Hiking: What to Do When You’re Lost

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

If you’ve been out hiking enough, you might know the sensation: you come on some unfamiliar territory, and as you try to return to your base, you realize that the base isn’t exactly where you thought it was. Instead, you see more trees, more terrain, and way too much wilderness to possibly be in the right spot. It’s the feeling of being lost, and if you’re a novice, you’ll want to prepare to avoid this as much as possible, while also preparing to do the right thing if it ever happens.

This article will help explain what to do when you’re lost, giving you tips and advice for handling the situation when you see it – even if, hopefully, you never do.

• Prevention is key – Knowing what to do when you’re lost doesn’t guarantee that you’ll immediately find what you’re looking for, so avoid getting lost in the first place. If you can, buy up a GPS watch, or at least carry a compass with you, as well as a map, in order to make sure that you don’t go on the wrong track to begin with. Also, as you head out into the wilderness, while you soak in the views, keep a mental track of landmarks to help you navigate.
• Upon getting lost, keep a cool head – A mistake too many people make in survival situations is getting too panicked to think straight. A relaxed mind is the best kind of thinking mind, and being relaxed will keep you open to new solutions, will keep you flexible, and will prevent you from getting too frustrated right away. For all you know, you took one wrong turn from the trail and you might be all right. So relax, before you do anything else, to make sure that you keep a cool, level head. Also, when you’re relaxed, you’re using up less energy – and energy will become critical.
• Plan and prepare for finding your way home – If you’re lost and decide to relax, what’s your next step? There’s no “one” trick that will help you get home – since everyone gets different “degrees” of being lost – but you can follow a certain strategy. And what is that strategy? To take a proactive plan. Instead of being relaxed, but going in circles, give yourself real goals to pursue. For example, try to find recent landmarks that you found on your way up first – these will help remind you of the trip you took and might help you recall the way home.

Staying goal-oriented in these situations is critical. Not only does it make sure you get things done, but it will help your spirits and attitude to have small goals to work toward, giving you hope that a way home will be found.

How to Train for a Long Hiking Trip

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

So you’re finally ready to do it: heading out to the Grand Canyon in a month or two, you feel excited for all of the views you’re going to see. But are you ready for all of the exercise you’re going to get? If you need to shake off your hiking rust, this article will help whip you back into hiking shape so you can concentrate on the nature – not the nuisance.

There’s No Training Like the Real Thing

You might be putting in extra hours at the office in order to make sure that you can have this extended hiking trip, but that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in a few hiking jaunts on your own. If you can, bring your spouse on these hiking trips so that you both receive the benefits. If you venture out alone, make sure you don’t venture far off the beaten path – your goal is simply to re-acquaint yourself with the experience of hiking. If you must have adventure, make sure you bring equipment like a compass and GPS device.

Training Near or At Home

Of course, it’s not always possible to get out there and hike in the woods. How should you exercise and prepare today?

First, take a look at your daily routine. Whether you’re sitting on the couch all day or simply taking a daily walk, you might want to change things up to better reflect what you’ll be doing on your trip. If you’ve been avoiding that big hill on your walk, it’s time to take on the challenge. If your treadmill has an incline feature, be sure to make avid use of it.

Second, make sure you feel okay about leaving indoor civilization for hours at a time, even if your exercise routine keeps you on the treadmill. Ask yourself what you’d need to feel comfortable: plenty of water and snacks, sure. But also remember that on your hiking trip, you’ll want to bring gadgets like binoculars and a digital camera. Most importantly: be cautious and safe, and you should have plenty of fun.

Photo Credits: tricky ™

How to Find North on the Hiking Trip

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

If you’re out hiking at night, or in an unknown area, while on a hiking or camping trip, it will be important to keep your bearings. This is especially true if you’re camping in a place you’ve never been before, where almost every location will look new and consequently, a little confusing. But if you always know how to find north and have the resources to do it effectively, you’ll be in better shape. Here are some ways to find north while you’re hiking.

Bring the right equipment:

Most of your problems will be eliminated if you bring a GPS device or a compass with you – or both. Of course, not every one of us has access to these once we’re out in the woods, so you don’t want to rely on technology alone. That’s why having other ways of determining direction will be extremely valuable. If you are informed and bring the right technology with you, you’ll have no trouble determining your direction.

On a clear night, use the stars.

Navigating by the stars has been important for seafaring civilizations for hundreds – maybe thousands – of years. On a clear night out in the woods, you should have an excellent view of the right stars to help point out where north is. In the northern hemisphere, locate the Big Dipper. At the “spoon” end of the dipper (not the handle end), the two end stars point toward the North Star.

