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#133132 - 05/02/10 08:50 PM Hiking Safety
CaliforniaHikes Offline
newbie

Registered: 05/02/10
Posts: 1
Hello, I am the webmaster for bestcaliforniahikes.com, a website with information on day hikes in state of California. I have created a page with some safety tips, that I consider every day hiker should know. I know this forum focuses on longer and more strenuous backpacking trips, but I'd like to incorporate more information to my site related to the basics of safety in the outdoors. That's why I'm asking if you could take a look at the Safety page of my website and see if could suggest some of your knowledge to the tips that I have already posted there. Any feedback will be greatly appreciate. Thank You very much!

http://bestcaliforniahikes.com/safety/

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#133143 - 05/03/10 11:12 AM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: CaliforniaHikes]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
well I have to contest a couple of things, like never hike alone. While it may seem classical caution, its not really much of a problem, and I assume that you are a woman since you caution about men being in the same category as bears and lions. smile Grrr
Most of your bear discussion seems to apply to grizzlies and there are none in California. Throwing rocks at black bears works. On the other hand, bending over to pick up a rock is considered a bad idea with lions because then they can see how small you are. Probably sprained ankles, dehydration, and hypothermia are greater threats. Feral dogs are maybe the worst animal problem. And in the Mojave there are threats from inhaled fungus spores. Caves should be avoided and mines. Finally falling over cliffs and sliding down talus piles are real threats.
Jim
Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

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#133145 - 05/03/10 12:04 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: CaliforniaHikes]
ringtail Offline
member

Registered: 08/22/02
Posts: 2296
Loc: Colorado Rockies
Superfeet are a good idea, but they stabilize the heel rather than providing extra cushioning.

I do not hike in boots or ankle braces. Boots have their place, but seldom for me.

I treat water rather than use a filter.

The safety seems to focus on external dangers. Hikers generally are their own worst enemy - getting lost, getting hurt, getting dehydrated, getting hypothermia, etc. Hiking is just walking where you can pee. In my opinion the drive to the trailhead is more dangerous than the hike.
_________________________
"In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not."
Yogi Berra

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#133155 - 05/03/10 03:59 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: CaliforniaHikes]
OregonMouse Offline
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Unfortunately you appear to be promoting some folklore (such as always wearing boots) and, even more serious, not prioritizing the hazards.

Why bears first? Since when is this the most important hazard? What about hypothermia, dehydration, navigation, what to do when lost? Aren't those more important? They certainly cause far, far more injuries and fatalities and SAR operations than do bears!

I suggest you put bears and mountain lions together at the very end (since statistically they are the least important) and compare and contrast the suggested behaviors for each. Do remember that there's a considerable difference between how to behave with a black bear and how to behave with a grizzly, and that there are no grizzlies in California.

In California, bear canisters are required for food storage in many places. Why no mention?

Ankle brace? Hiking boots? A large number of experienced hikers have made the switch from boots to trail runners and are far more comfortable. I am one of them--and have had no trouble with turned ankles (frequent problem with boots) since I switched, including on rough and rocky ground. That's because trail runners, unlike boots, provide more support for the foot itself (such as anti-pronation devices). Goretex boots, once they get wet inside, take days to dry, while wet trail runners dry in an hour or two.

Like many other women, I almost always hike alone and have never had any problems. Why is it only men (well, some men) who think we can't take care of ourselves? I do watch body language and listen to my instincts when I meet someone, especially near a trailhead, but everyone should do that, regardless of sex.

EDIT, LATER: I didn't see anything about the "Ten" Essentials or about taking enough extra clothing to stay warm and dry if caught out overnight. I didn't see anything about avoiding cotton (especially jeans) for warmth. I wrote up a safety policy for a hiking/mountaineering club some years back and those are the items I put first. I did so because these are the things that beginning hikers so often don't take with them and often come to grief because they don't have.


Edited by OregonMouse (05/03/10 05:26 PM)
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

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#133165 - 05/03/10 07:31 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: CaliforniaHikes]
lori Offline
member

Registered: 01/22/08
Posts: 2801
What others have said, plus...

