Preparing to go on a Hike

When heading outdoors it is very important to take some time and learn about those things you will need.  Preparation before a trip will save you and possibly your family a good deal of worry while you are on the trail. Here is a good video about some of the very basic equipment needed by any hiker.

Preparing for a hike

Here is a video about how to prepare for a hike.  The day hike is one of the first skills every outdoor adventurer should learn.  It is also a good way to get out of the house for a day and see what I would call untamed places.  There is just something to be said for seeing creation before man's order is put to it.

How+to+Prepare+for+a+Hike -- powered by LIVESTRONG.COM

Learning Cross Country Skiing

Here is a good video about some basics for Cross Country Skiing.  Learning these new skills gives me a chance to get outdoors and just enjoy a little fresh air.  In my case snow covered wheat fields of Eastern Washington.

A Time for Education

The start of a new year is also the time to begin taking classes for this summers outing.  Many of the mountaineering clubs are now offering mountaineering courses.  The standard Mountaineering course covers the basics of rock climbing, mountaineering, and even ice climbing.  

It is always a good idea, when going outdoors, to have some knowledge of how to stay safe.  When staying safe the experience is much more enjoyable and comfortable.  Being on the mountain has enough discomfort without adding the danger of ignorance.  

Usually the courses require membership in the club and a bit of commitment in time and finances.  Outdoor equipment for snow and ice does not always come cheap.  For the beginner, however, there are discount stores which carry most of what you need.  Army surplus stores are a good example.  

Education is one of the keys to making your experience outdoors enjoyable and also to enriching your life.

Tips for Snowshoeing

Every once in a while a lesson or a  refresher in your outdoor skills is helpful, especially if you are looking for a new way of experiencing adventure and exploration.  Below is a video about getting out with a pair of snowshoes.  

Snowshoeing is an excellent way of fighting the winter blues.  Once your have had your day of snowshoeing a nice quiet evening with a book and cup of hot cocoa next to a warm fire place.  That is a complete day made for lowering your stress level and blood pressure.

Selecting the Proper Hiking Shoe

Now for a little education.  If you want to get outdoors and explore some local sites a good pair of hiking boots is a must so below is a superb video put up on youtube by outdoorherbivor.

 

Uphill Shifting on a Mountain Bike

Here is a little bit of advice about shifting gears on your mountain bike as you are riding uphill.  Aaron Phillips gives a good description of both shifting and directing your bike as you sweat your way uphill.

The Eskimo Roll - How to do it

This is an excellent teaching video.  The instructor breaks the Eskimo roll down into it individual pieces, a method called part-whole, and shows you how it is done.  The last time I tried to learn this skill, without taking a course, all I could do was flop around in the water while my friends laughed at me from the shore.

 

Essential gear for Biking

For biking there are things to bring along, especially if you are traveling outside of walking distance from your home or car.

1) Helmet - This really is a necessary item.  Everyone crashes from time to time and the helmet can prevent serious injury to the control center of the body.

2) Mirror - All summer I rode my new road bike without one of these and a couple of times drivers, who feel they do not need to give a bike room, whizzed by me and almost sent me into the ditch.  The rear view mirror has decreased the amount of times that has occurred.

3) Spare tire and repair kit - You never know when you will have a flat, they always seem to occur at the most inopportune time.

4) Pump - If you get a flat you better have a way of pumping it back up.

5) Multi-Tool - Other things do go wrong with bikes while on the road and a tool in the tool bag can make the difference between thumbing a ride or finishing the ride.

6) Water

7) Headlight and Taillight - If you are riding before or after the normal hours of daylight you certainly want to be seen by the bigger less maneuverable motorized vehicles.

8) Bike lock (U-bolt type) - Because people really can not be trusted, leaving ones bike unlocked is a sure fire method for getting that newer nicer bike.

9) Gloves - A good set of padded gloves really cut down on the numbness in the hands and make long rides much more comfortable.

10) A little food

How to Pack your Backpack

Part of the reason for this blog is to teach people how to get outdoors.  This video was placed on Youtube by Outdoor Research, a provider of outdoor gear.  It is very well made and Matt, the narrator, is very well spoken and succinct.

 

Making Oatmeal for Outdoors

As saving money these days is very important and the desire to get out and explore still exists the need to find cheaper solutions to food becomes paramount.  Making your favorite variety of oatmeal is both easy and cheap, and all that will be require in the field is to add water.

Recipe for Oatmeal.

1) 1/2 cup of Quick Oats

2) 1 Tablespoon of margarine/butter.

Optional ingredients 

1) 1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar

2) 1 Teaspoon of cinnamon 

3) 2 Tablespoons of Raisins

4) 2 Tablespoons of Apple Chips

5) Huckleberry (if they are in season)
6) Salmon Berry (if they are in season)

These are my favorite additives but there are plenty of others only your imagination will limit you.

