Hiking. Tell me all about it.

[emotional leper]

Did he also have a gun? If not, it could be he believed in protection, but not in guns.

When I used to live alone, I had a morning star by my bed for that very reason. Somebody breaks in, they are going to get brained...if they don't shoot me first.

Repeating Hand Crossbow.

It's the only way to slay.

[Cail]

I carry a knife all the time as a tool, not as a weapon. When I'm hiking it's more for utility than protection.

Wylde, I would strongly suggest that you don't hike alone for obvious reasons. I'd also suggest that you find a hiking partner that appreciates nature and the outdoors and knows how to be quiet and enjoy the hike.

[Ki]

it is like fate it leading you to hiking. i think you will really like it.

as a woman, i agree that hiking alone would be scary b/c of potential sickos that might hurt you. i was actually thinking of that pretty little 23-24 y.o. who was kidnapped on jan 1st when she went for a hike and the creep ended up killing her and he is also accused of killing an elderly couple who were hiking too sometime in the fall. but even besides the off chance that there would be a freak around, what if you fell and hurt yourself so badly that you couldn't get out? i overthink that stuff. i'm weird that way.

and you have to worry about running into sasquatch too. you never know how that would go down.

[emotional leper]

Sasquatch is just a big push-over.

All you really have to worry about is having a female sasquatch invisibility gland embedded in your skull.

[Ki]

Sasquatch is just a big push-over.

All you really have to worry about is having a female sasquatch invisibility gland embedded in your skull.

[Ki]

Oh, I asked Malik for any tips and he said bug spray (mostly b/c of chiggers) and a snake bite kit.

[Nav]

Agreed. But barring a gun, which I don't own or have any desire to obtain, Zapp recommended a knife. That should do the job.

While a knife is a good thing to carry while hiking for a variety of reasons, I'd actually suggest getting yourself a Maglite for self defence, as clubbing an attacker is probably a bit easier to do than stabbing them. I have a 3x D-battery one which makes a good billy club for someone my size, so you might want to look at a C-battery one (I'm assuming you're somewhat lighter than my 195lbs) to carry with you if you're going alone.

[Wyldewode]

While a knife is a good thing to carry while hiking for a variety of reasons, I'd actually suggest getting yourself a Maglite for self defence, as clubbing an attacker is probably a bit easier to do than stabbing them. I have a 3x D-battery one which makes a good billy club for someone my size, so you might want to look at a C-battery one (I'm assuming you're somewhat lighter than my 195lbs) to carry with you if you're going alone.

Yeah. . . I'm just over 5 feet tall. Thanks for the tips, guys.

[Nav]

I'm sure I had a point to make about hiking, guess I must've gotten all misty eyed when my mind drifted to improvised weaponry. I'm thinking about getting into some proper hiking, there are some nice spots near me like the Blackwater Valley and Bracknell Forest, but they're all a bit too flat for my tastes (my bike lies neglected and saggy-tyred because there's nowhere I can downhill on it). I might have to invest in some good boots and check out the Sussex Downs.

Question, who listens to music when they walk and who likes to be alone with their thoughts? I'd prefer to do the latter, but I don't get as much time to listen to music as I'd like so I tend to do that whenever I can.

[Wyldewode]

I tend to walk along with my thoughts, but if the noise is too loud, I listen to the Ipod. However, I don't turn it up too loud, because I want to be able to hear if, I don't know, say someone tried to attack me. Sometimes it's a pain in the arse being a woman.

[Zarathustra]

Hiking isn't as dangerous as everyone is making it sound. Don't let a few freak cases get you down or stop you from enjoying the woods.

With that said, I always go prepared for dangers, or even inconveniences. Mace should be enough to protect you, but I also like a close-up weapon as well, just in case they still insist on closing in. Like this. However, a gun covers both conditions.

Bug spray is absolutely necessary. You know this if you've ever experienced a chigger infestation. They are point-like insects which burrow into your skin and cause extremely itchy sores that last for a week or more. Hundreds of those all over your body is HELL. You will hardly be able to sleep. They especially like the more sensitive, hidden areas of your body where you REALLY don't want itchy sores. Ticks and lime disease are also a concern.

I always carry a snake bite kit. They make nice syringe-like pumps which generate a lot of suction, so don't bother with the old-fashioned kind where you cut yourself to get out the venom. Most people hurt themselves a lot more this way.

Take plenty of water, and a some calorie-dense food. My favorite is a 1:1 mixture of M&Ms and peanuts.

Take a basic first aid kit, even if it's just bandaids and Neosporen. The woods are a dirty place to have an open wound.

A flashlight is always a good idea. There's nothing worse than being lost in the woods when it's getting dark. And sometimes you find caves to explore.

This sounds silly, but I consider extra socks a necessity. Whether accidently dunking your boot while crossing a stream, or simply a lot of sweat, I can't stand wet feet. It will cause blisters and make hiking miserable. Protect your feet at all costs. Buy the best hiking shoes/boots you can afford.

