Anyone spending time hiking, cycling, or skiing, has experienced chapped lips. The condition of dry, chapped lips often starts as a minor annoyance. Left untreated, it can lead to painful and unsightly cracking and bleeding. A more severe condition called angular cheilitis (also called perleche) is a fungus that causes painful splitting at the corners of the mouth. Chapped lips are caused by a lack of moisture when the layer of oil naturally produced by the body to coat the lips dries up. Exposure to cold and dry air, intense exposure to the sun, and indoor heating are all major […]
Backpacking Tips
69 posts
Knee problems are common because they are one of the most used and abused joints in the human body. If you frequently experience knee pain during descents or resulting soreness afterward, chances are you need to improve your form or pack weight. Excess weight adds more strain to the knees Your knees and hips are vulnerable to injury because they bear the most weight of your body. A force of three to six times your body weight is exerted on your knee with each level step you take. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, a force of 450 – 900 […]
Coconut is harvested from the coconut palm tree, which flourishes in tropical climates such as the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and India. These trees also grow in South Florida on the U.S. mainland. Remarkably, coconuts have reached the shores of nearly every continent unassisted by human effort. They can drift in the ocean for up to three months, eventually washing up on sandy island beaches, where they can sprout into new trees that may produce up to ten thousand coconuts over their lifetime. This is why coconut palms are commonly found growing along island beaches. The water extracted from coconut is […]
Knowing how to read a topographic map is an essential skill for navigating the backcountry. Make sure you understand how to follow a topographic map before your hike — especially if you plan to be in a remote area. Here we’ll cover the basics and provide some online sources for finding topographic hiking maps. We will also feature some external sites that teach map skills & orienteering in greater detail. What is a Topographic Map Topographic maps render the three-dimensional ups and downs of the terrain on a two-dimensional map. The topographic map shows a cross-sectional view of the terrain, known as a topographic profile. […]
Why sacrifice a decent meal when you are on the trail? Eating well on the trail tastes better and gives you the right types of food to enhance your performance and give you the gusto to go a little further. Eating well does not have to be gourmet or cost a fortune. Learn how to compare packaged foods to determine if the meal is worthy of stashing in your pack for your next outing. Start by following these tips. Should I buy this common backpacking meal? The product displays the following ingredients: 1. Decode the Ingredient List Here is an […]