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Backpacker Magazine – January 2013
Limit Pusher Skills
Always looking for a way to go farther and faster? Get ready with these tips to take your hiking to the next level.
Photo by Push your limits to reach the top. (by Erik Unger)
Push your limits to reach the top. (by Erik Unger)
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Tags:
- Skills |
- Adventures |
- Fitness |
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Prep for the Hike of Your Life
Going big? Push yourself with these muscle and mind-over-matter training tips.
LONGEST
Body: Increase weekly mileage and, two weeks pretrip, hike a long day (80 percent of your trip’s longest). Wear your planned footwear to toughen blister-prone skin.
Mind: Set short-term goals so you can celebrate regularly on-trail. Reward yourself (with a favorite snack or a short restbreak) after every success.
STEEPEST
Body: Boost cardio and quad strength by running hill repeats, up and down stairs, or by using a treadmill’s incline mode for 30 minutes two to three times a week.
Mind: Climbs may look bigger when you’re fatigued or grumpy. Stay energized (see below) and train your eyes on the terrain directly in front of you, not a hill’s apex.
HIGHEST
Body: Improve balance and descent-control with twice-weekly ab and lower-body strength training. Include squats, stepups, and walking lunges (with a pack).
Mind: Altitude can zap appetite, drive, and judgment. Set a schedule to stay on track: Eat and drink hourly, limit breaks to 10 minutes, plan a firm turn-around time.
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READERS COMMENTS
Come on, Backpacker, you really sent me an email with this article as the lead? You can do better.
Fatigue and altitude can impair your judgment and zap your energy especially on a day-hike. Day-hikes can be the most dangerous because hikers usually carry minimal supplies never expecting to spend the night outdoors. Would you know how to get rescued if the unexpected happened on the trail? Could you find your way if you didn't know the trail? The ability to know your way and know where you are is something we all need in any survival situation not just while hiking. Learn to stay found by using a compass and paying attention to your surroundings. A compass doesn't need a signal or batteries and works in all types of weather but you need to know how to use it and "Felix the Sugar Glider Be Safe Hike Smart" (Amazon) makes learning how to use a compass easy. Felix! explains how to orient yourself using a compass, a compass and a map, a map and no compass, no compass and no map. Anyone wanting to feel more confident about orienting ourselves outdoors will enjoy learning from this book. To refresh our skills, we read thru this book with our kids before every hike - it's only about 34 pages and illustrated. Felix! teaches the reader how to know where you are, what to pack for a day-hike, how and when to take breaks, trail ethics, what to do if you get lost or scared, how to get rescued, and survival packing (for the car and for the trail). Look for it on Amazon, "Felix the Sugar Glider Be Safe Hike Smart."
Fatigue and altitude can impair your judgment and zap your energy especially on a day-hike. Day-hikes can be the most dangerous because hikers usually carry minimal supplies never expecting to spend the night outdoors. Would you know how to get rescued if the unexpected happened on the trail? Could you find your way if you didn't know the trail? The ability to know your way and know where you are is something we all need in any survival situation not just while hiking. Learn to stay found by using a compass and paying attention to your surroundings. A compass doesn't need a signal or batteries and works in all types of weather but you need to know how to use it and "Felix the Sugar Glider Be Safe Hike Smart" (Amazon) makes learning how to use a compass easy. Felix! explains how to orient yourself using a compass, a compass and a map, a map and no compass, no compass and no map. Anyone wanting to feel more confident about orienting ourselves outdoors will enjoy learning from this book. To refresh our skills, we read thru this book with our kids before every hike - it's only about 34 pages and illustrated. Felix! teaches the reader how to know where you are, what to pack for a day-hike, how and when to take breaks, trail ethics, what to do if you get lost or scared, how to get rescued, and survival packing (for the car and for the trail). Look for it on Amazon, "Felix the Sugar Glider Be Safe Hike Smart."
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