GPS units v’s Smartphone apps

I have used both stand-alone GPS units and Smartphone apps on the trail and have yet to resolve which is better. For short day hikes – the Smartphone apps win hands down for convenience and their instant access to trail databases from companies like the North Face. But in the backcountry? I tend to agree with this assessment by Backpacker Magazine gear editor, Kristin Hostetter:

In a nutshell, here are the pros of using a smartphone with a navigation app: great for local hikes, daily activity mapping like runs and bike rides, perfect for snapping and georeferencing photos on the go. Maps are seamless and less expensive that what you will pay for expensive map packages from the standalone GPS dealers.

And here are the cons: Like with most smartphone, you can’t swipe the Defy with gloves; in direct sunlight the screen washes out; and the BLUR social networking software is a bit intrusive. And let’s face it: if you’re going for a week or more on a backcountry jaunt, you’ll want the convenience of replaceable batteries for your handheld GPS. Solar panel chargers need to pick up the pace to match the development of the phones they hope to power.

I only sporadically use my Smartphone as a GPS in the backcountry, but the software is improving and with some extended battery life – my stand-alone GPS may soon become a thing of the past.

How To Start A Fire With A Bag Of Doritos….

In Scouts we were taught to start a fire with two matches, with batteries, steel wool, cotton/vaseline, and by rubbing two sticks together. But this is one thing that didn’t make the Scout Handbook:

Backpacking Sleeping Pillows w/ Glenn (aka The Helmet)

In this video, Glenn (aka The Helmet) shows us two camping pillows that are compact, lightweight, and suitable for the backcountry.

You can follow this link for more information on backpacking sleeping pillows, or click here for more information on this hike along the Benton MacKaye Trail near the Toccoa River.

Spectacular North Dakota Hikes – Bring the Dog

For those of you longing for a “Best Hikes With Dogs – North Dakota” book, wait no longer. Susan Wefald, recently released her guidebook, “Spectacular North Dakota Hikes – Bring the Dog.” No word on why the good folks at Mountaineer Books didn’t get to Susan first (as they don’t have a North Dakota book yet) but here’s an article published in the Bismark Tribune with more details on her latest hiking publication:

The book is a profile of the best places to go hiking across the state, covering 50 hikes organized by eight regions. Of the 50 hikes, 43 allow leashed dogs to accompany the walker, which was a good thing for Wefald whose trusted goldendoodle, Sandy, accompanied her on her adventures and took a starring role in the publication.

“Sandy is such a special part of my hiking experiences,” Wefald said. “I knew other dog owners would enjoy learning about all of the wonderful places they can go hiking with their dogs.”

As part of her position on the PSC, Wefald drove across the state for 16 years, and in that time she saw many hiking opportunities. Unfortunately, she never had a chance to stop.

“As I was driving around, I would see all these state parks that I really wanted to stop at,” Wefald said. “And I never had the time.”
Retirement changed all that, and Wefald suddenly had plenty of time to pursue her passion. She and her husband, Bob Wefald, enjoy hiking not just across the state, but across the nation and even other countries. As they explored different parks and trails, Wefald noticed a lack of information to accompany the trails in North Dakota.

“If we would go to Oregon, I would get the hiking book for Oregon,” Wefald said. “I realized that there really was no book like that for North Dakota.”

That prompted Wefald to embark on writing her own North Dakota hiking book, a process that involved not only visiting and hiking trails across the state, but compiling research and writing about her experiences. Wefald would head out with Sandy in tow, bringing along a sack lunch and her notebook to hike and to record her experiences.

“As soon as I got home (from a hike) I would type (my notes) up on my computer, and then I’d have that rough draft,” Wefald said. “Then I’d go on another hike.”

As she hiked, Wefald would look for “spectacular hikes” that either offered a special view, varied terrains or a chance to experience North Dakota’s natural prairie.

“I think it’s important for people to see all the beauty North Dakota has to offer,” Wefald said.

