Hiking
How-Tos and Hints
The Basics
Be comfortable and dry
•
Keep your feet dry, wear proper socks and change socks often
•
Dress to fit the weather and use layers for clothing
•
Be able to change the layers closest to you, especially, change your
socks often
•
Bring gear, water and food to match the trip
•
Bring the 10+ essentials
•
Keep your feet dry, wear proper socks and change socks often
•
Wear foot gear to match the trail
•
Use proper foot care, fix that hot spot before it becomes a blister
(see the Links below)
• Make a hiking plan and leave it with someone
• Always hike with buddies (4 people minimum on a Scout sponsored trip)
• The definition of a hiking buddy is "a person who will hike at the same pace I do", not "my best friend"
• Refresh yourself on First Aid for hiking situations just in case your buddies need you
What
to Bring
The 10+ essentials:
Trip plan Daypack
First aid kit Rain gear Water bottle*
Flashlight Trail
Food Matches/fire starters Sun/insect
protection
Map & compass Survival
whistle Pocketknife Trash bags Extra clothing
*WATER!
Mr. Haser's recommendation is to bring
a minimum of 2 quarts of water. If you
know for sure that you can refill along the way from trusted water sites, then
you can probably go lighter, but always bring at least a quart. For hot days, a
good tip is to fill a bottle 1/4 to 1/2 full and freeze it beforehand. Then fill the bottles with water before you
leave to hike. This gives you cold water
for a good while. If you use a
camelback, freezing is probably not an option.
See also the Hiking Merit Badge book and these links:
http://www.catskillhikes.com/pflist.html
http://www.backpacking.net/ten-essl.html
http://www.outdoorplaces.com/gear/lists/dayhikelist.htm
Don't forget trash bags and did we say wear proper socks and
change socks often?
Trail
Snacks
GORP!!
Granola Oats Raisins and Peanuts (GORP)
2 cups granola cereal (containing
oats, brown sugar, etc.)
3/4-1 cup dry roasted peanuts
3 oz raisins (about 2 snack size
boxes)
2 cup* chocolate
bits (M&Ms work best)
adjust quantities to your taste
* optional for summer but
absolutely necessary for cooler weather
Some
Basic Hiking Outdoor Etiquette
Links
Foot care:
http://www.catskillhikes.com/firstaid.html or First Aid & Health tips for the Trail / Catskill Hiking Shack See the section on "Blisters". They are pretty anti-cotton and sound like they advocate the 2-sock method. I would change their statement about not wearing cotton socks to "Do not wear normal, everyday cotton socks." There are socks specifically made for hiking that will have cotton in them. The advice about foot care applies to either the 1-sock or 2-sock methods.
Foot gear:
This is another topic that has many answers. There are many kinds of boots to choose from. For general hiking in parks or easy trails like the C&O (when dry) or NCR trails, just about any comfortable, lightweight shoe (sneaker-type) that fits will do. Unlike casual hiking where good sneaker-type shoes will often suffice, a rugged trail like the AT tends to require more substantial and supportive footgear. The Appalachian Trail and C&O Canal can get wet and muddy, so proper water-proofing is important. Many sites recommend a water-based water-proofing as opposed to a silicon-based waterproofing. Also, higher-tech boots with Gore-Tex may not be appropriate for all backpacking environments and may need special care when water-proofing. Check with the store where you are going to buy your boots (and maybe prep a bit using the outfitter links first). Don't forget proper socks (typically wool-based and maybe polypropylene liners if you use the 2 sock method) to match your boots.
Look also at the outfitter sites like Sunnys, REI, EMS, etc.: http://www.rei.com/online/store/LearnShareArticlesList?storeId=8000&categoryId=Camping or http://www.ems.com or http://www.sunnyssurplus.com/inside/howto.html or http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Falls/9200/backpacking_and_hiking.html or http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/hiking.htm or http://www.trailhouse.com are some sites of interest
Miscellaneous:
Check these other links on the troop website http://troop719.com/links.html for related information on gear, health and safety, and techniques: "Wise Winter Ways" and "Basic Backpacking Bromides".
Trip Plan Template
Here is a form you can use for a trip plan if you were looking for
an example:
Hiking Trip Plan for _________
Date and Time of Departure:
Destination:
Route Going:
Route Returning:
Early out points:
Distance Going: Distance Returning:
Buddies going w/ Me:
Purpose of Hike:
Source of Drinking water:
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Equipment Needed |
Clothing Needed |
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Time of Return:
Trip Report: Actual dates/times: Weather:
Actual people who hiked:
Hike/route Description:
Personal observations/thoughts