Click here for an illustration. Note: in the southern hemisphere, you can use a similar technique with the Summer Cross. Research this more to learn how it’s done.

During daylight, use the presence of the sun.

If you know what time it is, you should have a good idea of where the sun is. In the northern hemisphere, the sun will be due south at noon – this won’t help as much the closer to the equator you are. It will rise in the east and set in the west, although you don’t want to use the sun’s rising or setting to indicate exact directions east and west.

Most importantly, in a situation where you need to use navigation like this, try to keep calm. Staying relaxed will help you to remember tips and tricks like this, so keeping your wits might be the most important tip of all.

Photo Credits: cwalker71

Things to Remember When Going Camping

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Ever gotten all the way out to your campsite, only to forget that one essential item?  Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Whether you’re going out for a week long hike or just overnight, the last thing you want to do is get to the camp site and discover that you’re missing that one vital element. This guide will give you a basic list of the items you’ll need to remember in order to make your trip a success.

* Bring the right shelter. Regardless of what kind of camping you’re planning on doing, a proper shelter is will make the difference between a good trip and bad one. Shelters can vary from a simple tarp and rope affair to sophisticated high tech tents. You must pick a tent based on your needs for the trip. Choose one that’s both large enough and sturdy enough.

* Navigational aides. Who wants to get lost when you’re out there to enjoy yourself? There are all sorts of fun technological gadgets to help you find your way on the trip; however, make sure such a device will work where you’ll be traveling. While these gadgets may be useful, if you’re going to be hiking, you may want to have a backup map, compass, and someone familiar with their use.

* Provisions. Rations come in all shapes and sizes, but make sure you keep a couple things in mind when packing them. First, confirm that you’re carrying enough water for the duration of your trip. Second, if you must carry everything in backpacks, make sure not to weigh yourself down with unnecessary luxuries. If, however, you’re just out for a fun time overnight then by all means pack those coolers full.

While camping can be both fun and arduous, this guide will help you make sure your trip is enjoyable. Make sure to keep in mind the kind of weather you’ll encounter, how long your excursion will be, and how you’ll go about navigating. Hopefully, with the help of this basic list, you will make your trip one to remember, not one to forget.

Photo credits: El Dav

Must-Have Survival Equipment for Hiking

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

Let’s face it: some of us take rather tame hikes. We might head out to a “bunny” hill, or a place with clearly-mapped trails that never veer off too far from civilization. Some of us are amateur hikers who prefer to still be able to hear the sounds of the highway even as we reach the hilltop.

But for more serious hikers, not everything is so comfortable and predictable. Bottom line: you could get lost on a hike. Rather than worry about it, it’s better to prepare for it. Here are some must-have pieces of equipment to bring with you in case you get lost:

• Navigation: Whether you bring a map/compass or a GPS watch, you should have some sort of contingency for finding your way around. At the very least, be able to discern your direction so that you know where you came from and where you’re going.
• Fire-starters: Flint, matches, a lighter: whatever you need to get a fire going, bring it. If you ever get lost into the night hours and the temperature drops, you’re going to need a fire to stay warm. Fire also has other practical purposes, like boiling water and preparing food.
• A knife: In addition to helping you start a fire with flint, a knife has so many practical uses that any survivalist will tell you to bring a knife whenever you head out into the wild. From building shelter to hunting down food, a knife (especially a multi-purpose knife like a Swiss Army Knife) won’t seem like a luxury. It will seem like a necessity.
• Medical packs: A first-aid kit with disinfectant, tape, gauze and other necessary items will be vital, especially if you ever get knicked or gashed and need to prevent an infection without the help of civilization. Make sure to bring enough medical supplies for everyone in your party – and, to be on the safe side, bring a little extra.
• Food and water: Water is always a necessity, but the need for it increases with higher temperatures. If you get lost, it’s a much safer bet to find your water supply first, as humans can survive much longer without food than water. But bringing more than enough of both will keep you going as you gather your bearings once lost.

Keep in mind that most hikers don’t encounter an emergency situation like this – but it does happen. Rather than assume the best on the hiking trail, it’s wise to take a more cautious approach. Bring more food than you need, bring a Swiss Army Knife even if you can’t think of any uses for it. Simply by making these survival items a staple in your hiking pack and keeping them there, you’ll be prepared for getting lost every time you venture out in the woods.