Seasonal Considerations for Hikers and Campers

Part of the reason it is so fun to spend time in the great outdoors is that every trip into the wilderness is different. You may witness deer feeding on trailside vegetation one day, spot a row of recently bloomed wildflowers the next, and observe a recently fallen tree the day after.

The forest (or field, desert, swamp or any other habitat you may visit) is constantly changing, and each trip will yield new and interesting sights, sounds and smells.

But while some of these changes occur randomly, others are related to natural seasonal cycles. It behooves hikers and campers to familiarize themselves with some of the obvious (and not-so-obvious) changes that occur as the calendar advances. This will not only help keep you safe, it’ll help you maximize your time in the great outdoors too.

Winter

Winter is undoubtedly the best time for those seeking solitude to head outdoors – you’ll share the trail with relatively few hikers and campers during the coldest months of the year. There are obviously exceptions, but most wildlands outside of the sunbelt are pretty empty during the winter.

But there’s a reason that relatively few people take to the trails during the winter: It’s cold.

The frigid temperatures of December, January and February certainly pose challenges. Frostbite and hypothermia are common threats on winter trips, and it is hard to get warm while you’re living outdoors for an extended period of time. It can also be extremely challenging to traverse icy or snowy terrain (although good trekking poles can help), and it’s often harder to do simple things because your fingers are constantly cold.

However, there are a few really neat benefits the winter provides. You’ll have to decide if they outweigh the challenges posed by the cold temperatures, but every outdoor enthusiast should give winter camping a try at some point.

For example, you can see much farther into the forest in the winter. Most of the deciduous trees will have shed their leaves, which opens up sightlines and vistas that are obscured for most of the year. In some cases, this may mean that a campsite that doesn’t provide much of a view throughout the warm portions of the year will suddenly afford beautiful views of the surrounding lands.

Additionally, you won’t have to battle many biting bugs during the winter. Most mosquitoes, ticks, spiders and other creepy critters die off or hibernate during the winter, so you won’t spend the evening slapping at bugs and checking your body for ticks. Additionally, most dangerous snakes spend the winter snoozing underground, so you aren’t likely to step on one sunning on the trail.

Spring

Spring may be one of the most beautiful and exciting times to explore the great outdoors. The new leaves on the trees and deciduous shrubs make the entire world look green, wildflowers provide color everywhere you look, and bird songs will usually form the soundtrack for your trip.

And best of all, you get to enjoy all of these things before many of the warm-weather problems present themselves. In fact, the early spring presents a number of the same benefits that winter does.

If you hit the trail early enough, you won’t have to contend with many bugs, and most of the poison ivy (and poison oak) leaves won’t have blossomed yet, which will reduce your chances of suffering an itchy rash. However, all of these threats will become factors by the middle of spring (depending on the local climate), so it is often wise to schedule spring camping trips as early as possible.

Spring can present a pretty significant challenge though, as the entire landscape will be covered in pollen. This can make allergy sufferers miserable and force them to spend much of the trip hiding inside their tent while taking antihistamines. But there are a few ways to limit the problems caused by pollen, and we discuss several of them here.

Trails and campsites occasionally become crowded during the spring, but the earlier you venture out, the smaller the crowds will be. However, you’ll need to be prepared for a wide variety of temperatures during spring camping trips, as the difference between the nighttime lows and daytime highs will be particularly exaggerated.

Cold snaps are also a perpetual possibility in the early days of spring. These can be dangerous if you aren’t prepared for the cold weather and icy terrain, so it is important to make sure you still have all of your cold-weather gear anytime you hit the trail in the early spring.

Summer

Because most kids are out of school during the summer and many adults schedule their vacations for this portion of the year, summer is usually the most crowded time of year for most popular trails and campsites. This isn’t necessarily a problem for all outdoor enthusiasts, but those who prize peace and quiet may want to head to particularly remote locations during the summer.

Summer presents campers with all of the standard warm-weather challenges. Snakes, bugs, poison ivy and other familiar threats will be at full strength, afternoon thunderstorms are often common, and high temperatures will often persist through most of the day and night.

Those trekking in high mountains or northern latitudes may not experience uncomfortably warm temperatures, but campers and hikers in most places will suffer through daytime temperatures that climb into the high 80s, if not further. This’ll make you sweat throughout the day, and it can increase the likelihood of blisters, rashes and friction burns from clothing or backpack straps.

You can partially mitigate these factors by wearing appropriate clothing and changing your socks immediately, anytime they become damp. But there are still times in which you’ll be unable to escape the heat very easily, which can stoke tempers and fray nerves. You’ll just have to do your best to stay cool, and obviously, make sure you remain hydrated.

On the plus side, summer is the best time of year to enjoy most types of aquatic recreation, including everything from kayaking to fishing to swimming. In fact, the warmest days of summer are often the only times it is fun to go swimming in cold-water streams.

And while you’ll always need to keep food safety in mind while hiking or camping (especially if you are using perishable, fresh foods), it is wise to remember that food will spoil more quickly during the summer than any other time of year. Be sure that you keep hot foods hot and discard the remainder in an appropriate way to avoid attracting bugs. Eat everything you can (enlist the help of your companions if need be), but you can throw the last spoon’s worth or so in the fire.

Fall

A lot of people enjoy hiking during the fall, but the season is largely underappreciated among campers. That’s a shame, as there are a number of great reasons to pitch a tent during the season, including the amazingly gorgeous red, gold and orange colors of the canopy.

But while the changing leaves are certainly enough reason to get out and spend some time in the forest during the fall, the season offers a number of other benefits too.

For example, the fall is a great time to view wildlife. Most of the mammal and bird populations will be at or nearing their peak, and many of the adults will be accompanied by their young. Squirrels, jays and other animals will be busy collecting acorns, while bears will amble about looking for tasty berries, bugs and trash.

The temperatures during the fall – at least the early portions thereof – are usually pretty comfortable too. The days often continue to get warm enough for you to wear shorts, and the nights aren’t usually perfectly suitable for sitting around the campfire. Additionally, fall, in many parts of the country, is the driest of all the seasons. This will allow you to enjoy hiking and camping without having to worry about rain ruining your good time.

