Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Art of Hiking
When standing nose to nose with a mountain lion, you're probably not too concerned with the issue of
ethical behavior in the wild. No doubt you're just terrified. But let's be honest. How often are you nose
to nose with a mountain lion? For most of us, a hike into the “wild” means loading up the SUV with ex-
pensive gear and driving to a toileted trailhead. Sure, you can mourn how civilized we've be-
come—how GPS units have replaced natural instinct and Gore-Tex, true-grit—but the silly gadgets of
civilization aside, we have plenty of reason to take pride in how we've matured. With survival now on
the back burner, we've begun to reason—and it's about time—that we have a responsibility to protect,
no longer just conquer, our wild places: that they, not we, are at risk. So please, do what you can. The
following section will help you understand better what it means to “do what you can” while still making
the most of your hiking experience. Anyone can take a hike, but hiking safely and well is an art requir-
ing preparation and proper equipment.
Preparedness
It's been said that failing to plan means planning to fail. So do take the necessary time to plan your trip.
Whether going on a short day hike or an extended backpack trip, always prepare for the worst. Simply
remembering to pack a copy of the U.S. Army Survival Manual is not preparedness. Although it's not a
bad idea if you plan on entering truly wild places, it's merely the tourniquet answer to a problem. You
need to do your best to prevent the problem from arising in the first place. In order to survive—and to
stay reasonably comfortable—you need to concern yourself with the basics: water, food, and shelter.
Don't go on a hike without having these bases covered. And don't go on a hike expecting to find these
items in the woods.
Water. Even in frigid conditions, you need at least two quarts of water a day to function efficiently.
Add heat and taxing terrain and you can bump that figure up to one gallon. That's simply a base to work
from—your metabolism and your level of conditioning can raise or lower that amount. Unless you
know your level, assume that you need one gallon of water a day. Now, where do you plan on getting
the water?
Preferably not from natural water sources. These sources can be loaded with intestinal disturbers,
such as bacteria, viruses, and fertilizers. Giardia lamblia, the most common of these disturbers, is a pro-
tozoan parasite that lives part of its life cycle as a cyst in water sources. The parasite spreads when
mammals defecate in water sources. Once ingested, Giardia can induce cramping, diarrhea, vomiting,
and fatigue within two days to two weeks after ingestion. Giardiasis is treatable with prescription drugs.
If you believe you've contracted giardiasis, see a doctor immediately.
Dehydration. Have you ever hiked in hot weather and had a roaring headache and felt fatigued after
only a few miles? More than likely you were dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include fatigue,
headache, and decreased coordination and judgment. When you are hiking, your body's rate of fluid loss
depends on the outside temperature, humidity, altitude, and your activity level. On average, a hiker
walking in warm weather will lose four liters of fluid a day. That fluid loss is easily replaced by normal
consumption of liquids and food. However, if a hiker is walking briskly in hot, dry weather and hauling
