Hiking Safety

Safely Hiking and Backpacking in Bear Country

Hiking in Bear Country

For some, hiking or backpacking in bear country is a truly terrifying experience. Hiking down a trail in the wilderness has its hazards, and bears can certainly be one of those hazards. Camping in bear country is even more dangerous- extra precautions need to be taken to prevent an attack at night, and to keep food scents out of your tent. Knowing how to safely hike or backpack in bear country can prevent a bear attack, and save your life.

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08 Jun 2016

Planning a Backpacking Trip

Planning a Backpacking Trip

Planning a backpacking trip takes time, but the rewards are worth it.

Planning a backpacking trip is the least exciting part of backpacking. Figuring out where to go, what gear to carry, what to eat, and transportation is the backpacking equivalent to working in an accounting office. However, as an accountant is invaluable to the company that he or she works for, proper planning of a backpacking trip is equally important. Not to sound over-dramatic, but planning a backpacking trip properly can literally mean the difference between life and death. You can survive without food for weeks or drink contaminated water for days, but if you plan a trip poorly, you can die within hours.

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10 Apr 2016

How to Build a Backpacking First Aid Kit

We’ve all been there- you’re 50 miles from home, and you forgot to bring your contact lens solution with you.  Worse yet, you may have needed something like medication for a heart condition.  Wherever you’ve been, and had a medical emergency, you’ve wished that you had the right medical supplies for that emergency.  It’s this exact reason that experts recommend packing a first aid kit in your vehicle, when you take long trips.  When you hike into a wilderness area, or other remote area, and are miles from civilization, there is even more of a need for basic first aid supplies.  Often times, you’re days away from civilization.  You don’t have the convenience of being able to walk into a store and buying supplies, when you’re in the wilderness.  It’s for this reason that having a backpacking first aid kit is crucial.  Once you’ve come to the realization that you need a first aid kit for backpacking, you have to determine what contents that kit will contain.  When I build a first aid kit, I like to first examine what unique specialty items to include in the kit.

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19 Mar 2015

Emergency Supplies to Take Backpacking

One of the best reasons to go backpacking,  is to get away from society.  To me, there is no other feeling that is greater than the peace and tranquility achieved in the wilderness.  The down side of this nirvana is that if you need something in the wilderness, it had better be in your backpack.  You have to plan to have every possible supply that you need, because there are no retail stores in the wilderness.  This is why the planning stage of a hike is the most important- you have to plan ahead for your needs and supplies.  As an example of some of the supplies you should carry in your backpack, let’s take a look at what I carry in mine:
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18 Mar 2015