With each hike in the book, Wefald includes basic information on the trail, practical information on terrain and elevation, a trail map, area attractions and information, and her own personal notes on the hike.

“I learned a lot by writing the book,” Wefald said. “And I included details that I thought would be interesting to the general public.”
Wefald also worked with the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department to gather information about various state parks and trails.
“She came in early on to see what help we could give her,” public information officer Gordon Weixel said.

Overall, the task of researching, hiking, writing and editing the book took about 2 and 1/2 years, and she received the last proof in the middle of July. The editing process and the process of developing uniformly styled maps for each trail, sometimes requiring Wefald and map-maker, Tom Marple, to start from nothing more than a Google Maps image, took almost as long as the original writing process. Those challenges, Wefald said, were the most difficult part of producing the book.

But she said it was all worth it.

“I was committed to this book,” Wefald said. “You know, you can’t stop in the middle.”Commitment, and selecting a topic one is fond of, she said, are essential for all who wish to write a book. “Pick a topic that you really like,” Wefald said. “Because you’re going to spend a lot of time on it.” Wefald will be signing copies of the book from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble.

The Appalachian Trail – “No fun, No finish”

National Parks Traveler recently published an article titled Hiking The Appalachian National Scenic Trail: It Takes More Heart than Heel”.
and it was stated that …

“The key to success for young people is to keep the distractions down.
The more you stay on the trail, the better. If you go into town too
much, you’re spending money, maybe on alcohol, and you’re not hiking.”

Well – you definitely spend money in town, and some thru-hikers definitely throw back a beer or two while there (this one included) – but exploring the trail towns along the A.T. is a big part of the experience. In fact, some of my most memborable moments were in the trail towns with other thru-hikers. My personal favorites? Hot Springs, Damascus, Harper’s Ferry, Gorham, Monson and Hanover (back in the days when the fraternity houses let you crash on the floor). I even enjoyed Gatlinburg (which most thru-hikers would be embarrassed to admit) – and I enjoyed it a lot.

You want the A.T. experience? Then get distracted. Take a side hike up Siler Bald, go swimming in the pool at Caledonia State Park, take the gondola ride down to Killington – and yes, stay a night or two in a trail town. The Appalachian Trail is not meant to be a race – it’s meant to be a life experience. There is an old A.T. saying …

“No rain, no pain, no Maine!”

Well there’s a lot of truth to that, but it should also be stated – “No fun, No finish” because you probably will not have the “heart” or the “heel” to walk 2000+ miles if you don’t enjoy it. Do do you want a foot race or a life experience that you will cherish the rest of your life? Stop and smell the roses – at every vista, at every hostel, and yes in every trail town – if you can afford it. Ten years from now, you’ll be glad that you did.

BirdShooter
GA – ME 1994
www.n2backpacking.com

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How to Find Inexpensive Hiking Gear

I love hiking, I love hiking gear and I start getting pretty excited when spring is only a short while away and we can get into our hiking mode with more gusto. Admittedly I am not a lover of winter hiking for more than a day hike so I really look forward to the warmer weather, especially since we live along the Pacific Westcoast.

I don’t love hanging out in malls or shopping endlessly for clothes but put me in a camping, hiking and outdoor store and I feel right at home and my adrenaline starts rushing at the sights of new gear and gadgets. The smell of the latest and greatest, what new pot set has MSR got this year? What are the new features on the Osprey backpacks that mine doesn’t have? Maybe we need more titanium kitchenware?

But the truth is that investing in hiking gear can really add up and add up quickly. Especially brand new gear that’s just been released and you happen to be shopping during peak hiking season. So how can you save some money but still get great gear? Check out these tips for having top notch gear and pay less for them, nothing could be sweeter than that.

