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Hard Core Hiking: Some Tips To Make It Easier

By Kamryn Mattson


For those who love to hike, you might be thinking about taking your day treks a bit further and enjoy some overnight and multi-day hikes. This is a great way to enjoy some spectacular scenery that is only accessible by foot. It's definitely a challenge to backpack for many days, but here are some tips that can make it easier.

Preparation for these long, multi-day adventures is highly important. You can't simply hop from simple weekly hikes and then expect to be ready to spend a week or more traversing the Pacific Coast Trail or the Grand Canyon. It takes time to build up the stamina that you will need for these big hiking trips, so be sure to begin training months before you go. If your hike will be taking place at a high elevation, it is wise to train at higher elevations prior to the big trip. Elevation can be quite difficult, so in addition to training at higher elevations, work on improving your cardiovascular health.

Your feet can be your best friends or your worst enemy on the trail, so protecting the feet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a great hiking experience. Find the best possible, highest quality hiking boots as well as buying proper hiking socks and other helpful items, such as moleskin. Don't wear new boots on this big trip, break them in first and break them in while hiking with a full backpack. Assess any areas that seem to rub a particular area of your foot and find solutions to these problems to prevent blisters.

Your backpack is also important and it needs to fit well and be large enough to hold all of the supplies you will need, such as a water bladder, water purifier and food. As with hiking boots, you need to actually go to a store and try on this item. Do go to a store where the staff is comprised of people who actually know something about hiking and backpacking. Get measured and try on the pack before you buy.

While exercise is good for your body, sometimes you do suffer from exercise-related pains and strains. When you are hiking, the limits of your pack weight and the remote location in which you are hiking make it difficult to pack braces or tapes or medicines to help you deal with pain. In addition, you have to keep going; you cannot simply stay on the trail, so the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) cure isn't exactly realistic. However, you can pack a few physiological hybrid shapes to help you manage if muscle pain begins to be a problem.

Featuring a unique design that provides structure and support, these physiological hybrid shapes come in many different varieties. There are shapes designed specifically for the legs, knees, shoulders, elbows and the back, so you simply take along the shapes for the areas where you are most prone to experience pain. The shape will protect the sore muscle and grab strength from nearby tendons and muscles, allowing you to move with less pain. The weight is minimal, so it won't add to the burden of carrying a heavy pack, and you can wear the shape for several days and it will continue to support the sore area.




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