Hiking 101

When looking for hiking boots that are perfect for wet terrains and sloshing through shallow lakes or streams, the Timberland Cadion Waterproof Mid GTX XCR is definitely worth a second look. Created by Timberland, this pair of hiking boots lives up to the company’s reputation as a leading brand when it comes to outdoor footwear. […]

GPS is an acronym standing for Global Positioning System. Though there are lots of components, the essential parts are a series of satellites and the units people carry. Three satellites are used to locate your position across the Earth’s surface and another can be used with them to calculate your altitude in a process called […]

There are times while hiking when it’s a good idea to be able to fall back on traditional navigation techniques. Modern maps, compasses and especially GPS units are great. But you can lose your maps, break your compass and run low on batteries. Also, GPS units don’t always work – sometimes the signal gets blocked […]

The old-fashioned practice of using a compass is rapidly giving way to GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation. But, compasses are still often cheaper and it’s a good idea for hikers to be familiar with how to use one. Thousands of years ago humans first observed that a certain kind of metal floating on a leaf […]

Even experienced hikers will rely on maps or GPS units to navigate along trails and through wilderness areas. In fact, it’s the MORE experienced hikers who tend to do this and the beginners who think they can just wing it. Amateurs will often reason that they can stick to well-traveled trails and forego the hard […]

Getting lost is among the top potential problems for beginning hikers. It’s easy to step into the forest a few yards and lose your bearings. You may step a few more yards in the direction you think you came and get still farther away from your trail. Or, you may misread a map and wind […]

Hiking over ordinary terrain requires being able to keep up a steady pace for several hours, with short rest breaks (10 min or so) in between once per hour. But creeks, steep or slippery slopes and hikes at high altitudes can make that almost impossible. In short, your technique has to be tailored to the […]

Ouch! You’ve been on the trail for a few hours and you’re on your way back. Unfortunately, you still have a few miles to go and you just noticed you’ve got blisters. That turns a pleasant hike back into torture. Blisters are caused by friction between your skin and your sock, and hence from the […]

Hiking is not exactly like walking in the park. Gravel and soft dirt, hills, creeks and other natural features make maintaining a good rhythm over a long distance a real challenge. Also, for anything longer than a few hour hike, most will want to carry a backpack. That makes hiking distinctly different from just a […]

Hiking isn’t typically dangerous. Much more often it’s a great pleasure, even an adventure. But you’re outside, sometimes far from ‘civilization’ and you can get injured or worse. It pays to heed some common sense safety tips.