Tip #1: Buying Used Gear. There’s nothing like recycling and helping out our environment at the same time. A lot of people buy great gear, hike a few times and give it up or want to trade in their gear for newer hiking equipment. You can find super gear, barely used, in great condition at a fraction of the original price. Places to check for used gear are online with Craigslist in your area, gear swap sites which can often be found through local outdoor stores such as MEC in Canada (I have found great kids gear this way for our family camping and hiking trips) and even the classifieds in your local paper. Also check out the bulletin boards inside your local outdoor store, they are usually filled with people offering to sell their equipment for very little.

A lot of hikers are like me and want the latest and greatest but need to trade in what we already have so selling off gear that isn’t too old helps to justify buying newer gear each year. We’ve also found great gear that we wanted this way and as long as you inspect it for any wear and tear most really good quality gear should last a very long time.

Tip #2: Buy Off Season. Another great reason to head to your outdoor store between hiking seasons if you are a seasonal hiker. The outdoor stores need to clear their inventory after the peak season to make room for the upcoming season’s new models of just about everything. Sometimes the only difference in a backpack or tent may be a colour change or the addition of a zipper but everything else stays the same. You’ll find prices slashed for brand new gear if you search regularly during the off season.

Stores such as MEC and REI sell their gear online as well and you can check weekly for sales, special deals and discounts. It’s a great way to stock up on your favourite pieces of hiking equipment.

Whether you hike year round or only part of the year these two tips will help you save money on some of the best gear you can have. What will you do with the money you save?

Happy Hiking!

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How to Hike With the Kids

With technology of today at our fingertips, it can slip our minds just how little exercise we are getting on a daily basis. Our little ones are so involved with the latest XBox game or the internet wars they can get caught up before you know it. The childhood obesity rate is souring and there is a simple and enjoyable solution to the problem… take them hiking.

Kids really get excited when they are walking the trails and come across an animal scurrying across the field or see a stream with frogs singing for their friends. Their imaginations go wild and the look of pure joy is evident on their faces for the whole day. I love watching the children on the trail because they will spot things that we miss just because they are fresh and new to the experiences. But there are a few things you will need to know before taking your little ones on the trail.

One important thing to teach your kids when hiking is to always take more out of the woods than you take in. This means we don not leave trash for others to pick up and if we see something that should not be there, be a good doober and take it out with you. This teaches them to be good to mother nature and the critters whose homes we are walking through.

Most kids are at a high when they enter the trails and can really get ahead of you before you know it. You will need to keep a close eye on them, especially if you are in the deep woods or mountain regions because they can get off the trail or lost very quickly. I made it a rule with my little ones that if they could not see Mom or Dad they were to stop and start singing loudly. We would catch up to them quickly. This worked several times when it could have been very dangerous. Keeping them close will ensure you all leave the woods as happy as you came in.

And, of course, the kids legs are not as long as ours and they tire quickly. I make sure to plan the trip with time for breaks so they can rest, get some water and a snack and discuss what we have seen and heard so far. I also try to teach them about the plant life and what is our friend and what to stay away from. This will keep them interested and learning when they do not even realize they are. That is a good thing. I keep a special snack in the car for the one who can identify the most plant life and this challenge usually never gets old for them.

Fresh air, lots of exercise and a teaching opportunity that keeps them begging for more. What could be better than that.

My name is Joyce Fletcher and I love to go hiking. The exercise is great and you really don’t even know you’re getting exercise because you’re mind is on the beauty of the trail and the company of friends. I have been hiking for years and hope to continue the experiences for years to come. The photography opportunities are endless as there is always something new at every corner. Our children get so much out of a good hike and they don’t realize they’re getting in shape in the process. It can be a teaching experience and a physical challenge at the same time. It is not often that you get these two benefits for your children and see beautiful smiles of excitement on their faces too. For hiking and photography equipment, please check out my website at [http://www.thehikersden.com]

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Top 10 Tips To Prevent Being Attacked While Hitch Hiking