Of course, fall does present its share of challenges too. The increased contact with wildlife will also include bugs and snakes, whose populations will also be nearing their peak during this time of year. Additionally, a few common allergens tend to bloom in the fall when the humidity drops, which can make allergy sufferers miserable.

On balance, the fall is clearly one of the best times to enjoy the outdoors, so make sure you get outdoors the next time it rolls around.

As you can see, each season presents unique opportunities as well as challenges. Just try to incorporate the tips provided above and prepare for the difficulties described, this will let you make the most of the opportunities available to you and minimize the effect of the negative aspects of each season.

The post Seasonal Considerations for Hikers and Campers appeared first on Montem Outdoor Gear.

from
https://montemlife.com/seasonal-considerations-for-hikers-and-campers/

Campfire Safety Guide

A crackling campfire is one of the most enjoyable parts of a camping trip. There’s simply nothing like sitting around the fire with friends and family, telling spooky stories, roasting marshmallows and enjoying the way the flames dance in the night.

But you must be sure to keep your campfire contained and employ sound safety protocols. Otherwise, your charming campfire may turn into a raging wildfire, which will not only threaten countless plants and animals but those people living near wilderness areas too.

Fortunately, it isn’t terribly difficult to keep your campfire safe. Just follow the tips and suggestions detailed below, and you’ll be able to enjoy a safe campfire that doesn’t threaten the very wilderness you’re trying to enjoy.

Use Existing Fire Circles When Possible

The vast majority of popular campsites will already have fire circles in place. As long as the fire circle is in a safe and logical location, it is usually best to use the existing one rather than building a new one from scratch. This will help keep the campsite as natural-looking as possible, and it’ll save you time that you can devote to different tasks.

Additionally, by using existing fire circles, it’ll help keep all of the potentially dangerous coals and embers in a single place. If you construct a new fire circle, you’ll just be setting up an additional place that requires care and monitoring.

Design the Fire Properly

If you have to build your own fire circle, be sure that you do so in the proper manner. Make the fire circle by scraping away all of the leaf litter and vegetation from a circular area about 10-feet in diameter. Be sure to locate the fire circle in a safe place – don’t, for example, situate it under overhanging trees. Line the circumference of the circle with rocks.

Then, before starting the fire, clear the ground outside of the fire circle. An extra 5 feet is usually sufficient, but 10 is preferable in fire-prone regions.

You’ll also want to make sure that you keep any other flammable items a safe distance from the fire. This includes things like your tent and backpack; also, be sure your stove fuel isn’t anywhere near the fire.

In fact, it is often wise to consider the fire ring your first priority when laying out the campsite – you can move your tent, you can’t (easily) move the fire pit. So, check out the fire pit location first, and then set your tent and other gear up accordingly (and upwind of the fire).

Keep the Fire Contained

Above everything else, you need to keep the fire inside the fire circle. Do this, and you’ll eliminate many of the potential problems and hazards that campfires present. Accordingly, you’ll want to keep the size of your fire modest and be sure that all of the logs and sticks completely fit inside the fire circle.

Don’t drag a 10-foot log to the fire and try to keep pushing it farther into the fire as it burns – doing so courts disaster. Simply put, all flammable items should be kept inside the fire circle and the area surrounding the fire circle should be completely free of flammable items.

It’s also important to prevent flaming embers from escaping the fire circle by floating upward. You can’t completely eliminate floating embers, but you can reduce the number produced by being careful what you add to the fire. Don’t, for example, add dead leaves, pine needs or other lightweight items to a burning fire. They’ll quickly ignite and be carried upward by the fire’s updraft.

You can use dead leaves or similar types of tinder when you are starting the fire, but once the fire is burning, you should only add relatively thick sticks or logs.

Be Careful What You Burn

Not every stick or branch you find in the forest is suitable for your campfire. You must be careful of things that could be toxic when burned, such as poison ivy vines or poison sumac branches (the smoke produced by either can cause you to suffer severe respiratory distress).

It’s also important to avoid burning some species of wood because they’re apt to pop and crackle in the fire, potentially sending flaming embers in all directions. These kinds of sounds may be romantic when they occur in a fireplace behind a metal screen, but they spell danger in the forest.

Hemlock wood is one of the most notorious such species, but most softwoods, including several pines and firs, will also throw a lot of sparks. If you have your choice of woods, oaks and hickories are both reliable options (in fact, most hardwoods make good and safe fuel for the fire).

And although it should go without saying, don’t burn anything besides wood, dead vegetation or paper in your fire. Throwing plastics, metals, glass or liquids into the fire can often be extremely dangerous, so don’t try to use your campfire as a trash incinerator.

Once the Fire Is Lit, You Can’t Leave

You should never leave a burning fire unattended – even for a moment. It only takes a few seconds for a fire to grow out of control, and you’ll need to be present and paying attention to prevent this from happening.

Want to leave the morning fire going while you day hike? You better leave someone behind to tend it. Need to go get more firewood? Someone has to stay behind to keep an eye on the fire.

Keep this rule in mind when you’re gathering firewood too. You don’t want to have to extinguish your fire because you need to go looking for more firewood – always collect twice as much as you think you’ll need.

Extinguish the Fire Properly When You Are Finished

Always have a supply of water on hand when you start a fire. Even if you are camping mere feet from a water source, you’ll need to have a supply of water that you can quickly bring to bear – you don’t want to have to go fetch water when your fire jumps out of the ring.

How much water you need to have is difficult to pin down, but clearly, you’ll want as much as you can reasonably collect and store. You don’t need to fill a 55-gallon drum with stream water, but it’s probably wise to have at least a couple of gallons on hand.

Collapsible five-gallon water containers are relatively affordable, weigh very little, and won’t take up much space in your pack, so they’re perfect for the job. They’re also helpful in myriad other applications during the average camping trip.