You have nothing about raccoons, rattlesnakes, or insects -- nothing about the dangers of high peaks in a storm -- nothing about being prepared for the season, nothing about the dangers of going out without being able to navigate.

More people endanger themselves by going out with no extra layers of clothing, no way of navigating, no (or insufficient) food/water, and no clue about staying off peaks like Half Dome when it clouds up and looks like rain. There have been no bear related deaths in Yosemite, where the habituated bears are the worst - the bears are the least of your problems.

And you make no mention of the permitting system for Half Dome - nor are there links to any of the official Yosemite pages that would give the reader those details, or the info on food storage, which is absolutely critical for any hiker to have before going to the park. Not just backpackers, either.

And I completely disagree that Yosemite Falls is the best hike in all of California.
_________________________
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few." Shunryu Suzuki

http://hikeandbackpack.com

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#133171 - 05/03/10 09:48 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: lori]
oldranger Offline
member

Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
The best hike in California is your next hike in California, wherever it is.

I agree with many of the above comments that you have too much emphasis on wild animals (especially bares and lyons) and not enough on the things that actually give people trouble - falls and adverse, often unanticipated, weather.

Get some solid information on what triggers SAR ops and adjust your site to those factors. That might be somewhat mundane. so you could use wild animals as a "teaser" - What is even more dangerous than a marauding mountain lion? -to get your reader's attention.

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#133177 - 05/03/10 10:50 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: oldranger]
OregonMouse Offline
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Good thought, oldranger! Use the wild beasts as a lead-in for the items that are far more dangerous!
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

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#133194 - 05/04/10 02:08 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: CaliforniaHikes]
dianeh Offline
newbie

Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 4
Loc: Fort Collins, CO
Regarding hiking boot fit, keep in mind that your feet will swell also.

Excellent and essential suggestions have been submitted. My preference and thought is that on a long hike a good pair of comfortable boots are best.


Edited by dianeh (05/04/10 02:18 PM)

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#133198 - 05/04/10 04:10 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: dianeh]
aimless Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
your feet will swell

This depends on the individual. Feet are highly quirky and hard to generalize about.

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#133257 - 05/05/10 07:44 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: OregonMouse]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
re. Bears. They just get craftier and craftier.

Things Bears Love

Be. Very. Afraid.
_________________________
--Rick

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#133447 - 05/10/10 12:48 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: CaliforniaHikes]
ohiohiker Offline
member

Registered: 07/20/07
Posts: 127
Loc: Ohio
It's good that your safety tips emphasize knowledge and skills, but I think this could be emphasized even more. Someone in a survival situation needs to know their priorities, and how to achieve each of the priorities. Lists of things to bring rarely mention the many hours of practice which are necessary to attain even minimal skills in an emergency situation. People need to understand what they are bringing and why.

The bear safety tips are dangerously wrong because they don't distinguish between black and brown bear attacks. Grizzlies are more powerful and typically attack for different reasons than black bears. A full attack by a black bear is likely predatory, and the bear intends to eat the victim. Black bears are very likely to break off an attack if resistance is encountered. If someone follows the "play dead" advice in a black bear attack, they've just become an easy meal.

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#133452 - 05/10/10 01:50 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: CaliforniaHikes]
wandering_daisy Offline
member

Registered: 01/11/06
Posts: 2865
Loc: California
You use too many "always" and "never" absolutes. Safe hiking involves a lot of judgement and subtle factors. There are also a lot more individual variations than you imply. I agree with the other comments previously stated. Particularly "old school" is your viewpoint of boots. Many hikers will do better in trail runners. Altitude? if I were to "never" go higher evertime I got slight altitude problems I never would have climbed any mountains! And why the scare tactics aimed at women? Back-country pshcyo cases are rare and equally a danger to men. I have backpacked and hiked for over 40 years, much solo, and have not had a "bad experience" with other hikers.

