Hiking experience, tips and tricks
tj
safer in some way. I hope other in the Wanderbirds Hiking Club will
use the Google Group to share some of their experience, tips and
tricks. Please post them so others can gain from your experience.
Below are a few of mine, would you please add to them.
· For maximum comfort and blister prevention, many hikers wear two
layers of socks, a thin polyester sock liner with a thicker outer sock
acrylic and wool that can transport moisture away from your feet.
· Safety whistle is a lightweight item that is invaluable in an
emergency. The best can be heard ¼ mile through the trees. Consider
ones in the 3,150 hertz range that are most heard over other common
noises. The Storm Safety Whistle (http://www.stormwhistles.com/) and
Fox 40 Classic (http://www.fox40whistle.com/products/productdetail.php?
id=3) are two of the more highly rated safety whistles.
· A long hike will tire you muscles and bones of your feet, so give
them a massage at the end of the day. I like to relive the tiredness
by gasping each foot with both hands and run with the thumbs.
· Power you feet before putting on your hiking socks to help them stay
dry.
· Taking giant step up onto rocks or logs consume valuable energy. If
you cannot easily go around such obstacles, transfer most of the extra
effort to your trekking poles. No poles, use your shoulders and arms
by placing both hands on top of the knee that is making the step and
push down hard as you step up.
· Flush hiking fatigue by the "rest" step. The product of overworked
muscle fatigue is lactic and carbonic acids and the muscles never
quite relax to flush away the acids. But if at some point in the step
the leg is allowed to go entirely limp, even for a fraction of a
second, the excess acids are carried away and the pair miraculously
disappears. The trick is to relax the trailing leg just after the
weight is transferred to the lead leg and just before the trailing leg
is lifted. Some folks allow the leading leg to go limp for an
instance just after the foot is placed for a new step and just before
the weight is shifted to it.
· For day hiking with a light pack, I found that the traditional light-
weight hiking boots make of synthetic materials are more comfortable
and I found them just as supportive as the mid or heavy weight leather
boots. They are lighter weight so they preserve your energy. If they
get wet, they dry quickly. Moreover, they do not need to be broken-
in. If there is a downside, I found the treads may not be as deep as
the heaver boots.
· Hike faster by using the Indian Step. At the end of each step swing
the hip forward as well as the leg, pivoting at the waist. Leaning
forward slightly and turning of the hips lengthens the stride which
yields more speed.
InAnn...@gmail.com
in vulnerable areas where the seams of shorts, shirts, sports bras,
socks, etc., contact your skin and where skin rubs together, such as
thighs, underarms, and toes. Sweat residue causes friction. Use
lubricants in cold, dry, or windy environments to prevent chapping of
face and hands
Sportslick , Hydropel Sports Ointment, and Bodyglide are dimethicone-
based skin lubricants that seem to be slipperier than pure petroleum
jelly. Sportslick comes in both tube and stick form, Hydropel comes
in a tube, and Bodyglide comes in a stick. I prefer the consistency
of the tube contents for applying and rubbing in, and prefer
Sportslick over Bodyglide. Bodyglide is more readily available in
local stores, but Sportslick and Hydropel are readily ordered online.
Sportslick also contains SPF 20 and antibacterial ingredients to help
heal wounded skin. Sportslick is less expensive than Hydropel.
Hydropel, however, tends to be more lasting (less reapplication
needed) than Sportslick, and thus, is more lubricating in wet
conditions.
If you buy a large (3.8 oz.) tube of Sportslick, you could fill a
small container, like a 1 oz. screw-top Nalgene container from REI,
making it easy to carry and reapply. I ordered online from here:
http://www.zombierunner.com/store/anti_chafing_and_skin_care.html
ZombieRunner will ship first class mail, which is much less expensive
than UPS for a small item. Search the Internet for "ZombieRunner
coupon code". A coupon code saved me 15%.