If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Few things associated with hiking and backpacking are more painful than wearing boots that are not properly broken in or boots that were not properly fitted in the first place. Read on for great information in how to get a good fit and a thorough break-in.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

First of all, here are four things to remember about breaking in a new pair of boots:

1. The first thing to remember is to buy the proper boots for your hiking situation. The general rule is to buy the lightest boots that you can get away with. The heavier your boots, the more tired you’ll be at the end of the hiking day. Also, the lighter your boots, the easier it is, generally, to avoid blisters.

Talk to your wilderness outfitter and describe the type of hiking you plan to do. Unless you plan to carry a very heavy backpack on rugged trails and terrain, light hiking boots, trail runners or even running shoes will likely be adequate.

Continue Reading »

Good article. You are right in that many people I meet don’t put a lot of thoughts into their socks.

I have had better success with one layer of thin wool socks with occasional moleskin, than I have had with any two layers of socks, even though that’s the way I did it 25 years ago. That’s just me.

Everyone has something that works for them. I suggest trying different combinations on shorter hikes before ending up a day into a multi-day trip with blisters.

Derek (100 Peaks)

———-

We welcome comments. Please join the conversation.

Please subscribe to our RSS Feed for more great outdoors tips and issues (top right corner).

Green Hydration

On Frenzy and Serenity

Learn to identify edible wild plants with Edible Wild Plants Cards.

Follow me on Twitter for more great outdoors tips and issues.

Keeping up your energy on the trail is important. What can you take along that is compact, nutritious and full of energy? Well, an energy bar, of course. Here are some recipes for making them yourself along with some other information.

Diet Fix: Raw Carrot Cake Cookies and Raw Chocolate Fudge Energy Bars!

I was actually thinking of baking them on a super low setting to act as a dehydrator but just loved them raw as usual. I of course as always froze the bars as soon as I was finished. Chocolate Fudge Energy Bars 1/2 cup raw cashews …

Publish Date: 02/04/2010 17:18

http://dietfix.blogspot.com/

y-bar-recipe/”>New Energy Bar Recipe «

Golden roasted nuts, seeds and oats are enveloped by flavorful almond butter in these delectably chewy, no-fuss energy bars. Unrefined turbinado sugar adds a deep caramelly undertone. Feel free to use light brown sugar instead. …

Publish Date: 02/04/2010 13:18

http://peaknutrition.wordpress.com/

Real Food vs. Energy Bars and Sports Drinks

Here’s a little food for thought: the biggest difference between eating engineered energy sports foods and real foods after your workout is convenience. There are many “recovery products” on the market right now; …

Publish Date: 06/25/2008 8:00

http://www.fitsugar.com/

———-

We welcome comments. Please join the conversation.

Please subscribe to our RSS Feed for more great outdoors tips and issues (top right corner).

Hazards of Hiking

Hiking Tips for High Altitude Climbs

Learn to identify edible wild plants with Edible Wild Plants Cards.

Follow me on Twitter for more great outdoors tips and issues.

They say, although I don’t believe it, that you can never have too many shoes. What I do believe, with respect to hiking and backpacking, is that you can never pay too much for proper hiking footwear – including hiking socks.

Pamper your feet.

Hikers often don’t give enough thought and attention to their feet.

Your feet, compared to any other part of your body, carry the heaviest load of all while backpacking: the complete weight of your body, plus the weight of your backpack and its contents, plus the weight of all of the clothing and anything else that you hang on your body.

Your feet are vulnerable to the ravages of heat, cold, pounding, strain, friction, pain and blistering. To compensate for and help prevent these villains, hikers often pay top dollar for hiking boots or shoes. But, on the other hand (or should I say “on the other foot”), they pay little attention to their hiking socks.

Pamper your feet.

Make them happy and protect them with a great cooperative footwear system combining hiking boots or shoes and hiking socks.

Continue Reading »

The 2010 Winter Olympics will be on full bore soon. Opening ceremonies in Vancouver, B.C. will take place on the 12th of this month. The games will continue until February 28.