Once the fire is over, you can use the water to put out the fire. But, plan ahead, if you can, and try to let the fire die down around the same time you’ll be retiring – the cooler it is, the easier it’ll be to extinguish. Just stop adding sticks once the last round of scary stories has started, or when you’re done cooking s’mores.

Five to ten minutes before you crawl into your tent, go ahead and start slowly pouring the water on the fire. Stop once you think you’ve completely extinguished the fire. Give the fire a few more minutes, and then use the rest of the water, being careful to hit any spots that are still smoldering. It should only be considered completely extinguished when you cannot see any glowing embers at all.

If you are extinguishing the last fire of your trip (or you are heading to another location), go back and douse it with the same amount of water that you used the first time. Make sure that there is no possible way that the embers will begin glowing again.

Emergency Steps for Escaped Fires

You must always take steps to keep your fire contained – you never want to be faced with a fire that’s escaped and is now threatening large swaths of habitat. However, it is important to know what to do in a worst-case scenario.

First of all, you’ll need to protect any people in the vicinity. Make sure that you warn them immediately, and that all parties are accounted for. Not only will this help prevent human casualties, these people may be able to help you bring the fire back under control.

If you are car camping with your blanket, it is a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in the car. A fire extinguisher will only be helpful for a brief time – once the fire grows too large, the fire extinguisher won’t be able to put out the flames. Accordingly, you’ll want to act quickly and grab the fire extinguisher at the first sign of trouble.

If you are backpacking, your options will be more limited. You likely won’t have any reasonable way to bring the fire back under control, so you’ll need to prioritize two things:

1. Ensure that you and all other people in the vicinity escape the fire’s path and reach the trailhead unharmed.
2. Contact the authorities as soon as possible, so that firefighters can begin trying to tame the blaze.

This illustrates the importance of bringing a working cell phone (or satellite phone, if you are venturing into remote wilderness areas) with you during camping trips.

Consider the Conditions: Sometimes, You Shouldn’t Start a Fire at All

Unfortunately, there are plenty of occasions in which you should just skip the fire and enjoy the nighttime sights and sounds the fire would normally preclude. This may put a bit of a damper on your evening, but that’s clearly preferable to putting a thousand-year-old habitat at risk.

For example, anytime you are camping in an area that is experiencing a drought or unusually dry period, you should probably think twice about starting a fire.

This is often a concern for those camping in the western half of the US. Many parts of California, for example, experience near droughts (or full-fledged droughts) each winter. However, all parts of the country occasionally suffer from droughts, including the normally humid forests of the east coast.

It is also wise to avoid starting fires in high winds. It doesn’t take a very strong gust to catch an ember and carry it high into the tree canopy. So, to be on the safe side, you’ll want to consider the winds before deciding to build a fire.

Of course, local officials will occasionally take the decision out of your hands entirely, by prohibiting the use of campfires in a given area. Follow these and all other instructions by the relevant authorities so that they can do their job and protect the habitat you are enjoying. Besides, the penalties for breaking these rules can be severe.

Miscellaneous Campfire Safety Tips

In addition to the general guidelines discussed above, there are a variety of miscellaneous fire safety tips you should embrace during your next camping trip. Some of the most important include:

• Keep your extra firewood stacked neatly – you don’t want anyone tripping over the pile. Organize it into three small piles, consisting of tinder, kindling and fuel, and be sure to place all three upwind of the fire.
• Don’t throw hot matches into trashcans. It is usually wise to simply toss them into the fire; just be sure that they burn completely.
• Build your fire upwind of relatively nonflammable locations, such as lakes or rock outcrops, whenever possible. This way, flying embers or sparks are less likely to land on something flammable.
• Never throw rocks in the fire. Some rocks contain small droplets of water inside their pores. These water droplets can boil thanks to the heat from the fire and cause the rock to explode, sending sharp fragments in all directions. If you need to warm a rock (to help keep you cozy through the night), keep it a reasonable distance from the fire. Let it get warm but move it away from the fire if it begins to get hot.
• Sand can be helpful for extinguishing a fire in a pinch. You won’t be able to snuff out a large fire with sand, but a shovel’s worth of sand may help you smother embers that escape the fire circle. Accordingly, it can be helpful to keep a camp shovel at the ready.
• Be careful if your campfire is located near old tree stumps. Although stumps often take a while to begin burning, once they start combusting, they can keep smoldering for weeks.
• Move around the rocks and sticks in the fire circle when trying to extinguish the fire. Sometimes, smoldering embers can remain hidden, so stir the cooled fire circle around with a long stick to ensure the fire is completely out.
• Keep your fire relatively small. A relatively modest pile of glowing coals will produce enough heat to keep you and your companions warm, boil water or cook food. Small fires are easier to control, represent a better use of resources, and they allow you to sit closer without getting too hot.
• Don’t burn gigantic logs. Very large logs take forever to ignite and once they start burning, they can be difficult to put out completely. You just don’t need this much fuel for a quaint little campfire. Instead, stick to logs that are no larger than your wrist.

Remember that while fires are certainly fun, it is your responsibility to keep the fire safe and prevent it from growing out of control. This is especially important during dry weather. In fact, when the conditions are especially problematic (such as windy weather during prolonged droughts), it is wise to forego the fire entirely.

But, if the conditions are safe for fires, and you follow the tips and suggestions above, you should be able to enjoy a safe campfire during your next camping trip.

The post Campfire Safety Guide appeared first on Montem Outdoor Gear.

from
https://montemlife.com/campfire-safety-guide/

Leave No Trace Principles

Outdoor enthusiasts often prefer visiting different types of locations.

Some love trekking high into the Appalachian Mountains, while others enjoy paddling through the river-carved rocks of the Southwest. Some may like to explore the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, while others enjoy ambling about aimlessly amid the grass-dotted dunes of the Gulf Coast.

You like forests; your buddy prefers prairies.

One of your kids likes the beach; the other prefers the bayou.

But these various locations all share one uniting characteristic, one about which all outdoor enthusiasts can agree: They offer you the chance to spend some time in an unspoiled place, which has suffered only a minimal amount of human impact.

