Sabtu, 26 April 2014

Tips For Those Hiking For Multiple Days

By Kamryn Mattson


For hikers, there are few bigger highs than climbing to the top of a scenic vista and enjoying a view that few other people will ever see. If you have been hiking your local trails for a while and are ready to enjoy a longer hike spread over multiple days, consider following some of these suggestions.

For people considering a large hike somewhere such as the Appalachian Trail, the Grand Canyon or the Pacific Crest Trail, quite a bit of preparatory work will be needed. You can't go from a simple weekly hike on your local trails and then just hit the trailhead with a huge backpack. You need to spend months preparing for this adventure. You need to plan hard-core day hikes with a fully loaded pack, as well as an overnight hike or two to truly work up your endurance. Hit the treadmill or stair climber on those days that you are not hiking to improve your cardiovascular fitness. If the hike is at altitude, you also need to practice hiking at higher elevations.

Your feet can be your best friends or your worst enemy on the trail, so protecting the feet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a great hiking experience. Find the best possible, highest quality hiking boots as well as buying proper hiking socks and other helpful items, such as moleskin. Don't wear new boots on this big trip, break them in first and break them in while hiking with a full backpack. Assess any areas that seem to rub a particular area of your foot and find solutions to these problems to prevent blisters.

Of course, your pack also is highly important and this needs to fit comfortably against your back. You need to actually go and be fitted for the pack, as well as the boots to ensure optimum comfort. The pack also needs to have enough space to hold your water, tent, sleeping bag, food and many other important supplies. Be sure to go to a store where the staff is highly knowledgeable about the different backpacks.

It's not uncommon during a long, multi-day hike to strain a muscle or have some muscle pain, and this discomfort can really put a damper on your whole hiking experience. The usual remedy of rest, ice, compression and elevation can be a bit difficult to apply when you are in the middle of the wilderness, so instead, consider using a physiological hybrid shape to reduce the pain and still allow you enough freedom of movement to continue the hike.

Featuring a unique design that provides structure and support, these physiological hybrid shapes come in many different varieties. There are shapes designed specifically for the legs, knees, shoulders, elbows and the back, so you simply take along the shapes for the areas where you are most prone to experience pain. The shape will protect the sore muscle and grab strength from nearby tendons and muscles, allowing you to move with less pain. The weight is minimal, so it won't add to the burden of carrying a heavy pack, and you can wear the shape for several days and it will continue to support the sore area.




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