What do I really need to hike?

Good question!  As a experienced hiker I say you don't NEED much.  You may want much and the store sales person may try to sale you much, but you don't need much. You need smart! and necessary!


I can't  say enough times carry water with you and drink it as you hike. How does one carry water? you ask. So I answer, in a container. We really don't want to carry a water bottle in our hand, so now we need something to carry the bottle in.  You see where this is headed? How does one carry the thing that is carrying the bottle? A fanny pack or a day pack works very well. The shape of my body demands a day pack, the fanny pack just slides down my butt and looks like a bag hanging behind the carriage horses in downtown Charleston,SC. We all know what they are for!! My day pack is a well worn pack, the North Face brand. Most all of my gear is the North Face brand, It has served me well for the past ten years.  The pack I use has two compartments, the big opening is used for everything and the other one has room for two Nalgene one quart water bottles.If I mention the brand names it is because these brands have never failed in all of my travels. I am recommending them as a good buy.

Back to what do I need? A day pack. A water bottle.Snacks.

Simple! Do the granola bar thing, it works.  You are taking a day hike not a camping trip, when you stop for water eat a bar and keep up your strength. Take any snack you like and do what works best for you. If you eat the wrong foods you'll know it, next time take the granola bars. I just dump the whole box of bars into my day pack, different brands and different flavors. Living on the edge!

I carry a green bag in side my day pack, and in it is toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes-unscented!  If you are scratching your head wondering what the green bag is for, maybe you should stay near the bath house.

Also have a red bag with matches, lighter, and flint fire starter doohickey.  Carry a small duraflame firestart log, because it will start a fire for ya. Have not gotten lost yet and have not had to use these in an emergency, for which I am grateful! I practice Leave No Trace. I do not need a fire on day hikes and very seldom if ever start one over night,http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles.php  Do all you can to keep the woodlands, and meadows,and streams, and rivers, etc. as natural as you find them. And for goodness sake, carry your trash out and take it home. The trash picker-upper people need to keep their jobs. You are helping the economy! Goodness! Why can't people just do what is right?

Go ahead and take a camera, take lots of pictures. Pictures of each other and pictures of trees and rocks and water falls and streams and animals and leaves and the trail and crooked trees and boulders and more trees and more rocks and everything new and exciting. The out doors is a wonderful place, enjoy it! " One can always delete what one does not want!" said a wise man.

A day pack, a water bottle, snacks, green bag, red bag, camera.

Shoes/boots for wear on the trail. If you are just beginning to hike, just wear what you have. Not dress shoes or high heels or sandals, if this is the footwear of choice-stay near the bathhouse! Don't spend a lot of money until you fall in love with the hiking experience. Now when you are ready to put some money into this lifestyle go to an outdoor store and get the helpful sales people to fit good  hiking footwear to your feet. Many different kinds to choose from, get a pro to help you find yours.

I love my Leki trekking poles, they helped me hike back when my knees were painful with  arthritis. They are with me every time I go into the woods. My hiking experience is increased 100% by using  these trekking poles. If you are hiking, use trekking poles. Lots of different brand names, lots of different choices, use the sales people to help you get what you need.

Now I must confess, I don't carry a first aid kit! Have never had to use one and just never put one together.Do not have a good reason, just one of those things" I have never got around to doing." I would say number 538 thing" I have not got around to doing," but should have.You probably should get one and carry it with you, you might need it!

Day pack. Water bottle. Snacks. Green Bag.  Red Bag.  Camera. Shoes/Boots. Trekking Poles. First aid Kit.

Hike with this get-up a couple of times and see how that works out for you. Add gear as needed, just keep it simple. Remember, we are taking a day hike not a backpacking trip, that is a horse of a different color.
When I take the first backpacking trip on these new knees we will see what color that horse is..

Back soon.

Turtle

Bear Cove Trail --- First Hike

A drop dead beautiful fall day here in the wonderful upstate of South Carolina. Why would anyone want to live any place else? December 2, 2010 is going to be declared as the first hike on these new knees of mine. I am a month early, but every muscle in this body is screaming for me to get off my lazy butt and put the new joints to the test. So now it has been done.

