Archive for May, 2008

Hiking sticks are a very useful piece of hiking equipment that can make hiking not only more enjoyable, but also afford the hiker more opportunity to experience nature’s beauty with much needed exercise in the backcountry. With hiking sticks, the hiker can maintain his balance much more effectively on some of the more challenging terrain, making it one of the more useful hiking accessories to take along on the hiking expedition.

Hiking poles are not just for older hikers who use a cane when not out on the trails. These poles are great tools that can help any hiker have a more memorable trip. Hiking poles serve many purposes, and most hikers can tell you about all the things that they have done with their poles. Those who have used hiking poles in the past might be surprised on their next trip when they realize that the poles came in handy in another way as well. Many hikers will take hiking poles because they feel that these will steady their trips and help them in other ways.

Share This

Tags: hiking, hiking poles, hiking sticks

You can find different camping gear that is discounted such as sleeping bags, tents, knives, heaters and cooking utensils. Some of items can be found at discounted prices after the camping season ends. Stores try to reduce their year-end inventory to make way for the next year’s inventory. This is when you can get great deals on camping gear. Tents are usually the best buy, the price drops significantly around the end of summer.

Easy camping recipes are not very hard to cook and make when you are camping. There are so many different recipes and everyone has a different way to cook it, but the same thing remains true, you will have plenty of good eating while camping. Do not forget the aluminum foil, you will need this for all your cooking needs.

Share This

Tags: camping, camping recipes, discount camping gear

Keen hiking boots can make the difference between an enjoyable walk on beautiful trails and a miserable time. Hiking is a great pastime, and this activity provides the chance to escape from the pressures of modern day life to enjoy the great outdoors. Keen hiking boots can make the time on those magnificent trails a truly worthwhile experience. Keen hiking boots are designed with a serious hiker in mind. An hour in a bad pair of hiking boots can make any journey miserable, and bad boots could ruin a substantial amount of time after the trip as well.

Every person hitting the trail will have different items they consider necessities and most hiking backpacks are designed for intermediate journeys, typically from two to six days. However, many hikers into long-range hikes have learned the need for lightweight equipment and what they will need for their extended voyage into the wilderness. Whether using lightweight cooking utensils or sleeping bags and tents, they pick their items based on need and then by weight.

Share This

Tags: hiking, hiking backpacks, keen hiking boots

Hiking clothes should include some sturdy pants to keep the legs safe and free from scratches and cuts. A bad scratch can make a trip most uncomfortable, but a good pair of pants can keep the legs safe. Clothes might include some pants that can be easily changed from long pants to short pants. A hiker might start out on a bright, sunny day only to find a rainy, cold mess by the end of the day. Pants that can be lengthened will make the day more bearable if the cold and wet appears. The opposite is true as well. A hiker starting out in the early morning might be cold, but this same hiker could find the blazing sun out at midday. This hot sun can be most uncomfortable in long hiking pants.

First rule of thumb for camping food is to keep cold foods way cold and hot foods way hot. This is just one of many camping food safety tips. Some of the others include making sure that your water source stays safe and way clean. Two coolers should be used separately. One cooler is to be reserved strictly for the storage of perishable items and the other for soft drinks, snack, and whatever else.

Share This

Tags: camping, camping food safety tips, hiking, hiking pants

You want to be able to get good and restful sleep at night, and so a camping equipment item you will need is the camping sleeping bag, which should not be bulky and should in fact is compact as well as light in weight. It should be long enough to accommodate your entire body and should provide room for movement as well. It should also be properly insulated and the material it is made from should keep heat loss to a minimum and thus ensure that you stay snug and warm as well.

When you think about buying a pair of hiking boots, you will no doubt be aware of how important a role they play in your adventures in the outdoors. It is an essential part of the hiking gear, and if you are lucky enough to pick the right footwear, you will be able to travel further, faster and safer on your expeditions. A good pair of hiking boots will keep your legs and feet feeling better after a hard day of trekking or hiking, which will be very welcome at the end of the day.

Share This

Tags: camping, hiking, hiking boots, sleeping bags

Comfort while on a hike is a matter of having the right gear; a bad pair of boots, for instance, can cause blisters and ruin a hike. Other than a good pair of shoes, good hiking packs are essential to a successful hike. Hiking packs range in size from little packs that fit around your waist for short trips, to large packs capable of carrying a large load. Which kind of pack you select depends on your hike, so when shopping for hiking packs, choose carefully based on the sort of hiking you will be doing.