Whatever types of places you prefer for hiking, trekking, camping or paddling, you surely appreciate that these activities all give you the opportunity to spend time in untouched wilderness areas.

However, careless use of these places will quickly ruin them. After all, they’re becoming more and more popular by the day. If those who visit these pristine places aren’t careful, they’ll destroy the very thing that they sought in the first place – natural, untarnished beauty.

Fortunately, a lot of outdoor enthusiasts have already begun taking steps to protect these places, and you can join right alongside them. You just have to embrace Leave No Trace Principles.

What Does Leave No Trace Mean?

Leave No Trace is an ethical framework designed to help conserve wild spaces. It is not only important for the people who visit these places, but for the habitats themselves. And this includes all of the plants, animals, trees, rocks and microbes dwelling in them.

The thrust of Leave No Trace is often distilled to the following sentence: Take only photographs (or memories), leave only footprints. Essentially, you’ll want to leave the wild spaces you visit exactly as you found them.

However, the Leave No Trace ethic is best exemplified by the Seven Principles. We’ll discuss these – and what they mean to the average outdoor enthusiast – below.

Leave No Trace: Seven Principles

The Seven Principles of the Leave No Trace conservation framework include the following:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

In most cases, a well-planned hike or camping trip will cause less environmental damage than a poorly-planned adventure will. People often end up in precarious situations when they’re poorly prepared, which may force them to do things they otherwise wouldn’t.

You may, for example, be forced to cross vulnerable habitats if you become lost, or otherwise disturb ecosystems to extricate yourself from the situation. In a worst-case scenario, you could find yourself stranded or injured. This may necessitate some type of rescue operation, which may cause even further environmental damage.

Accordingly, you’ll want to be sure you do your homework before leaving home. Learn all about the park or forest you are visiting, including the most common natural and environmental threats you’ll face. Contact the local ranger station (or relevant authority) and inquire about any special rules or regulations in effect and be sure to heed the advice given.

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Popular trails may endure tens of thousands of footsteps every day. All of this foot traffic will eventually wear away the soil, potentially altering trails and larger landscape features. So, you’ll want to walk across the most durable surfaces possible while making your way through the wilderness.

This means sticking to the designated trail, doing your best to avoid soft and muddy spots, and don’t cross meadows and other delicate habitats. Similarly, when you set up a campsite, try to select places with firm, hardpacked soil. If there are pre-established tent pads present, use them.

It is true that erosion is a natural process that occurs in all natural habitats. However, natural erosion occurs on geological timescales – not the course of a summer. So, do your best to tread lightly and avoid exacerbating any erosion already present.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

Perhaps the most obvious of the Seven Principles, you should always dispose of trash and other types of waste properly when enjoying the great outdoors.

For starters, embrace the “pack it in; pack it out” mantra. Always pack out anything you can’t eat, drink or burn and dispose of it in a proper receptacle. Many (if not most) popular campsites have trash cans near the trailhead, so just bring a small garbage bag with you and collect any trash you created when you’re packing up and heading out.

You’ll also have to dispose of human waste properly. Make sure that you dig latrines the recommended distance from nearby water sources (it varies from one location to the next, but 100 yards is a good rule of thumb) and throw in some dirt every time you use it.

Toilet paper should be burned, rather than buried. Even the most biodegradable varieties will still take quite a while to break down. Animals may dig it up before it has a chance to decompose, which creates quite an eyesore and a legitimate health hazard.

4. Leave What You Find

You’ll surely encounter a variety of beautiful and interesting artifacts on a given trip through the wilderness. You may stumble across beautiful flowers, fascinating river rocks, or cultural artifacts, left by prehistoric people. In all cases, you must resist the urge to take these types of things home as souvenirs.

No, you won’t single-handedly ruin a forest ecosystem by taking home a particularly pretty pinecone you find, but you aren’t the only one wandering through the forest – if everyone did the same, problems would inevitably occur.

Leaving what you find also means leaving the wilderness in the same state that you found it. This means you shouldn’t make any unnecessary changes to the habitat – don’t dig ditches, nor construct shelters. Try to ensure that the trails and campsites you visit look the same way they did when you arrived.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts

Campfires are a time-honored tradition, and they’re certainly fun to build and enjoy; however, campfires can become very dangerous if they’re not monitored carefully. Always be sure to set up a proper fire ring if one is not already built and avoid building campfires under overhanging trees. Additionally, you’ll always want to have a bucket of water on hand for safety purposes.

It’s also important to avoid harming the surrounding habitat while collecting firewood. Never cut living branches off trees – it’ll not only harm the tree, it’ll make for terrible firewood. Instead, stick to dead wood that has already fallen to the ground. And although some campers may be tempted to bring firewood with them, this is actually a very bad idea, as tree pests are often spread in this manner.

In fact, if you really want to leave no trace during your next camping trip, skip the fire entirely. Doing so will not only help protect the environment, it’ll provide you a chance to enjoy the kinds of sights and sounds the fire usually obscures or scares away.

6. Respect Wildlife

Of the seven principles established under the Leave No Trace ethical framework, perhaps none is more tempting for hikers and campers to break that this one. Of course, those who do break this rule rarely mean to do so, they just fail to appreciate the ramifications of their actions.

For example, few hikers or campers would ever deliberately harm a deer, squirrel, rabbit or butterfly. But respecting wildlife means respecting all wildlife – not just the cute, cuddly critters. This means that you’ll want to relocate the spider you found crawling in your tent, instead of squishing him. And you should certainly leave the garter snake crawling through camp unharmed.

Respecting wildlife also means keeping a safe distance from the animals you encounter. Never feed wild animals, as this can cause them to view humans as a food source. In the case of bears and other large animals, this can lead to accidents, which may, in turn, require officials to euthanize or relocate the animal in question.

At the end of the day, respecting wildlife means enjoying the encounters that occur, keeping a respectful distance, and avoiding any actions that may harm or threaten the animals living in the wild.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

In addition to treading lightly on the environment, respecting the living organisms that call wild spaces home and cleaning up after yourself, you’ll want to ensure that you don’t prevent other outdoor enthusiasts from enjoying the natural world. This essentially means being considerate and courteous and embracing the Golden Rule.

