Hiking 101

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

So your headed on a hiking trip, these are usually big fun! Well, that is if you remembered some of the little things that can make or break your adventure. Usually when people plan they think “big”, in other words they remember all of the big stuff but very often it is something very small that you might have overlooked that can be the determining factor of whether or not your trip was a success or another hiking nightmare.

When creating your checklist for the backpack it is important not to forget the little things that at the time may not seem important but later you may really regret that you forgot them. Forgetting some of the little things can really ruin your trip even if you did remember the big stuff. What if you went out and bought a great new pair of boots but because they were new you got some blisters when you wore them? If you don’t have something in your backpack to treat your blisters then you remembered the big thing, which was the boots but forgot the little thing that you overlooked and now you are likely miserable. Make sure that you throw in a pack of moleskins next time!

Iodine tablets can be a genuine lifesaver and should always be included in a backpack. Unfortunately these are often one item that is forgotten but they are never forgotten more than once because of the potential that they offer. Hiking and water just seem to go together but even if you come across the most sparkling stream that you have ever seen, drinking that water could be a very bad idea. The iodine tablets will allow you to treat the water so that you can drink it without having to worry about getting ill. Drinking water under those conditions can cause you to become seriously sick. Iodine tablets are cheap and the perfect way for you to be able to enjoy clean drinking water in no time.

Never leave home without the flashlights and some extra batteries, even if you just put new ones in, bring extras. No flashlights means darkness, darkness means that you are stuck and unable to move around because you can’t see where you are going. You could easily trip and fall or slip, especially in areas that you are not familiar with. Never assume that all areas are flat. So as you can see, clearly the big stuff is awesome but forgetting the small stuff can literally ruin your hiking trip.

How to Stay Safe During Your Camping Trip

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Camping can be a dangerous undertaking because it requires you to spend an extended time in the great outdoors. If you’re planning to take your children camping with you, then you need to spend extra time examining certain precautions that you need to take. What should you worry about when you’re about ready to go, though? This article will give you a few common concerns and what you should do to prepare for them.

Watch the Weather

Being outdoors, it’s very important that you pay very close attention to the forecast when you’re going camping. If you’re going in the winter months it can be extremely dangerous if you camp in the midst of a snowstorm because you could easily run out of food and have no way of getting back to civilization. Be sure to watch the weather reports and if you’re already at your campsite you can always ask any rangers or other campers you see what the forecast looks like.

Bring the Right Supplies

Brining supplies with you can help you feel much safer during your trip as it offers you a backup and can be used anytime an unexpected problem occurs. Common supplies include: bug spray, extra food, and medications. It’s extremely important that you bring any medication that a family or friend needs in case they have any issue during the trip. You should also bring a first aid kit as it’s very easy to be injured by falling or possibly by an animal in an extended visit.

Plan Ahead

Perhaps the best thing you can do before going on your camping trip is planning ahead. Plan things like where you’re going to camp and for how long you’re going to stay. This planning should include both of the previous items, watching the weather and considering the essential supplies. It’s important that you think of any possible problem that can occur while you’re camping and be ready to address it accordingly.

Use Common Sense

Not using common sense is probably the cause of most problems that occur in the woods. Don’t attempt to do anything that could be potentially fatal, and make sure you follow basic camping guidelines such as leaving food out near or inside of the tents. With a little common sense it should be easy for you to avoid any problems that you could experience.

If you follow the above advice it should be easy for you to plan a fun and safe camping trip for you and your family.

Photo Credits: Omer Simkha

Keeping Away the Creepy Crawlers While Camping

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

If there’s one thing that can quickly turn a nice camping trip into a miserable one, it’s an overabundance of bugs. Yeah, bugs – you know the ones I’m talking about – those creepy-crawly, overly-juicy, quick-footed insects that can get inside your tent or even your sleeping bag and cause a lot of ruckus with just a little bit of presence.

Part of you knows that heading into the great outdoors is the reason you should expect to see bugs. But you can minimize the experience you have with them if you follow just a few simple tips and tricks.

Create a home base in your tent. If you want a refuge from your bugs, you’re going to need a good home base, where everything is sealed off from nature – except the air, of course. Take some time to put up your tent before a camping trip to make sure that it’s clean, dry, and doesn’t have any holes in it – for now, you can plug up holes with some duct tape in order to seal out bugs. Make sure to clean out the tent to get rid of any already-existing bugs, and always make sure that you close your door right after you use it, so nothing crawls in with you.

Come equipped with bug spray. Mosquitoes are among the worst “bugs” that can really irritate you during a camping trip. They don’t gross many people out, but they can wreak the most havoc on the good time you’re trying to have. So make sure you pack at least a full can of bug spray – you’ll really find that you need it when the sun drops in the sky and the mosquitoes start coming out.

Don’t let the fear of bugs get in the way of having a good time. Realize that many of the bugs you encounter will be harmless, unless you’re in an exotic location in which case you’ll want to do more research and seek more advice on how to beat them. If you do find a bug or two inside your tent, use some tissues and get rid of it. It’s that simple.

Photo Credits: Kevin Saff