Beginners should incrementally gain experience (with the help of going with the more experienced) as they progress towards more difficult hikes and solo hiking. It is not that solo hiking is "always" unsafe - it just is something that needs a lot of experience to become more safe. Experience is very important - more so than "rules" or "lists of safety items". Leaving your route and schedule with someone is also very important - I did not recall reading this.

It sounds like you have been assigned a task that exceeds your personal experience. Cannot more experienced people who work on the website help you out? It does not seem fair that they put you in this spot. But, I think the folks on this forum have good advise for you. However, just gleaning advise on the internet is no substitue for actual experience.

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#133483 - 05/10/10 09:51 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: ohiohiker]
oldranger Offline
member

Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
I just finished watching the first video featured on your page -Silent Witness Presents Hiking Safety - or something, and I was utterly appalled. While the video presents some good information, it begins with a textbook example of bad rappelling technique - bounding fast (totally unnecessary and placing unnecessary stress on anchors) and without a helmet, especially bad practice on what is clearly rotten rock (the locale is obviously Arizona, an odd choice for a California hiking site). I would sincerely recommend you remove this video in order to retain credibility with your viewers.

I was prompted to chime in again because of news of a hiking fatality on Santa Cruz Island (Channel Islands National Park). A young man died from a fall on an easy day hike (Potato Harbor, usually accessed from Scorpion Harbor). The newspaper account hinted at the possible involvement of alcohol. While this angle is still under investigation, it unfortunately would not be a surprise. This incident is a textbook example of the sorts of hazards that do maim and kill folks in the outdoors - factors that are not discussed nearly as much as they should be on your site....

I agree wholeheartedly with WD - excellent post.


Edited by oldranger (05/10/10 10:26 PM)

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#133668 - 05/13/10 04:41 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: oldranger]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
Has anyone else noted that the OP has made no comment at all about our advice? thanks I think the OP just wanted us to rubber stamp the article, not cut it down. goodjob

If the OP is serious, then this is just a glimpse into "things as they are". Like why would someone with no knowledge about outdoor safety make videos about it? OTOH people make utube videos everyday that show how little they know.
Jim


Edited by Jimshaw (05/13/10 04:44 PM)
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

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#133673 - 05/13/10 05:46 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: Jimshaw]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
I waited until the more experienced among us chimed in here, but I have to say, the last three post were pretty darn good.

W_D, as always, your right on the money.

oldranger, I didn't watch the videos, but your post was excellent reading too.

And Jim, you summed it all up about as accurately as anyone could have, and I had to bust out in a laugh when I read that post too.

But truthfully the subject is no laughing matter, and it's too bad that the OP has not responded.

You can learn something from anybody, if you know you can learn something from anybody.

Bill
_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



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#133675 - 05/13/10 06:04 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: billstephenson]
JimmyTH Offline
member

Registered: 03/11/09
Posts: 59
Loc: Indiana
One of the things I like about hiking is that at least so far you don't have to do the things everybody tells you. I wear jeans and always have, in all sorts of weather, and I find them warm enough. I ran a half marathon a few years ago, in jeans, on the hottest day of the year, and they didn't make me uncomfortable. Anyway, not to argue about jeans, probably the same people who decided jeans were deadly are the same ones who decided you'd die of thirst by drinking too much coffee.

I gave up boots a long time ago and I'm still in the process of giving up shoes, or at least shifting down to sandals. I've been wearing homemade huaraches for runs for about three years now and my feet are much healthier for it. I've read of people who did the Appalachian Trail barefoot. That amazes me but I don't think it's stupid, just takes a lot of preparation. Footgear is where I notice the extra ounces the most, not in the backpack. If I have mud stuck on the bottom of a shoe it weighs a ton. I'm interested in footgear that saves weight.

If you're hiking fields of broken lava or snow you probably ought to wear boots, but otherwise it's good to wean yourself off them. The extra ankle support just creates weak ankles.

I only throw rocks at plastic bears.

