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radioactiv
I plan to aggressively get into hiking and add on camping/backpacking later on. Could you give me some tips please? Thank you in advance.
Answer
Good question and a better pursuit. You'll never regret your decision to be in the outdoors and it'll be something you enjoy for the rest of your life.
You've asked a really big question that has a million answers. I highly suggest doing a lot of reading online about the things you need to know.
Remember, there's a big difference between hiking and backpacking and camping. Each come with their own specific skills. But here are the very basics that apply to each.
First, a hiker never goes on the trail without the "Ten Essentials." Look that up online. Basically, they are extra food, extra clothing for layering, flashlight, waterproof matches, first aid kit, extra water and a few others.
Always check the weather before you go anywhere in nature. If there is a chance for anything inclimate be prepared with the right clothes. Remember, cotton isn't our friend on the trail. It's ok for some hot weather hiking but it doesn't absorb or repel moisture from sweat, rain or snow.
ALWAYS stay on the trail. The exception is a VERY short jaunt off trail but keep the main trail in eye's sight. If you get lost, don't panic and don't try and 'guess' your way out of it. You need to read up on this stuff online.
Show proper trail etiquette. If you encounter someone on the trail, the uphill hiker has the right of way on a narrow trail. Hikers have the right of way over bikes. Horses have the right of way over hikers.
NEVER leave ANYTHING behind. Pack it in - Pack it out. That means any food scraps and don't ever feed a wild animal.
Plot your route before you go and it's not a bad idea to tell a friend where you're going and when you're expected back.
While you can build up to getting better gear the two areas you need to be sure and make smart purchases is in your boots and your pack. Each offer different types for the kind of hiking you'll be doing.
Packs are either daypacks, which don't have a frame and are intended for day hikes, or backpacks which vary in size and offer different features. Choose the pack for the kind of hiking you'll be doing most. My favorite brand of pack is Osprey but shop around.
Footwear comes in two styles. Either trail shoes or boots. Trail shoes have a harder bottom than tennis shoes but are also low-cut. Boots come in three varieties. Lightweight, Midweight and heavier backpacking boots. A lot of this depends on the stability and rigidity of the sole. If you're planning on both backpacking and hiking, I'd suggest a midweight boot. My all time favorites are AKU's which are handmade in Romania. They run over 200 bucks but you can pick them up on Sierra Trading Post for a hundred sometimes. A great investment. Other good brands to consider are Vasque, Keen and a lot of people love Merrills. Oh...I highly suggest buying hiking socks made specifically for hiking. A liner sock isn't a bad idea either because it helps soak up the sweat.
OK..last tip. And sorry for going off. I just dig sharing info about hiking.
Remember this one. Nature isn't a theme park. You can die in nature. For real. It doesn't mean you will of course, but the moment you stop respecting nature is the moment you increase your chances for injury. So always consider the worst case scenario and work backwards from there.
What IF I don't judge my time well and I'm out on the trail after dark?
What would happen IF I stumbled from that rock I want to climb to get a better view?
What IF it starts to rain?
But as long as you think a little bit stay within your skill level there is no question you'll be better for the experience. There's been a lot of study's recently about the benefits of being in nature. Remember, as animals we've spent almost our entire existence outdoors. It's only in the very recent history that we've moved indoors. So being outdoors is an instinct for us. And man...there's nothing better than being out on a killer trail and getting a big rush of that instinct. Feels great!
Hike on my brother.
Good question and a better pursuit. You'll never regret your decision to be in the outdoors and it'll be something you enjoy for the rest of your life.
You've asked a really big question that has a million answers. I highly suggest doing a lot of reading online about the things you need to know.
Remember, there's a big difference between hiking and backpacking and camping. Each come with their own specific skills. But here are the very basics that apply to each.
First, a hiker never goes on the trail without the "Ten Essentials." Look that up online. Basically, they are extra food, extra clothing for layering, flashlight, waterproof matches, first aid kit, extra water and a few others.
Always check the weather before you go anywhere in nature. If there is a chance for anything inclimate be prepared with the right clothes. Remember, cotton isn't our friend on the trail. It's ok for some hot weather hiking but it doesn't absorb or repel moisture from sweat, rain or snow.
ALWAYS stay on the trail. The exception is a VERY short jaunt off trail but keep the main trail in eye's sight. If you get lost, don't panic and don't try and 'guess' your way out of it. You need to read up on this stuff online.
Show proper trail etiquette. If you encounter someone on the trail, the uphill hiker has the right of way on a narrow trail. Hikers have the right of way over bikes. Horses have the right of way over hikers.
NEVER leave ANYTHING behind. Pack it in - Pack it out. That means any food scraps and don't ever feed a wild animal.
Plot your route before you go and it's not a bad idea to tell a friend where you're going and when you're expected back.
While you can build up to getting better gear the two areas you need to be sure and make smart purchases is in your boots and your pack. Each offer different types for the kind of hiking you'll be doing.
Packs are either daypacks, which don't have a frame and are intended for day hikes, or backpacks which vary in size and offer different features. Choose the pack for the kind of hiking you'll be doing most. My favorite brand of pack is Osprey but shop around.