Security experts the world over agonise over threat assessments which they are asked to compile by anxious parents whose child or children are set to take a gap year out to tour the world. One of the first pieces of security advice I always incorporate in my threat assessments is security expert advice about the dangers of hitch hiking. Given my skills in this area, the owners of www.asecurityonestopshop.com asked me to write the following article titled Security Experts Top 10 Tips To Prevent Being Attacked While Hitch Hiking by Mark Yates, The British American Security Expert at www.asecurityonestopshop.com

This is one of the areas of security where you can follow the first security tip in this list of Top 10 Tips To Prevent Being Attacked While Hitch Hiking and you won’t need to learn the other nine security experts tips. But before I grant you access to this valuable snippet of obvious security information, I’d like to ask you three simple questions to gauge your security awareness in order to prevent being attacked while hitch hiking.

Given that the majority of people reading this article are probably concerned parents, I’m assuming that they have more life skills in relation to general security and therefore I expect the parents to score better than their children in this simple test.

Before answering these three questions, I want you to assume that you are hitch hiking because you have to. Assume there is an emergency and you have no money and not other means of getting from your current location to where you need to be. You are out on the highway thumbing a lift and the following three people stop to offer you a ride. Which one would you trust the most?

The car stops and a well dressed 46 year old male in a suit and tie opens his window and asks you where you want to go. You see inside his car that he has a Doctor on Call sticker on his sun visor and a Doctor’s emergency siren and flashing light mounted on his dashboard. It’s clear he’s a genuine Doctor.

The car stops and a female driver aged late thirties asks you where you want to go. She has a wonderful smile and is quite endearing. She voices concern that you shouldn’t be hitch hiking alone.

The car stops and a 22 year old man and his young wife lean out of the window and ask where you want to go. You see he is a manual worker and their 8 month old daughter is properly strapped into a car seat in the rear of the car. The man fusses over his daughter like a loving parent. They have bags of food shopping in the car.

In April 2009 a UK Doctor GP was sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty to 32 charges relating to maintaining indecent and pornographic images of pre-teens. He was convicted, sent to jail, ordered to sign on the sex offenders register, suspended by the general medical council and disqualified from ever working with children.

You just hopped in a vehicle with a prolific female serial killer. Aileen Carol Wuornos who later admitted murdering 7 men and was convicted of killing 6 because the body of the seventh was never found. Wuornos used vehicles and hitch hiking as a method of offering sex to men before killing them. She was executed by lethal injection in October 2002.

On Wednesday April 15 2009 Channel 5 UK TV ran a true story documentary about a young American teenage hitch hiker Colleen Stan. Colleen was abducted by a sexual sadist Cameron Hooker and his wife, who also had their 8 month old baby in the car. The sadistic couple kept the girl in a coffin-sized box for seven years, relentlessly abusing, raping, buggering and torturing her into complete submission as their slave. Colleen had already refused lifts from 2 other drivers because she felt uncomfortable about them. After 7 years Colleen escaped and Hooker’s wife cut a deal with the prosecutors to give evidence against her husband who was charged with kidnap and multiple rape charges.

Dr. Mark D. Yates the British American Security Expert suggests you follow this link to read more about the Girl in the Box hitch hiking abduction.

So, back to the Security Experts Top 10 Tips To Prevent Being Attacked While Hitch Hiking.

1: Don’t hitch hike. It may seem obvious, but unfortunately obvious doesn’t enter into the security dictionary. If you don’t hitch hike there’s no reason to learn the security experts Top 10 Tips To Prevent Being Attacked While Hitch Hiking. If there’s one single security strategy you should instil in your children, it should be never to go hitch hiking. Sadly as long as parents try to educate their children they will frequently think they know more than their parents, so children will always hitch hike. That said, and on the basis of seeking to minimise the risks, I’ll continue with the Security Experts Top 10 Tips To Prevent Being Attacked While Hitch Hiking.

