Chapter 22 - Hiking and Trail Skills
On-line Lesson 

Additional Reading: Hiking Boots

FOOT CARE

When hiking, each of your feet comes down and momentarily bears your weight about a thousand times each mile.  Your feet deserve maximum care and attention.  Blisters result from friction between your shoes and skin, and are much easier to prevent than to cure.

·     Your hiking footwear should always be gradually broken in on shorter hikes before starting on a long trip.

·     Avoid wearing darned socks and ill-fitting or new shoes or boots.

·     Apply a piece of moleskin to absorb the friction at the first sign of redness or soreness.

·     Wear clean socks and change them several times if necessary.

·     Prevent a buildup of perspiration on the feet by wearing a sock liner that wicks away moisture and then an outer sock.

TYPES OF FOOTWEAR

One of the myths we have been led to believe is that hiking boots must be heavy in order to be of any good.  As a general rule, the more rugged the travel conditions, the sturdier the boot should be, but choose the lightest shoe that will do the job.  It is estimated that each pound carried on your foot is equivalent to 5 pounds carried on your back.

·     Boots made of lightweight synthetic materials – good for day hikes and light backpacking.

·     Trail boots – good for longer trails or cross-country travel, better support, can be made water repellent, have vibram soles.

·     Mountaineer boots – good for expeditions into heavy brush encountering rocks, ice, or snow; very heavy and stiff with vibram soles.

BOOT CARE

Heat is probably the worst enemy of boots.

·     Never place them on a radiator, in the oven, or near a campfire to dry.

·     Never leave them in the trunk of a car on a hot summer day.

·     When wet, wipe clean, stuff with crumpled newspaper, then let dry gradually.

·     New leather boots need to be conditioned and made water repellent with a silicone dressing (Snow Seal).

LOADING AND CARRYING A PACK

A common rule of thumb is to carry no more than one-third of your body weight if you are in good physical condition, and no more than one-fourth if you are not.

GENERAL HIKING HINTS AND ETIQUETTE

·     It is usually best to start on the cool side where clothing is concerned for within a few minutes your body will heat up.

·     Wear clothing in layers so adjustments can be made accordingly.

·     Avoid perspiration soaked clothing....hypothermia doesn’t only happen in rainy weather.

·     Do not make a hike a speed contest, what you do and see along the way is as important as how far you go.

·     When hiking with campers, one counselor should take the lead and another the sweep position.

·     Each person should always carry their own water supply unless there are safe sources along the way.

·     It is a good idea to take along a trail snack since hiking burns alot of energy.

·     Respect no trespassing signs.

·     Close gates behind you if they were found that way.

·     When meeting others along the trail, those coming downhill have the right of way.

·     Faster hiking groups or individuals should always be allowed to pass.

·     When coming up on horseback riders or pack animals always move to the downhill side, facing them, without making any sudden movements that might spook the animals.

CAMPSITE SELECTION AND SETUP

Try to stop hiking early enough in the day to complete all necessary tasks before dark.  There are a number of points to consider in choosing a campsite:

·     Choose a spot that has good drainage and is well above any visible high water mark.

·     Avoid pitching tents directly under trees and inspect any near by.

·     Try to select a level area free of sharp rocks, twigs or other rough objects that might damage your tent floor or keep you from sleeping comfortably.

LOW-IMPACT HIKING AND CAMPING TECHNIQUES

It is important for camp counselors and trip leaders to adopt and then demonstrate a low-impact camping ethic that is based on proper ecological attitudes toward the natural environment. Leave No Trace.

It should be the goal of every hiker or backpacker to practice minimum-impact camping by leaving the fewest traces of his or her presence as possible, no matter how far or where the hiker travels.  The following are additional environmental practices that should be considered:

·     Camp at least 100 feet from water source.

·     No trenching or permanent structures should be built.

·     Keep campsites as primitive and natural as possible.

·     Use established campsites when possible but avoid overused areas.

·     Look for rocky or sandy areas and avoid delicate lush meadows and streamsides.

·     Cook with backpacking stoves when possible and be sure to break up fire rings if using a fire.

·     Use only fallen timber if building a fire and keep as small as possible.

·     Garbage should be carried out or burned, not buried.

·     Do not pick flowers in timberline or alpine tundra areas.

·     Stay on existing trails and avoid cutting across switchbacks, which causes erosion.

·     Pick up any litter along the way.

·     When traveling off the trail, groups should spread out rather than follow one another to avoid crushing fragile plants.

·     Limit your group size to ten or less in order to minimize your impact.

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