What does it really mean that you are alone?
Before you head off to your first solo adventure, it's worth going through some pros and cons. I love hiking solo and am a big supporter of the idea. But it's best to be prepared and know what you are getting yourself into. Below are various possible cons and pros - they don't work that way for all but read them all to see if hiking solo is for you!
In the typical case of "good and bad news" I start with the cons:
Read MoreAfter another news piece on tourists who went hiking without proper clothes nor gear, I thought it would be beneficial to write an easy guide of the things you should wear and pack for a fantastic - and safe! - day in the mountains.
Every other week we can hear about cases where the mountain rescue was called to save irresponsible hikers, who didn't prepare well and were ignorant of what they should pack or wear.
Read MoreI was diagnosed with fibromyalgia some nine years ago. Unexplained pains, nothing on x-rays, and jumping reaction to the doctor pressing some well-chosen spots on my body. A well-known story to many who struggle with fibromyalgia and sometimes wait for years for a diagnosis.
I am lucky – my version of FM is pretty light. I could still work, take care of myself and generally, the disease did not mess too much with my life. My doctor told me about the importance of exercise and active lifestyle no matter the pain it could cause.
Read MoreSome of my warmest memories from childhood come from spending summers at scout camps – around a huge campfire, singing songs, and waiting for potatoes to be ready. And yet, I believe there is no need for hikers to build fires when they are backpacking through the wilderness unless it’s on well-established campsites with fire rings prepared for visitors. And even that - only once in a while. Why on Earth would I write that?
Read MoreWhen you have celiac disease and/or have food allergies and food intolerance, you think about food a lot. If it’s such a problem during regular days, how much more when planning a trip into the Wild?
It took me a while to learn what works best for hiking and camping trips (as well as my budget). But it always requires some research ahead of time, preparing food at home and probably carrying much more than others do.
Read MoreOver the past weeks, every day I saw reports about mountain rescue teams saving hikers from dangerous spots. In some cases, there was just some seriously bad luck to be blamed – but in the majority of them, the situation could have been well avoided if only the victims were better prepared.
The common thing that repeated throughout the rescue team’s comments was a lack of proper preparation on the side of the walkers. They were not prepared for the weather conditions, didn’t have a map, no necessary gear (like a compass, crampons, warmer layers, headlamp etc.) or underestimated the trail's difficulty.
Read MoreWe leave our urban shelters and go in the Nature to find beauty, peacefulness and clear air. It’s utterly annoying when inconsiderate and selfish folks ruin the experience for others.
Do you want to know what the hiking etiquette is to not be “that obnoxious hiker” people talk about when they are back from the trail? Read on!
Read MoreI am a big fan of the “Healthy at Every Size” movement and support women of all sizes and fitness levels in the Outdoors. No weight loss is necessary before enjoying the wonderful benefits of hiking and camping. I am not big on losing weight in general. I would never say to anyone that they need to lose weight to get healthy. Quite the opposite! I find the push for losing weight dangerous and detrimental to actual healthy living.
But I know a lot of women do want to lose some weight and get in better shape. Myself included. I put some fat on and although I don’t think there's anything wrong with it, I would like to get back to my size from about a year ago – if only to fit my old clothes.
So if there are women out there who would like to get into a bit more athletic shape, let’s find the best, the most healthy and safe way to do it, right?
Read MoreGear is obviously on our mind when we are getting ready for a longer hike. We don’t want to carry too much but also don’t want to miss something essential. From every side, we are bombarded with tips and gear lists but also ads and store’s suggestions of “necessities”.
If you are anything like me, you try to lighten up your load to make you hiking easier and safer. If you don't - you either are lucky to start already with a pretty low load or you just don't know how much better your hiking will get once you cut a few pounds off your backpack.
But how can you determine which pieces of gear are really needed and which ones you can safely leave at home (or better yet – at the store)? Well, I have nine things you really don’t have to take with you to ease your load and help your wallet.
Read MoreIt’s pretty obvious that when we dream of a nice camping trip in the Great Outdoors, we envision beautiful weather and no nasty surprises. But as we know, Nature does not always cooperate or listens to our dreams. Sometimes the rains are testing our determination and at other times – it’s the winds.
The good thing is, most of the times we can still enjoy our camping trip as long as we follow a few guidelines.
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