2: Trust no one. Colleen Stan mentioned above turned down 2 other drivers. She also had the chance to escape shortly after being picked up by Hooker and his wife after they stopped at a gas station and she visited the rest room. She admitted to not feeling comfortable about the couple and considered not getting back in the car with them. Sadly she dismissed this as juvenile anxiety and got back in the car. Some minutes later Hooker pulled a knife on Colleen and abducted her.

3: Never, ever hitch hike alone: Safety in numbers may be quoted by security experts to the extent whereby it appears to be a cliché, but in terms of hitch hiking security there is added safety in being with someone you know and trust.

4: Never advertise to strangers that you intend to go hitch hiking. It’s very easy to let your guard down especially when you are chilling out during your gap year in an exotic location. However professional security experts will advise you that organised criminal gangs in some countries pay people for this type of information.

5: Travel with a modern cell phone which has a camera and internet access. A high resolution camera and wi-fi access is the key to minimising the risk to you and to prevent being attacked while hitch hiking. If a driver stops to offer you a lift when hitch hiking Ask them if it’s okay to take photos of the drivers car, its registration plates and the driver. Explain that you are e-mailing the photos with a brief text outlining where you were picked up, where you are going and your estimated time of arrival to your parents. If the person offering you a lift is genuine then they will understand your security concerns. If they raise any single objection no matter how plausible thank them for stopping and get away from them as soon as it’s safe to do so.

6: If it doesn’t feel right don’t get in the car. Intuition is one of our bodies natural defence mechanisms, most people refer to having a bad gut feeling when something doesn’t feel right. Your intuition is rarely wrong. It doesn’t matter how insignificant or trivial the reason if your gut feeling is bad never get in the vehicle. Security experts tasked with providing close protection services for fee paying clients are often classified as professionally paranoid. I know I’ve spent 20 years trying to fine tune my professional paranoia, it’s saved my life and the lives of my team members and clients under my protection on several occasions. It’s one of my greatest security assets, so never be afraid of being professionally paranoid.

7: Don’t provide information about yourself or where you are staying. It might seem like you are having a pleasant two way conversation with someone kind enough to offer you a ride. However if the driver is not who he/she appears then you are providing valuable intelligence which can be used to target you after you have left the vehicle.

8: Purchase a security threat awareness training programme. If you visit www.asecurityonestopshop.com you can purchase various security reports and home study programmes specifically designed to minimise the security threats against you and increase your security awareness. These training programmes are inexpensive and packed with valuable security information.

9: Never hitch hike when overseas. Kidnappers target hitch hikers in many overseas destinations. These kidnappers range from small time crooks right through to organised crime gangs who make a substantial living off the kidnap for ransom industry. Terrorist organisations also target hitch hikers for kidnap for ransom as not only is it a lucrative earner but it offers global media publicity which is the bloodline of any terrorist organisation.

10: Don’t hitch hike. Hopefully you’ll understand how obvious this statement is, which is why it’s number 1 and number 10 in the British American security expert top 10 tips to prevent being attacked while hitch hiking. Hitch hiking flies in the face of every single security countermeasure designed to increase your personal safety.

Mark Yates the British American security expert from www.asecurityonestopshop.com suggests his top 10 tips to prevent being attacked while hitch hiking is far from an exhaustive list and should be included in an overall security plan designed by a security expert of security experts.

Finally: when considering The Security Experts top 10 tips to prevent being attacked while hitch hiking, Mark Yates the British American Security Expert advises careful pre-planning when you or your children take a gap year overseas. Plan your security strategy to include tactics to minimise the risk to you and your friends accompanying you. Do not be seduced by being in an exotic destination and ensure you are never seduced by strangers in a foreign land. Trusting your gut reaction is a great start to increasing your security awareness.

Listen to your intuition, because that is the greatest defensive weapon in your security armoury.

Mark Yates is recognised globally as the British American security expert after providing his security expertise to government security, intelligence, law enforcement and security agencies in 41 countries. 5 major TV documentaries have been broadcast and hundreds of press articles published about his extremely high risk security operations. Contact him at drmarkdyates@aol.com