JimmyTH

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#133781 - 05/15/10 09:26 AM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: JimmyTH]
balzaccom Offline
member

Registered: 04/06/09
Posts: 2232
Loc: Napa, CA
Jimmy--wear jeans all you want, but once you try hiking in something that weighs less, dries quicker, and can be converted to shorts in about ten seconds, you will change your mind.

BTW, here the page on dangers on the trail from our website:

Dangers on the Trail
The irony about the Sierra Nevada is that the things that most people worry about really aren’t much of a problem. And the things that really can create life-threatening situations are pretty much off the radar for most hikers. Weird, huh?



In all of our years in the Sierra, we’ve never seen anyone get bitten by a snake or attacked by a bear. But we have seen people in varying stages of hypothermia and dehydration. And we’ve seen other people who were well on their way to problems in that regard. So what is the single biggest danger in the Sierra Nevada for hikers? We think it is hypothermia, followed by dehydration and getting lost.



Hypothermia



Simply put, hypothermia is when your body can no longer maintain that perfect 98.6 degree temperature, and starts to cool down. That is a bad thing—because when your body starts to feel as if it can’t keep you warm, it tends to focus on keeping your vital organs warm: your torso. And that means less blood to your arms, legs, and head. Your head is where your brain is…and less blood there tends to make to you tired, sleepy, and a little stupid. When that happens, the most logical solutions to the problem may not appear so logical to you---and you start making mistakes that only make things worse.



The obvious solution is to get warm. The even more obvious solution is to not get cold at all. That means paying attention to the weather reports, understanding how hypothermia can happen, and bringing along enough clothes to make sure that you are prepared for any situation. Getting wet makes hypothermia much more likely, because the moisture saps your body of heat really fast.



How likely is that? We have seen rain during every month of the year in the Sierra, and above 10,000 feet, that rain can become snow without a second thought. So yes, be prepared for rain and snow, even if the weather looks perfect. Even on a day hike. Waterproof outer layers should be in your pack. Fleece inner layers should be on your body, or available. And if you are staying overnight, shelter should be an option wherever you are.



When the weather turns cold and wet (and this can happen in fifteen minutes in the mountains) don’t plod on until you really start to feel cold, or until you are ready to make camp. That’s a sure way to get stupid, and then the rest of your decisions will be questionable. Immediately put on your rain gear, and look for places to set up your shelter. Don’t get cold and then try to get warm---stay warm and make smart choices. Warm and sheltered, your mind and body can survive for many days. Cold and stupid, your chances go way down quickly.



Our rule? If you start to think about hypothermia, that’s the time to do something about it. Don’t wait until you are sure, because you won’t be able to trust your mind to make a good decision by then.



Dehydration



In the High Sierra, the air is so dry and thin that you really don’t notice how much sweat is evaporating off your skin. It is gone before you notice it. (If you are wearing a pack, the back of your shirt may well be soaked—but the rest of your body will be dry. Pay attention to your shirt, not the rest of your body!) Because keeping your body hydrated is really important.



On the one hand, your body can survive for two to three weeks without food, but it can only survive a few days without water. But there is an even worse danger with dehydration: it can also create a real imbalance in your electrolytes, and that makes your brain do all sorts of unexpected things, from headaches and hallucinations to just plain stupid.



There’s that stupid problem again.



We have a simple rule about dehydration, too. If you don’t have to pee every couple of hours, you are probably getting dehydrated. Stop, drink all the water you have, and then make a plan for how you are going to proceed. You never get any prizes for arriving at a water source or a campsite with lots of water in your bottles. You often get punished for making dumb mistakes because you are dehydrated.



If you have done much hiking, you have seen dehydrated hikers. They are plodding along, mouth open, gasping. They may even tell you that they are not dehydrated, because they are not even sweating. If you are not sweating during a hike, it’s because you are so dehydrated that your body can no longer produce perspiration. And it’s a function of that dehydration that your brain thinks that this is a good thing. Stupid.



People who are dehydrated make dumb mistakes, like passing up a water source to make better time to the next one, or missing a trail junction because they aren’t paying attention. And then they get more dehydrated. And they make more stupid decisions.



