Posts filed under 'Hiking'
May 1st, 2007
spryken
My Troop is planning a 50 mile combination Backpack/canoe trip in June. We will be hiking approximately 34 mile on the Appalachian Trial, from Clingsman Dome to Fontana Dam, then canoeing on Fontana Lake. In preparation for this trip, I have been trying to walk 3 miles at lunch most days. Yesterday, I hiked the Loblolly trail in Raleigh, NC. It is approximately 6.5 miles long.
The Loblolly trail is a bit unusual in that it crosses 3 different jurisdictions, William B Umstead State Park, Schenck Forest (NCSU) and the Raleigh Parks and Recreation Greenway system. Each section is reserved for hiking with bicycles, motorized vehicles and horses prohibited. One end of the trail is in the State Park and the other in the parking lot of the RBC Center, where the Carolina Hurricanes play hockey.
I started in the State Park. There the trail travels through forest, up and down to cross Richlands Creek. This section is the most strenuous, but is still only moderately strenuous. Most hikers would have not trouble at all. It travels 2 1/2 to 3 miles in the State Park.
The trail then crosses into Schenck Forest, a research forest for the Department of Forestry at NC State University. The trail follows Richlands Creek. While the trial in Umstead State Park is wide and appears well traveled, here it is narrower and looks less used. Following the creek more closely, the trail is more grassy and ticks are a concern. The trail circles a small lake and there is one of the few signs of civilization. There is a neighborhood that backs up to the lake.
Leaving Schenck Forest, I traveled through a tunnel under Wade Avenue. The trail is now part of the Raleigh Parks Greenway. This section is only about 1/2 mile long and travels along Richlands Creek. More grassy fields and even traveling. I crossed another tunnel under Edwards Mill Rd and up a hill into the parking lot of the RBC Center. All total 1 hour 50 minutes to travel 6.4 miles according to my GPS.
Wildlife spotted:
- 2 black snakes
- 1 copperhead
- 1 egret
- small herd of deer
- 1 red fox
This is all in a “civilized” area!!
Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Hiking
January 8th, 2007
spryken
Most people are aware of common dangers associated with winter sports. You know injuries due to slipping on wet and frozen surfaces, frostbite, hypothermia, etc.
These are all serious dangers and precautions should be taken to prevent or avoid them. But what about dehydration? Backpacking is still an aerobic exercise. It is strenuous. You may not realize how much moisture you are losing. Besides what you sweat out and the many layers of wick-away fabric absorb, you are also losing moisture with every breath you take. Do you see your breath? That is precious body moisture slipping away.
Symptoms of mild dehydration include:
- dark urine
- nausea or loss of appetite
- irritability
- thirst
Symptoms of moderate dehydration include:
- headache
- dizziness
- labored breathing
- tingling in the extremities
- lack of salivation - (no spit)
- cyanosis (bluish or grayish skin color)
Symptoms of severe dehydration include:
- swollen tongue
- dimming vision and impaired hearing
- shriveled or numb skin
- painful urination
- delirium
- unconsciousness
How can you treat dehydration? Drink liquids and keep warm. The best treatment is to never let it happen! You may not feel thirsty, drink anyway. Some people like the “sports drinks”. I like water. I think the sports drinks are sugary and am not convinced the aid in preventing dehydration any better than water. I bring along salty snacks to stimulate thirst. And as most backpackers, I graze all day on the trail.
Using a hydration system, such as the Platypus, you can drink water without having to pull out a water bottle or drop your pack. I like the Platypus system because the plastic “bottles” are extremely light weight and you can roll them up or fold them when empty. Most traditional packs now include a hydration pocket with openings for the drink tube.
Drinking water is the key to avoiding dehydration. However, you have to be able to get the water. In cold weather the drinking tubes of hydration systems can get blocked by the very water they carry, that is ICE. I keep my water in my tent where body heat can keep it thawed. If it is extremely cold, I keep it in my sleeping bag. I had a scout on a winter 50-miler, who learned this lesson the hard way. It had gotten down to 13 degrees F and he had left his water outside his tent. Unfortunately for him, he did not tell anyone that he could not get any water from the drinking tubes. He had severe leg cramps by the end of the days hike. He is a tough guy and made it through. Lesson learned!! He is now my biggest advocate for staying hydrated.
It is easy to think “I need to drink some water, stay hydrated” in the summer when you are coated with sweat and really hot. It is not so easy in the winter. Dehydration is still a very real danger though. Keep drinking, even if you aren’t thirsty. The guideline is 8-12 glasses (8 ounce) of water a day. While backpacking or doing any strenuous activity, you need to increase that amount.
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Hiking
December 11th, 2006
spryken
Crow, at As The Crow Flies, has posted an article listing the items carried in a backpacking wallet. One of the items was a “data card”. Included on the data card:
phone card number and pin, phone numbers of people I want to call, and
phone numbers of outfitters that I might have to order replacement gear
from, and my bank’s phone number
While I think these are good things to have on the data card, I would also include emergency contact numbers and any existing medical conditions.
