[slothtrop]

No one needs to pick up a manual to hike.

[boring_twenties]

Um, yeah you do. You need to be able to, at a minimum, survive overnight in the event you get stuck up there.

[slothtrop]

Hiking doesn't necessarily mean going "up", let alone through highly steep paths. Walking through the woods in uneven terrain is hiking.

[boring_twenties]

OK, I should have said "out there" instead of "up there" -- happy now? It doesn't change my point at all. What happens when you twist your ankle in those uneven woods and are unable to get out before nightfall?

[slothtrop]

Don't hike alone? This isn't complicated.

The context in the above conversation is that the activity is framed as riskier than it realistically is.

[boring_twenties]

I never said it was "complicated." Don't hike alone, leave a detailed itinerary with others, carry warm overnight clothing just in case, etc. Collect a few of these simple rules in one place and what do you have? A manual.