Posts Tagged :

hiking

150 150 Mike Coachys

How to Hydrate Without Water While Hiking or Camping

hydrate without water while hiking

It is generally understood that the human body can go only 3 or 4 days without any sort of hydration. Water is an absolute necessity to human survival, whether it comes from a pristine lake, a can of soda or cactus pulp. When a person gets lost or otherwise stranded out in the wild it can be difficult to find a reliable hydration source. Fortunately, with the right knowledge one can still hydrate without water. It just may take a little more work than turning on a faucet.

How to Stay Hydrated Without Drinking Water

Life thrives on water, which means if one can cultivate, catch or kill either animals or plants, it is often possible to get moisture in one form or another. Of course, some of these have more accessible water than others. Some of these include:

  • Berries – These are an ideal source for hydration and probably the tastiest option on this list. Just make sure the berries are edible, like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or huckleberries. There are a surprising number of edible berries out there, most of which never make it to grocery store shelves. Of course, one needs to know how to recognize them.
  • Green coconuts – Another delicious option for those in a tropical location. Green coconuts have a good amount of coconut water – probably nature’s most ideal form of hydration – while brown coconuts offer coconut milk. Stick to the younger green coconuts for hydration purposes, although coconut milk is better than nothing.
  • Cacti – Certain fleshy cacti contain a decent amount of water. One should remove the spines and chew the pulp to obtain the moisture. The taste might take some getting used to, but a truly thirsty person may not notice it. Remember that there are often numerous smaller spines at the base of the larger spines. Use a rock or cutting too to remove all spines, and possibly skin, before chewing.
  • Water from gutting animals and fish – Often animals will have some liquid in their bodies surrounding their organs, which one can collect in a basin as he or she cuts open the abdomen of the animal to begin preparing it. Not the most desirable moisture source, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
  • Blood – Blood from birds, amphibians and other animals can also be consumed for moisture.

Being prepared is just smart, whether you are heading to the mountains or the desert. For your next hike or camping trip, be sure to pack a LiteFighter tent! Quality, dependable gear for all situations.

150 150 Mike Coachys

How to Choose the Best Footwear for Hiking

Best Footwear for Hiking

Hiking is an exciting pastime that allows you to challenge yourself physically and enjoy the outdoors. However, if you don’t have the right shoes, you may find that your feet become tired and sore long before the hike is over. In some cases, wearing the wrong hiking shoes may even cause you to sustain an injury. Below is some information to help you choose the best footwear for hiking any trail.

Style

Mountaineering Boots

Mountaineering boots are weighty, stiff boots that are durable and designed to accommodate heavy loads. Of all types of outdoor footwear, mountaineering boots are the heaviest and strongest.

Backpacking Boots

Backpacking boots are not as stiff or as strong as mountaineering boots, but they are still suitable for carrying heavy loads. They can be used on or off trails. These boots are not as durable as mountaineering boots, but they are lighter and more flexible.

Hiking Boots

The lightest and most flexible style of boot is the hiking boot. Although these shoes can be worn on the trail, they are not as durable as the other boots mentioned here. They are best for light loads and shorter trips.

Cut

If you are looking for the best footwear for hiking, you should also consider the cut of the shoe. Hiking footwear comes in one of three cuts: high-cut, mid-cut and low-cut.

  • High-cut boots have the most ankle support. They are best for heavy loads and rough trails.
  • Mid-cut boots offer some ankle support, but not as much as a high-cut boot. They are best for moderate loads and shorter trips.
  • Low-cut boots offer the least amount of stability and ankle support. They are best for smooth, well-maintained trails, short trips and light loads.

Fit

When thinking about how to choose the best hiking boots, fit is the most important consideration. Be sure to try on boots before purchasing them to ensure that the fit is correct. Regardless of the style or cut you choose, the boot should fit securely and comfortably. Your foot should not slide around inside the boot, but it shouldn’t feel constricted either. The boot should be long enough so that you can wiggle your toes easily.

