My wife and I are planning a spring hike in Pennsylvania Memorial day weekend. We are heading off to a wedding and will finish it up with a Sunday spring hike. She received a new trekking cane for Christmas this last year, and is itching to break it in. Spring hikes can be challenging as the weather isn’t very stable yet and, you have to plan on starting out in the cooler temperatures and ending up a little warmer.
Spring hikes are the perfect time to practice layering your clothes. Start out with a good pair of silk or wicking underwear. This is important to keep chafing to a minimum. I like to layer with a pair of convertible pants. That way I don’t have to carry extra clothing, only the legs of the pants when I remove them. A nice wicking tee shirt covered with a comfortable shirt and maybe a hoody or thin jacket from North Face, depending on the temperature. I also like to start with a wicking pair of socks covered by a good quality wool sock. This keeps my feet dry and comfortable in the hiking shoes. Finish off the spring hike ensemble with a Vaporwick cap from North Face and I’m ready to roll.
My wife prepares somewhat the same for a spring hike. Active Briefs and a Champion Double Dry Action Shape Sports Bra for comfort, breath ability and support is the base layer. She opts for a fleece jacket from North Face over a micro fiber top. For spring hikes she prefers to carry a pair of lightweight shorts with her to change into. Her feet are sensitive and prone to blisters, so her socks are very important to her. There is always a spare pair of socks in her bag.
Since it will be a one-day spring hike, we will carry a lightweight daypack each. A couple of Nalgene water bottles and a cold lunch to sit and enjoy during a break will be enough to keep us going. I like to carry my sandals with me too, so that at lunchtime I can let my feet air out. You really need to take care of your feet when out for a spring hike. My wife will carry a small first aid kit, since she is the medical person, in case we need anything while we are out. I’ll have a flashlight and headlamp for safety also. That’s another thing you don’t want to get caught without. Anything can happen in the outdoors, so you need to be prepared.
Moleskin is the most used item in our hiking first-aid kit. My wife will put some on her normal hot spots prior to our spring hike as a precautionary measure, and will usually replace or add as needed during the day. This is a very inexpensive item that will allow you to be on your feet for long periods of time with out blisters. We always have a couple of extra packages in our equipment bin just in case we decide on a whim to head out. Taking care of your body and feet during the damp cool times can make a spring hike more enjoyable.
One of the first things you should do when planning for any outing is to do equipment maintenance, to make sure all is in good working order. Nothing puts a damper on a hike, campout or water or bike outing than faulty equipment. Most of this can be avoided by inspecting your gear prior to heading out. By following the tips below, you can ensure that your equipment is ready to support your needs.
Setting up your tent to make sure there are no small tears in it and seal the seams as necessary is an easy equipment maintenance. This is an inexpensive way to prolong the life of your tent and keep from getting wet on an outing. Always dry and clean them after every trip. Make sure you have all of the parts for your tent including extra tent stakes. Inspect the poles for bent ones and that all shock cords are in shape. Place the footprint (ground cloth) in the tent bag if possible. That way you won’t have to dig in your for it and saves time. Keeping “duct type tape” is always a good idea for emergency repairs
If you are using flashlights or headlamps, equipment maintenance for these would be to install new batteries in them and make sure to have back ups and extra bulbs handy in your pack. Never store with the batteries in them. I always take steel wool and clean off the contacts before using them, this way I can remove any corrosion that may have built up.
No matter what type of stove you will be taking, it is always good to fire it up before leaving. The smaller MSR-made stoves have a tendency of failing due to fouled preheat tube assemblies. Through regular equipment maintenance, you can greatly reduce the risk of this happening. Make sure to carry replacement parts for your stove and a needle. Sometimes you can unclog the tube with it by reaming it around. The larger “Coleman” style stoves also need regular equipment maintenance to keep running efficiently too. Lanterns should have the same care given to them. New mantels before starting out and spares are always a must.
