Tag Archives: hiking

Beware of Advice from Meetup.com Members

If you join a Meetup.com activity, let’s say a hiking group, and you hear the members giving out impromptu advice regarding survival, health, injury, etc., make sure you consult a professional, too, or at least do some reading.

You might find that at a monthly hikers’ meeting, an attractive know-it-all is showing you a stretching exercise for your sore knee. But if you go to a good physiotherapist, you might learn that the stretching will only exacerbate your knee or hip injury, that what you really need to do is build muscle strength in the injured area.

Similarly, someone might tell you that no one dies from rattlesnake bites and that the Mojave Rattler is no more dangerous than a Diamondback. However, if you take the time to read page 583 in A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert (Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum) you will find that world-renowned experts write, “The Mojave has a very toxic venom that has caused human fatalities.”

Here’s couple of good (but brief) desert survival books:

Desert Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills

The Ultimate Desert Handbook : A Manual for Desert Hikers, Campers and Travelers

98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive

Desert Cotton

In a previous post I talked about wearing cotton in hot deserts (see Cotton for the Grand Canyon). Now I would like to point out that in the Arizona desert beginning in September, you should carry a survival blanket and a lightweight polyester fleece shirt or jacket (and maybe even some silk-weight long underwear) if you expect the nights to be cool or if you are hiking to higher elevations. Then if you are unexpectedly delayed or caught out after dark, you can switch out of your cotton shirt and/or wrap yourself in the emergency blanket. Or you might want to dispense with the cotton and wear nylon shorts or pants and a short-sleeve polyester shirt, but when you expect the nights to be cool always carry an emergency blanket and an extra layer of clothing.

In the Phoenix, Arizona, area the nights can cool down substantially even in May, especially out in the desert, away from the city asphalt and hot cement.

Shoshone Point, Grand Canyon

Shoshone Point is a great spot for watching clouds and the way their shadows move across the canyon like wild beasts of prey.

Looking across the Grand Canyon from Shoshone Point

For more photos, see our Gallery

Talked to a ranger in the Shoshone Point parking lot. He said that he had met his wife at Indian Gardens (she was hiking through), that Indian Gardens was home (though he no longer lived and worked there).

I’m hiking in the Grand Canyon again this year, the third year in a row. The first time, I stayed in a motel in Williams, Arizona, and drove into the Grand Canyon National Park every morning for day hikes. Last year I stayed in the lodges on the South Rim, hiked to Phantom Ranch (which is located at the bottom of the Canyon), and then spent another three days hiking up and down primitive trails. This year I am hiking from the South Rim to the North Rim and then back to the South Rim.

The food is good at Phantom Ranch, but up above on the South Rim, I prefer to buy items from the general store, rather than from the restaurants.

Also see:

Hiking and Backpacking Gear

As I have said numerous times, I take supplements (see the disclaimers and warnings listed at the bottom of Spinach, Greens, and Eye Health). Rather than listing the supplements in my posts, I have listed them in the sidebar on the far right. I do not expect you to buy these items, but the Amazon links do provide handy summaries, price comparisons, and reviews.

I have also mentioned that walking, running, and hiking are very good for the health (including respiratory, cardiac, and digestive health), so in this post I am going to list some of the gear I use on hikes. I am listing the Amazon links. You can follow the links to detailed descriptions, prices, and reviews. I own all of the following gear:

Julbo Race Sunglasses (w/ Zebra Photochromic Lenses)

Osprey Talon 44 Mountaineering Backpack (for overnight and multi-day hikes)

Osprey Stratos 24 Pack (for extra-long day hikes to remote wilderness areas where I need to bring along extra survival and emergency gear)

Deuter Packs AC Lite 16 Backpack (for day hikes of average length)

Mountainsmith Tour Lumbar Pack (for easy day hikes)

Men’s Merrell Phaser Peak Waterproof Boots (for rugged hikes)

Men’s Danner Expedition GORE-TEX Boots (for exceptionally rugged hikes)

Continue reading →

Cotton for The Grand Canyon

I recently returned from the Grand Canyon, where I hiked for a week and noticed that most of the otherwise well-equipped hikers were wearing synthetic clothing that wicked moisture away from their bodies–and that’s fine in humid climates and when it is cold, but in hot dry areas such as the Grand Canyon during spring, summer, and early fall, hikers should wear cotton clothing: the cotton absorbs sweat and keeps the moisture on your body, thereby cooling your body and slowing dehydration. All the desert survival books tell us to wear cotton during hot conditions in dry regions such as deserts.

But never wear cotton socks on hikes. Cotton socks hold on to the sweat from your feet, and wet feet lead to blisters and cracking. Wear merino wool socks, even in summer: the wool wicks the moisture away from your feet.

During cold weather (including cold days in the desert), wear synthetic or wool clothing that wicks your sweat away. Cold, wet clothing will rob you of body heat and lead to hypothermia.

Carry plenty of water and Nuun Hydration Tablets.

Also see my posts Desert Cotton, Hiking and Backpacking Gear and Desert Venom.

Desert Venom

Although a number of medical professionals still recommend applying a tourniquet to rattlesnake bites (and then briefly releasing the tourniquet every 15 to 20 minutes), Tony Nester, the author of Desert Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills (Flagstaff: Diamond Creek Press, 2003), writes that most of the doctors he spoke to advise against applying a tourniquet (it simply concentrates the venom in the tissues immediately adjacent to the bite). Your best treatment is to get to a hospital or clinic as quickly as possible: do not delay.

Nester says that two important rules of desert living are 1) “Don’t put your hands where you can’t see” and 2) “Vigorously slam your boots on the ground and shake clothes before you put them on.”

Watch out for Gila Monsters, Africanized Bees (Killer Bees), Black Widow Spiders, Scorpions, Rattlesnakes, and Coral Snakes. Wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots. Do not hike alone. Carry a cell phone, an ultralight emergency blanket, snacks and at least two liters of water. Always let a friend or neighbor know where you are going and when you expect to return.

You will also want to read The Ultimate Desert Handbook : A Manual for Desert Hikers, Campers and Travelers by Mark Johnson and 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Phoenix: Including Tempe, Scottsdale, and Glendale by Charles Liu.

Also see my posts Hiking and Backpacking Gear and Cotton for the Grand Canyon.

Hiking in Arizona

When you look up a hike in one of the many popular books on the subject or you find a good reference on the Internet (for example, http://www.toddshikingguide.com), keep in mind that if you are over 40 and have not regularly worked out for at least a year of two, you should choose the easiest (and shortest) trails. And irregardless of your age (you might be 18 or 52), your best estimate of the time it will take to complete a hike is to double the times reported in the various paper and online publications, because it seems that many of these top-notch hikers and outdoors writers treat their outings as workouts, and push hard, and do not often stop to enjoy the views and the endless allure of nature in the wild.