It’s not a real hike unless there’s mud or blood. I’m a pretty careful hiker, but I’ve had my share of injuries and boo boos in the backcountry. For example, I burn myself at least one a year by touching cook pots and stoves before they’ve cooled I scratch my face and legs on bushwhacks, [...]
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Broken Bones, Hypothermia and a Bee Sting
The most important thing you can bring on a hike is knowledge. Scenario You and a buddy are hiking through the woods and you come across another hiker who’s lying on his back below a huge boulder and moaning. What should you do? Backcountry Medical Assistance You have a couple of options: You could walk [...]
Leukotape for Blister Prevention
I was sidelined earlier this winter for two weeks with two enormous heel blisters, the size of quarters, after hiking the Kinsman Mountains in January. I have a pair of worn out liners in my mountaineering boots that should probably be replaced and my preventative sock and heel taping system completely failed. Perhaps more troubling is [...]
Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast and High
Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast, and High is a great book that is about way more than mountain climbing. Written by Mark Twight and James Mason, it covers a wide range of topics about mental and physical conditioning, sports nutrition, and outdoor clothing systems that are just as applicable to ultralight backpacking, backcountry skiing and [...]
Wonder Warmers Instantly Active Hand Warmers by Captain Mouse
Recently, I was pleased to find Wonder Warmers hand warmers, the current incarnation of a product I remembered from decades ago. You can use them as you would Grabber or Little Hotties dry-style hand warmers, however their heating process is completely different so that they have distinct advantages and drawbacks. Wonder Warmers are pouches filled [...]
Reader Poll: Is Washing Your Cook Pot Necessary on the Trail?
I rarely wash my cooking pot on backpacking trips, even when I’m out for a week or more. I cook a lot of soupy dishes that don’t stick to the sides of my pot and all that’s needed is a rinse at the end of my meal. The first step in every meal I make [...]
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Good Samaritans on Mt Washington
I took part in a rescue effort last week on Mt Washington, trying to revive a man who collapsed on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, we believe from a heart attack. There were about a dozen of us altogether, performing CPR and assisted breathing for nearly 2 hours until Gorham EMS arrived on the scene with [...]
How to Avoid Bugs and the Heat of Summer without DEET
How can you prevent bug bites without using DEET or other insect repellents, stay cool during day hikes or backpacking trips, and protect your skin from sun burn? Easy – wear long pants, a long sleeve shirt and a hat when you hike. It’s really not as bad as you think. I’ve been doing it for the [...]
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