Backpacking

Pa. author eases folks into the great outdoors

LANCASTER, Pa.—If you re just getting started in hiking, camping or backpacking, would you take the advice of someone who spent all of last summer on his duff in front of a computer?

See more here: 
Pa. author eases folks into the great outdoors

OUTDOORS: Local author uses baby steps to ease the uninitiated into great outdoors

If you’re just getting started in hiking, camping or backpacking, would you take the advice of someone who spent all of last summer on his duff in front of a computer In this case, yes, by all means listen to Jason Stevenson.

View original here:
OUTDOORS: Local author uses baby steps to ease the uninitiated into great outdoors

3 Tahoe Rim Trail speakers talk about all things outdoors

Three speakers talking about new outdoors gear, geology of the Lake Tahoe Basin and hiking and backpacking the Tahoe Rim Trail will be part of the April Speaker Series hosted by the Tahoe Rim Trail Association.

See the original post here:
3 Tahoe Rim Trail speakers talk about all things outdoors

Utah Sports Store Park’s Sportsman Sponsors Wild Outdoors Festival & STIHL Timbersports Series at Thanksgiving Point (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)

Park’s Sportsman a Utah sports store based in Orem Utah is a major sponsor in this weekend’s Wild Outdoors Festival at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. The two-day festival is Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, 2009.

View post:
Utah Sports Store Park’s Sportsman Sponsors Wild Outdoors Festival & STIHL Timbersports Series at Thanksgiving Point (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)

Lighweight Packing

If you want to reduce the weight of your pack, you should do it gradually. Carry less on each trip that you make and for each trip find something that can be replaced with something lighter or left out completely.

If you don’t have enough weight in your backpack, it can be dangerous or uncomfortable. Lightweight backpacking has its own limits. Some of its techniques need to be practiced first. I’m talking here about pitching a tarp properly or choosing the lightweight clothes that will keep you dry and warm. Alcohol stoves also need some practice to use. You should test your skill and learn them better during a short trip or hikes that take only one day. One option at your disposal is going on a hike organized by a company.

First of all, when packing light, buy a scale. Every piece of clothing or gear should be weighed. Write down the weight of each item and some potentially lighter objects that you can use instead. You can see exactly how much weight you save if you get a scale.

Second, pay special attention to the pack, tent and to the sleeping bag. Getting lightweight versions of these items can save you a few pounds. While a lightweight tent has around 4 pounds, a normal one will have 8 or 9. If you go with a bivy or a tarp instead of the tent, it will only weigh around 20 ounces. A backpack that is lightweight will have around 2 pounds, while a regular one will have between 5 and 7. As for the sleeping bag, it usually has around 3 pounds, but a lightweight one will have 19 ounces.

One tip that I have for you is to get the backpack after you bought the other items, so that you know exactly how bit it needs to be to hold everything.

Lighweight Backpacking Food

If you want to go backpacking, there are plenty of choices when it comes to food that doesn’t weight much. A lot of people go with the prepackaged meals that are dehydrated. They usually taste good, have a low weight, they’re convenient and give you the right nutrition. The downside is their price.

The dietary needs for a backpacking trip are usually around 60-70% carbohydrates. You can get them from rice, pastas, grains and potatoes. Between 15 and 20% should be composed of fats. Fats can be taken from candy bars, cheese, chocolate or peanut butter. The rest should be made out of proteins (15-20%). You can get proteins from canned or dried meats, peanut butter, tinned fish and textured vegetable proteins (TVP).

You might want to invest in a food dehydrator, as it can be great when planning backpacking meals. You can make with it dried vegetables or fruit, sauces and jerky. Boiled water would be all that you need besides these foods.

Since the normal packages you get from shops are bulky or heavy, the food should be kept in bags that can be resealed or in Ziploc. You can easily eat directly from them, so you don’t need to carry recipients for that.

Drinking water in the wild should be done only after it’s treated properly and sanitized. Using a filter means that you can get 1-3 liters of water each minute. There is a good chance it will taste better as well. The problems of a filter is the sand and silt clogging that appears. Some filters can be cleaned in the field by yourself. If a filter stops working, boil the water to make it safe to drink.

There are also lightweight options when it comes to filters, like the Steri-Pen, which uses Ultraviolet light to get rid of viruses and bacteria.

Backpacking With Your Dog

Travelling together with a dog can be a great experience and a way to unwind and get away from all the responsibilities of day to day life. Your dog will love the chance to get out of the house and experience new places and scents. A lot of people that went backpacking with their dog said that they enjoyed it much more this way. Since a dog has a powerful sense of smell, they can show you animals that you might miss otherwise.

There are some conditions however, if you want to go hiking together with a dog. First, the dog needs to be trained properly and you need to be able to restrain him physically when they see squirrels, deer or rabbits. Second, you need to be responsible and prevent your dog from bothering other animals or people. You should always pick up the mess created by your dog.

You should know what your dog will do. Know when he will become aggressive for example. In what situations you need to hold them and when you should pay attention to his reactions. If he can’t be controlled, leave the dog at home. Don’t risk injuring someone or spoiling their vacation.

All in all, just make sure the dog is well behaved, fit and healthy, before you take him on a trip. People camp when they need to rest after a long hike, so your dog shouldn’t disturb their quiet time. Barking is one of the things that would disturb the other campers. You should take your dog to a dog school if possible.

Before a trip, it might be a good idea to visit a doctor with your dog, to check for his general state of health. If you want him to carry something, tell the doctor to check for hip dysplasia.