As with driving on a road or walking on a sidewalk, there are some unwritten “rules” of the trail that help soothe the social fabric. As parents, we have an obligation to fellow hikers (and to our own sanity!) to teach our children these basic rules: Let faster-moving parties pass – If hikers are about [...]
Archive for the ‘Hiking Tips’ Category
February 7th, 2011
Hiking Video : Tips for New Hikers
If you’re new to hiking it can be daunting trying to figure out what to bring. Before you know it you can end up with a 20 pound pack for a five mile day hike or end up carrying 60 pounds for a weekend trip. This video quickly covers some of the basic things you’ll [...]
November 12th, 2010
Winter Water Bottle Freeze Up Tip
Now that winter is upon us it’s time to think about how we’ll stay warm on cold nights. Here’s a little thing I like to do to keep my feet warm and to keep my water bottle from freezing over night. Before you go to bed warm water just before it boils and pour it [...]
May 7th, 2010
River Crossings when Hiking
Crossing rivers and streams when hiking can be one of the most dangerous things you’ll do. From getting swept away to simply falling and getting wet in cold weather it can kill you. Here are a few tips for crossing fast moving streams and rivers. Of course, it doesn’t have to just be “fast moving” to be dangerous as deep water and under water currents can get you too.
April 30th, 2010
What to Do When Lost
It’s easier than you think to get lost in the wilderness. In fact, people often get lost on short trips when they didn’t plan for a big excursion. This, of course, can be the worst time to get lost because you probably don’t have many supplies with you like you might have on an overnight [...]
April 9th, 2010
Hiking Tip
Here’s a hiking tip for this wonderful Friday: Always let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. If you’re like me you don’t like people keeping up with you and love the freedom of coming and going as you please, but for our own safety it’s worth telling someone. If you don’t [...]
March 31st, 2010
Finding Water in the Wilderness
Let’s say you have a method to purify your water but no water. This can really suck. I know because I’ve been there a few times. Luckily I’ve never had to go too long without water because I know a few tricks for finding it. On the east coast of the U.S. we have many [...]
Posted in Hiking Tips, Wilderness Survival 
Tags: finding water, finding water in the wilderness 
1 Comment »March 26th, 2010
Set up and Check Your Gear before Your Hike
If your hiking and camping gear has been stored for the winter and you’re planning a trip soon it’s a good idea to set everything up first to check for problems. You don’t want to hike all day to find that your stove doesn’t work or that your sleeping bag is covered in mildew. Of [...]
Posted in Hiking Tips Tags: check gear, Equipment, gear, hiking blog, hiking tip, sleeping bag, stove, Tents No Comments »March 16th, 2010
What’s the Most Your Pack Should Weigh?
How much should you carry when hiking? Some say you shouldn’t carry more than 1/3 of your body weight. I say try to keep it under ¼ of your body weight. The less weight you carry the more comfortable you’ll be on the trail. Of course, you shouldn’t leave out items that will make your [...]
March 15th, 2010
Leaving Your Car at the Trailhead : Hiking Tip
It’s always a little scary leaving your car at the trailhead. Usually these spots are remote, have no security, and sometimes are targeted by locals that don’t take kindly to outsiders. Thieves and vandals know that hikers won’t be near their vehicles for days or hours at a time and rarely near their cars at [...]
Posted in Hiking Tips Tags: car, hike, hiking, safety, security, tips, trail head safety tip, trailhead, truck No Comments »