Friday, February 22, 2013

Packing for a Hike

By Hedrick Lepsch


Thousands of Americans venture yearly into the outdoors to enjoy the beauty and serenity of their local trails. Frequent hikers regularly enjoy the benefits of invigorating exercise and breath taking views along their journeys and the intangibles of the hobby have drawn many to its following.

Disorganization and cluttering are a seemingly unavoidable hallmark of the American kitchen. Reigning in this disarray and calamity can take some hard work but will be greatly worth it in the end.

And for those who are beginning their adventures in backpacking, allow the following tips to be a basic guide to start you down the path, wherever that path is leading you. Beginning backpackers will find that, as with most things in life, a good backpacking trip will take a lot of preparation and planning.

Preparing beforehand will ensure a pleasant and safe backpacking trip that can be properly enjoyed. The first step in planning a backpacking trip is to decide where your feet will take you.

Everyone knows that the fridge could use a little organizational work, so get to it. Start by clearing out the never to seldom used items that are partially frozen in the back; these simply take up space.

A quality pack should fit comfortably on the individuals back, shoulders, and waist while carrying a load. Any spots of the pack that cause rubbing during the hike should be padded and precautions should be taken by the hiker against any superficial injuries that may come as a result of the problem areas.

A hiker will always want to pack an abundance of water. But because only one quart of water weighs around 2 pounds, there are many hikers who choose to pack insufficient stores of water on the hike.

A group should first break out the maps of the area they will be backpacking in and map out a detailed route that they will fallow that will take them to the places they wish to see and that is safe for the level of backpacking experience they have. Such considerations as bringing a fishing pole can here be considered if the route includes a stay at a lake or stream.

Lazy Susan and rotisserie style storage devices are commonly produced but vitally underused. Spice racks spanning entire cupboard doors can be whipped into a tight circular working fashion of usefulness and disheveled drawers of stacked Tupperware can be transformed in a spinning catalog of bowl and lid.

These twirling space savers should never be undervalued or underused. At the risk of looking like your grandma's kitchen, however, perhaps attempt to hide a good number of these out of plain sight.

A map of the area being hiked is another essential for any level of experience. Along with the map, a hiker should carry a compass and a detailed elevation chart or topo map of the route they are hiking.

By accounting for and planning ahead for the next backpacking trip, a group of backpackers can thoroughly enjoy their next trip into the wilderness.




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