Archive for the ‘Tips & Tricks’ Category
16July2008
Hiking Safety
Posted by kris under: Tips & Tricks.
Hiking safety is one of the most important things that everyone needs to think of and worry about if you enjoy hiking. Many of the other tips that I have talked about in this blog are important for being safe while hiking. There are many things that need to be considered based on where you are going and how long you will be going for.
The first thing you should always do is let someone know where you are going even if you are going with other people. This way if you end up getting lost or hurt there is someone that can let authorities know where to look for you. Since it is possible that the unexpected might happen you should always pack for the worst. Make sure you have some extra cloths with you just in case the weather takes as turn for the worst. You should also bring some food with you as well like an energy bar. This is a good idea if you are doing a long trip anyway but if you are not going to be out for very long you should still bring something in case you get stranded. This is the same when it comes to water, you should always have more water then you think you will need. There are some other items that you might consider, hiking poles, hiking boots vs. tennis shoes, GPS, emergency beacon, first aid kit and shorts vs. long pants.
Once you have all of your equipment put together you are ready for your hike. At the start of the trail you should make sure that you know where you are going by using a map or following trail markings. While on the trail make sure that you watch where you are going at all times so that you do not roll your ankle or injure yourself some other way. Wearing hiking boots gives your ankle support and may help prevent injury while hiking. If you do get injured, try to do first aid on the injury and go to where you can get help (if there is more then one person hiking, have one person stay with the person that is injured while another one or so go and get help). The weather can turn bad at any time so make sure that you get back to your car or a building as quick as possible in bad weather conditions. Lightning is particularly dangerous and you should try to get away from open areas and trees.
Another thing that you have to be aware of is the wild life around you. There are many larger animals like mountain lions and bear that you should look out for and make sure you know what to do when you come across one. In the case of a mountain lion you want to make yourself as big looking as you can and try to back away from the lion if possible but never run away. If you do get attacked you want to fight back any way you can because they are more likely to stop if they don’t think they can beat you. When it comes to bears you want to make as much noise as possible while hiking so that a bear will know that you are coming and you will not surprise it. If you do come across a bear, make sure it knows that you are a human by talking to it in a normal voice and moving your arms and try to back away. If the bear follows you then stop moving and do not run, continue to make noise and move your arms and if it gets closer try to make more noise. If you are attacked by a bear do not fight back and curl up in a ball protecting your neck and do not move. Once the bear does not see you as a threat it should move on, but if it persists in its attack do all you can to fight it off. In general you should try to avoid any encounters with wildlife if possible.
If you get lost and you do not have a GPS to guide you and you don’t know where you came from, try to figure out the direction (based on the position of the sun or stars) where you know a town or road may be and head that direction. If you can’t seem to find your way out stay in one place and try to signal a plane or helicopter if possible (you can use an emergency beacon if you have one).
Once you get back from a hike, you should make sure that people know that you are back (especially the person that you told where you would be). You should also check yourself for ticks or other bugs to make sure that they do not get under your skin or hurt you in some other way.
Even though there are a lot of things to think about and do before during and after you go hiking, it is always better to be prepared for the worst and never have to use the extra stuff that you have, then to find yourself unprepared. In the end we do this because hiking is fun and safety while hiking is very important.
27June2008
Trail Etiquette
Posted by kris under: Tips & Tricks.
With all of the hiking that I have been doing this year I have had plenty of opportunities to expertise and think about trail etiquette. This is one of my biggest pet peeves and I feel like things have been getting worse over the years. Here are the guidelines that I like to live by while hiking:
- If you are hiking down hill always move out of the way of people hiking up hill. It is always harder to get moving again if you have to stop for someone coming down hill, but it is not very hard to start again going down hill.
- Always move out of the way for people moving faster then you.
- Stay to the right as much as possible, so people can pass you on the left
- Pass people on the left and let them know that you are doing so.
- If you have your pet with you make sure that you have control of them and that you keep them out of the way of others. Even if you think that your pet is well behaved you never know if they are going to snap and some people don’t like animals. Also clean up after your animals, because no one should have to look for their droppings so that they don’t step in them.
- Stay on the trail. If we all go off of the trail then we will just cause unmanageable erosion and ruin the great outdoors that we are trying to enjoy while hiking.
- When you are in a group, try not to block the trail so that others may get around you.