For example, you’ll want to remain relatively quiet while hiking and camping. People travel to the wilderness to hear babbling brooks and singing birds, they don’t want to hear your conversations from three campsites away. Similarly, refrain from playing loud music, and keep campfire songs to a reasonable volume.

It’s also important to practice good wilderness etiquette. Among other things, this means moving off the trail when you are taking a break, sharing the trail and trying to situate campsites in non-obtrusive places.

Additionally, experienced hikers and campers should yield to inexperienced hikers and campers whenever prudent. For example, if you encounter a family that is obviously new to hiking, you may want to point out the easiest river crossings or provide any helpful advice that would benefit them.

The Value of Leave No Trace Principles: Tangible Impacts

It is often hard for outdoor enthusiasts to appreciate the tangible benefits of Leave No Trace principles to achieve. But that’s primarily due to the entire goal of the Leave No Trace ethos – natural areas should look exactly like the same as when you found them.

However, one of the best ways to appreciate the accomplishments of the Leave No Trace movement is by simply visiting different parks. High-traffic parks often experience significant environmental degradation over the course of a summer (or whatever the busy season is for the location). By the end of the season, you’ll notice trash alongside the trail, broken limbs near campsites, and footsteps leading through fragile meadows and fields.

However, if you visit a park where the visitors employ Leave No Trace principles, you won’t see any of these things. The land will look untouched, and you won’t notice signs of campers who came before you. In fact, you’ll surely enjoy such well-respected parks and forests, as they’ll provide exactly the types of natural surroundings most outdoor enthusiasts seek.

Actionable Steps: Seven Things You Can Do During Your Next Outdoor Adventure

Lofty goals and broad initiatives are great, but they can leave your average hiker or camper without a clear idea about what to do. But most people should be able to employ some (or all) of the steps recommended below during their very next outdoor adventure.

1. Bring a small trash bag with you every time you hit the trail. It doesn’t take much time or effort to pick up a few pieces of litter you see while enjoying the trail, particularly if you bring a bag with you to carry it back to the trailhead.
2. Participate in voluntary cleanup programs. Most major metropolitan areas will have regular, volunteer-oriented park cleanup programs in which you can help do your park to keep natural areas clean. You may not be able to volunteer at your favorite camping location, as most people tend to travel long distances to reach wilderness areas, but you can surely pitch in at your local park.
3. Avoid using switchbacks. Properly designed mountain trails are designed in a serpentine This helps limit the amount of erosion that takes place and keep the trail in good condition. However, unscrupulous hikers often go off trail and create “switchbacks” that essentially form shortcuts for the trail. While it may be tempting to shave off any unnecessary steps on the trail, you’ll want to avoid using switchbacks, as they’re very destructive to the trail system and hillside.
4. Employ good outdoor bathroom etiquette. In addition to setting up your latrine a safe distance from water, be sure that you don’t set it up directly upwind (or within sight of) other campsites. Utilize shrubs, trees, boulders and other natural items to keep latrines out of the sight of your fellow campers.
5. Keep your pet on a leash. While pets often enjoy the great outdoors as much as their owners do, it is important to keep your pet leashed anytime you are in the wilderness. This will not only keep your pet safe, but it will ensure that your dog doesn’t chase and harass local wildlife (or other campers).
6. Turn your radio down. Music can help make a camping trip even more fun than normal, but not everyone wants to hear your tunes. So, you’ll want to keep the volume on your radio down, or better yet, use earbuds when enjoying your music.
7. Walk single-file on the trail. Whenever possible, try to walk single-file when traveling along unpaved trails. Doing so will help limit the erosion you create, and it’ll also help allow other hikers and campers to pass you easily.

Leave No Trace principles are pretty easy to employ, so every outdoor enthusiast should strive to embrace them. By doing so, you’ll help to protect and conserve the places you love visiting, and thereby allow future generations to enjoy them too.

The post Leave No Trace Principles appeared first on Montem Outdoor Gear.

from
https://montemlife.com/leave-no-trace-principles/

An Adventurer’s Guide to Climbing Aconcagua

If you’d like to check one of the Seven Summits (the highest peak on each continent) off your bucket list, but you aren’t interested in technical climbing, Aconcagua may be the perfect destination for your next adventure.

The highest peak in South America (as well as the highest mountain outside of Asia), Aconcagua climbs to about 22,837 feet (6,960 meters) above sea level. It is commonly considered to be the highest peak in the world that you can summit by simply walking. But although it isn’t a technically demanding summit to complete, it presents plenty of challenges to those who attempt to scale its slopes.

For starters, the temperatures near the top of Aconcagua are incredibly cold. Glaciers dot the mountainside (including the 10-kilometer-long Ventisquero Horcones Inferior), and the peak remains covered in snow all year long.

Even during the summer, temperatures routinely fall to around 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-17 degrees Celsius) once you pass the 16,000-foot mark (5,000 meters). And once you reach the summit, you’ll be greeted by temperatures in the -20 F (-28 C) range. Of course, strong winds are also common at high elevations, which only makes the already-frigid temperatures feel that much colder.

However, the cold, inhospitable weather is only one of the major challenges presented by the mountain. Aconcagua also reaches heights that make altitude sickness a serious possibility for those who scale it. In fact, most climbers will suffer mild symptoms of altitude sickness, unless they spend an extended period of time acclimatizing to the altitude. However, unlike Everest and a number of other high peaks, oxygen is rarely used by those attempting to reach the top.

Accordingly, Aconcagua represents one of the most attainable, yet worthwhile of the Seven Summits to climb. But it still requires great respect – many people have died while trying to reach the top. So, if you want to take on this mountain, you’ll need to learn about the challenge and prepare well.

We’ll try to help you do exactly this below.

Getting to Aconcagua

Most adventurers will begin by flying into Buenos Aires, Argentina, although many guides and seasoned climbers recommend flying into Santiago, Chile, instead. In either case, you’ll need to make your way to Mendoza, in the heart of Argentina’s wine-growing region.

