A group that has failed to develop good travel plans may be unable to travel as fast as expected.
The terrain may be too steep or the trails too rugged.
These groups often resort to setting up camp late at night, sometimes in an unsafe location. Poor campsite selection usually leads to unnecessary resource damage. In addition, the group may never even reach their planned destination.
Source: Leave No Trace
After a modest warm-up (say, 10 minutes of walking), take time to stretch. Stretch after your hike, too. Your muscles and joints will thank you.
Tip: Don’t attempt to exceed your physical limits early in your hiking season.
More at REI - Backcountry Health Topics
Altitude illness is a state of unease a wilderness explorer feels when traveling at high elevations. Traditionally, 10,000 feet is regarded as the height where altitude symptoms—a sluggish sensation often accompanied by a headache—kick in for most people, but they can afflict others as low as 6,000 feet. Acute cases of this illness can be debilitating, even fatal.
more info on this at REI’s Backcountry Health Topics
Most importantly, don’t provoke a bear - or any other critter, especially big ones - by approaching the animal for photos or a closer look.
(”Pest-Proof Camping,” Outdoor Life, December 1992)
The words in italics are mine. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve seen excited people running to get a better picture or better view of some wild animal. Even though they may appear tame, wild animals - just about any size - can be dangerous. That’s what they make telephoto and zoom lenses for. I’ll get my wild life photos - froma distance. MpG
I guess the title of this post gives a hint that I didn’t swing wide enough and wasn’t watching my trailer in my mirrors.
We were a couple of hundred miles down the road from home and had just left the Texas Travel Welcome Center at Texarkana, planning to get off I30 soon to get fuel. On the first exit, I spotted a station I thought I could get into. However it was on the wrong side of the road and the lanes, combined with traffic were such that I could not get into the turning lane at the light. So, I turned into the right hand lane and, seeing some parking lots where I could turn around down the road to the right, I turned right at the light - and then left, less than a block away, into the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant. I thought I had plenty of room, but…
I guess I felt it in the way the truck and trailer were moving. I really didn’t hear anything. I turned way too short and the side of the trailer just forward of the living room slide came in contact with a 1995 Pontiac - fortunately the only car on that side of the camper. The car was pushed forward over the curb, breaking off a water line and sending a fountain of water into the air.
The trailer wasn’t damaged severely. There’s some metal from the corner of the slide that is pulled up and away, exposing some wood underneath, and the plastic doorway to the waste tanks’ slide valves doesn’t stay closed (slide valves not damaged). Looks like a job for duct tape. We plan on continuing on with this trip and, before we get into any wet weather, I will have that area protected to keep the wet out!
Lesson learned the hard way! - Swing Wide and use your mirrors!
Put a fat rubber band around your flashlight’s sliding on/off switch to keep it from turning on in your pack and draining your batteries.
(”Put pepper in your socks,” Backpacker, October 1994)
Walk tall and look strong. Slinking down the trail while glancing fearfully from side to side conveys that you’re unsure of yourself. Stride along with confidence and exude the message that you can take care of yourself.
(”Playing it Safe”, Backpacker, Feb 1994)
If you are building an emergency fire to stay warm and survive, it’s understandable if conscientious land stewardship is not your primary focus. Still, don’t pillage the landscape. At this point, firestarter and waterproof matches will be 2 of your most valued possessions.
REI - Campfire Tips
Serious burns are among the most frequent causes of injury to outdoorsmen. …, an emergency room physician, says that each summer he treats people who have either fallen into campfires or been engulfed by flame bursts when they tried to start fires with gasoline. Sparks from crackling wood frequently cause corneal burns of the eye, and many burns in camp are the result of steam or spilled hot water.
Regardless of the severity of the burn, first aid for most victims is the same: Eliminate the source. Check the air passages. Clean, cool, and dress the wound.
(”Burned!”, Field & Stream Aug 1997)
Keep your campsite clean. Dispose of food scraps and garbage properly.
(”Encounter in Bear Country,” New York State Conservationist, June 2004)
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