It seems like more and more people don’t seem to care about others on the trail. They will only do things if they are forced to. I am writing about this because I have found many cases were people have not followed these guidelines. These guidelines are meant to benefit everyone that is on the trail, and help everyone have an enjoyable experience.
18May2008
Hydration While Hiking
Posted by kris under: Tips & Tricks.
Keeping hydrated while hiking is a very important item to consider. It is an essential component of any hiking checklist. An average person should take in 64 ounces of water a day in normal circumstance, but when you are hiking you need to take in a lot more. How much you need can depend on the outside temperature, length of hike and humidity level. About a half of a liter per mile or one liter per hour is a good rule for most conditions. It is also helpful to start drink water even before you start your hike. This way you will not start your hike already dehydrated or on the brink of dehydration. While you are hiking you want to drink the water over time. Drinking a lot at once will not help keep you hydrated, so make sure to spread it out over the whole hike.
If you do become dehydrated lactic acid can build up in your muscles and brake down muscle fibers and cause fatigue. Dehydration can also cause headaches, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and mountain sickness. All of these things can be prevented if you drink enough water while you are hiking.
Now the next thing to consider is how to carry your water. There are two major categories of products bottles and bladders. They both have there advantages and disadvantages, but it mostly comes down to personal preference.
Water Bottles: Some people just like using the water bottles and they cost less then bladder systems. You should buy a hard sided bottle instead of a grocery store bottle because it will not brake as easily, it usually has a wider mouth so that you can put Gatorade powder in it, and it will not leak as much. It is also better for the environment to use a hard sided bottle because it produces less waste. Some people that like to run trails like water bottles that have a hand strap because it feels more comfortable when running then a bladder system. Most backpacks have side pockets that these bottles will fit in nicely.
Bladder Systems: Bladder systems, like Camelbacks, come with either a backpack or a waist pack that caries the bladder. They are more expensive then a water bottle but if you take into account what you might used to carry a bottle it can come out to about the same price. Bladder stems are a little more secure and hands free then a bottle might be so it is great for a hike that might require you to use your hands. It can also be easier to carry more water instead of having to carry many water bottles you only have to carry one bladder. Bladder systems are more convenient because they have a hose that comes off of the bladder so you can have it right next to your mouth. This way you do not have to try to reach around to obtain your bottle while you are hiking, all you have to do is bite down on the hose and suck. The bladders are made out of a flexible plastic that can be frozen easily. This way you will have cold water for the whole trip. They are harder to clean then water bottles and some hikers have found that the bladders are easy to puncher. Though, I have not known any one that has complained about this happening.
Bladder systems are becoming more and more popular and you are more likely to find backpacks that have compartments for bladders. Some people still like bottles but in the end it is a personal preference and it can also depend on what kind of activities that you like to do. The bottom line is that no matter which option you pick, just make sure that you have plenty of water with you on your hikes.
26April2008
Trail Restoration
Posted by kris under: Tips & Tricks.
One of the most important things about enjoying the outdoors is to make sure that we don’t destroy the very thing that we are trying to enjoy. Part of this has to do with trail restoration and maintenance.
Growing up in the mountains, we actually did a few projects in junior high to help restore some paths that had been cause by erosion from a road up the hill as well as people cutting trough. We went outside and moved some branches and rocks through to path and along the edge to discourage people from using it any more. As a group we planted some seeds to help grow some of the plant growth back and help stop the erosion. We also did some work around the road to help with runoff so that it would not continue causing erosion. I think doing these kinds of things is what living in Colorado is all about.
Recently my company sponsored a trip to the Garden of the Gods Park to help restore areas around the trails. Here they did some replanting and added netting to help with erosion. This was done in conjunction with other similar activities as we did in junior high to help stop the erosion. It is nice to be working for a company that does care so much about the environment that we work in (Garden of the Gods is less then 5 minutes from my work). You even have organization like the National Trails Training Partnership, which have training courses on how to restore unused trails as well as fixing used ones. Part of this same organization they have the Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative (COTI) which can help Colorado locally.
So, I would encourage anyone that enjoys hiking, whether you live in Colorado or some other state or country, to look into this kind of opportunity to make their trail areas better. This way we can continue to enjoy getting outside and doing the things we love for decades to come.
21April2008
Breathing Correctly
Posted by kris under: Tips & Tricks.
I have been hiking for quite a while now and I have also been hiking with many different people during that time. I found that there are many people that have problems with breathing while they are hiking, including my wife. Therefore, I decided to look into how to breathe better while you are hiking since I was having a hard time teaching people how to breath correctly on my own.
