There are several ways to obtain water from natural sources on a hike: rivers, streams, lakes, tarns (high-mountain ponds) and even creeks and waterfalls. The problem with all of them is the probability the water is a carrier of Giardia (see article on Hydration, A4), so the water must be purified before drinking. To purify […]
Dogs and Hiking Food
There are some people foods that are harmful to dogs, and some are likely to be in your hiking pack! Here are some typical hiking foods to avoid giving to dogs. Raisins and Grapes Many trail-mixes have raisins. The very acronym, GORP, stands for “Good Old Raisins and Peanuts.” Grapes and raisins can cause kidney […]
National Take a Hike Day
Take a Hike – It’s Official We don’t stop hiking because we grow old –We grow old because we stop hiking. – Finis Mitchel I will celebrate the newly discovered (by me) National Trails Day on June 1, 2019 and National Take a Hike Day, November 17, 2019. Here are the various advocacy statements I […]
Using Hiking Poles for Safety and Balance on a Hike
Using a pair of hiking poles on your hikes provides several benefits. Poles help transfer about 20% of the workload from your lower body to upper body, which helps your endurance and gives a bit of upper body workout. They also help with balance on rocks, ascending and descending loose terrain and gullies and crossing […]