Some blogs are saying that it is not too late to plan your viewing of the games, remotely or in person. Here’s what some are saying:

Winter Olympics: Plan A Last Minute Trip to Vancouver | Daily …

It’s still possible for a savvy sports enthusiast to plan & book a trip to Vancouver for the winter olympics. … Unfortunately, unless you reserved your spot a year and a half ago—or unless you’re prepared to shell out your last dollar on exorbitantly priced scalped tickets—you might as well resign yourself to watching this once-in-a-lifetime event from your sofa. Right? Wrong, says travel expert Christine Karpinski. Amazing as it may sound, it’s still possible for a …

Publish Date: 02/03/2010 6:56

http://dailyvenusdiva.com/

Watch the 2010 Winter Olympics Online for Free: Complete Coverage …

Technology is changing the way we watch the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Watch the Olympics online for free and get around-the-clock-coverage. … Buy tickets, watch videos and visit the Olympic store. Check the schedule or view results. Learn about the athletes, see who has received medals and view spectacular photos. Follow the Olympic Torch Relay route online on the interactive map. Follow the 2010 games on Facebook or Twitter. Email and mobile alerts and updates are …

Publish Date: 02/02/2010 4:30

http://internet.suite101.com/

Winter Olympics Tickets | Vancouver 2010 Tickets Blog …

Buy & Sell Winter Olympics Tickets for Biathlon through YourTicketMarket.com. One stop shop to catch your favourite event Tickets like Winter Olympics Tickets for Biathlon, Guaranteed Fast and Secure! …

Publish Date: 01/16/2010 6:28

http://www.blogcatalog.com/

———-

We welcome comments. Please join the conversation.

Please subscribe to our RSS Feed for more great outdoors tips and issues (top right corner).

For Your Backpacking First Aid Kit

Among the World’s Most Prolific Wildlife Viewing – Close to Home

Acquire survival skills quickly with Survival Playing Cards.

Follow me on Twitter for more great outdoors tips and issues.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Whistler awaits the arrival of its knight in shining armour, Sir Matthew Pinsent, who runs with the flame Feb. 5 (newswire.ca)
• Olympic viewing – waiting for injuries? (medhealthwriter.blogspot.com)
• SI predicts 2nd overall for Canada (cbc.ca)
• Meet the Olympic Outsiders (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

“Wilderness has been characterized as barren and unproductive; little can be grown in its sand and rock. But the crops of wilderness have always been its spiritual values — silence and solitude, a sense of awe and gratitude — able to be harvested by any traveler who visits.”

-   David Douglas

———-

We welcome comments. Please join the conversation.

Please subscribe to our RSS Feed for more great outdoors tips and issues (top right corner).

Green Hydration

On Frenzy and Serenity

Learn to identify edible wild plants with Edible Wild Plants Cards.

Follow me on Twitter for more great outdoors tips and issues.

Winter may be an impossible season for hiking many places in the U.S. But, in other places, it’s the best time. Check out these blog posts on hiking in Florida, Alabama and Nevada.

Time is right to hit Northeast Florida’s (hiking) trails …

It makes good sense that February is Florida Hiking Trails Month. Winter may seem like a strange time for it, but consider that other seasons are plagued by vicious mosquitoes and unforgiving heat and humidity.

Publish Date: 01/29/2010 0:00

http://jacksonville.com/feeds/whatsnew

Day Hiking in Birmingham, Alabama – Info Barrel

Many fantastic day hikes and day hiking opportunities abound in and around Birmingham, Alabama due to the area being located in the spectacular Ridge and Valley physiographic province. The parallel ridges and valleys offer up a variety …

Publish Date: 10/16/2009 21:27

http://www.infobarrel.com/

Day Hiking in Hoover, Alabama – Info Barrel

Hoover, Alabama is a city on the southern side of Birmingham, Alabama, the state’s largest metropolitan area (The Birmingham metro area has a population of around 1.1 million). Hoover is Birmingham’s largest suburban community.

Publish Date: 10/17/2009 10:50

http://www.infobarrel.com/

Photo Sunday – Hiking the Mojave Desert and Red Rock Canyon …

Why travel to Las Vegas? To hike through the Mojave desert and scramble through Red Rock Canyon, why else?

Publish Date: 10/25/2009 10:05

http://www.twilightearth.com/

———-

We welcome comments. Please join the conversation.

Please subscribe to our RSS Feed for more great outdoors tips and issues (top right corner).

Choosing a Great Campsite

Choosing Hiking Footwear

Learn to identify edible wild plants with Edible Wild Plants Cards.

