Hiking is an excellent low-impact workout. Studies show it offers multiple physical and mental benefits. From reducing anxiety to preventing osteoporosis, hiking is an outdoor activity delivering benefits beyond scenic and fun.
Unlike walking on a treadmill or paved path, hiking involves more, sometimes unpredictable, variables. Of course, these variables are part of what makes it so enjoyable! Use the following hiking tips to make your first treks successful:
Bugging out is definitely one of the more popular concepts when it comes to preparing for disaster. Many people have this idea that when things get extraordinarily bad in their city, they need to bug out to a remote location outside of any urbanized areas.
There are a couple of scenarios where people may need to flee their homes. Whether it is due to forest fires, floods or similar natural disasters, or other reasons.
The 10 Essentials are a collection of first aid and emergency items that can help you in the event of minor injuries, sudden weather changes, or unexpected delays. The 10 Essentials are only the basic items you should have with you. You may need additional items depending on the activity in which you participate.
The Ten Essentials first appeared in print in the third edition of "Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills" (January 1974). Many regional organizations and authors recommend that hikers, backpackers, and climbers rigorously ensure they have the ten essentials with them. However, personal preferences and differences in conditions may dictate otherwise and with experience most adventurers add and subtract from the list depending on the situation. Some ultralight backpackers do not always carry all of the items and believe it is an acceptable risk they take in order to travel light and fast.
GPS dead? Map completely drenched by the day’s downpour? Don’t know how to use a compass? Panic not! Even in the ancient days, campers never knew things like GPS, compasses, or maps and they still managed
Get to know your compass and it will become an indispensable tool. It's the most important piece of gear to help you find your way.
A compass is one of the most basic navigation tools any hiker can own. It needs no batteries, works with any map, and even works without a map! While entire books have been written about navigating with a compass, every new compass user needs to know the basic concepts.
What's the difference between a topographic map and a regular map? In a nutshell, topographic maps allow you to see a three-dimensional landscape on a two-dimensional surface. These maps show the land's contours, elevations, mountains, valleys, bodies of water, vegetation and more. This contour and elevation information distinguishes them from other maps.