future.
The Dictionary Meaning of Trekking
The Oxford English Dictionary defines trekking as ” going on a long, onerous journey, usually on foot.
The Dictionary Meaning of Hiking
The Oxford English dictionary defines hiking as ” an act of going anywhere across the country for long walks.
The dictionary meanings make it quite obvious that the main difference between the two is that of a little hardship which is more in trekking than in hiking. The trekking is a little more demanding and strenuous and takes a whole day whereas hiking involves walking which sounds more pleasant and easier.
Modern Day Hiking and Trekking
In today’s world, hiking is often taken as a day hiking and trekking as multi-day hiking, in comparatively more challenging conditions. Whenever a person or anyone sitting in an office talk about hiking, he means to go on a day trip or two days of pleasant journey which is non- arduous.
Meanwhile trekking takes our mind to the adventurous journey through forests, the base camps, or the old cities. It means that a person is likely to remain on trail for at least two days. The number of days may increase to weeks or months, depending on certain conditions.
Treks lead to places which are not commonly accessible than hikes that is why they are harder to go on. All kinds of terrains are involved in both hiking and trekking, and both expose a person to aesthetic natural beauty. Hiking is done on man-made trails or roads whereas trekking involves terrains with no means of transportation.
Hiking and Trekking on International Fronts
On international fronts, hiking is usually considered as walking whereas trekking is taken as quite as backpacking. It means that the term is subjective and varies from person to person and even from company to company.
Some travel gear suppliers use the word trekking solely for a multi day arduous adventure. Overall, a hike more than a couple of days away from home, in another part of the world is called trek and a similar hike inside the country is called hiking.
Hiking trails usually have signposts to help those people passing through the areas with a lot of natural beauty not to get lost but trekking trails have no such signposts and are unmarked. Hiking is a well-known holiday trip particularly in New Zealand, Europe, Hawaii, and Costa Rika. Trekking is famous is the Himalayan Mountain ranges in Nepal, India and Bhutan
HIKING VS TREKKING: THE EQUIPMENT
We know that both trekking and hiking involve outdoor journeys and that too often on known routes, the equipment for both are more or less the same. To explore nature either through trekking or hiking, a person requires good quality hiking shoes, hiking or trekking poles, waterproof clothes, sleeping bag, a rucksack, and snacks.
The only difference is that of time on the trail. Trekking requires a longer time with a tent and survival equipment. Irrespective of what name you give to your journey on the trail, there must be a specialised gear, based on terrain type, weather conditions, survival requirements and shelter accessibility.
Benefits of Trekking and Hiking
Benefits of trekking and hiking are the same but they get doubled in trekking. Some of them are
- They decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes
- They bring down cholesterol level and blood pressure
- They boost cardiorespiratory endurance and enhance muscular fitness
- They improve posture, and increases body’s strength 5- They reduce depression, anxiety and stress.
- They are helpful in reducing weight and improves a person’s mood or behaviour
- Besides these physical and mental benefits, trekking and hiking makes a person creative because spending more time under the sun helps a person improve the vitamin D levels in the body which makes his mind sharper. Vitamin D not only increases attention span but also improves the focussing ability. Vitamin D is also beneficial for bones and teeth and supports the immune system.
Similarities Between Trekking and Hiking
Besides differences, there are also some differences between the two. For instance, both are outdoor activities and mainly involve walking. Also, the equipment used in both is similar.
Trekking vs Hiking: Which is better?
Hiking is the first step towards trekking. Hikers master the art of trekking after getting sufficient trail experience and take it to the next level. Trekking, being onerous, should not be made difficult by speeding up the pace and should be done at one’s comfort.
The reasons why people prefer trekking over hiking include;
1. The Beautiful Nature
Presence of plants and animals during the journey gets very attractive for the trekkers and they get a chance to absorb themselves fully into their surroundings.
2. A total Disconnection with Outer World
In hiking, you still get connected to people in places where the network signals are available. Trekking takes you to places where there is no such network available and hence makes you totally disconnected to the outer world.
3. Adventurous
There is no doubt about the fact that trekking is more adventurous than hiking.
4. Interaction with Mountainous People
Trekking is a means to communicate with people living on mountains and learn their culture, lifestyle, and tradition.
To sum up, hiking is an easier and shorter journey on marked routes. Trekking on the other hand is longer and arduous and involves a particular destination to reach at. It requires specialised gear as a person must travel on rough and uneven terrain and has to do a night stay during his journey.