Footwear comes in two styles. Either trail shoes or boots. Trail shoes have a harder bottom than tennis shoes but are also low-cut. Boots come in three varieties. Lightweight, Midweight and heavier backpacking boots. A lot of this depends on the stability and rigidity of the sole. If you're planning on both backpacking and hiking, I'd suggest a midweight boot. My all time favorites are AKU's which are handmade in Romania. They run over 200 bucks but you can pick them up on Sierra Trading Post for a hundred sometimes. A great investment. Other good brands to consider are Vasque, Keen and a lot of people love Merrills. Oh...I highly suggest buying hiking socks made specifically for hiking. A liner sock isn't a bad idea either because it helps soak up the sweat.
OK..last tip. And sorry for going off. I just dig sharing info about hiking.
Remember this one. Nature isn't a theme park. You can die in nature. For real. It doesn't mean you will of course, but the moment you stop respecting nature is the moment you increase your chances for injury. So always consider the worst case scenario and work backwards from there.
What IF I don't judge my time well and I'm out on the trail after dark?
What would happen IF I stumbled from that rock I want to climb to get a better view?
What IF it starts to rain?
But as long as you think a little bit stay within your skill level there is no question you'll be better for the experience. There's been a lot of study's recently about the benefits of being in nature. Remember, as animals we've spent almost our entire existence outdoors. It's only in the very recent history that we've moved indoors. So being outdoors is an instinct for us. And man...there's nothing better than being out on a killer trail and getting a big rush of that instinct. Feels great!
Hike on my brother.
What are good internal frame backpacks for plus size women?
laurab
I am plus size, 22/24, and need a really good internal frame backpack for hiking and camping. I know a lot of the packs have small hip belt sizes and want to hear about some that don't. I am willing to pay a lot for good quality and a good fit.
Answer
No matter what size a person is, the best bet for getting the right fit in a pack is to go to a good outfitter, just as you would for hiking boots. Look for a shop that is mainly backpacking and other wilderness sports rather than the multi-sport chains. Some that come to mind are the chains REI and EMS. And most major metro areas have independent stores that sell packing and climbing gear.
I worked in that business for a number of years -- the sales people are mostly trained to fit you properly and should have weights (we used 5 and 10 pound cotton sacks of dried beans) that you can put in the packs to see how they feel on you fully packed.
You might want to look at some of the packs designed for climbers -- they tend to not have a hip belt since it gets in the way of the harness. Also, better regular internal frame packs (Kelty, Osprey, Lowe, Mountainsmith and Gregory) can often have the hip belts swapped out for different sizes or removed completely. Internal frame packs are mostly designed to have the shoulder harness bear the weight -- the hip belt is more for stabilization than weight transfer anyway. When I cross country ski tour I take the hip belt off my pack because it gets in the way. Several European internal frame pack brands like Karrimor and Sacs Millet make packs with no hip belt.
If you are not near a good outfitter shop, look online at CampMor's catalog. They have a good range of packs including several models built for women (narrower in the shoulders and shorter waisted than men's packs).
Incidentally, I do NOT recommend JanSport packs. I sold packs for 3 years for a vendor who had all the major brands. Our returns for defects and breakage with the Jansport packs were twice as much as for all other packs combined (and no, we did not sell more Jansport). I've also owned close to 30 packs of various makes during forty plus years of camping and the only ones I ever had blow out were both Jansport (frayed and burst seams, zippers and frames breaking, grommets pulling out.)
No matter what size a person is, the best bet for getting the right fit in a pack is to go to a good outfitter, just as you would for hiking boots. Look for a shop that is mainly backpacking and other wilderness sports rather than the multi-sport chains. Some that come to mind are the chains REI and EMS. And most major metro areas have independent stores that sell packing and climbing gear.
I worked in that business for a number of years -- the sales people are mostly trained to fit you properly and should have weights (we used 5 and 10 pound cotton sacks of dried beans) that you can put in the packs to see how they feel on you fully packed.
You might want to look at some of the packs designed for climbers -- they tend to not have a hip belt since it gets in the way of the harness. Also, better regular internal frame packs (Kelty, Osprey, Lowe, Mountainsmith and Gregory) can often have the hip belts swapped out for different sizes or removed completely. Internal frame packs are mostly designed to have the shoulder harness bear the weight -- the hip belt is more for stabilization than weight transfer anyway. When I cross country ski tour I take the hip belt off my pack because it gets in the way. Several European internal frame pack brands like Karrimor and Sacs Millet make packs with no hip belt.
If you are not near a good outfitter shop, look online at CampMor's catalog. They have a good range of packs including several models built for women (narrower in the shoulders and shorter waisted than men's packs).
Incidentally, I do NOT recommend JanSport packs. I sold packs for 3 years for a vendor who had all the major brands. Our returns for defects and breakage with the Jansport packs were twice as much as for all other packs combined (and no, we did not sell more Jansport). I've also owned close to 30 packs of various makes during forty plus years of camping and the only ones I ever had blow out were both Jansport (frayed and burst seams, zippers and frames breaking, grommets pulling out.)
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Title Post: What should a beginner know about hiking?
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Author: Unknown
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Rating: 95% based on 981 ratings. 4,6 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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