If you are a hiker, you need to know how to prevent and treat hiking injuries. Hiking is a low impact sport but as with any outdoor activity there are possibilities for injury. Most would agree that the best way to deal with an injury is to avoid one in the first place. This can be accomplished by practicing prevention methods. Let’s explore the best ways to prevent and treat hiking injuries.
Blisters
Perhaps the easiest injury for a hiker to obtain is the blister. The most important item a hiker must select before hiking is their hiking boots. It is vital that these boots supply all the features necessary for comfort and safety. They should be waterproof and offer sufficient ankle support. Hikers should ensure that they are broken in prior to a major hike.
We know blisters are caused by friction and they usually can be prevented but in the event a blister still occurs it can be easily treated on the hike. When you get a blister you should pull off your sock slowly and clean the affected area with a little soap and water or what I like to do is carry a few baby wipes and alcohol pads in my first aid kit for cleaning injuries.
Now it is usually recommended against, but what I do is I’ll pierce the blister with a sewing pin, just a small hole will do, and squeeze out the fluid that has buildup. Then depending on the size of the blister I will either leave it alone or cover it with moleskin. I always try to avoid covering the blister because it is best to allow the blister to heal itself in the open air over time.
Hypothermia and Heat Stroke
Depending on the hiking climate there are a couple of hiking injuries that also must be taken into consideration. They would be hypothermia or heat stroke. Hypothermia occurs when your body loses the ability to maintain its core internal temperature above 95 degrees F. Symptoms include loss of muscle coordination, uncontrollable shivering, disorientation, pale skin, bluing of the lips, ears and fingers. Hypothermia can be avoided by dressing accordingly and staying dry. Hypothermia can be treated by taking measures to warm the body back above 95 degrees F such as drinking warm drinks and skin to skin contact.
One popular Outside magazine recently claimed, in an answer to a quiz, you can treat hypothermia by crawling into a sleeping bag with your clothes on. They should know better, someone will get killed following that advice. The only sure way to warm back up in the outdoors when you get hypothermia is to crawl into a sleeping bag sans clothes with another person. You must introduce an outside heat source to warm back up because remember during hypothermia your body cannot warm itself back up.
Heat stroke is the opposite of hypothermia, where your body cannot cool its internal temperature down by itself. Symptoms include nausea, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, confusion and lack of sweating with flushed or dry red skin. It is deadly and can kill you just as easily as hypothermia. Heat stroke can be avoided by dressing accordingly, drinking enough water and taking frequent breaks on the hike.
Heat Stroke can be treated by removing all clothing, placing the hiker into a cool stream, not cold water, and slowly drinking water to bring the body temperature to a safe level. If no stream is available, remove all clothing, get in the shade and drench a piece of cloth in water to make a cold compress. Place cold compresses in the armpits, groin and neck area. Make sure to leave enough skin exposed to let the body heat escape and drink water.
Sprains and Strains
The dreaded sprain or strain can also occur on the trail. This can be avoided by following proper safety procedures and utilizing necessary hiking equipment. Sprains and strains are typically treated by applying ice to the injured area in 20 minute intervals to reduce the swelling. Its great if there is snow on the ground but if not the only treatment would be to snugly wrap the sprain in cloth to prevent pain or further injury.
Dehydration
Dehydration is another area of concern. Always ensure that you have access to plenty of water while hiking. It is easy to get dehydrated. Drink water often. If you get dehydrated you need to drink water slowly but continuously until you become hydrated again.
One good way to see if you are drinking enough water is to look at the color of your urine. If it is clear or slightly yellow you are good to go. If it is a dark yellow then drink a liter of water immediately and try to drink a little more water throughout the hike than you have been. If your urine is orange you need to stop and drink a couple of liters of water over about an hour period.
If you do not follow this advice, you can easily become a victim of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Even in the winter you need to make sure to drink water even if you don’t think you need it.
Bleeding Wounds
Bleeding wounds can occur from time to time on the trail as well. You can reduce the possibility of these type of hiking injuries by wearing the proper apparel and using common sense but in the case a wound occurs apply a clean cloth to the wound applying pressure for up to 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Make sure to bandage the wound to prevent infection and further bleeding. Depending on the severity of the wound obtain professional treatment as soon as possible.
There are many more injuries that can occur when hiking but these are the most common ones. The majority of these hiking injuries can be avoided by simple prevention methods. You should properly prepare for the hike taking all the necessary precautions to ensure a safe and rewarding outdoor experience.