First of all breathing just through your nose is not good when you are exerting yourself. You just can not get the volume of air through your nose as you can through your mouth. This is the problem that my wife was having she was trying to breath through her nose. She was really into Pilates which teaches you to breath through your nose instead of your mouth, but his does not apply to hiking. There are some rumors out there that say that say there are good reasons to breathe through your nose but none of them are true. You should breathe through your nose when it is cold out because it helps warm it up. This will not really help because even when you breathe through your mouth the air still warms up before it gets to your longs. One of the other arguments is that breathing through your nose helps with filtering out pollutants. Once again this is not a problem as long as the person has healthy lungs. The pollutants are cleared from your longs by small hairs, called cilia, which move the pollutants towards your mouth. The pollutants are then mixed with saliva and moved through your body.
There are some things that you should do when breathing through your mouth to help you when you are exercising. First of all, breathe from your belly instead of your chest. Your belly should move in and out more then your chest, this way your lungs have more room to expand. As part of this, your breathing should not be overly labored, if it is that means that you are either not breathing correctly or you are pushing yourself too hard.
Another technique that runners use and can be applied to hiking is rhythm breathing. There are two main types, 2-2 and 3-2 breathing rhythms. With the 2-2 you will begin inhaling when you step with your left foot, continue to inhale when you step with your right foot, then start exhaling when you step down with your left foot again and continue to exhale when you step down with your right foot again. Continue to do this patter and you hike. The 2-3 rhythm helps if you are uncomfortable with the 2-2 rhythm or if you get a side ache. With this rhythm you exhale more then you inhale. You will start by inhaling with your left foot and continue with your right, then you will start to exhale with your left foot and continue to exhale through your right foot another left.
Hopefully you will find these tips and tricks interesting and helpful. I know they have and will help my wife.
17April2008
Hiking Poles
Posted by kris under: Tips & Tricks.
Hiking poles have always interested me and I have always wondered what the benefits are to using them. I first thought that they were simply used to help you use your arms so that you can make it up the mountain quicker, but it turns out that they do some much more.
While hiking with some friends that use hiking poles I asked them why they used them, and they told me that it really helps them take some of the presser off of their joints. This is epically true when they are going down hill. Not only does it take pressure off of your joints, but it can also help you to be more stable in any situation. It is like having four lags. Right now in Colorado Springs there is still some snow on the mountains, therefore, there are some icy spots that are hard to get through without slipping down the edge of the mountain. I notice that the people that did have poles were able to use them to stabilize themselves by sticking the pole into the snow to get good leverage.
After see how much these helped and knowing that I could really use some help with reducing the strain on my joints and help with my stamina, I decided to look into what hiking poles can do for you. Here are some of the things that I found out. First thing that I like about modern hiking poles is that almost all of them are collapsible. Therefore, they are great for backpacking since you can collapse them for storage. It is best to get 3 part poles because they collapse to the smallest size. It also helps to adjust the length correctly for your height so that your arm makes a 90 degree angel when you are holding the pole. In some cases the pair of poles will have a right and left pole, this helps with hand placement and holding the pole. In the next paragraph I talk more about how to hold the poles.
Most hiking poles come with wrist straps but they are not just to keep the poles from getting lost they are acutely your primary support. In order to increase your endurance and not make your hands tired you use the wrist straps in the following way to: first put your hands through the strap from the bottom; then take two our three fingers and your thumb and gently grip the pole; use your fingers and thumb to guide the pole to where you want to place the pole. The whole idea is that you want to put the weight onto your wrist and arms and not on your hands. This allows you to use more of your upper body strength and not tire as easily.
Some other techniques are to shorten your poles when you are doing mostly up hill climbing and lengthen them when you are going down hill. When you are more level surfaces place the pole even with the heel of the opposite foot. This gives you maxim efficiency and stability.
They also come with many accessories that can help you in different situations. For example they come with baskets (like what you see on ski poles) for hiking in the snow to prevent the pole from penetrating to fare. Also you can use rubber or carbide tips where rubber will not penetrate as much and not scrap rocky surfaces, where as carbide will not slip as much in wet conditions. In the end it usually is more about personal preference on which tips you pick.
This is something that I found very interesting and I am planning on purchasing some in the near future to see how they work for me.
You can find products like hiking poles and other camping and hiking gear at REI.com