Buying leather hiking boots is a great choice, but be prepared to put a lot of care into the boots to keep them in good condition. The simplest step in caring for hiking boots is to clean them off after each use. Remember that dirt is abrasive and over time can wear down the surface of the boot. When cleaning off leather boots, try to dry them completely before brushing loose dirt off, since repeated prolonged exposure to wetness can dry the leather out.

Share This

Tags: hiking, hiking packs, leather hiking boots

When buying discount camping gear, you need to make sure it is of good quality. It is fine to purchase something that is not the latest style, but if it is a flash or a fire starting lighter, you want something that will work well. You can also check for consumer reviews of the camping gear to see if there were any negative incidents involving the gear. You do not want something faulty or something that has a potential problem while in use.

The smallest of hiking packs, fanny packs strap around the waist and keep small items easily at hand. These packs are part of a stereotypical sightseer’s gear, since they’re great for holding film and other bits of vacation gear. However, fanny packs don’t make very good packs for hiking, since they can’t hold even a water bottle. For a serious hike, they’re best used as a supplemental pack, for keeping a bag of trail mix or your camera for pictures within easy reach.

Share This

Tags: camping, discount camping gear, hiking, hiking packs

Unless your trip is a short one, you should plan on a means to relieve yourself and carry personal hygiene items in with your winter camping gear to make sure you can remain healthy while on the trail. Maintaining your cleanliness in the wild is just as important as when you are at home and since washing your hands before every meal may not be possible, packing some waterless sanitizing solution can help you remain healthy while camping.

North Face footwear is a well built shoe that is surprisingly moderate in price and an excellent hiking shoe. North Face is well known for their outdoor equipment and clothing. Many people who climbed mountains and have had documentary camera crews with them always seem to wear the North Face clothing and shoes. North Face is much more than just climbing, however. They have clothing and footwear for most outdoor situations and they are thoroughly tested as well. The fact that professional hikers use this brand speaks well to their quality.

Share This

Tags: camping, camping tips, hiking, north face hiking shoes

One of the national scenic trails, hiking along the Continental Divide trail will take you through the Rocky Mountains, from New Mexico up to Montana. At over 3,000 miles, the length of this trail beats out that of the Appalachian Trail in distance. This trail is not yet complete, meaning that a few breaks make it more of a series of hiking trails, with the overall trail about 70 percent complete. It also shares its length with other hiking trails, such as the Colorado Trail and the Pacific Northwest Trail.

To carry every piece of winter camping gear that you might possibly need to cover every contingency that might come up would take a large truck, not your backpack. What you need to do is consider the least amount of winter camping gear you will need to survive most possible disasters. Since you do not want to carry crutches or boards in the event you do break a leg, consider carrying heavy-duty tape and using sticks you can pick up off the ground. They will work the same and if you do not break a bone, then you did not carry the extra items for nothing. Since you probably will not carry firewood with you, your winter camping gear should include a small hatchet or folding saw with which to cut wood as needed as well as a disposable lighter to get the fire going. There may be many times when a fire is not necessary, but hot meals and keeping warm may be something you long for after a few days in the cold.

Share This

Tags: camping, continental divide hiking trail, hiking, winter camping gear

For most short hikes, daypacks are sufficient hiking packs for all your needs. These packs are what you’d normally see a child in school carrying on his or her back. These packs hold a moderate amount of equipment, good for some water, food for your day trip, and perhaps a change of clothes or a ball to toss around once you reach your destination. Available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, most of these packs will still force your shoulders to carry most of the weight.

One of the most important things that campers must practice is good safety with regards to camping food as a group. As this is the most paramount concern that one must have when bringing food along with them for a camping excursion amid the outdoors that could prove harmful to the food that you bring along. Food safety must be practiced with not only the food that you bring along. But also with the food you may catch too such as fish and what not. So a good trained eye and common sense are the keys to preventing food from becoming tainted and infecting one of your loved ones with food poisoning to some degree.

Share This

Tags: camping, camping food, hiking, hiking packs