Depending on how long the hike is, I might even take a backpack with things like sandals to wade in a river, or extra clothes. You never know when you might want to take a swim, so extra clothes or a towel are helpful. Or if you just sweat a lot, and plan on going to dine around other humans afterwards, an extra shirt helps to cut down on the "you look like a homeless person" stares. But that can be left in the car, of course.

I go on really long hikes with lots of gear, and camp overnight, grill steaks, drink a 12 pack, etc. So a trip like this is obviously going to require more gear. But I consider the stuff listed above essential for a typical day hike in the woods (as opposed to say, an hour stroll through the park).

[Zarathustra]

Personally, I can't imagine listening to music while I hike. I like the full experience, sight, sound, smells, feel of the wind and my own exertion. To me it seems to defeat the purpose of getting out into nature if you're going to insulate yourself from it by cutting off one of your senses.

In a similar vein, my open-minded stance on pot has been explicitly stated elsewhere, but I think that it adds absolutely nothing to a hike. It seems to get in the way. This is one activity which I believe is better done sober. Now arriving at the campsite is a different story.

[Wyldewode]

Thanks, Malik! That should help me get outfitted. I think I'm going to wander over to Bass Pro Shop after work to see what they offer in the way of boots. I'm only about a half-mile away from the headquarters.

[Cail]

As far as packs go, I love my M.U.L.E.. It holds plenty of water, and I can get everything I need to carry into it or hanging off of it.

[Cagliostro]

I must admit that I dig headlamps for the long hikes. You don't have to carry the flashlight as it gets heavy and it can help warm your head a bit.

[Zarathustra]

I must admit that I dig headlamps for the long hikes. You don't have to carry the flashlight as it gets heavy and it can help warm your head a bit.

That's also quite useful when camping. There are so many times that you need both hands, that a headlamp is part of my standard camping gear. Building fires, cooking food, setting up a tent, undoing a bra . . . Just kidding. I don't really participate in sexual relations with a headlamp on . . . but now that I've mentioned it . . . hmmmm.

I know this is a hiking thread, but another very useful camping item is rubber gloves. Dealing with raw meat in the woods isn't the most sanitary activity. You can buy a small box of cleaning gloves, and don't have to worry about constantly washing your hands with your limited water supply.

Can we add camping tips to this discussion? What do you guys consider standard equipment?

[Cail]

Knife.
Means to make fire.
Water.
Hand sanitizer.
First-Aid kit.
Cell phone.

Those are the essentials (assuming you're someplace with cell signal).

My ex kept all the camping stuff, so I'll get to re-outfit everything else.

I won't camp without a Therm-A-Rest. They're awesome. Other than that, a tent, a sleeping bag, and whatever other luxury items you need. I've tried just wrapping myself in a blanket and sleeping under the stars, but I can't do it. Note that there's a big difference in driving to a campsite, and hiking to a campsite. I'll fill my truck with camping stuff if I can, otherwise I pack very light.

[Cagliostro]

I think a cooking stove is important. Sure, you can cook on the fire, but if you make anything much more complicated than hot dogs or something you can burn, you'll want a stove. Particularly in back country - hot dogs weigh more than you'd want them to, and aren't friendly for restoring if you don't finish them all.

You also want food that really sticks to your belly. As much as I hate rice and beans back at home, this is good camp food. Falafel is also pretty easy and good, although pretty dry unless you bring some kinda yogurt/cucumber mixture too. Again, car camping, bring whatcha want, but back country - this is the good stuff.

And if in the back country, you just can't bring along enough water. Iodine sucks. Invest in a water purifier. It's a lot of work for so little, but you need these breaks every now and again. Be sure to do it on the trail though, as before sleep or before breakfast is a bad time to restore water. In my opinion.

I agree that sleeping without an air mattress is impossible at a certain age. Hell, I sleep poorly with an air mattress, but can't imagine what it would be like without one. And whatever you do, protect your air mattress from punctures. This is your primary objectives on hikes. And as my ex learned, don't smoke while laying on the air mattress.

[Cail]

I wouldn't use an air mattress, especially in colder weather. The Thermarest provides comfort and insulates you against the cold ground.

But as Cag points out, car camping and backcountry camping are two very different things.

[Zarathustra]

Cail, how thick does that Therma-thing get? Are you saying you don't feel the ground, even shifting around or sitting up?

I use a quality, thick (though inexpensive) pool raft. It takes a while to blow it up, but what else are you going to do waiting for the fire to burn down to nice, hot coals? Anyway, it has a separate air compartment for a pillow, so that you can have your head area soft, and the rest of your body support firm. That, with a quality bag, and you're set.

I pack a grill top sometimes, but I'm talking about the removable metal surface itself, not the entire grill. And this one is quite small; it comes off a portable grill. This way I can put it across my fire pit and don't have to pack in anything else except a small bag of charcoal. This setup will start a fire even if the wood is wet. Just stack up your logs on top of the bag, and light it. No lighter fluid necessary. Let it burn down to nice coals, put the grill top on, and you've got a perfect steak grilling setup.

Also, little tea candles are a cool addition at night. Light about 20 of them and set them all around your perimeter. It makes a nice little constellation of your own personal space, and the metal bottoms keep any hot wax from polluting the woods.