Again, the solution is preparation. Take plenty of water. Plan your trip so that you are sure where you can get water, and fill up. Drink until you have to pee, all during the day. And if you think you are getting dehydrated, drink and rest until you know you are not. If you think you are not dehydrated, that isn’t good enough!



Getting lost



It is actually pretty hard to get lost in most of the entry level hiking areas of the Sierra Nevada. The trails are well marked, and there are enough people on them to ask a question or two if you are feeling a little confused. When you add those facts to the great USGS website that allows you to get free topographical maps every hike, and there is really very little excuse for getting lost in the Sierra.



Except that people do it all the time.



We’ve met people in the Sierra who were literally FIFTEEN TRAIL MILES from where they thought they were, and it had only, in the previous ten minutes, occurred to them that something might be wrong. It was after 3 p.m., and they had one bottle of water between the two of them, no warm clothes, and about 9 miles to hike before nightfall.



As with the previous two dangers, the first solution is to be prepared, and not get lost at all. You should always have a compass and map, and know how to use them. GPS units are great, but they can sometimes lead you to within 500 yards of your rescue: the problem being that those 500 yards are straight up or down a cliff. And when you are dehydrated or hypothermic, you think maybe that it wouldn’t be too hard to climb down that cliff. After all, it’s only 500 yards! Ahem.



Don’t get lost. Use a map, and track your progress on the map. Look for landmarks as you go along. If you don’t find them, little alarm bells should start ringing in your head. When you do find them, confirm them on the map, so you know where you are. It often helps to do these calculations with everyone in your group—just to make sure that your navigator isn’t a little confused.



If you do get lost, don’t panic. The best thing you can do when you are lost is to sit down, have a nice snack, drink a lot of water, make sure you are warm, and think. Go back to that map and find where you were the last time you were sure you were on the trail. And then look for solutions. If you are on a trail, DO NOT LEAVE THAT TRAIL! Sometimes it’s just a question of you getting tired, and you having slowed down. Another ½ mile and your destination will appear. Sometimes you have taken a wrong turn. Sometimes the trail is poorly marked, and you’ve lost it. Sit down and think. It is ALWAYS better to wait for someone to come along than it is to start running.



Whatever you do, don’t start running up and down the mountains in a panic. If you do that, you will not drink enough water. You may get hypothermic. And you will almost certainly make some really bad decisions. With luck, you will get found before you do something stupid. But every year someone gets lost in the Sierra, and doesn’t get found until they have died. Don’t get lost.



Altitude and Acclimatization

No, this doesn't mean that you should try to air condition your tent. But at 10,000 feet, your body is getting a lot less oxygen than it does at sea level, and that has some real repercussions. While altitude sickness won't generally kill you at the kinds of elevations we see in the Sierra, (the Himalayas are another question!) it can make you really unhappy. And that's no fun for you or your companions.

What are the symptoms? Similar to de-hydration, you can first notice a headache, and general weakness. You often lose your appetite, and this can lead to full-blown nausea and vomiting. And a worse headache.

What fun!

The solution is to acclimatize slowly. M swears that she always does better when she spends a night at 3000-5000 feet before we head up into the high country. And she does much worse if we just drive up and start hiking. The worst case we ever had was a day when we drove up from sea level, set up camp, and then climbed Mt Hoffman, which is over 10,000 feet. M felt awful, and continued to feel awful even after going to bed early. She woke up in the middle of the night and vomited numerous times, entertaining the neighbors in the campground.

The next morning she felt pretty good, and for the next four days we hiked at altitude without any real problems.

So take it easy. If you feel bad, stop, rest, and even head back downhill.

And lay off the alcohol--a really bad idea at high elevations! It both dehydrates you and makes you stupid!

Wild Animals!


Ah! This is the stuff that everybody wants to talk about. Wild bears who attack campers in the middle of dinner. Ferocious pumas who lie in wait behind every tree. Snakes that crawl into your sleeping bag at night!



