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I’m sure I don’t have to convince you that hiking offers major benefits. First of all, this enjoyable and inexpensive sport can be practiced almost anywhere, in urban, rural or wilderness environments. It is noncompetitive and can be enjoyed by any age group, gender or fitness level. Each participant can set their own limitations.

Hiking is an aerobic exercise that offers major health benefits. These include physical, social and mental health benefits. Here is a list of some of the benefits of hiking:

Physical Health Benefits of Hiking

1. Increases fitness;

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Lightweight backpacking is a philosophy and a journey.

Traveling lighter in the wilderness is a philosophy in the sense that you must change your way of thinking about what to throw into your backpack. Instead of thinking, “What else can I fit in?”, you start thinking, “What can I get along without and leave at home?”. Thus your philosophy is changed, in minimal terms, from inclusion to exclusion.

Oh yes, I also said that lightweight backpacking is a journey. I’ll use a journey by foot as an instructive metaphor. When you attempt to reach a destination by walking, you must proceed step by step.

Just as taking a journey by foot is a gradual undertaking, one step and then another and another, so becoming a lightweight backpacker is best accomplished gradually. Also, a step at a time. Let your philosophy of finding ways to leave things at home guide you on your step-by-step journey to becoming a lightweight backpacker.

One of the first steps you can take is finding ways to multipurpose things that you normally take backpacking. If you can find two purposes for one item, it’s likely that you can leave another item at home. For instance, you can use trekking poles to hold up the awning of your tent. Instead of bringing a cooking pot, a bowl and a cup, you can use the cooking pot for all three. In the place of moleskin for hotspots and blisters, use duct tape, which has many other uses, for dressing your blisters.

Once you adopt the exclusion philosophy and decide to take the journey towards lightweight backpacking, the process of planning and packing a lighter backpack can be just as fun as the backpacking trip itself.

By Richard Davidian, Ph.D.

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Outdoors and Hiking Tips

Mimi, my girlfriend, hiking partner and wife (all one person in case you’re confused), decided to hike to Minaret Falls in the Eastern Sierras, a leisurely day hike. We were visiting Mammoth Lakes, California and had been staying in some friends’ mountain cabin. The trail was easy and beautiful, the weather idyllic.

I’m not bothered a lot by mosquitoes, so when one landed on my hand, I slapped it off and continued trekking and enjoying the scenery.

My wife’s different. When she gets bit by a mosquito, nothing much happens until 24 to 48 hours later when ugly, itchy welts begin to pop up. They don’t go away easily, either. So, when she discovered a blood sucker on her arm, she called an all points bulletin and grabbed the insect repellent. We didn’t have much with us. She had given away one canister. After she had sprayed every inch of exposed skin, she handed me, in a business-like manner, the canister. I dutifully applied a couple of squirts and tucked the canister back into the back pocket of her day pack.

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When we think of wild animals that are potentially dangerous for hikers, bears, snakes and mountain lions come easily to mind. But, moose are animals that we need to also be wary of. In fact, a wild moose can be more dangerous than a bear.

At 1,500 pounds, a moose’s impact is similar to that of a car, so don’t minimize the damage that it can inflict a human body.

You could encounter a moose while hiking or backpacking in these North American areas: Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, Alaska and in many places in Canada.

Here are some reasons why a moose will attack a human.

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My wife and I have always hiked with our kids. Well, they’re grown up now and one’s in the army. I’m not sure we did everything right. Maybe we pushed them too hard. Maybe we didn’t stop often enough to enjoy the wildflowers. I don’t know.

What I do know is that hiking with them and teaching them to love hiking and nature was the right thing to do, mistakes and all.

Here are a few tips for keeping young kids happy on the trail.

1. Dress them properly with footwear and clothing that fit well and that are appropriate for the season, the weather and the terrain. Use layers to help them cope with whatever weather might develop on the way and through the day.

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Tranquility