Although choosing the right boot is important to the success of a hiking trip, other equipment is also essential. For your next hiking trip, be sure to pick up a durable Litefighter tent.

150 150 Mike Coachys

How to Sharpen Your Knife

How to Sharpen a Knife

Although it may initially seem like a sharper knife would be more dangerous than a dull one, but the opposite is actually true. Dull knives require you to apply more force in order to make a cut, which can lead to serious injuries. For this reason, it is important to keep your hunting knife sharp at all times. Below are some tips to help you sharpen your knife easily and effectively.

1. Get the right tools.

Whether you plan to sharpen a hatchet, axe or knife, you need to have the right tools on hand. Depending on your needs, these tools may include:

  • Coarse grit sharpener – best for blades that are extremely dull or nicked.
  • Medium grit sharpener – best for dull blades that have no nicks or inconsistencies.
  • Fine grit sharpener – best for fine sharpening on blades that have already been sharpened with coarser grit sharpeners or that are not very dull.

When choosing sharpeners of various grits, you must also decide between natural sharpening stones, sharpening steels and diamond sharpening stones.

2. Use the proper technique.

When learning how to sharpen your knife, whether it be a camping knife or a hunting knife, technique is the most important consideration. In general, the best way to sharpen a knife is to begin with a coarser sharpening tool and end with a finer one. The duller the knife is at the beginning of the process, the coarser your first sharpening tool should be. For an extremely dull knife with multiple inconsistencies, a coarse grit sharpener should be your first tool. After removing enough surface material to restore the knife’s proper shape, you can move on to a finer sharpener for honing.

3. Evaluate the end result.

Whether you are trying to sharpen an axe, knife or some other hunting tool, it is important to make sure that your tool is as sharp as possible once the process is complete. Not only will this make to tool more effective, but it will also extend the time between sharpenings. To check the sharpness of your tool, feel for micro serrations all along the blade. If you feel any micro serrations, continue sharpening until they have been eliminated completely.

Although learning to sharpen a knife properly will help you make your hunting trip a success, it is also important to bring along other essential equipment, such as suitable shelter. Make sure you bring a durable Litefighter Tent on your next hunting trip!

150 150 Mike Coachys

Best Trail Mix Ingredients for Hiking Trips

best trail mix ingredients

Trail mix is the quintessential hiking food. Lightweight and packed with nutrients, it offers an ideal balance for people in the outdoors. Generally one is burning a great deal of calories while hiking, backpacking or even working outside – meaning he or she must replenish those resources. However, not all trail mix is created equal. Store bought varieties can be chock full of unnecessary salt and sugar, and may not offer a balanced energy source. Homemade trail mix is a better solution, one where the end-user can control the mix.

Healthy Trail Mix Ingredients

Trail mix generally consists of roasted nuts, dried fruit and possibly vegetables, and possibly some sort of sweet candy like chocolate. Here is the lowdown on the best trail mix ingredients:

  • Nuts and seeds – Packed with protein and a range of other nutrients, nuts typically make up at least 50% of the mix. Nuts should be dry roasted for preservation purposes. Some prefer to use salted nuts, as one naturally secretes salt while sweating that must be replenished. However, avoid putting too many salty ingredients in the batch. It is best to use several nuts for nutrition and variety – but make sure only one type is salted.
  • Dried fruit – Dried fruit has a ton of nutrients and often packs plenty of sweetness. The fruit provides vitamins that nuts cannot, making it a necessary part of the mix. Fruit also provides a different texture, which is important to keep the mix interesting.
  • Dried vegetables – While dried veggies may not sound appetizing at first, they can often be incorporated sparingly into a mix to provide even more nutrition and fiber. They also have the advantage of containing much less sugar or fat than the other ingredients. One can experiment with different dried veggie options, such as dried red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and pumpkin.
  • Chocolate or other sweet ingredients – It is arguable whether ingredients like chocolate are truly necessary for a trail mix. Plenty of people stick to a straight Nut/Seed/Fruit and possibly vegetable mix. However, a bit of dried chocolate or some honey roasted nuts may be a perfect way to make the trail mix more fun to eat – and one is probably going to burn off all the extra calories anyway.