Put your ingredients into individual sized Ziplock bags.  When you are ready to eat heat your water and add to the bag and let sit for a minute to allow the Oats to absorb the water then eat and enjoy.

Purifying Water

Purifying Water in the outdoors is very important and can keep you from getting a case of the trail trots.  To purify water there are several options: Buy a water filter, buy iodine tablets, or boiling.  

Buying a water filter is expensive and can be rather heavy, iodine tablets taste bad and iodine is not really all that good for you and boiling water requires a stove and fuel.  There is a fourth option which few people know about but is both cheap and simple.  Chlorine bleach, yes that is right.  Many public water systems actually put simple store bought bleach into the water to purify it for drinking.

Here is the trick.  First select water that is clear, the best water is fast moving and running across gravel and sand.  Second put about two drops of chlorine bleach into your two liter bottle and let sit with the lid off for about 30 minutes.  The water should have a slight chlorinated smell, like a swimming pool, if not add a few more drops. The water is now safe to drink.

As a side note; do not use bleach that is scented or has softeners.  Clorox bleach is a good choice.  Again water is your most important commodity and clean water is more precious than gold.  

Hiking Alone - What you should know

Tumwater Ridge - Photo by D. McMillin

Hiking alone can be a very enjoyable time to observe, think, and explore and it is a great deal simpler to organize than group activities.  But with going alone there are additional risks which need to be considered and if at all possible brought down to an acceptable level.  Here are some of my recommendations:

1) Always tell someone where you are going and approximately when you will return.  If no one know where you are no will know where to look for you.

2) Make sure you know what the weather is like, at least you can prepare for bad weather if you know about it.

3) Take the 10 essentials.

4) Stay on the trail. Finding a lost hiker off the trail is very difficult and potentially impossible.

5) Know your limitations.  If you hike down a trail you better be fit or healthy enough to hike back up it.

6) Choose a well known and well used trail.  People and wildlife are less likely to bother you.  

7) Be aware of your surroundings.  Seeing a bear or mountain lion before you get too close is always a good thing.  It doesn't hurt to work on your singing skills while hiking either.  I like hymns but a good chorus of, "I love to go a wandering," is just as good.

8) Check in at the local ranger station.  This is just one more person who knows where you are going.

9) Make sure your car  will make it to the trail head and back again.  Gas is very important, I always like to start the day with a full tank.

10) Take camera.  Proof that you were there is always a must, it make the stories more believable.  This really is for your safety but it in my book is essential.

These are ten of my best thoughts.  Be aware that hiking alone is intrinsically more dangerous than being with a group and every step should be taken to reduce the danger.

Kayaking at Night

Photo by D. McMillin

Recently I tried Kayaking under the stars and learned some valuable lessons I think worth sharing.

1) Trust your compass and not your eyes - While moving across the water the only thing I could see was the shadowy outline of the trees along the shoreline and the water next to the kayak.  The water next to the kayak always felt like it was pushing me sideways, however the compass said the kayak was moving in a straight line along with the shadows on the shore.

2) Use a flasher - The flasher/strobe light made me stand out to other boats on the water, especially the motor boats.  In fact a boat slowed down because they saw the my flasher.  The only thing I would do different with my flasher is put it behind me instead in front so that my night vision is not affected.

3) Try to stay clear of the normal boat lanes - Even with a flasher not all boats pay as much attention to their surroundings as they should and as a general rule it is wiser to be the cautions boater then getting run over by a less observant driver.  

If you have any other suggestions for kayaking or canoeing at night write it in the comments.

How to Wash Dishes Outdoors

When I am outdoors the last thing I want to take is a lot of extra stuff, the idea is to make life as simple as possible so that I can spend more time letting out the inner explorer in me.  Washing dishes is one of those things that for most will require bringing a sponge and some soap.  But if you are experienced then you know there are easier ways that require only sand and water.  By the way this will also save you money in sponges and soap and these days every penny counts.  

What you will need is someplace with a little bit of sand and water, a stream or beach will almost always have both of these items.  First scoop some sand into your dish a little water also helps, then scrub until all the food particle are gone.  Follow this with a good rinse and check your dish.  If it is not clean then repeat until you have it clean.  Set aside to dry.  

If this bothers you a little bit then put a drop of biodegradable soap in after you have scrub and rinse,  nothing worse than having the trail trots because you forgot to rinse well after applying soap.

Riding on the Outside

This last weekend I went on a mountain bike ride up Tumwater Ridge along the edge of the Bavarian style town of Leavenworth, Washington.  I thought I would share a couple of lessons from the two hour ride up and down the hill.  