WOW! am I glad that I went hiking, it felt great! It was great putting on my hiking boots and bending over to tie them, all the little things that we take for granted, I am starting to be able to do again.  Those of you who have had the knee replacement surgery can understand what I am talking about. Slipping on my day pack and fastening the buckles, back to normal. My comfortable and well worn trekking poles are next, so I slide my hands through the straps and gripe the handles, a perfect fit!   Lets go hiking- Gracie is ready, I am ready, Lets go!

Sign at Trail Head

 This trail is located at Devils Fork State Park.http://www.sctrails.net/trails/ALLTRAILS/Hiking/Upcountry/BearCove.htm This link tells about the trail and I will try to link to the appropriate web pages as we go along.

http://southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1355.aspx This link tells about the Park and how to get there.

We start down the trail and the adventure begins.

Bridge over small creek.  Place for dog to drink!

White blaze on tree marks trail. Trail is well marked. Good family hike.

The one place you could get lost is well marked. This is well into the hike.

We hike the trail going up and down, but nothing to steep to climb or to go down. The weak knees would rather go up a hill then down. Around to the right and then around to the left, just a very typical trail through the woods. A good starter hike for beginners and those beginning again.

 Lake Jocassee

This is what you see during the hike!

You will come to a bench and an information board when you get here, you have arrived! Take time to walk down to the lake shore and gaze out across Lake Jocassee. Every way you look is a good look. 

The lake is about 15ft. low,someone had fun.

Go ahead and sit down and take a short break. Eat the snack and drink some water, even if you don't think you need it. You and those with you will feel better and the last part of the hike will be as fun as the the first part. Just because you aren't sweating doesn't mean  that you are not losing water. Always take water and if you want a sport drink of some kind take that too. No need to get in a hurry, relax and enjoy the great outdoors God has given to us.

After you finish your hike, write down the date and location. If you are like me you will forget otherwise.

Back soon.

Turtle

                                                                                  

What to do?

Returned from PT this morning feeling really, really good about my knees and overall health. The session was demanding and yet rewarding. Today is a beautiful sunny day, just screaming "COME OUT AND PLAY".  But, not today there are other things to do. Tomorrow will be a good day for a short hike, when I complete  the hike I'll share the experience..

Years ago when I started hiking one thing I didn't do was carry water with me. Why not? Don't really know, just didn't think about it.Today I try to always have water with me, it does a body good! For day hikes use a day pack and carry your water and snacks in it. I also would drink out of streams and creeks, which today is a big no no!  "Always carry water with you."

Gracie. You've not meant Gracie yet, she is a big part of my hiking experience.We have been together for over 13 years, good years. She is a Yellow Lab, a water dog if you will. She was maybe three months old when we were hiking on a old logging road on a hot summer day here in the mountains . Nice quiet afternoon,just the two of us. We cross a small stream and Gracie does not drink or even stop too smell the water, I sit and pull out my water and drink. Gracie wants my water! That is not going to work, she is just a dog, stream water is good enough for her. What to do?  I put my water away and we continue the hike. What to do? As we wander along-"All who wander are not lost"-I read that somewhere! As we wander along we come upon a much bigger stream, at least six feet wide at it's widest point with a pool of water maybe eight or twelve inches deep. What to do? The light bulb goes off over my head- today it would be one of those curly haired things, and not near as bright as one would like, but back then it was a bald headed light bulb.What to do? Only thing to do; show her how to drink out of a natural stream!

No one around, that I can see, hope no one can see me! Gracie won't even get in the water so my first step is to get her to want to be a water dog. What to do? Show her how to get in the water. I don't want to get my clothes all wet soooo I strip bare butt naked. Gracie sits on the side with a look on her face. 
           Are you for real?
I crawl into the water, two hands, two feet. lower into the water, AHHHHH!!! no words describe the cold of a cold mountain stream on a lily white naked body! Gracie perks both ears up, thumps her tail.
           He wants me to do that?
I stick my nose into the water and start lapping,. lift up the cold blue body and shake back and forth."Gracie look at me, this is how you do it." I drop back into the water and roll over waving all four frost bitten stubs in the air. [Where is my manhood?]  Gracie jumps to her feet,-do dogs smile?
           This is good!
I drag my cold wet self on the leaf covered forest floor and try to stand. Pick the leaves off me. Using my stiff hands I unsuccessfully wipe water from a goose bumpy body and dress. Gracie walks into the stream, laps up some water, squats and pees!
            It doesn't get better then this!
Carry your own drinking water.

Back soon,

Turtle