Mendoza serves as the last place to secure additional equipment or enjoy many of the creature comforts civilization provides. If you are traveling with a tour guide, you’ll likely meet here. From this point, you’ll need to make your way to Aconcagua Provincial Park, nestled firmly within the beautiful Andes Mountains.

At this point, it’ll be necessary to hike to Plaza Francia, before continuing to Base Camp – generally with the assistance of gear-hauling mules. You’ll take a few days at Base Camp to acclimatize before beginning your journey to the summit.

Typical Routes to the Summit

There are two basic routes by which climbers can reach the summit of Aconcagua, although one of the routes can be attempted in three slightly different ways.

Normal (Northwest) Route

The Normal or Northwest Route is far and away the most common route used to reach the summit, and the only one that most amateur adventurers should choose. This route does not require ropes, ice axes or pins to summit, but you will need trekking poles and crampons, as the snow and ice are quite challenging.

There are a number of camps found along the route:

• Base Camp (13,800 feet)
• Plaza Canadá (16,170 feet)
• Nido de Condores (17,820 feet)
• Piedras Blancas (19,200 feet)
• Indepencia Refuge
• Summit (22,837 feet)

You’ll camp one night at each site, although different tour guides recommend slightly different schedules. The entire journey will take approximately three weeks, with the climb itself requiring about 12 to 15 days.

Polish Glacier Route

The Polish Glacier Route starts from a different location – you’ll typically arrive from Plaza, Argentina. You’ll then travel through the Vacas Valley before starting up the northern side of the mountain. About two-thirds of the way up, you’ll encounter the Polish Glacier – from there you have three options:

• Polish Glacier Traverse Route – This route traverses beneath the glacier and meets the Normal Route.
• Polish Glacier Direct Route A – This route heads directly up the center of the glacier.
• Polish Glacier Direct Route B – This route swings around to the far side of the glacier (known as the Polish Shoulder), before heading up a ridgeline.

Trip Timing

The winter temperatures near Aconcagua are extremely cold and storms are common, so you’ll need to schedule your trip for the summer. Just remember that the Southern Hemisphere summer is offset from the Northern Hemisphere summer by six months.

The official climbing season is from November 15^th through March 31^st each year, but the mountain is usually most crowded between December and late January.

Be sure to start planning your trip at least six to twelve months in advance of your desired arrival. This will give you enough time to secure a passport, hire a guide service (if desired) and obtain all of the necessary permits. Waiting until the last minute to make your plans courts disaster.

Staying Safe During Your Trip

Unfortunately, you’ll need to pass through a few relatively high-crime areas when trying to reach Aconcagua. Tourists traveling through Buenos Aires – including the airport – must remain alert and observant at all times, and there is also a significant amount of crime in Mendoza.

Robberies, including those involving violence or the threat of force, are quite common in and around Buenos Aires. Often, the perpetrators work in two-man teams, and they use motorcycles to make a quick getaway. Additionally, luggage theft is extremely common in the bus stations in Buenos Aires and Mendoza.

However, once you are in the Andes, you’ll notice that the population density is rather low, and the risk of crime becomes less likely. Nevertheless, solo hikers and campers have occasionally reported being assaulted near the Chile-Argentina border region.

Accordingly, it is wise to employ a few basic safety and security practices when traveling to Aconcagua. This includes:

• Always be sure that someone back home knows your itinerary and is expecting periodic communication. You won’t find it very easy to remain in contact from Base Camp to the Summit, but you should still have a friend or family member who is anticipating your call. This is especially important for those traveling without a guide service.
• Whenever possible, travel in groups. The more people who are in your party, the less likely you are to be targeted by criminals.
• Keep your money, passport, wallet and other valuables in a safe place at all times. Typically, this means carrying these items on your person.
• Always utilize marked, government-approved taxis and transportation companies, rather than independent operators.
• While some travelers drink Argentinian tap water without suffering ill effects, it is wise to stick to bottled water while making your way to the mountain. There will be plenty of opportunities to do so, and it is simply not worth the risk to drink untreated water. Once you are in Aconcagua Provincial Park it becomes imperative to treat all drinking water.
• If you are the victim of a crime, contact the local police to make a report. You can reach the police by dialing 911 in most parts of Argentina, however, in Mendoza, you’ll need to dial 101 instead. After reporting the crime to the local police, contact the U.S. Embassy.
• Remember that an average of three people per year die while trying to ascend Aconcagua. So, just because it is one of the safest of the seven peaks to summit, doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.
• Because of the inclement weather near the mountain, rescue operations are often impossible. This means that you’ll need to be especially careful when climbing Aconcagua.

Avoiding Altitude Sickness

As you approach Aconcagua, you’ll surely notice that the air begins to thin considerably. Even at the relatively low altitude of Base Camp (13,800 feet), the air will feel like it has about 40% less oxygen than it does at sea level. By the time you reach the summit, the air will have about 60% less oxygen than it does at sea level.

This means that your body will be struggling to acquire enough oxygen with every breath. If you breathe in this thin air for long at all, you’ll likely begin to suffer the symptoms of altitude sickness. Mild symptoms include things like headaches, fatigue, and nausea, but altitude sickness can also cause cerebral or pulmonary edema, which is fatal without treatment.

The only completely effective way to treat acute altitude sickness is by descending as rapidly as possible and returning to the thick air at lower altitudes. Some climbers tackling Everest, K2 or other significant peaks often use medications that can help treat altitude sickness, but these are rarely used outside of emergency situations on Aconcagua.

So, instead of planning to treat altitude sickness, it is preferable to avoid ever getting it in the first place. It may not be possible to avoid the symptoms completely when trekking this high, but you can certainly reduce the likelihood that these symptoms will become serious by doing one simple thing: acclimatizing.

The human body has an incredible ability to adapt to high altitudes. In effect, your body can become better at surviving while breathing thin air and adapt to the reduced oxygen levels found at high altitudes. To do so, you simply need to allow your body to adapt to the thin air gradually; you can accomplish this, in part, by ascending slowly.