Inspecting clothing is also a form of equipment maintenance. Check the soles of your hiking shoes/boots for wear and separation. Since your feet take most of the beating when hiking, the last thing you want to do is blow out sole before ending your journey. Also check the arch support. This kind of footwear takes a lot of abuse, and won’t last forever no matter how much you paid for them. You need to re-water proof them periodically also. Inspect your rain gear also. You could have snagged part of it on a branch or rock the last time out and you didn’t realize it. With a regular equipment maintenance schedule, you can avoid trouble on the trail. If you have a designated set of hiking/camping clothes you probably don’t see them after cleaning them until you head out the next time. Make sure that there are no tears, rips, missing buttons or broken zippers on them. Sleeping bags need to be checked in your equipment maintenance too. Tears, bad zippers or matted down filler will cause problems.
Last but not least, have regular doctor check ups to ensure your body is in good working order. Out in the wilderness is not the place to have a heart attack. Regular exercise and doctor visits will are one of the most important equipment maintenance schedules to keep.
Everyone that goes camping share a few common goals, to be in the outdoors enjoying nature and to get away from the everyday rat race of life. Camping Etiquette will make everyone’s outdoor experience a more pleasurable and enjoyable time. Learning a few concepts and teaching them to your family and friends is the best place to start.
One of the first and foremost lessons in Camping Etiquette is to respect other people’s privacy and equipment. You should be friendly with your fellow campers but know when to leave them alone. The best sounds in nature are from birds, frogs and running water. No one wants to here you yelling at the top of your lungs at your kids, spouse or over loud music. Not everyone has the same taste in music, so keep it low and to yourself.
Most camping areas have a common area for games that everyone can enjoy. They usually have swings, sand boxes and other playground equipment to use. Camping Etiquette should be observed here, too. Families will bring balls, Frisbees and even a blanket to lie out in the sun while youngsters play. Try to avoid others possessions and areas. If you see smaller children playing, try to stay away from them with running games. Camping Etiquette also means keeping your children from getting in the way of other peoples activities.
In the evening when it starts to get dark, everyone enjoys a campfire. Observe Camping Etiquette by not walking through other campers’ sites. Some couples like to snuggle up together with a cup of coffee, hot cocoa or even a glass of wine. This is their quite and maybe romantic get away time. Having a radio blasting or people running by their tents or fire ring can really ruin a mood. (I know this first hand) This could also be when families relax and reflect on the day’s activities or for religious reasons. Unless invited, others like to be left alone at this time.
Another type of Camping Etiquette is cleanliness. Nobody wants to go to a campsite that has trash left behind by an inconsiderate camper. At campgrounds there are usually garbage containers randomly placed for convenience. Make sure when you are leaving a campsite or campground, that you walk and sweep the area with your eyes for anything left behind. This could save you money as you may find a pocket knife, flashlight or even eye glasses that could have fallen out of a pocket when packing up. Good camping equipment can be expensive, and nothing is worse than buying it twice. Five minutes before you leave could save you money and your good time.
One of the biggest rules in Camping Etiquette is to appreciate and preserve our land. Camping is an affordable get-a-way into nature and, the only way to keep it that way is to take care of the area. If an owner or State Park has to put a lot of money into preventable up keep, the cost will definitely be passed on to us or it will be closed down. If everyone does his or her part, we will enjoy camping for a long time to come. Today’s generation is addicted to TVs., video games and microwaves. Teach them that the best picture is one that you see outdoors. Learning how to use a compass and going on a hike can be as rewarding as 10,000 point on any video game, and that food cooked over an open fire may take a little longer, but tastes much better than heat and serve foods.
My wife and I were on the Blue Ridge Parkway in mid October to do a little hiking and view the changing of the leaves. We decided to stay in a place called Wintergreen. What a beautiful area it was. It was in their off peak season, so the accommodations were very reasonable, and the views were awesome. We took a lot of pictures, thanks to digital cameras.
Some of the best views we got were off of the parkway at the scenic over looks. We hiked at an area called Humpback Rock. We started out in mid morning with a trekking cane, a fanny pack, water bottles and cameras. The natural and man made paths and steps were a little challenging, but it felt good to be out in the clean fresh air. We would stop to take pictures along the way of the rock formations or the colorful leaves. The trails were well marked and crossed the Appalachian Trail several times. We made our way to the top on a rock over look that had a fantastic view over the valley.
