Questions tagged [hiking]
Hiking is any outdoor walking activity - along trails or across unmarked wild country.
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tips for wading in knee deep water where water moccasins could roam
Lately I've taken up a new hobby: taking pictures of train trestle bridges. There's one that goes over the San Gabriel river in Texas that I can get within half a mile of but any further than that ...
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How fast can you typically hike through untracked forest?
Average hiking speed over level ground is often reckoned around twenty miles per day, assuming hikers in good shape who know what they are doing and where they're going. (As a rough approximation, ...
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Information about an Japanese Trail (Keyakidaira to Kurobe dam)
I hope I am not too far off from the sense of this forum. But I am desperately looking for some information about the trail that leads from Keyakidaira to Kurobe Dam. Because of Google Images and ...
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Open, fjell-like landscapes in Germany
Current travel possibilities are limited, so I am more or less stuck in Germany at the moment. For recreation, I usually go to areas with landscapes similar to the Highlands in Scotland or ...
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How to prepare on hiking routes?
By watching a Belgian television serie called GR5 on Één I got inspired to start with hiking. But as an inexperienced hiker I don't know what I could expect from it. I've flowing questions:
What's an ...
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Places for a "socially distant" walk
Where might I look for places on which to go for a medium length (3-5 miles) or longer walk -- and where I'd minimize my chances of encountering other people?
The Covid-19 pandemic is ongoing, and I'...
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New Hampshire A.T. Section Hike in May? Logistics and Trail Conditions
I am new to this particular StackExchange site, so if this question is off-topic please let me know. The question involves weather conditions along the A.T. through the White Mountains NH in May, as ...
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How can I obtain drinking water in a saline area such as the Northern Great Plains?
If the topographic map is to be believed, there are plenty of streams in Grasslands National Park, but apparently they are saline. Last and Ginn report that there is no other area in the world that ...
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Can putting nails in trees cause longterm health problems for the tree?
I asked a question about marking trails and one of the answers suggested nailing markers to the trees. Does this damage the trees? I'm mostly concerned about long-term infection or rot that will ...
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Trail marking material that will last a few years
I'm currently trying to remark a trail that seems to be forgotten or had very little use in the past few years. The markers that remain (different types of ribbon) are fraying or crumbling depending ...
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Do animal trails have switchbacks?
When hiking in a rarely frequented area, trails may be very faint to the level of being essentially invisible. In such situations, it has happened more than once that I accidentally followed an ...
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How do you overcome a preventative fear of dangerous wildlife
I live in Colorado and love hiking alone, it's quiet and peaceful. I want to be more 'free' to hike in early morning or late evening when it's dark or backpack in remote places, but at this point I ...
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How do I get a stuck gas canister (for hiking/camping) out of a stainless steel mug?
I nested my 110g gas canister inside my stainless steel mug for a hike. I used it about halfway through for lunch, and when I was done put it back in the way I had packed it (upside down). Now it is ...
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Hiking during winter in Alps
I've been hiking the the Alps for 20years and normally I go skiing every winter. But I see more and more pictures of people hiking in the snow.
Is it possible to go hiking in February in the alps? If ...
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Guidebook for Hiking activities around Geneva
Any recommendations for good hiking books describing trails, camp sites (back- and front-country), etc. along with their topology, difficulty levels for Switzerland, especially around Geneva? ...
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Can orange safety vest be used when hiking during hunting season?
I'm going to be doing some winter hiking in parks where there are going to be a lot of hunters. Probably only during bow hunting season for deer in NJ. I'll be getting some blaze hats but for the vest ...
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Clothing for cold weather hiking
I will go for two day hiking on a mountain (intermediate level). The weather will be chilling (3 °C to 5 °C, no snowing,but it may rain). I would like to know what kind of clothing would be better?
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Hiking with goats?
I asked around (including on this site: Hiking with a mule or two?) about hiking with a mule or a horse.
Some people on other sites actually suggested hiking with pack goats. (for weights on the ...
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Looking for a 20 to 40mi out and back or loop trail in Maryland
My daughter and I were going to hike the AT through Maryland. She goes to school there and really wanted to do a muli-day hike. We recently gave up on the idea b/c the logistics of the end to end ...
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Hiking with a mule or two?
For an older guy (say 65+) who likes to hike alone - are a mule or two a help or a hindrance? Maybe a mule for the pack, and a second mule to ride when I get really old?
Historically people preferred ...
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Other than good shoes and a stick, what are some ways to preserve your knees on long hikes?
My knees aren’t in the best shape, one in particular. I had a rather devastating 13 hour up-and-down hike on day two of a three day hike, and the last day my knees were hurting every step. What are ...
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Overnight hiking in Italian Alps in late autumn?
I am planning to spend about a week in Italian/Swiss border Alps in late October. The base plan is to hire a 4WD and drive along the border slowly, stopping a lot for less-than-a-day hikes (staying ...
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Long distance hikes with small children
In recent years, my wife and I completed a few long distances hikes together, for instance:
Kungsleden from Nikkaluokta to Abisko, 105 km (Sweden)
Landmannalaugar to Skogar via Laugavegur and ...
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Post-hike Care and Pain Relief for Blisters and Hot Spots
There are many, many articles and web sites that will tell you what to do if you develop a hot spot or blister while on the trail, and need to perform some field treatment to allow you to get back in ...
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Boots or trail runners with reference to blisters?
I know that I can significantly improve my hiking efficiency by reducing the weight of my footwear. However, I have historically had trouble with blisters while hiking. I also often do long distance ...
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Knee injuries prevention using knee protectors
Knee is basically one of the main joints that provides you the ability to walk. There are several ways to prevent or ease the knee pain (see Knee pain when descending a mountain), but I would like to ...