Sometimes, this involves “climbing high and sleeping low.” To do so, you’ll keep hiking after reaching a given camp (you can stop and relax or set up your tent while you’re there) to a pre-determined altitude. You’ll then descend back to the campsite to sleep for the night.

Above all else, just be sure to watch out for signs of altitude sickness, be sure to drink plenty of water and proceed with caution. If you are traveling with a guide service, be sure to communicate with your guide often and let him or her know if you suspect you are beginning to suffer from altitude sickness.

Avoiding Cold-Weather Injuries

Most of the injuries that occur during Aconcagua ascents are the result of the cold temperatures. Hypothermia and frostbite are the most common problems that occur, and each can represent a very serious risk to your health.

For the most part, a proper tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad will help you endure the cold nights safely, although you’ll likely want to wear most of your cold-weather gear to stay warm. Many experienced guides recommend bringing along a “pee bottle,” so that you don’t have to exit the tent at night to relieve yourself.

While trekking during the day, be sure to adjust your layers to keep you warm without sweating. However, you’ll want to be sure to avoid leaving any skin exposed as you approach the summit.

This means wearing appropriate ski goggles and keeping your face and ears covered with a head wrap or hood. Gloves are also imperative, as frostbite often strikes the fingers first. In fact, most experienced guides will recommend bringing along a pair of cold-weather mittens for the day of the summit.

Packing and Preparing for Your Trip

You’ll need to bring the proper clothing and equipment on any adventure, but this is especially true when tackling remote and challenging locations like Aconcagua.

And while you should always tailor your exact equipment list to suit your needs and your guide’s recommendations (if you are traveling with an organized expedition), the following represents the basic items you’ll need:

Clothing

• Heavyweight base layers (top and bottom)
• Lightweight base layers (top and bottom)
• Warm socks (at least two pairs)
• Fleece or synthetic mid-layers (top and bottom)
• Raingear (including a jacket and pants)
• Heavy outer coat
• Hiking pants (lightweight)
• Long sleeve shirts (at least two)
• Winter gloves
• Winter mittens (for summiting)
• Winter hat
• Warm-weather hat
• Cotton t-shirt and shorts (for use during traveling)
• Hiking boots
• High-altitude mountaineering boots
• Sandals/camp shoes
• High-rise gaiters
• Sunglasses
• Ski goggles

Equipment

• Ice ax
• Crampons
• Climbing helmet (optional)
• Carabiners
• Webbing
• Internal frame pack with a minimum 85-liter capacity
• Daypack
• Four-season tent
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad
• Stuff sacks
• Water bottle/hydration system
• First-aid kit
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm
• Propane stove
• Mess kit
• Trekking poles
• Toiletries
• GPS / Compass / Map
• Route guide
• Camera
• Water filter/purification tablets
• Lighter / fire starter
• Multi-tool

Note that the mules who’ll be helping you haul some of your equipment will carry two bags each. Each bag must weigh no more than 66 pounds. Also, you may not need everything listed above if you are traveling with a guide service, so be sure to check the literature provided, as they’ll surely include a pack list.

Logistical Considerations and General Traveling Tips

Half of the challenge of climbing Aconcagua is simply getting yourself to Aconcagua Provincial Park. It’s a long journey to the Southern Hemisphere, and you’ll need to prepare carefully to ensure you enjoy a smooth trip. The following tips should help reduce the chances of problems and ensure that you enjoy the adventure of a lifetime.

• Be sure to use a TSA-approved padlock on your luggage – thieves in Buenos Aires often open traveler’s bags to steal the items contained inside.
• You’ll need a valid passport to enter Argentina. It must be valid for at least six months longer than your anticipated date of departure.
• As long as you aren’t planning to stay for more than 90 days, you don’t need a travel visa to enter Argentina.
• You’ll also need a W.H.O. card verifying your immunizations to enter Argentina.
• You’ll need to make arrangements for toilet access during your climb. Most tour operators include this as part of the basic travel package, but if you are not, you’ll need to pay for access upon reaching Base Camp.
• Remember that you are subject to all local laws while traveling in Argentina. If you are arrested, contact the U.S. Embassy as soon as possible.

Aconcagua is one of the most exciting destinations for outdoor adventurers, and it provides a fantastic chance to climb one of the Seven Summits without having to use technical climbing gear. Just remember to prepare for the exceptionally cold temperatures at the summit and give yourself plenty of time to acclimatize to the altitude.

With sufficient preparation and a positive mindset, you’ll likely have a great time climbing Aconcagua and make memories that’ll last a lifetime.

The post An Adventurer’s Guide to Climbing Aconcagua appeared first on Montem Outdoor Gear.

from
https://montemlife.com/aconcagua-climbing-guide/

Easy Tips for Taming Your Allergies While Hiking

Hiking is one of the most popular ways of enjoying the natural world, but for those with allergies, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

On the one hand, you get to enjoy the sights and sounds Mother Nature provides and get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Hiking also allows you to get a bit of exercise gives you the chance to breathe in the fresh outdoor air.

But on the other hand, that fresh air is often full of pollen that can cause your allergies to flare up. And as you are undoubtedly already aware, hiking with a runny nose and itchy, watering eyes is never very fun.

Fortunately, there are a number of tricks you can employ to help reduce your allergy symptoms and enjoy a great day on the trail.

Avoid Heading Outdoors During Days with High Pollen Counts

The amount of pollen in the air obviously varies from season to season, but it also varies from one day to the next. So, if you simply check the pollen count ahead of time, you can avoid going out when the air is full of allergy-triggering pollen, and instead take advantages of those days when the pollen count is relatively low.

There are a number of online resources that provide information about the pollen counts in your area, but the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology is an excellent resource, as is the Allergy Forecast Map, which is maintained by Pollen.com.

Stick to Trails That Climb Above the Tree Line

If you have access to high-altitude trails in your area, you may be able to avoid pollen by simply climbing high enough. This works because trees (and to a lesser extent, herbaceous plants) cannot grow at elevations in which the temperature or precipitation are too low. Pollen is heavier than air, so most of it will travel down mountain slopes, leaving the upper elevations relatively pollen-free.