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Hiking
December 1st, 2006
spryken
OK, So I have covered the major forms of water treatment while on the trail.
- Do nothing
- Boil
- Chemicals
- Filters
- MiOX
- UV
Each method has its own advocates and each is valid so there is not
really a wrong choice. There are just choices that are better for you.
Here are some key points to consider when choosing your water treatment method.
- Weight - as you try to lower you overall weight, water and water treatment will have to be considered. Water weighs 1 pound for every pint. So that is about 2 pounds per liter. Some light weight advocates suggest only carrying 1 liter and treating every time you come to water. That is a little extreme for me, I like having some in reserve - plus I drink a lot of water!!
- Cost - Let’s face it, cost is usually the determining factor. I know I don’t have money to just throw away. Even though I love gadgets and toys, I just can’t afford to buy every latest gizmo.
- Ease of Use - Everyone loves convenience.
- Time to Treat - Everyone has their own limits as to how long they can wait for something.
- Dependability - If it won’t work, what good is it?
Keeping these points in mind, I will share my reasoning and conclusion. Remember, we are different people and what I decide may not be best nor best for you.
I really drink a lot of water, probably a gallon a day with no exertion. So on the trail, I can easily go through a liter an hour. That is a lot of weight, so I would like to carry less and treat more often. I love new gadgets and so am drawn to the MiOX and UV treatment options. Love those toys!! But my budget is very tight right now. I also am a Boy Scout and live by the motto - Be Prepared. So, with toys that require batteries I would have to carry spare batteries, more weight. So, what does this boil down to? Two different options to cover two types of treks.
Option 1 - A trek with plenty of watering opportunities available.
Ideally, I would use the UV treatment and only carry 2 liters at a time. IF I didn’t drink so much, I would limit myself to 1 liter. With the speed of treatment (90 seconds), if I ran out of water before the next watering opportunity, I could be drinking while others were still pumping or waiting for the chemicals to work.
I would also carry some Polar Pure. It is a cheap, lightweight Iodine based treatment. That way if anything happened to the UV light bulb I would still have water treatment available.
Option 2 - A trek without plenty of watering opportunities available.
For this type of trip, I would tend to stick to chemical treatment. I feel more comfortable using more tablets or doses in treating larger amounts of water. I would carry at least 4 liters of water and treat at every opportunity. I would probably use Polar Pure or MicroPur tablets. I know and trust them both.
I know people who use filters. I have a few issues with them. Not that they don’t work, they do. My issues are with me and other humans. For any water treatment to work, you have to be meticulous in the application. You have to wait the proscribe time. Details count!! To me, filters seem to have too many chances for a human to make mistakes. You have to clean them properly. You have to avoid contamination. They are a lot of work. (Yes, I have pumped liters of water. You have to have several people available, as arms get tired.) So I tend to avoid filters.
Remember, your conclusions will be different from mine. We may end up at the same place, but our reasoning will be different. You have to decide for yourself. I just hope that my research and opinions can help you reach your decision.
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Camping, Gear, Hiking
November 28th, 2006
spryken
Disclaimer…. I have never used either type of water treatment covered in this article. All my information I have gathered from the Internet and Retail Stores.
There are 2 fairly new methods of treating water. MiOX and UV-C treatment.
MiOX is Mixed Oxidants. MSR has a MiOX Purifier. It uses salt and electricity to form a mixed oxidant solution that will inactivate viruses, bacteria, Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium. You have to carry salt and batteries (2 CR-123 - Lithium Camera Batteries). The purifier uses a brine solution and ionizes it with an electrical charge. This is similar to the treatment some municipal water treatment centers use. You pour the ionized brine solution into the water to be treated and wait: 15 minutes for viruses and bacteria, 30 minutes for Giardia, and 4 hours for Cryptosporidium.
Forum entries have expressed some trouble in getting the brine solution to the correct concentration. Cold water and dirty water require additional treatment - extra brine solution.
Cost: $100-130
UV-C treatment uses UltraViolet C radiation to treat the water. There are several products available: AquaStar, and SteriPen. According to the AquaStar site:
Ultra-violet C-band (UV-C) purifiers work differently from filtration
systems by generating ionizing radiation at 254nm that quickly and
effectively disrupts the cellular chemistry of all known pathogens,
halting DNA replication, and breaking down organic components of alien
living organisms into harmless material.
Both the AquaStar and the SteriPen use batteries. AquaStar uses 2 CR-123 Lithium Camera batteries, while the SteriPen uses 4 AA batteries. The AquaStar is contained in a Nalgene type bottle while the SteriPen is open and inserted into you water container. Both using a UV light can treat a liter of water in about 90 seconds. Dirty water should be prefiltered as dirty water will require additional time/treatment. This is definitely the quickest water treatment available.
Cost: $100-130
These last 4 articles have covered what I consider to be the facts involved in water treatment methods. In Part 5, I will make some conclusions and offer my opinions.
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Camping, Gear, Hiking
