SAFETY: 1. A FIREARM: You never know what animals you may encounter. Here in Idaho, we have mountain lions that like to eat humans. 2. SUNSCREEN: Try to get a travel size that will easily t into your pack. 3. Bug Spray: This is a lifesaver on any hike and your friends will be glad you packed it. 4. MINI FIRST AID KIT: Even if you just grab a snack-sized bag and ll it with band-aids, alcohol wipes, and ibuprofen, that will suf ce. 5. DILL PICKLE JUICE AND SALT PACKS: Salt is the rst electrolyte you lose when you sweat. Pickle juice relieves cramps. They can be found at running stores and online. We had a friend that was in severe pain and was cramping from dehydration and low potassium levels, which resulted in a severe muscle cramp. The cramp caused tearing of the muscle bers which allowed for bleeding to continue into the muscle. Please note, my friend is an experienced hiker and in great shape so this could happen to anyone! We wish we would have had these things on our last hike to help him. 6. WATER: I would recommend a Camel Back or an off-brand model for any hike 5 miles or longer. Make sure it holds at least 2 liters of water. The recommended dosage for adults: 2 cups (about 1/2) a liter of water for every 1 hour of hiking. Children: 1-2 cups of water for every hour of hiking.
If you are wondering what milage to start out with for your hikes, here is a quick guide. Rate what level best suits you. Start small and slowly build from there. Dif culty scale: Easy: 1-5 miles with up to 1500 feet of elevation gain and loss. Moderate: 5-8 miles with more than 1500 feet of elevation gain and loss. Hard: 8-12 miles with more than 3,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Very hard: 12-15 miles with more than 4,500 feet of elevation gain and loss. Extremely hard: More than 15 miles with more than 6,000 feet of elevation gain or loss.
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Summer 2022
12