There is no perfect trail mix recipe. Proper proportions are important – at least 50% nuts, a balanced salt level, not too much sugar – but the rest is up to the maker. Healthy trail mix is ideal, but there are many combinations that can create healthy trail mix recipes.

Next time you go camping or hiking, bring plenty of homemade trail mix and your own Litefighter tent for durable protection from the elements!

150 150 Mike Coachys

Edible Wild Plants You Can Eat To Survive

edible wild plants

 

Knowing what wild plants are edible when exploring the outdoors can turn out to be a lifesaver in certain situations. There are numerous edible wild plants that can be consumed safely – the problem is knowing which plants are actually safe. Here are some of the more common edible plants in the wild.

Wild Plants You Can Eat In The Woods

  • Asparagus – This plant is quite a bit longer and skinnier than the grocery store variety, but it can be found in many different places, including North America, Europe and North Africa. It can be eaten raw or cooked in boiling water for a nutritious meal.
  • Cattail – This distinctive plant is usually found near standing water, with its long stalks sticking up far above the waterline. Native Americans used cattail for food quite often, eating the roots, the softer white part of the stem and even the bushy flower at the top – which can be eaten when it is still soft in the early summer.
  • Clovers – Clovers grow abundantly in open areas and are edible – although they tend to taste better boiled than they do raw.
  • Chickweed – Chickweed can be found in both arctic areas and temperate areas. Small white flowers will distinguish the plant in the spring to early summer. The leaves of the plant can be consumed boiled or raw.
  • Conifer – In the spring conifers will begin generating new growth in the form of shoots, soft and lightly colored extensions at the tip of each branch. These shoots can be eaten raw.
  • Wild Grapes – Wild grapes grow all across the U.S. and can make for a delicious meal. It is best to become familiar with the grapes in the area one will be exploring to avoid eating something unpleasant or dangerous.
  • Berries – There are a number of berries that can be found on different bushes outdoors, including blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and huckleberries. Berries are a great source of food and can be easily identified once one knows what to look for. One should be careful when harvesting blackberries or raspberries, however, as the plants are quite thorny.

Practice and Preparation

The best way to be prepared for an outdoor adventure is to practice finding edible plants beforehand – when one is not starving and desperate. Eating random plants can be dangerous and potentially deadly.

Be prepared, and don’t be without quality equipment like a durable outdoor shelter from Litefighter

150 150 Mike Coachys

Packing Tips For Hikers

packing tips for hikers

Hiking is an exciting and enjoyable outdoor activity, but it can also be challenging. Packing appropriately will help to ensure that your trip is a success. If you’re wondering how to pack for your next hiking trip, just follow the tips below.

1. Choose an appropriate backpack.

Pack all of the items you need for your trip in a backpack that fits well, is designed for hikers and is easy for you to carry. Keep in mind that the backpack will be with you throughout the trip, so choose one that is both sturdy and comfortable.

2. Figure out what you need.

Taking the right supplies with you is essential to the success of your trip. Depending on the weather and the nature of your trip, you may need food, cooking gear designed for camping, a camera, water, map, compass, tent, sleeping bag, medicine, extra clothes, fire-starting supplies and a first aid kit.

3. Know how to pack your backpack.

One of the most important packing tips for hikers is not to pack a backpack that is too heavy. Even if it’s possible to carry a heavy backpack around for a few minutes at home, you will tire quickly if you try to carry too much on a hike. Take only those items you will need for the trip, and pack dehydrated meals if possible to save space and reduce overall weight.

If you pack everything you want to take and your backpack is still too heavy, ask yourself what you can live without and leave it behind. You can also reduce the backpack’s weight by purchasing lightweight supplies designed for hikers, such as lightweight sleeping bags or tents.

Need a tent for your next hiking trip? Litefighter has the tent for you!