CHAPTER THREE: Day Hiking
“First, last, and always, go light”
‑ Author unknown.
“The lightest choice may not always be the best choice, make sure what you
carry can do the job.”
‑ James W. Buchanan
Clothing for hikers
When going on a group hike, make certain that everyone has the proper clothing
for the region and season. While the hike is still in the planning stage,
the hike leaders need to explain what type of trail they will hike, what range
of seasonal weather conditions you and local guides might expect, and what is
the appropriate clothing. Shorts and short sleeved shirts may not be
suitable for hiking many trails most of the year. However, these garments
can be sometimes worn on short distance hikes during daylight hours, provided
the weather is warm and the trail is well maintained. However, bear in
mind that during warm weather, in many regions, bare arms and legs are tempting
targets for biting insects. Also, these short garments do not screen the
body from the harmful effects of sun exposure, such as sunburn or skin cancer;
nor do they offer any protection against the effects of unexpected
precipitation, unexpectedly cold temperatures, and/or strong wind that could
lead to hypothermia. Having most of your skin surface covered is the best
way to avoid these problems.
If you are leading a hike, make sure everybody with you has both clothing and
footwear that is appropriate for the region, season, elevation, and the trail
conditions. In the northern states and on higher elevations in mountains
anywhere, strong winds can drop wind chill temperatures from warm to
dangerously cold levels in a very short time. Even in the southern United
States, spring and autumn weather can turn cold, wet, and windy. These
conditions can lead to mild or even severe hypothermia. Always, when
going above the timber line of any mountainous region, in any season of the
year pack enough supplementary clothing to meet the worst possible seasonal
weather conditions.
Headgear
Headgear is a vital part of any outdoor clothing outfit. During cold
weather, a great deal of body heat is lost from the head. An insulated
cap plus a parka hood is often necessary to prevent heat loss which can lead to
hypothermia. In warm weather, wear a broad brimmed hat for protection
from the sun's rays that can cause sunburn as well as skin cancer.
According to the Pond’s Institute, 90% of the signs of premature aging are
caused by the Sun and the environment. Hats also serve to provide
protection from rain and insects. Because hats also act to prevent heat
and perspiration from escaping from the head, clothing scientists cannot say
that they have a cooling effect.
Hiking Staffs
Throughout the years experienced walkers (including veteran infantrymen) have
found many uses for a hiking staff. These include acting as a third leg
for maintaining balance, helping to get through rough terrain, going up or down
hills, crossing streams, testing snow-covered trail treads, as a safe extension
of the arms, warding off aggressive or rabid animals, and as an emergency tent
pole.
Clothing for day hiking and backpacking
If you are not certain what type of clothing that you will need for your
outdoor recreational activities, shopping at a store that specializes in
outdoor clothing is wise. The sales staffs at these places are generally
knowledgeable about what you need for outdoor recreation for the region, the
season, and they may be able make suggestions as to what is suitable based on
their personal experience.
Layered system of outdoor clothing
Developed by outdoors persons as the result of decades of coping with
changeable weather in China and other places, the layered system of outdoor
clothing provides outdoor recreationists with flexibility and allows for
comfort and protection within a wide range of weather conditions. With
the layered system, you can add or subtract layers of clothing to maintain your
normal body temperature. This helps to reduce the twin dangers of
chilling and overheating. Overheating leads to the perspiration damping
of clothing that greatly reduces its insulation value.
One popular and functional form of a basic layered system for cold weather
recreation consists of three layers of clothing. Progressing outward from
your skin, the first layer consists of top and bottom polypropylene long
underwear. This material absorbs only .01 percent of its weight in
water. Its function in the layer system is to wick perspiration away from
the skin. The second layer is the insulation layer. It can
be made up of hollow fiber fabric - such as wool or polyester - in the form of
jackets, vests, and pants. In the third, outer layer, a parka and pants
provide wind and precipitation protection for the first two inner layers.
This layer should consist of a wind and moisture repellent fabric - such
as Gore-Tex ® - that keeps
water droplets out and simultaneously allows body heat to escape as water
vapor.
Protecting the inner layers of your clothing against the effects of wind and
precipitation is just as important. At plus 50 degrees F, a ten mile an hour
wind can rob an unprotected body of more heat than it can produce. This
helps explain how, without weather resistant garments, a person may fall victim
to hypothermia when exposed to a moderately cool temperature and a light
wind. Add precipitation and a dehydrated condition to this and it becomes
easy to see why, according to the records, most outdoor hypothermia deaths in
the United States occur in the spring and fall months with temperatures ranging
between plus 50 and 30 degrees F.