1) Always take your own bike if you think there is even a small chance you might go for a ride.  My brother in-law brought one of his old bikes,  he is a bit shorter than I and so the bike was not quite the right height even after I raised the seat as high as it would go.  Don't get me wrong I really appreciated the use of the bike, it was a real blessing.  On the uphill my legs never quite got a full extension causing them to work harder, on the downhill the handle bars were too low giving me a little less control.  

2) While riding uphill on a forest road, always ride around the outside of a hairpin corner.  The road grade is not quite as steep on the outside as it is on the inside.  If you want more of a workout then by all means ride around the inside, but most expert athletes know that conserving energy is as important as having enough fuel to complete your task.

Mountain biking is a great activity which requires some measure of stamina.  With a little knowledge you can increase the amount of time you have to bike and decrease the amount of energy needed to get up and down the hill.

GPS vs Maps

Here is a discussion that is ongoing, using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or a map while outdoors.  I will admit a GPS is a very nice and handy tool and I use one myself but they do have some limits.

The first limitation is the life of the battery.  Recently I thought I would be smart and bought some batteries at a local Dollar Store, batteries are batteries right?  Not so, normally my GPS with fresh batteries can run most of the day, this time it only ran about four hours then my device died and I had to resort to the map.  The second limitation is the screen size.  To date no outdoor GPS has a screen the size of a standard map thus the details are limited to how far you have the screen zoomed in.  When the screen is zoomed in you miss the larger picture, when it is zoomed out you miss the details.  Either way you are missing something.  On longer trips you must also carry extra batteries which adds weight to your pack and most experienced backpackers are looking for ways to lighten their loads not add to them.

The old fashioned map also has a few limitations.  To stuff them into your pack or pocket you have to fold your map creating creases, usually along you route being traveled.  You also must put the map in some sort of protective cover, I personally like clear contact paper, to protect it from moisture.  The third limitation to carrying a map is you usually end up carrying more than one map because the trail is never on only one map, this is more common with the Green Trails Maps specifically made for the Cascade Mountains (I highly recommend these maps for the back country if you are in the Cascades).

The truth is, I always carry a GPS with extra batteries and an old fashioned map that way if the GPS dies I have a backup and if I want to see a broader picture with details out comes the map.

GORP - How to make it

Gorp is one of those strange names for trail mix.  Sure you can go to any grocery store these days and buy a variety of trail mixes but there is something both satisfying and comforting about making and packing your own Gorp.  What I am going to list here is my receipt for Gorp taught to me by my father.

Here is what is required.

1 container of peanuts - 16oz

1/2lb bag of M&M's (no peanuts)

1/2lb bag of skittles

1 bag of raisins 

mix these ingredients together is package in Ziplock bags.

Some additional ingredients that can be added are

1 bag of butterscotch chips

1 bag of shelled sunflower seeds

1 can of cashew nuts

Gorp is good for both the sort term and long term energy needs of the body that is burning up to 500 calories an hour.  And making it yourself is cheaper per pound than buying it pre-mixed.

Cycles of the Moon

Every year there are 13 full moons and each one has it own names among the Eastern and Northern native tribes of North America.  Their calendar was actually lunar in nature, in other words, they tracked the months of the year by the cycles of the moon and not as we do today with a solar calendar.  

When out exploring in other cultures and places it is useful to understand this concept of the year.  Here is a great example.  In Samoa the new year used to begin when a certain species of sea worm would swim to the surface of the ocean and wiggle its tail in the air, it is actually the worms mating season.  But it is also a great time to scuba dive around the local coastlines and watch this new year starting event. 

For your enjoyment and understanding here are the 13 months of the year.

January - Wolf Moon

February - Snow Moon

March - Worm Moon

April - Pink Moon

May - Flower Moon

June - Strawberry Moon

July - Buck Moon

August - Sturgeon Moon

September - Corn Moon

October - Harvest Moon

November - Beaver Moon

December - Cold moon

And once every year the full moon rises twice in one month and is know as a blue moon. 

Packing for a trip

This last summer I decided to try a new way of packing my things into my pack and kayak. Instead of using the usual garbage bag to put food and other smaller items into I broke them up into smaller groupings, e.g. daily meals. These groups I placed into one gallon Ziploc bags with the zipper top. What this allowed me to do is pack more efficiently using less space and when I need to cache some food all I had to do was pull a bag or two out. For meals what I did was put breakfast, lunch, and dinner into one bag. When I was done with the meal, any unburnables were returned to the bag for future proper disposal. The other advantage to the gallon bag is that maller bags are easier to place into compact spaces. The gallon bag can also be used to pack for bike, car, canoe, horseback trips, etc...