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How to Handle Adverse Weather on a Hike
On an unstable day, the weather can turn from good to bad before you know it. If you’re out hiking and you start noticing the skies turning dark, or the first few drops of rain, it can be very intimidating. In order to weather the storm and remain calm, it will help to know how to handle adverse weather even when you’re outdoors on a hike. Here’s how you can do it.
Prevention. Understand the nature of prevention: you don’t want to be the person who’s stuck in a blizzard telling himself “I wish I’d listened to the weather reports.” Prevention means fixing a situation before it happens is not the sexiest way to avoid an emergency, but it is the most effective. The words “safety first” always apply here – adventure can come when the weather ain’t so bad.
Does that mean bad weather is totally avoidable? Of course not. But having an understanding of the weather, including the weather reports and the signs from nature itself, will help you better stay out of a potentially troubling situation.
Understand the clouds. Reading the clouds is perhaps the strongest indicator of weather if you don’t have any sophisticated instruments like a barometer with you. A cloudless day can indicate high pressure – usually meaning that you’re in the clear for the immediate future. If the sky turns cloudy in a hurry, that can signify the drop in pressure that comes with an approaching storm. Be sure to keep an eye on the clouds in order to better understand what’s headed your way.Checking the clouds for their speed and direction will also tell you where they’re being “pushed,” which should give you an idea of where the weather will be coming from. The winds can vary from day to day, so don’t necessarily expect a storm to come from “where they always do.”
If you don’t have any weather reports, ask anyone you see for them. You can read the clouds all day, but a weather report will help you understand the immediate threat of weather. Ask anyone near you for the weather report; if everyone is headed for home, that might be a good indication that you probably should, too.
Handling the weather means being able to read it as best you can, and being prepared to high-tail it out of there once you realize what might be headed your way. Remember: safety first.
Photo Credits: ingo.ronner
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Finding Light Gear For Your Backpacking Trip
There are two ways that you could potentially remember your backpacking trip. You might remember the peace that comes with solitude, the connection with nature that comes when you remove civilization from your life and head out under the sky. You might remember the stars over your campsite each night, and how it brought about deep questions about your life. Or, you can remember how uncomfortable the experience was, how heavily your backpack weighed you down, and the blisters on your feet.
Needless to say, we want to avoid the latter backpacking trip. Which is why it’s so important that your backpacking gear be as lightweight as possible – the more it can get out of the way of your experience, the better. It’s one thing to pack one lightweight item, but once your supplies add up, you realize just how quickly twenty pounds turns into forty. If you want to make sure that you carry as little weight as possible, you’ll have to consider all over your supplies and their impact on your traveling weight.
What supplies will you want to consider?
Your backpack (and how it distributes weight) will be important, as will cookware and your water. Necessary items like first-aid kits can be lightweight but you’ll want to make sure to err on the side of safety. For some more help, here are some supplies that can help you travel lightweight.The North Face Ion 20 Backpack weighs under two pounds and has a suspension system and molded foundation that provides for comfort. The less backpack you’re carrying, the more supplies you can bring: that’s the idea behind a backpack like the Ion 20.
Other features include a rain cover, a front “stash” pocket, and water-friendly options. Needless to say, you’ll want a backpack like this if you’re interested in staying as comfortable as possible during your backpacking trip.
MSR DuraLite Classic Cookset. This cookset registers at over half a kilo or just over a pound (20.6 ounces, to be precise), which means that you won’t have to notice that you’re carrying so much cookware. If you plan on having some nice hot meals at night before you rest, you’ll want to make sure that you have a set of cookware that is lightweight.
Remember that backpacking doesn’t have to be all about the supplies. Instead, you’ll want to make sure that your supplies simply stay out of the way as much as possible. The experience is about you, not your supplies, which is why you shouldn’t let them weigh you down.
Photo Credits: kevindooley