Sorry. Doesn’t happen. Since 1980 there have been a total of twelve reported attacks by black bears in California. That’s an average of less than one attack every two years. Most occurred in developed campgrounds or rural urban interfaces, not in the wilderness. None were fatal. In that same time period, there have been exactly the same number of reported puma attacks—most near the rural urban interface, and none in wilderness areas. Almost all involved children or small adults. Roughly 800 people this year will be bitten by rattlesnakes, and one or two of those bites will result in death.



So you are not going to get killed or eaten by wild animals. In contrast, some 370,000 Americans are bitten by dogs badly enough to need treatment at the emergency room, and nearly 4,000 people will die in traffic accidents in California this year. If you want to be safe, get out backpacking in the high Sierra and STOP DRIVING YOUR CAR!



Actually, the only death attributed to a wild animal in the history of Yosemite National Park was a young boy who was killed by a deer. The boy was attempting to hug the deer to pose for a photo, and the deer kicked him, slicing open an artery.



Again, we have a few solutions. When you are in the wilderness, understand that you are in wild country. Pay attention. Bears are attracted by odors of food, so limit the amount of food smells you create. Store your food in bearproof containers to keep them from getting used to the idea that hikers mean food. Most developed campgrounds in our parks these days provide steel bear boxes for your food, and since those have been installed, bear damage to vehicles and camping equipment has drastically declined.



Pumas generally attack small people who are alone. They attack from behind. If you see a puma, stand up tall and face it. Fight back. Scream for help from nearby hikers. Write about it later, and make lots of money from the TV movie.



Rattlesnakes generally try to avoid people, and often will start to take defensive action when they feel your footsteps approach. Leave them alone. Don’t put your hand where you can’t see, and don’t climb cliffs blindly.

Want some really interesting statistics? 130 Americans are killed by deer every year. 65 are struck by lightning. 100 are killed by bees. 20 are killed by cows. Makes you wonder, huh?


Most importantly, drive very carefully to the trailhead. Your chances of dying are 4,000 times higher on the highway than they are on the trail.

_________________________
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/

Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963

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#133787 - 05/15/10 01:00 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: balzaccom]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Originally Posted By balzaccom
Jimmy--wear jeans all you want, but once you try hiking in something that weighs less, dries quicker, and can be converted to shorts in about ten seconds, you will change your mind.


And once you start bushwhacking through Ozark bramble you'll change it back wink

What works good for hiking in the Western States, and on well used trails, does not necessarily work good in the thick deciduous forest we have here in the Mid-West.

I made the mistake of wearing lightweight nylon zip-offs for a bushwhack along the bluffs near my home a few years ago. My legs were scratched up something awful when I got back home.

Those pants that look like "Tights" and trailrunner shoes I see hikers wearing in the magazines aren't designed for our terrain here either.

The nylon zip-off pants do make it into my pack though. They're perfect for a spare pair of pants in case my heavy denim jeans get wet. So, for "Safety's" sake, I always take a pair along.

They also make for a good pair of swimming trunks in case I run across a swimming hole I can't resist jumping into, so they are in there for "Fun's" sake too wink

Actually, there really isn't any clothing that's well designed for the type of hiking we do here. We have the lightweight "West Coast" options, and we have very heavy clothing designed for "Hunters", but neither are well designed for backpacking and hiking here. Experienced hikers here tend to mix and match those product lines, and scrounge around a lot, to suit their needs.

Bill

_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



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#133798 - 05/15/10 04:27 PM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: billstephenson]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
I normally hike in Levis and trail runners, but if I go up to the mountain I change.
Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

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#133935 - 05/19/10 10:08 AM Re: Hiking Safety [Re: billstephenson]
finallyME Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 2710
Loc: Utah
Bill, in those situations, I would still stay away from denim. I would use canvas pants like Carharts or Dickies, or wear BDUs made from ripstop ny/co. Canvas pants are tougher and dry faster than denim. BDU's are lighter, and dry even faster, and are still really tough.

A third option that I want to try some time is to sew patches of Cordura on my nylon pants to spots of heavy wear. This would hopefully make them more durable and still dry really fast.
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