This outer protective layer plus a suit of summer weight underwear - may be all
that a fan of the great outdoors needs for walking in warm, wet and windy
weather. However, to be on the safe side, having additional layers
available in your pack is best in case the air temperature turns colder.
A practical upper body combination for an outing in the uncertain summer weather
of the northern states would be a tee shirt with a long sleeved sweatshirt and
a windbreaker jacket available in a day pack. When all three layers of
clothing are worn, be sure that the two outer layers are loose enough fitting
to keep insulating, body warmed, air trapped between both layers.
Heavy duty, insulated parka
For periods of relative physical inactivity during cold weather outings, some
recreationists find it necessary to have a heavy duty, insulated parka, along with
a pair of insulated mittens, available for relaxing around camp or while
engaged in sedentary activities such as ice fishing. These heavy
insulated parkas and mittens should not be worn on the trail or while engaged
in vigorous physical activities that could cause overheating, and perspiration
that dampens the garment and greatly reduces its insulation value.
“Know the difference between the real world that we live in and the
fictional world that we would prefer to live in. While imagination makes us happy, give us
insights into what we could become, and evolves human society, mistaking our
fictional world for the real world can get you injured, permanently disabled,
or dead. That is one lesson that I’m
happy that my father taught me.”
James Patrick Buchanan
Instructors and students at the University of Minnesota outdoor programs have
remarked that writers, directors, and wardrobe department heads of motion
picture studios should take a course in outdoor survival before attempting to
produce an outdoor action adventure film. In the past, sword and sandal
films were the worst offenders. These often featured muscular, but
scantily clad actors running around in burning deserts or snow-covered
mountains. These actors would soon get sun burned or frost bitten as well
as suffer from dehydration or hypothermia if they didn’t have stunt doubles to
replace them on takes and air conditioned or heated trailers to run into
between takes.
In a recent television series about rangers working in high mountain
elevations, several young actors were depicted speeding through snowy mountain
passes on snowmobiles. Although they were all dressed properly in
snowmobile suits, their heads were bare (except for one actor who wore a
headband for audience identification.) Apparently, the actors wore no
headgear to show off their windblown hair. Insulated snowmobile helmets
function to protect the head from any dangerous wind chill factors that are
generated by speeding snowmobiles as well as impact injury. Not wearing a
helmet while snowmobiling in real (not reel) life might result in frostbite,
hypothermia, head injury, or all three.
The trouble with these films is that the uninformed public sometimes mistakes
Hollywood fiction for reality. I have seen people walking on northern
city sidewalks in a minus twenty-degree wind chill without head protection,
gloves, or overshoes. For late night bar hoppers, this behavior sometimes
leads to a trip to a hospital emergency room. Moreover, being stranded in
a stalled vehicle in a remote rural area, far from shelter, in subzero
temperatures, without the protection of adequate clothing and footwear could be
and has sometimes been fatal.
Footwear
Except for a few places, such as well maintained sandy beaches, day hiking and
backpacking requires adequate foot gear. I have seen people walking on
city sidewalks, as well as rough unpaved trails, wearing foot gear more
suitable for a carpeted living room floor. I once encountered a family
several miles into a rocky and tree root-covered forest trail. Some of
them were shod only in shower clogs. Every year in the United States,
many people suffer foot injuries caused by not wearing suitable footwear.
In addition, walking too far and too frequently in new shoes often causes
injuries to the foot. These injuries can occur on city sidewalks as well
as on hiking trails. With some new shoes it is necessary to break them in
with a series of short walks. However, it is best, if possible, to select
footwear that does not require breaking in.
We shall walk in velvet shoes,
Wherever we go,
Silence will fall like dews,
On White silence below.
‑
Elinor Hoyt Wylie 1885-1928
Walking shoes
Walking shoes are usually made of lightweight fabric and leather uppers with synthetic soles. Their main advantages are: light weight, good traction, quick drying time, and impact protection. Many of these walking shoes come with a foam insole that further cushions the feet. These insoles can be purchased with the footwear or separately at most shoe stores or shoe repair places. After a day of use, the insoles can be removed for cleaning and drying. Lightweight walking shoes can be safely worn day hiking on well maintained park and forest hiking trails by day hikers carrying only a light load of ten pounds or less in a day pack.
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