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.

Millions of hikers travel along wilderness paths every year, enjoying the experience without injury. But, unfortunately, accidents do happen. A little knowledge can help quell the panic and reduce the seriousness of most of them.

Three of the more valuable skills hikers can learn are CPR (Cardio-pulminary Resuscitation), executing the Heimlich maneuver and dealing with fractures. Not only are those three responses to serious issues but, after cuts and sprains, choking and bone breaks are among the more likely problems. Keep in mind, though, that ‘more likely than other problems’ […]

People who live in urban environments sometimes seem to forget why they came to a wilderness area to hike: peace and quiet, and great scenery. To enjoy that themselves, and to allow others to, hikers generally adopt a few common sense guidelines. ‘Pack it in, pack it out’ is a long-standing rule among fair-minded hikers. […]