As we were resting on the rock over look, a backpacker climbed on to the rocks with us. She told us that she wanted to finish the whole Appalachian Trail by the time she turned 70. Her trail name was the Medicare Minister and that she had about four years and three hundred and fifty miles to go. She was in great shape and moved right along, carrying a well-worn backpack and used a pair of trekking poles. Her knees were a little tired, but nothing was going to slow her down. We took a picture of her and she did the same for us, and we bid her good luck as she headed for the trail. We stayed a while longer to enjoy the beauty that nature had to offer us.
Another hike we took was at a place called Crab Tree Falls. It was a switch back type of trail that ran next to the waterfalls that ran down a large rock formation. It was a little strenuous as it was non-stop upward motion, and there were a lot of people that didn’t continue on to the top. We did go to the top because that was where the reward was. Seeing how a stream that was mostly covered by leaves and downed trees turned into a good size waterfall was amazing. My wife and I said that we would like to hike like this everyday instead of walking on a treadmill or on the track at the YMCA.
All in all we saw some of the best that nature had to offer. The red, yellow orange and green of the leaves with the gray color of the rocks were absolutely beautiful. At times we felt that we found the meaning of life as we gazed out over the valleys. It was as peaceful as you could ask for, with just the birds and the sound of crunching ground under our feet. I would recommend everyone take a fall trip to Virginia to take in the beauty that can’t be found in the city or even the suburbs.
We loaded up the tent, kayaks, bikes and bunch of accessories for the Labor Day campout.The weather was great, a little warm during the days, but very comfortable in the evenings and at night for sleeping.
The first thing we did was get the campsite setup before dark.Picking the highest spot in the site for the tent in case of water issues.Next we set up our kitchen area close to the fire pit.This was handy as we could cook in the Dutch oven and on the stove at the same time.We had our complete kitchen kit, which contains spices, cooking utensils, cleaning supplies and coffee and tea bags.Since we were parked close at this campout, we took some of the bigger equipment.
We set up a small tent for storing our tent bags, camping furniture and any other loose items we wanted to keep track of.We like to have this when we are in a crowded campground, as it cuts down on the temptation that might be present for someone to pick something up.After all, good camping equipment is not cheap.
After a leisurely bike ride, we headed back to the campsite for the evening.I built a small fire from wood that we brought with us.We sat down with a hot drink, a book and our favorite camping chair to enjoy the campout and fire until we couldn’t read any more.
The next morning of our campout we were up early for breakfast and to head out in the kayaks.Once there, we dropped the kayaks in the water and loaded the dry wells with lunch, towels and a change of cloths.The water was so peaceful.Only a couple of canoes and kayaks, no cars or trucks making noise were on the water.Just birds, and the sound of water splashing filled the air.We stopped on an island for the lunch we had packed.Before we ate, be stripped down to bathing suits and cooled off with a swim.After having the pfd’s on all morning, it felt great to rinse off.Bird watching and nature photos are always on our list of things to do when we are out on a campout.
Returning to the campsite a little tired from all the activities in the sun and water, we got ready for the evening.Dinner was prepared, devoured and cleaned up within a short period of time.We head out for a short walk to stretch the tired muscles from being in the kayaks all day.Back at the campsite, the wife makes coffee and tea, and I put together an apple cobbler cooked in the Dutch oven, the only way to enjoy a campout.There is enough to share with a couple of sites around us with younger kids, so we make friends with their stomachs and parents.Tonight it’s a glass of wine until the fire goes out on our campout.
Monday morning we rise early again to hit the bike trails before packing up from our campout for home.The campground looks like a war zone, with stuff scattered all over the place.Bike helmets gloves and water are standard equipment for the day.No one wants to end the Labor Day campout with an accident.
After packing up and heading home, we set up our gear to air them out, and clean them up.As we do this, we start thinking of another campout to take this year.New England bike trip, or kayaking in Virginia, not sure which one will win out, but I’m sure we will have a great time with either campout we choose.