The exact height of the tree line varies from one mountain to the next, depending on the latitude and overall climate of the region. For example, near the equator, trees may grow up to 4,000 meters above sea level. On the other hand, mountains in temperate areas may become unable to support trees at 1,000 meters or less.

Try to Camp Upwind of Forests and Flower-Filled Fields

Another way to avoid most of the pollen being produced by the local trees and plants is to simply stay upwind of forests (or fields that are blooming). The vast majority of the pollen released by the trees will travel in the direction of the prevailing winds, thereby preventing you, your tent and the rest of your belongings from becoming coated in pollen.

This isn’t practical in all areas, as some places experience highly variable winds, which can change direction without notice. So, do your best to pick a campsite that features consistent winds. If you need help doing so, just try to look for areas in which all of the trees lean in a single direction.

If You Must Camp Downwind of Forests, Try to Set Your Campsite Near a Lake

If you aren’t able to select a campsite upwind of forests or fields full of blooming flowers, you may be able to get a bit of relief by camping near a lake or river. By doing so, you’ll essentially be using the water to collect the pollen, thereby preventing it from blowing into your camp.

When pollen is blown over dry land, some of it falls to the ground, where it will sit until another gust of wind comes along and raises it up into the air column again. But, when pollen is blown across a lake or river, the pollen that drops on the water’s surface gets wet. The water will hold on to the pollen until it sinks or washes up on the shore somewhere.

You can use this same principle when hiking – just pick streamside or lakeside trails whenever you have the chance to do so.

Avoid Irritants as Much as Possible

Remember that pollen isn’t the only thing that can trigger your allergies. Dust, dander, smoke and plenty of other contaminants can leave you sniffling and sneezing. So, be sure that you avoid these types of triggers too.

For example, if one of your camping or hiking partners brings a dog along for the trip, you may want to keep your distance and prevent the dog from entering your tent. Similarly, try to stay away from smokers while hanging out at the trailhead and always do your best to keep dust and debris out of your tent.

In fact, it’s a good idea to avoid most of these irritants anyway. Even if you aren’t allergic to them, they’ll also make your nose, throat, and lungs miserable, which will make your allergies even more debilitating.

Take Advantage of the Rain

Rain will temporarily lower the amount of pollen in the air, as it’ll wet everything down and wash a lot of the pollen off the trees. This will keep the pollen from entering your nose, and it’ll prevent your skin, clothing, and pack from being coated in pollen too.

Obviously, you can’t plan a whole trip based around potential showers, but you can take advantage of any rains that occur. For one, you can continue to hike in all but the heaviest downpours if you have adequate rain gear (although you should never hike when storms include lightning). Hiking in the rain is actually a pretty fun experience – particularly during the summer when it offers a temporary reprieve from the high temperatures.

But, if you’d rather hunker down in camp while it rains, just be ready to pack up and hit the trail as soon as the rain stops. This will give you at least an hour or two to hike before the air becomes saturated with pollen again.

Learn to Identify the Allergens That Cause You Problems

Even if you have very serious allergies, chances are that you are only allergic to a few different types of pollen. So, do your best to identify the tree, grass or plant species that cause you the most problems.

For example, you may determine that you are allergic to the pollen from birch and oak trees. This means you could simply monitor the local pollen count, consult the data from previous years, and try to schedule your hike for those times with birch and oak pollen levels are at their lowest.

You can identify the specific pollen that gives you problems in one of two primary ways. The easiest way is to simply visit your doctor or immunologist and request a sensitivity test. This will also help you determine other things that may trigger your allergies, such as insects, dust or smoke.

Alternatively, you can just monitor your symptoms over time and document the relative severity of your symptoms. Then, you can compare the results with historical pollen count data. After doing so, you may notice that your worst symptoms occur when ragweed, for example, is blooming.

Regularly Rid Your Body and Clothes of Pollen

If you’ve ever noticed that your allergies seem to flare up at night, it is likely because you are dragging pollen back into your tent with you. Once in the confined space, even a little bit of pollen can send you into a sneezing fit.

Most of this pollen enters your tent by hitchhiking on your clothes and gear. To avoid this problem, only bring essential items into the tent with you and try to remove as much of your clothing as you can before heading inside. It may even be advantageous to bring along separate sleeping clothes, which you keep inside the tent at all times.

Use Antihistamines

While most of the tips and tricks discussed above will help you avoid serious allergy problems on the trail, they may not be enough for those who are particularly sensitive to pollen. Fortunately, there are a number of antihistamines that can provide additional relief when you’re hiking during pollen season.

Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) is the go-to choice for many people, and many hikers and campers keep a couple of these tablets in their first-aid kit anyway. However, Benadryl and other “first-generation” antihistamines cause drowsiness, which isn’t an ideal side effect for someone trying to hike over rough terrain with a heavy pack.

Accordingly, some people prefer taking Claritin (Loratadine) and other “second-generation” antihistamines, as they won’t make you sleepy. Just talk to your doctor about the best allergy medication for your needs and be sure to let him or her know that you’ll be using them while hiking.

Above All Else: Develop an Allergy Plan

Proper preparation will help you keep your allergy problems to a minimum, so be sure to sit down with your map and gear list before heading out on your next hike. Then, try to employ as many of the previously mentioned tips as you can.

This means noting the dominant vegetation through which you’ll be trekking, trying to select routes that take advantage of lakes and rivers and be sure to bring along plenty of antihistamines too. You won’t be able to leverage every one of the techniques described above, but that’s rarely necessary anyway.

None of these tricks is likely to completely eliminate your allergy problems in isolation, but if you employ two or three of them, you’ll likely enjoy a largely symptom-free hike. So, be sure to experiment with the different approaches recommended above. With a bit of luck and some trial and error, you’ll surely be able to tackle the outdoors the way you want to.

The post Easy Tips for Taming Your Allergies While Hiking appeared first on Montem Outdoor Gear.

from
https://montemlife.com/easy-tips-for-taming-your-allergies-while-hiking/