stuff to remember

hiking guidelines when it comes to resting

Having a steady rhythm in your hiking and resting periods will help you get through a day of heavy hiking. For this discussion, we will take a look at some guidelines when it comes to resting. Basically, the purpose of resting is to slow down your heart rate and breathing and rest your hearts and lungs. In addition, Resting gives your body the time to get rid of the lactic acids built up in your muscles and to recover from the strains and possible pressure sores. So, here are the guidelines:

• Try to rest in regular intervals and make them part of your walking rhythm. Rest for 10 minutes after every one hour of hiking.
• Try to stick to short 10-minute breaks and only use your lunch break and possibly your dinner break as extended rest periods. A ten-minute interval is the most effective rest duration when it comes to body recovery.
• Set a stopwatch if you fear that there is a chance of breaking the 10-minute limit. It is very easy to doze off even in 10 minutes.
• Make sure to take off your backpack and try to relax your body and mind as quickly as possible. Get out of the sun and generally try to rest in a cool and shady location. You can use your backpack as a back support for sitting down.
• In longer lunch and dinner breaks, you will want to give your feet a rest by removing your shoes and putting on slippers or sandals. If conditions allow it, you may want to walk bare foot. That will help prevent the occurrence of Blisters. Longer rest periods are also a great opportunity to dry possibly wet clothes and check your equipment.

Resting is an integral part of Hiking. Taking time to rest at regular intervals will help you in optimizing your performance. Take note of your Hiking Rhythm and Hiking Speed so you will know the number of times you need to take a rest.

First Aid for Cold Temperature Exposure

Almost all minor cold injuries will heal on their own and treatment is usually all that is needed to relieve your symptoms and promote healing. However, if you suspect you may have a more severe cold injury, especially when you are on your hiking adventure, use first aid measures while you arrange for an evaluation by health professional.

• If you have hypothermia, try immediate first aid measures. Stay calm, find shelter, change to dry clothes, keep moving, and drink warm fluids to prevent further heat loss and slowly rewarm yourself.
• If small areas of your body (ears, face, nose, fingers, and toes) are really cold or frozen, try to warm these areas and prevent further injury to skin. Warm small areas by blowing warm air on them, tucking them inside your clothing or putting them in warm water.

While for the frostbite skin, this maybe more sensitive after the cold injury. The injured skin area should be protected with sunscreen and protective clothing to prevent further skin damage. The color of the injured skin may also change over time.

You can apply aloe vera or another moisturizer, such as Lubriderm or Keri Lotion, to windburned skin. Reapply often. There is little you can do to stop skin from peeling after a windburn—it is part of the healing process—but this treatment may make your skin feel better. Or you may use nonprescription artificial tears warmed to body temperature to moisturize and soothe eyes that are cold, sore, or dry from exposure to cold or wind.

Kinds of Day Hikes Packs

Day hiking packs come in a wide variety of styles and sizes any one of which may be suitable for a particular hike. Since gear loads are lighter, and hikers are never far from the end of their hike which pack they choose for a day hike is more a matter of personal taste and less critical.

To choose a pack for your day hiking adventures first decide what kind of hikes you are most likely to take. Then make a gear list of the items you will want to take with you on most of these hikes. And then select a pack that will carry all of your gear and make it easy to find and carry.

• Day packs – the most common type of pack used not only for hiking, but also biking and by students for carrying books. These packs are carried on the shoulders. If they have a waistband, it is generally just for stabilizing the load and not for transferring any of it to the hips. Capacity is generally less than 2000 cubic inches. They are available in a huge variety of shapes and styles.
• Hydration Packs – this type of pack is really just a daypack specifically designed to carry mostly water. The packs main compartment are setup to carry a water bladder from which a hose runs around to the front of the pack so that the wearer can drink at any time without having to remove the pack. This type of pack might be an excellent choice for day hiking in very warm areas like the desert. Read more

Avoiding Jet Lag after your Travel

You must treat your body well before you fly. Exercise, sleep well, stay hydrated and stay sober. The worst thing you can do is get on a long-haul flight with a hangover.

Some travelers like to exercise before they go to the airport. (This can actually help you sleep better on the plane.) Once you’re at the airport, avoid the escalators and moving sidewalks. Instead, walk and take the stairs on the way to your check-in area and gate connections.

Adjust your habits before you leave. If you are traveling from the East to the West Coast, you’re facing a three-hour time change and you should try to adjust your internal clock. Three or four days before you leave, start to stay up a little later than usual, and sleep in a little longer. That way, if you become accustomed to falling asleep at 1 a.m. and waking up at 9 a.m. on the East Coast, it will be the same as falling asleep at 10 p.m. and waking up at 6 a.m. on the West Coast. Traveling west to east, do the opposite: get up and go to bed earlier.

Wearing two watches, one set to the current time, and one to the time at your destination, can help you prepare yourself mentally for the coming time change. Many business travelers also use this tactic to stay in touch with what’s happening back at the office.  So, enjoy and good luck!

selecting the best travel agent

Now that summer is just around the corner, you might be one of those people planning for the hot days. Of course, the beach is always on top of that. Where would you go? To Mexico, Panama City beach, Caribbean or any other beach of your choice. For sure you will need to book in a hotel like those in mexico hotels, plane, amusement parks and so on. However, if you are not certain where to go, then a travel agent can help you with that.

The term travel agent is a person who provides airline or cruise customers with information on traveling and tips for choosing the right destination. They are an integral part of the individuals travel plans. Travelers must ensure that they contacted a well qualified travel agent that can provide assistance in terms of making the plan.

A good travel agency can provide a broader and more complete range of services than can be found on the internet. Finding the right travel agent will help traveler save time and hassle during the travel period. Traveler must opt for familiar names. Although this is not a general rule to follow, but there is the feeling of security to known travel agencies.

For sure, you can get recommendations from friends that the known agency can provide the service you need. This suggests they have served satisfied customers.

Always check if the agency belongs to the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). This just means they have ability to network with other members of the group and this includes airlines, hotels, and cruise lines, as well as a variety of other travel related companies. Also, a travel agent that is a member of ASTA should be a reputable one.

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