Follow me on Twitter for more great outdoors tips and issues.

Enhance your wilderness experience with an increased knowledge of edible wild plants. Here are some sites that can help:

Use the Universal Edibility Test to Find Food in a Survival …

While we hope you never find yourself in the kind of survival situation that has you foraging for wild plants to eat, if you should find yourself in such a situation the Universal Edibility Test can save your life.

Publish Date: 01/22/2010 10:00

http://lifehacker.com/tag/top/

Top 10 Wild Edible Plants: Enjoy What is on Nature’s Menu

Nature contains a rich bounty of edible wild plants, many of which are cultivated and sold in grocery stores such as asparagus, blackberries, and strawberries.

Publish Date: 12/08/2009 13:33

http://www.suite101.com/plantsandanimals/

Related articles by Zemanta

• How To Forage For Wild Edible Plants (howcast.com)

———-

We welcome comments. Please join the conversation.

Please subscribe to our RSS Feed for more great outdoors tips and issues (top right corner).

For Your Backpacking First Aid Kit

Among the World’s Most Prolific Wildlife Viewing – Close to Home

Acquire survival skills quickly with Survival Playing Cards.

Follow me on Twitter for more great outdoors tips and issues.

Hike for the fun, for the solitude and for the spiritual rejuvenation. But, when you go hiking, hike safely so you can go hiking again.

Here are 12 hiking safety tips:

Safety Tip #1: Get in shape. For several days before a strenuous hike, do stretching, cardio and muscle-strength exercises. Engage in walking, running, stair climbing, biking and other cardio sports. Do some weight training.

Safety Tip #2: Get some hiking buddies. Hiking with others is probably one of the best ways to stay safe.

Safety Tip #3: Choose a trail that does not exceed your capabilities.

Safety Tip #4: Get informed ahead of time about the security of the trail that you are planning to hike on. Check with Park Rangers or other authorities concerning things that you might possibly encounter like wildlife, avalanche situations, washouts or any other possible dangers.

Safety Tip #5: Check the weather for the period of time you’ll be out on the trail. Don’t end up surprised and unprepared for rain, wind, hail or snow.

Safety Tip #6: Take a cell phone with you. Keep it turned off until you need it. Check to see that it is GPS enabled. Make sure the battery is completely charged.

Safety Tip #7: Make sure you have the proper hiking equipment and supplies for your hiking or backpacking adventure. Within these broad categories, think about these subcategories: food and food preparation, hydration, clothing and rain protection, sun protection, backpack system, navigation, sleeping gear including a tent and a sleeping bag, first aid and survival, wildlife repellent.

Safety Tip #8: Make sure all of your equipment is in good working order. Test it at home or on a short hike near your home. Make sure you know how to use all of your hiking equipment.

Safety Tip #9: If you have just bought new boots, make sure they are well broken in before taking off on your hike.

Safety Tip #10: Leave your itinerary with a responsible person.

Safety Tip #11: At the trailhead, warm up and stretch before taking off. Do your stretches slowly and take your time. Avoid bouncing to avoid injury. No lunges, please.

Safety Tip #12: Plan to have fun while hiking. A positive attitude can have a positive effect on your hiking safety and security.

So, get out there and have a great time hiking – safely and securely.

by Richard Davidian, Ph.D.

———-

We welcome comments. Please join the conversation.

Please subscribe to our RSS Feed for more great outdoors tips and issues (top right corner).

Crossing a Stream Safely

Purify Your Water or Not?

Duct Tape for Blisters

Acquire survival skills quickly with Survival Playing Cards.

Related hiking articles by Zemanta

• Get moving to visit Enchantment Lakes (apply soon) (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Need good topo maps? You can print it out on your home printer from this Backpacker site.

They’re custom made just for your trip. That’s because you choose exactly what you want.

You can choose a topographical map for your proposed hike with isogonic lines to illustrate elevations; a plain old map with the bare minimum of detail like towns and roads or a satellite map. Print them all if you choose.

———-

We welcome comments. Please join the conversation.

Please subscribe to our RSS Feed for more great outdoors tips and issues (top right corner).

Lost? S-T-O-P

8 Trails with Views of Mount Saint Helens

Acquire survival skills quickly with Survival Playing Cards.

Follow me on Twitter for more great outdoors tips and issues.