The Great Adventure Begins

Hiking. Ever tried it? Maybe you have visions of dusty trails on steep slopes. Or, possibly you think it's an experience filled with just insect bites, blisters and sore legs. Sounds pretty unpleasant, doesn't it?

Backpack Buying Tips

There are so many choices available for backpacks today that before looking at the details it can be helpful to get a general view.

Backpacks 101

There are as many backpacks on the market today as there are trails to use them on. They come in all sizes and colors, in a range of materials and with enough add-on extras to satisfy the most demanding gadget freak.

Basic First Aid

Three of the more valuable skills hikers can learn are CPR (Cardio-pulminary Resuscitation), executing the Heimlich maneuver and dealing with fractures.

Basic First Aid Kits

Millions of hikers travel along wilderness paths every year, enjoying the experience without injury. But, unfortunately, accidents do happen. A little knowledge can help quell the panic and reduce the seriousness of most of them.

Basic Safety Tips for Hikers

Hiking isn't typically dangerous. Much more often it's a great pleasure, even an adventure. But you're outside, sometimes far from 'civilization' and you can get injured or worse. It pays to heed some common sense safety tips.

Basic Training For Beginning Hikers

Once you've achieved some basic fitness as preparations for a good hike, there are a few other things that will help you get completely ready. General fitness is great, but there are specialized activities that are appropriate to hiking, another specialized form of exercise.

Buying Boots

One of the best investments a hiker can ever make is in the selection of good boots. From the negative side, nothing (short of a catastrophic accident) can make a hike go bad as easily as a bad pair of boots. On the positive side, good boots give you the support, comfort and traction you need to conquer any hike.

Dealing With Blisters

Ouch! You've been on the trail for a few hours and you're on your way back. Unfortunately, you still have a few miles to go and you just noticed you've got blisters. That turns a pleasant hike back into torture.

Etiquette on the Trail

People who live in urban environments sometimes seem to forget why they came to a wilderness area to hike: peace and quiet, and great scenery. To enjoy that themselves, and to allow others to, hikers generally adopt a few common sense guidelines.

Exercises For Beginning Hikers

One of the first things someone new to hiking should do is get in shape. That's especially true if you've been sitting on the couch for the last few months or more. Hiking most obviously uses the leg muscles, but virtually every muscle group is involved.

Getting Lost and Getting Out of It

Getting lost is among the top potential problems for beginning hikers.

Getting Started

Hiking sounds like, to use a very old phrase, a cakewalk - something easy. You lace up some boots, slip on some shorts and a shirt and you're on your way. What could be easier?

Hiking Techniques for the Beginner

Hiking is not exactly like walking in the park. Gravel and soft dirt, hills, creeks and other natural features make maintaining a good rhythm over a long distance a real challenge.

Introduction to Using a Compass

The old-fashioned practice of using a compass is rapidly giving way to GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation. But, compasses are still often cheaper and it's a good idea for hikers to be familiar with how to use one.

Introduction to Using Maps

Even experienced hikers will rely on maps or GPS units to navigate along trails and through wilderness areas. In fact, it's the MORE experienced hikers who tend to do this and the beginners who think they can just wing it.

More Hiking Techniques for the Beginner

Hiking over ordinary terrain requires being able to keep up a steady pace for several hours, with short rest breaks (10 min or so) in between once per hour. But creeks, steep or slippery slopes and hikes at high altitudes can make that almost impossible.

Navigation By The Stars and Sun

There are times while hiking when it's a good idea to be able to fall back on traditional navigation techniques.

Navigation Using GPS Devices

GPS is an acronym standing for Global Positioning System. Though there are lots of components, the essential parts are a series of satellites and the units people carry. Three satellites are used to locate your position across the Earth's surface and another can be used with them to calculate your altitude in a process called triangulation.

Selecting Socks

You wouldn't naturally think so, but selecting socks is even harder than buying boots. There are so many good models and manufacturers of good boots. If you find ones that are sturdy and fit well, you'll probably be pleased. But, socks? That's tough.