Tips to follow Microad­ventures

Simply taking off. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But exactly where and how?

Well, as we just said, you do not need a whole lot of gear before you set off on your next adventure. You probably have everything you need at home anyway.

But anybody who needs to do a little planning and would be happy to have a short packing list should keep these basics in mind, depending, of course, on the particular exploit he or she may have in mind:

Where can I do it?

There is nothing easier! Simply walk out your front door and set foot in nature. A map will show you exactly where the highest mountain or point is located in your region. It should be in a radius that you can cover in a day. For most people, this spot is more likely to be a hill, and not a mountain. But who cares? Exploring the highest point in your region is a lot of fun, too!

You will have a great view once you have reached the top!

What do I need?

Depending on where you live, you will have to start off with a map that you can use to find the highest point. You will also need some good hiking boots, outdoor clothing, enough to drink and, depending on the length of your route, a bite to eat.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

This is where you have to determine whether you are planning to take on a mountain or just climb a hill and establish just how far the place is from your home. It can vary from 30 minutes to an entire day.

Where can I do it?

Often, great places to relax are just around the corner. Many local recreation areas make it easy to enjoy being outdoors and to go on a new discovery tour every time. You don’t need much and still have the oppor­tunity to rediscover your home. Just let the fresh wind blow around your nose or enjoy the warm rays of the sun – outdoor can be so beautiful!

What do I need?

You don’t need much for a microad­venture. You probably already have most of the things you need at home. Grab a pair of sturdy walking shoes, a rucksack with some food and drinks and off you go – off to new adventures!

Attention: Don’t forget sunscreen in good weather 😉

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

Basically, there are no time restrictions: whether you spend just five minutes on a bench by the side of the path listening to the birds chirping or a whole day at the lake – you decide how much time you want to take to enjoy nature to the fullest and leave everyday life behind you.

Where can I do it?

You can basically do this microad­venture everywhere, too. We recommend that you use bike trails. They will make the adventure more enjoyable and less risky.

What do I need?

All you have to do is grab your bike, slip on your helmet and take along something to drink and, depending on the length and destination of your adventure, to eat – you will be all set. A map to help you plan is optional.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

Here, too, everything depends on how far and how long you plan to ride. Take a look at a map of the area where you live and decide where you want to ride. If you are uncertain about the distance you will be covering, simply put a glass over your resid­ential area and draw a ring around the glass – you will now have your route. Cover the complete circle or ride the radius of the circle and back. Sure, you will be in the neigh­bourhood you already know. But you will see it from a different perspective and discover high­lights that you have missed in the past.

Extra-tip: You can also apply this approach to come up with a hike that you want to take. You can expand the radius depending on the glass size.

Where can I do it?

This microad­venture can be realised virtually everywhere. But beware: the everyman’s right does not apply to every country or region. A short research before your adventure helps avoiding trouble.

What do I need?

It really depends on what you have in mind. If you plan to spend a full 24 hours in the wood, you should definitely go over the packing recom­mend­ations that we have on the checklist below.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

The name says it all: 24 hours. Perhaps, you should plan a little time for your trip to the wood and back home as well. If you have a little less time, you can shorten your microad­venture and simply spend the night or the day in the wood.

Where can I do it?

When it comes to hiking, the mountains and woods are the first things that come to mind. But, sometimes, a river will point the way. You can also spend your microad­venture along any river or lake. The closer the river bed is to your home, the better.

What do I need?

For your hike along the river, you will definitely need a pair of hiking boots or stable hiking sandals. Take along a small rucksack packed with a snack, enough to drink, a small hiking first-aid kit and some sunscreen – you will have everything you need.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

You can hike along a river any time of year. But, naturally, the warm seasons of the year are the best time. When things get a little too hot, you can always take a dip in the refreshing stream.

Depending on the trail and degree of difficulty you select, you should plan to spend three to six hours on the hike. Naturally, you can turn around and shorten the hike any time you want.

Where can I do it?

You can take a herb hike in fields, meadows or woods. You will find all sorts of edible herbs along the way. The objective is not to find 50 different herbs during the outing. Three to five will do just fine. Even if you haven’t got the foggiest notion about wild herbs, you will certainly find a few herbs that you know, like daisies, nettles and dandelions.