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How do I tell if a glacier is safe for crossing?
Sure you have to look out for crevasses which is nicely explained here: How to detect a crevasse on a glacier.
But what else does one have to consider when trying to cross a glacier?
Some glaciers ...
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What are effective trekking-groceries in terms of energy/mass ratio while maintaining a healthy balance of carbs, fats, proteins and vitamins?
Sure it is nice to carry around huge packs of fresh vegetables and some beef in order to prepare a proper dish. However, it takes up space and moreover lots of mass in your backpack.
Also, a pound of ...
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Latex-free first aid kit
I plan to go on a hike with someone allergic to latex.
Usually I would pack small plasters and leukotape, but this is not an option in this case.
How can I replace these items with latex-free ...
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Is the Battery Life of the Garmin InReach Mini enough for a 2 week trip?
I am going hiking for 2-3 weeks with no possibility of charging the battery again. Assuming I only turn the InReach on only once a day to send a "I'm ok"-message and then turn it off again, would the ...
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How much time/distance on average does it take take to break in hiking boots?
If you are buying new hiking boots before a trip there is a break in period before the boots get comfortable and you don't want to go on a long backpacking trip with brand new boots. Time will depend ...
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Tioga Pass (Yosemite) Day Use Opening Timeline
NPS has opened Tioga Pass for through traffic but not for day use recreation. I can't find any historical information about how long after the initial opening it typically opens for day use. Anyone ...
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How do people deal with sweating and 'feeling hot' at high altitude climbs (above 5500m)?
How do people deal with sweating and 'feeling hot' at high altitude climbs (above 5500m)??
Just a background on myself:
I've done hikes/climbs up to 3000m where temps hit at the lowest of around -1 ...
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What overnight backpacking trails are clear of deep snow now (or likely to be in the next two weeks) in northwest Washington?
I am looking for an overnight backpacking trip to do in the next few weeks somewhere in western Washington. But I am worried about deep snow remaining on the trails. Based on last winter's snowpack, ...
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Boots: Does light damage affect waterproofing?
I am looking at a new pair of suede leather walking boots. Price is low due to one boot being in a shop window and so is faded and doesn't match the other boot.
My question is: would the light damage ...
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Using a Snow jacket for non snow conditions?
I'm looking to buy a new jacket for hiking/traveling during winter in Australia for temps between 8c to 15c and possibly in windy and rainy conditions.
I noticed that snow jackets tend to be cheaper ...
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How stiff of a sole should I look for in hiking boots?
There is a spectrum of sole stiffness in boots, from full shank on mountaineering boots to the easily bendable ones on really cheap boots. The way to test is to push in on the shoe lengthwise and see ...
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Will a coyote attack my dog on a leash while I'm on a hiking trail?
Is a coyote or pack of coyotes likely to attack my small dog if she is with me on a trail on a leash? I heard of someone's dog being eaten while the woman was walking her pet on a leash. She was ...
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Google Map Hiking Trail
What do the red and blue solid curves in this Google Map indicate?
This is around Dachstein, Austria.
Link:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Dachstein+Krippenstein+-+Dachstein+Tourismus+AG/Lodge+am+...
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Hallstatt trek: Obertraun to Lodge am Krippenstein
I want to trek from Obertraun to Lodge am Krippenstein, as indicated in this google map:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Dachstein+Krippenstein+-+Dachstein+Tourismus+AG/Lodge+am+Krippenstein,+Winkl+...
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What aquatic animal laid these eggs?
On April 12, 2019, my sister-in-law was hiking on a mountain close to our home in Central Massachusetts, USA.
There was a pond at the end of an established trail. Near the water's edge were jelly-...
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Hiking in the Sapa mountains Vietnam
Is altitude a problem in this area - Sapa is at 1500m so any thing over that is going to be heading into intermediate altitude territory. We are trekking with a 13 year old and hope to do 14 Km to a ...
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Garmin Fenix 3 - Temperature spikes result in abnormal elevation changes
Oscillating temperature readings result in inaccurate altitude data. I currently have no solution or explanation. Can anybody help?
In this case the route is completely flat. As soon as the ...
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Is it advisable to use a tourniquet on a dog for a snake bite? [duplicate]
I'm a bit curious about this since the day I read an infographic tip from a veterinarian.
The reason stated by her is that it helps to not enlarge the site of the snake bite. Is this correct?
...
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EU vs US hiking gear choices [closed]
For some time, I have been following both European and American long distance hikers and a few things stood out to me, gear wise, and I was curious if someone could shed some light on it. For example, ...
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What type of pants would be durable and suitable for outdoors in all kind of climates?
I am about to start a long backpacking trip through South America, and I would like to take as little weight as possible. I have the rest of my stuff more or less sorted out, but I am a bit at a loss ...
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How to choose shoes for long-distance urban walking for durability first then comfort?
I'm an international hitchhiker and I've never been sure what kind of shoes to buy.
I do the vast majority of walking on roads, carrying 15kg or so. Sometimes I'll be off-road in the same shoes. I've ...
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Strategy to ascend steep scree slope
On a hike a while back, I was going up the less favored side of a large hill. Due to recent geological activity, the hill side had sort of cracked/split creating a 5-10 foot wide pathway along the ...
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Timberland classic 6 inch boots for mountain hiking/trekking
The original Timberland classic 6-inch boots were made 40 years ago for the cold, wet and mountainous terrain of New England. They were innovative footwear for their time, but now have become mostly a ...
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Using hiking boots for amateur rock-climbing
What are the practical aspects of using good quality hiking boots (e.g. ones shown below) for climbing?
Arguably, an outdoor enthusiast might be involved in various sorts of activities from hiking ...
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