the don'ts of hiking or campig

there are a lot of us here that know a good deal about outdoor life, but there are some that are just starting to get into it. I want this thread to be about some of the things you shouldn't do, things that could potentially be very serious if overlooked. I'll start off with one.

Hiking boots: ALWAYS break in a new pair of boots before going on a hike. I don't care if its only a ten mile hike, break them in first! A few years back i was on a day hike (12 mile loop) with a friend of mine who i thought knew better. But as the day went on he was noticably in pain. With each step he cringed but couldn't figure out why. Once we got back to the car i saw that his boots had almost no wear and tear on them. They were brand new!

I once read about a guy who paid 100 thousand dollars to join a guided trip up mt. everest so he bought the most expensive boots he could get. Aside from trying them on before purchasing them, they were never worn. Lucky for him the guide noticed it and refused to allow him to attempt it.

 

Dont bring any food into your tent.

Dont warm your feet too long by the fire or it could melt the rubber on your boots.

 

do bring extra socks, dont bring your hairdryer, do have emergency fire, like matches wraped in plastic, dont bring diesel fuel to light the fire, do bring comfortable , breathable shoes, dont bring high heals, do bring your freinds, dont bring whinners.

 

Don't leave garbage anywhere: your campsite, the trail, etc. If it doesn't burn in your fire, remove it from the fire ring and pack it out with you.

Don't feed the wildlife. Ever. It causes nuiscance animals. One campsite I was at, the chipmunks were so tame that they would walk around the camp table right in front of me, one even jumped on my back (alright, that was kinda cool, but still). Besides the rabies issue, tame, human fed animals can spoil your camp food.

Don't shit near water sources. And make sure it's buried in a hole at least 6 inches deep. This prevents the spread of diseases like Giardia and others, which often cause horrible diarreah (sp?). I've had this once (I think; I had the shits anyways) and it's not pleasant. So, dig your cathole deep, and at least 200 feet away from any water (lake, river, etc).

 

If you are using leaves as toilet paper don't do it if you're not sure about what plant you are using. I have a friend who didn't know much better and grabbed a handfull of poison ivy. Needless to say they did not have fun.

 

Corn lillys make some sweet ass whiping material. When you dig the hole dig in six inches, no less and no more than 8 inches, below 8 inches it takes a lot longer to decompose. with food, pack all of it out, dont bury it or toss it in a lake thinking the fish will eat it cause they wont and it gets really manky. if you cant eat it all save it for later in a tupaware or try to burn it, yes it is possible to burn cream o'wheat. those yuppy bags you get at rei with all the dehydrated foods, stay away, they are loaded with loads of trash that cant be burned withought negating ecogroovyness and they taste NASTY and will make you feel bad inside.

 

Wear two pair of wool socks.I wore Smartwool socks on my '98 Appalachian Trail Thru hike. Forget those poly or nylon liners.


Feet care: Toughen the skin on your feet by soaking them in a strong tea solution. The tannic acid in the tea will tan your hide.

Don't plunge hot feet directly into cold water after removing your boots. Remember thats how you loosen the skin on fruits and veggie.

Here's a quick way to break in you boots... Soak you boots in water and then wear them until they dry.

Don't dry you're boots by the fire. Instead remove laces and insoles open up the tongue. Fill a water bottle with boiling(or almost boiling) water close lid tightly and place bottle inside boot.

 

Don't pee on the camp fire, it smells bad. Seriously though, if you are going to take a long back packing trip, always make sure you take a few smaller "test runs" first to make sure your equip works, figure out what you really do and really don't need.

 

Don't bring too many posessions. try to go light.

 

If you putting gasoline on the fire, don't, and don't throw the bottle on the fire when it's empty. (I didn't do this of course but some people I was with did)

 

Do Not put gasoline on fire
Do only use dead wood no thicker than you can break over your knee for fire
Do only have small fires in pre-existing fire pits

 

AND THE 44 MAGNUM ON YOUR HIP HOLTER. AS A MINIMUM.

 

Never put dairy milk in a vacum flask with the idea of keeping it fresh. It goes off really quickly and turns rapidly into a very unpleasant goo.
Drums taken from dis-used washing machines make very good wood burners for outdoor use.

Always take string it is an incredibly useful thing when camping.

 

Dress Right. Anything cotton should not be worn for extended stays in the woods. Its the kiss of Death when its wet. Its heavy when wet and holds the water and because you have all this wet material on your it lowers your body temperature and you get hypothermic. It sucks, but the trth is you really need to buy some of the expensive synthetic material clothing from places like EMS.

 

It's true that you should never wear cotton.. but you dont need the expensive stuff from REI either. The truth is you can find most of your synthetic clothes for cheap at walmart and thrift stores (hint - look for polypro/nylon/spandex/acrylic/etc.. anything but cotton) You can find good merino wool and quality synthetic stuff at thrift stores every once in a while you just have to look. Walmart sells a water wicking synthetic shirt for $6.. why pay $25? Clothes can be cheap. Just don't have cotton anything, except a bandana. I found a merino wool sweater, polypro shirt, nylon convertible pants, synthetic fleece pullover and wool socks at thrift store all for under $20. Or you can go to REI and spend $250.. your choice. Look around.
some people even find silnylon sheets at walmart. (silicone-impregnated nylon.. very lightweight, waterproof) you can use this to make waterproof stuff sacks.. ponchos.. pack covers.. pack liners.. vestibules.. etc.

One thing you should not skimp on is good rain gear. Look for completely waterproof, breatheable, lightweight, with a good hood and no frills. I recommend FroggToggs - http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/clothing/frogg-toggs/pro-action.html

550 parachute cord is the ideal rope for its thin size, high strength, and lack of stretch when it gets wet. You can also remove the inner strands and use the fibers for string or thread.

 

Another great idea is the wind up or 'shake up' LED torches you can get - the one I've got is 100% waterproof, and shaking for 30 seconds gives about 5 mins of quite bright light. Never run out of batteries or need a new bulb. Much more environmentally friendly too. Got mine on ebay for the equivalent of about $6.00

 

Good advice. You can always find dry kindling on trees. Small twigs that have died and dried out but are still on the tree. Does no harm to snap them off.

 

Interesting advice on the cotton/synthetic, but remember that synthetics and open fire may be a problem, if you intend to cook on a campfire. I like linnen & wool better, or that cotton; I'd rather be cold than burned.

 

Don't bring people who bug you.
Don't bring cheese, yogurt, milk, or rich kids. They all spoil easily.