What do I need?

We recommend good shoes, a bag or basket for your herbs and a small pock­etknife for your microad­venture. If you want to collect herbs that you are unfa­miliar with, you should definitely take along a small book about herbs!

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

Depending on the size of the area that you want to explore, you should plan to spend 1.5 hours to three hours. If you plan to eat the herbs right after you get home, you will need about an hour to prepare and then enjoy them.

Where can I do it?

The “where” is actually anywhere here. Unfor­tu­nately, you will find litter just about everywhere you go, on strolls through the city, fields or woods, in the mountains, during walks with the dog and on play­grounds for children. Simply head outside, and everything else will take care of itself.

What do I need?

You will definitely need some snug footwear and clothing that are ideal for hiking and strolls. You will also need a rubbish bag or sack as well as a pair of gloves.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

That depends on the hike or route you take. You do not have to plan any extra time because you will always do the cleanup hike as part of your normal hike or short stroll. Of course, you can take some extra time if you want – nature will thank you for it.

Knowledge to show off

If you combine it all with a jog, the process goes by the name of plogging – a trend sport from Sweden during which people collect litter during the regular jogs.

Extra-Tip: Are you looking for an alternative to walking, hiking or jogging? – you can also do it while riding your bike.

Where can I do it?

You can actually do this microad­venture anywhere where you travel with public trans­portation or a car pool. Simply get off a few stops ahead of or after your regular stop, be dropped off somewhere near your home or simply take a walk around the block before you go home.

What do I need?

All you need are some good, snug and weatherproof shoes. Depending on the weather, you may also need some waterproof clothing or an umbrella.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

It all depends on where you get off and which way you take home. Check on the distance from your home in advance and decide how much time you want to take for the walk. You can decide on your own whether you want to get off one stop ahead or after your normal stop, or even three to four stops. You may even want to walk all the way home.

Extra tip: After-work is nothing for you because you always want to do things with friends or have to work overtime? A pre-work adventure is just what early risers are looking for, by them­selves or with colleagues who happen to live nearby.

Where can I do it?

Anywhere! No matter whether you are in your own garden, city park, a nearby wood, the mountains or at the seaside, you can see all sorts of birds and insects everywhere and then add them to your nature diary.

What do I need?

A small notebook, a pen and perhaps a little book that will help you identify the bird or insect that you happen to have in front of you right then.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

If you really want to fill your diary, you have to do more than just set off one time and observe all of the animals in the wood. You will have to make these outings a regular part of your schedule or you should frequently spend an hour or so out and about in order to absorb all the sounds around you. You will discover and repeatedly see more and more animals.

Does this sound like over­planning and too much work to you? If so, then you should simply watch and listen to the animals that you come across each day!

Where can I do it?

Night-hiking microad­ventures can be done partic­ularly everywhere. If you want to gaze at the stars, you will have to get out of town or, at the very least, go to a big city park. No matter whether you go alone, with friends or with the entire family, everybody will have a good time.

What do I need?

Pack a pocket lamp and a few torches and then head out into the natural world of the nighttime. You might even get lucky and have a full moon – if so, you forget about the extra light.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

You can head off as soon as dusk begins to set in. Depending on your route, you should plan to spend about one hour to three hours on the hike. All (extremely) early risers can set off in the night and then enjoy sunrise from the next knoll.

Where can I do it?

We have a microad­venture in mind that you can start right from home. Simply walk out your front door and work your way around the neigh­bourhood. You will be surprised by all the hidden things that your city has to offer.

What do I need?

To prevent blisters and wet feet, we recommend that you wear snug shoes that will not cause friction kilometre after kilometre and will keep your feet dry if it starts to rain. Snug clothing that is appro­priate for the weather is the only thing else that you will need.

You will need to write down a list of streets or use a map to make sure that you know where you are.

How much time do I have to plan for the outing?

Tough question: It all depends on where you live. Do you live in a big city or a country village? The number of streets will differ widely, but anything is possible! Simply start walking. You do not have to cover all streets at one time.

Extra tip: Street strolls, an adventure that you can naturally change and vary. How would you like to roam around all lakes, castles and forests in your region?