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The avid hiker has to pack a backpack for an extended journey and one of the most important items packed will be trail food. You won’t find your favorite fast food restaurant on the trail so you have to go prepared. Follow these tips and you won’t be sorry.
It’s all about energy
Did you know a hiker burns up to 500 calories per hour while hiking? So for an 8 hour full day hike you could burn as much as 4000 calories. Just think, considering a pound of body fat contains 3500 calories, you could very well hike yourself to the bone if you don’t eat enough. Wow, it is amazing isn’t it? Now that you know how much energy you could be expanding don’t you think you will need some?
Here’s how to get it. Energy for hiking requires that you eat high calorie foods that deliver the most energy compared to its weight. Here is the breakdown of the three components of food that provide energy:
- Fat- 9 calories per gram
- Protein- 4 calories per gram
- Carbohydrates- 4 calories per gram
So based on this breakdown, you would think we should choose foods that have a high fat content, right? Right. However, you also need protein to repair muscles and carbohydrates for those quick energy bursts so we need to keep these factors in mind when choosing foods to eat.
Nutritionally speaking for multi-day and long distance hiking you should try to plan a balanced menu. Fat carries more calories per ounce but you should still try to get half of your calories from carbohydrates and a little bit of protein to balance it out. Also the above information is only a guide the calorie intake necessary will differ from hiker to hiker. This can be accomplished in various ways.
What’s on the menu?
The key to the successful trail food menu is to not carry more than you need but yet carry enough to deliver the energy you do. Also trail food should be durable so you don’t end up eating crumbs. Unless you want to break the bank you want to avoid the freeze dried backpacking meals that are typically expensive.
You want to create a menu that can be easily accessible from your local food market so you can find non-perishable foods that won’t cost you a fortune. There are plenty of foods good for hiking that can be picked up right from your grocer
These following suggestions may not meet every hiker’s expectations. Each hiker is different. You have to gear the menu to your personal taste.
- Good breakfast items would be like harvest oatmeal bars, cliff bars, blueberry or hazelnut quinoa, pop tarts or homemade energy bars that can be prepared at home.
- Snacks that can be devoured with ease are great when you need quick refreshment so things like dried fruit and almonds, fresh apples and cheddar, gorp or even a good old snickers bar.
- For lunch things like pita and dips make great meals. Items like packaged (not canned) tuna, you know the ones that have packets of mayonnaise, relish and crackers, are great as well.
- For dinner you can pick up sufficient amounts of pasta, ramen style noodles and even full meals in foil packages that can be easily prepared.
So that is about it. Always try to eat the heavier items on the menu first. Plan your menu correctly and you will carry the trail food that will deliver what your body needs for the journey.
Hiking training is a must for the novice and experienced hiker alike. Hiking is like any other sport, you have to be in pretty good shape if you want to do it well. When most people think about hiking their first thought is how hard it is on the feet. Certainly the feet do take the blunt of the punishment on a long hike but the truth is virtually every muscle in your body will be worked during the excursion. Not only do all of your muscles need to be exercised but your lung and cardio system have to be up to par as well.
There are some rather easy exercises that can be very successful at getting your body ready for the long hike. Keep in mind that anytime you are exercising you want to take it slow. Never jump right into strenuous exercises without first warming up. This can be accomplished by simply doing a few low impact calisthenics or jogging in place.
If you want to last for the long haul you have to ensure that your leg muscles and joints are prepared for the journey. You can prepare these muscles by simply doing some squats. Squats are accomplished by placing your heels nearly together and holding your arms straight out at the side. Then all you have to do is squat down slowly and then slowly come back up again. You can begin with a small amount of repetitions and then build up to as many as you prefer.
Another good exercise for the hiker is lunges. This can be done very easily. Simply place one foot about a foot and a half in front of you and then lower yourself down slowly. Then slowly rise back up again. Do about 10 repetitions with each leg. As with any exercise you want to begin slowly and then build up your regiment.
The avid hiker knows other than having the necessary equipment making sure their body is ready for the hike is the key to a successful trip. Hiking training and exercise can be accomplished in many ways. You can go on short jogs numerous times during the week or slightly longer walks if you want to save your knees. It is also vital that you strengthen those back and stomach muscles. These are really the foundation that presents posture and wards off fatigue on the long hike. Hitting the weights or utilizing a rowing machine will go a long way in supporting those legs in the calves, hamstrings and quadriceps area.
Hiking training is nothing more than taking care of your body and preparing your system for the long hike over hills, mountains and creek beds. The key is consistency and restraint in whatever exercises you choose. Train yourself wisely and any hiking excursion will be easy to endure.
