#hiking tips

Bright Angel Trail has one brutal trick: the easy part comes first.

The descent feels almost too good. The views open up, your legs feel fresh, and “just a little farther” sounds harmless.

Then you turn around.

Every easy step down becomes a climb back up, usually when you’re hotter, slower, and already tired.

Turn around before you feel exhausted, not after.

I don't know about y'all, but as we fall into autumn here in the northern hemisphere, I know I'll be going on a lot more nature hikes to savor those cool breezes and gorgeous leaves. But this year, with the marked increase in crow boy sightings, I'll be keeping a few extra safety tips in mind:

Be respectful. If you're hiking somewhere where crow boys have been spotted, remember that you are a guest in their home. As always, take only pictures and leave only footprints. Stay on trails. Avoid flash photography.

Don't seek them out. Crow boys are a fey subtype that can easily persuade hikers with words and actions. If you spot one, do not approach them, and slowly retreat to a safe distance. If one approaches you, maintain eye contact and back away until you are in a safer location.

Avoid plastic and metal. It's common knowledge that crow boys go after plastic, but recent research has shown that they attack metal, too. Consider this when choosing your water bottle and other safety tools...

...but don't overthink it. In this day and age, it can be difficult to avoid using plastic, and even trickier to leave metal behind. Some sources recommend wrapping plastic and metal necessities--like water bottles and cell phones--in natural fiber fabrics to conceal them. One hiker friend suggested wearing a full-body, natural-fiber cloak--it's good for warmth, stylish, and will hide much of the synthetic fibers in your outfit.

Bring a buddy. Hiking with a friend means having extra eyes to look out for danger. In the event of a crow boy encounter, having a nearby human presence has shown to be grounding for a hiker at risk of being enthralled by fey. If you must go alone, then tell a friend your route and schedule ahead of time.

Leave the pets at home. Hiking with your dog is great for their health and yours, but if you're hiking in a heavily-forested area where crow boys have been spotted, leave them home. A dog's presence may threaten a crow boy and make them more aggressive.

Have a contingency plan. Sources recommend keeping a few small, blunt metal objects on hand to throw away from the trail as a distraction. Keep them large enough so that local wildlife won't mistake them for food, but small enough that they won't hurt a creature if thrown. I'm bringing a few bent spoons on my next hike. The shinier your objects are, the better. Never paint or use plastic on these objects, since you won't get a chance to retrieve them in the event of an emergency.

Remember, these crow boys are understood to be dangerous. Staying alert and calm on your hikes might be the difference between a pleasant walk and a life-changing encounter.

Sometimes,

Not as much of a tutorial as my last one, but here's a look at what's in my first aid kit, and a few of the other related things that i carry in my pack.

A list:

Tape

Vetwrap

Gauze

Dressings/bandaids

Knife + Scissors

Cotton pads

Chlorhexidine cream

Painkillers (Ibuprofen and Paracetamol)

Antihistamines (Zyrtec)

Sanitary pad/panty liners

Zip-ties, safety pins, rubber bands

Tweezers (mine are MIA)

After that one disaster of a trip i don't go anywhere without a roll each of sports tape and vet wrap.

When Røst got injured, these two items alone made sure we were able to make it down off a horribly rocky 1000m summit, across four hours worth of boggy terrain and river crossings back to the car.

Pads and panty liners are great for cutting up and padding areas that are causing rubs, like armpits or in your shoes etc.

Antihistamines because they reduce itching due to bug bites.

Cotton pads because you can cover injuries with them and tape over them.

Safety pins/zip-ties/rubber bands = first aid for your gear.

Peppa pig bandaids preferable but My little pony will do.

Όταν τα φύλλα αρχίζουν να βάφονται κόκκινα, χρυσά και πορτοκαλί, το βουνό φοράει τα καλά του. Το φθινόπωρο δεν είναι απλώς μια ενδιάμεση εποχή· είναι η ιδανική περίοδος για να επιστρέψουμε στα μονοπάτια. Οι θερμοκρασίες πέφτουν σε πιο δροσερά επίπεδα, τα πλήθη μειώνονται σημαντικά και το τοπίο αποκτά μια απαράμιλλη φυσική γοητεία. Αν έχεις πεζοπορήσει μέσα στον καύσωνα του καλοκαιριού, τότε…

Adjusting a hiking pack: How to not be That Guy.

Comfortable is the goal!

First some backpack anatomy.

Before you do this, load some weight into your backpack. Make sure it's packed comfortably with the heaviest weight close to the middle of your shoulder blades.

Step 1. Loosen all the load bearing straps on your pack. (Belt, shoulders, lifters.)

Step 2. Put your backpack on and hoist it up so that your belt is around your waist, not your hip bones. Tighten enough so that the belt rests on your hip bones without being able to slip down too far over them.

Step 3. Tighten your shoulder straps. Just whatever feels ok for now.

Step 4. Tighten the load lifters to pull your pack against your body.

Step 5. Go back and make sure your shoulder straps aren't too tight or too loose. You want them to barely be touching the tops of your shoulders when you straighten your back. Letting the weight rest on your hips.

Here's a video of me adjusting my pack:

Now, go for a hike/walk and adjust as you go. If your shoulders start to feel tired or sore, hoist your pack up higher and tighten the belt a bit more, then loosen the shoulder straps a few cm until it feels better.