Give me some hiking tips

[redmarvel]

Every day up until the "main" hike, you should be hiking as much as possible to build up your stamina.

Pack some raisins and nuts - they're good for energy.

Remember to pick camp sites early, while you still have lots of light to see where you're setting up. Do NOT camp in low, flat areas, they may actually be river beds and if a sudden storm occurs you could be in trouble.

 

[twylight]

Hahah well moisture wicking everything is awesome. I have a few short sleeve moisture wicking shirts I wear and thrown a light long sleeve shirt over that for hiking. Or even the long sleeve shirts with vents in the back.

OH (I can't believe I forgot!) this is going to sound weird... but... pack some needle nose pliers or a Swiss Army Knife type thing with pliers included in them (that's what I have since it also has other nifty tools). If you (hopefully not) bump into some cacti they're handy to have since they sometimes have a nasty habit of burrowing needles into your shoes/pants (hence the long pant suggestion ) I've had one go straight through the bottom of combat boots, into my foot and that was on a well-used trail.

There are a lot of terrains in the area up there, so I don't know specifically which you'll hiking around in, but the cactus do tend to poke around in odd places. And if you're buying supplies, and plan on hiking more, you might look into Camelpaks *handy buggers*

 

[Bubonic]

Stay on the damn trail!

Last summer me and my friend got our asses airlifted out of Lion's Bay in BC after a day lost in the woods, scaling falls and crawling threw deadfall.

Free helicopter ride was cool though. Especially the first part where we got to dangle under it and witnessed the amazing beauty of BC.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Stay on the damn trail!

Last summer me and my friend got our asses airlifted out of Lion's Bay in BC after a day lost in the woods, scaling falls and crawling threw deadfall.

Free helicopter ride was cool though. Especially the first part where we got to dangle under it and witnessed the amazing beauty of BC.

Holy crap.

Yeah we're going to stay on the trail since this will be my first time in this unfamiliar area and it's going to be baking hot in Arizona at that time.

 

[tzarinna]

A journal. I'd love to know how it all went.

 

[greenrage36]

I've hiked a bunch..but not in desert-hot climates. I agree read through both Twylight's and Bill's first posts..good info in there.

A few others..

- don't try to go balls-out and hike the whole thing without taking some breaks along the way. It may seem kinda obvious, but with the natural beauty and stuff outside definitely stop and ENJOY the experience!

- as mentioned earlier take a few bottles of water - PER PERSON - and if at all possible ice them up the night before. You also can wet some wash cloths or some smaller rags/towels and wrap the bottles up in 'em before you put 'em in the freezer - if you're out in hot country you can always use a little extra water-cooling protection.

- As mentioned, wear hats and bring sunscreen - long sleeve shirts or not..just to be safe!

- also as mentioned bring along some dried fruit and nuts - they don't call stuff like that 'trail mix' for anything y'know! You can pack a few plastic baggies with 'em and keep in your pockets - nice and light.

- Finally ENJOY the trip once again..hiking is awesome and I highly recommend it!

 

[Matchbox]

I HIGHLY recommend CamelBak Packs. They are day-backpacks for hiking that contain a large bladder (a couple liters or so) to hold water or whatever you want to drink. A hose runs from the bladder, reaching around to the front of your pack where you can just grab it and use the bite valve to get a quick drink without needing to stop and fuss with anything.

Trust me--once you start hiking with a CamelBak pack, you won't want to go back to just regular water bottles. I usually fill my CamelBak and then load one or two bottles of Sports drinks at the sides of the pack as backups. Hydration is very important!

 

[Rhiannon]

I went hiking in the Smoky Mountains in October. I thought I'd be good with just my sneakers. That was a mistake; you definitely need ankle support when going over rough terrain. My ankles are weak as it is, so I was stumbling and losing my balance the whole time. Good hiking boots would be my top recommendation, and don't try to strain yourself beyond your limits. We did biking and a several mile trail that took at least three hours, and the next day, my legs hurt so badly that we couldn't hike anymore for the rest of the trip. (We were near Gatlinburg, so we just did tourist stuff, but my husband still complains about it!)

 

[Obi-Ron]

Make sure you let someone know your plans before you go.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

So yeah...I went hiking. The weather was 74 degrees and it rained a few times. I guess I was lucky.

 

[StrainedEyes]

If you are told to squeal like a pig, do so.

 

[Metamorpho1977]

Stay away from banjoes.