Chameleon Articles Directory

Best tumi backpacks and quality shoe holders: Follow these tips when you decide where to go backpacking for the first time: Consult with experienced backpackers: Hiking club members and REI store staff love to make trip recommendations. Hiking guidebooks are a valuable tool—you’ll find the best selection for a given area in local REI stores and other local outdoor retailers. Online sites like the co-op’s Hiking Project are another great resource. Pick a place close to home. You want to spend more time hiking than driving. You also want to have ample daylight hours to reach camp before dark. Discover more information on cleat holder for backpack.

The BOBA carrier has been in the top 5 of our best baby carrier list for 3 years now, and for some great reasons. It is comfortable, stylish, durable, and very well-made and reliable. The thick waistband tends to support a lot of the baby’s weight so your shoulders don’t get too sore, with a nice even distribution around the body. We also liked that the waistband has two adjustment points, which helps quite a bit to even out the cinching around the waist. It also has the adjustments for the shoulder straps right under the armpits, helping you customize the fit even when wearing your baby. Some advantages of the BOBA over the Ergo is that it includes an infant insert, supports from 7 pounds all the way up to 45 pounds (like the LILLEBaby), and it has a small zippered pocket along the waist. Though working with an infant insert is a bit awkward relative to having it built in to the system. It also includes little foot straps (stirrups) to support tired hanging legs. Also, we found the range of strap adjustment is very wide, fitting a wider range of body shapes and sizes. So this carrier does, in fact, have a couple advantages over the Ergo.

Reducing backpack weight tip : Analyze everything. Do you really need it? Is there a lighter version of it? Can it be shaved or cut down? I spent months preparing my Appalachian Trail gear to keep it as light as possible. Even five months into the hike, I was still cutting off things that I was not using. Go primitive (or electronic-less). Goodbye cellphones, watches, iPods, kindles, GPS, chargers, etc. This is the trail. Enjoy the solitude. If you’re worried about safety – tell someone ahead of time where exactly you are going and when to expect your return. Razor blade for knife. Very rarely do I ever miss my knife and I certainly have never needed my knife. A razor blade can be great an ultralight alternative. Find additional details on ilouxnei.com.

Don’t hike in winter conditions unless you have experience doing so. Every year I see dozens of preventable hiker deaths in the winter. Hikers attempt a trail that’s straightforward in the summer, but in the winter becomes a mountaineering exercise. Don’t push yourself past your limits. Build your strength and distance in a gradual way. Stay hydrated and fed, even if you aren’t hungry or thirsty. Heed signs and warnings. Sometimes they seem very basic and aimed at beginners, but they’re there for a reason. Stay on the trail, avoid shortcuts, and always know where you are and where you’re going. Check out my “hiking for beginners” post to make sure you haven’t missed anything important. Leave your hiking plans with a friend or family member, along with a time that you will be back by. If you’re not back by that time, let them know that they should call 911 and alert the authorities of your situation. Usually this is as simple as forwarding a link to a hike web page in an email. Worth the 2 minutes it takes. Practice camping overnight with your emergency gear in your backyard (or a nearby park). Learn some primitive skills to help you survive in the outdoors. You can watch videos on Youtube, or even attend classes all over the country. I’ve gone to the Tom Brown Tracker school and it was pretty awesome. And even though I know primitive survival skills, I still bring all of the emergency gear that I mentioned earlier. It’s better to have as many options as possible.