Day hike "get away"

I often write posts on packing techniques, camping, and others related to backpacking. However, a majority of people in my area aren't backpackers, but enjoy simple day hikes to get away. I have posted pictures of some of my day hikes, but never really posted on how take one of these trips. 

The joy of a day hike is the lack of planning. You can plan ahead where you're going to go, what you will take, and maybe even construct an itinerary. Or you may decide at the last minute "it's nice out, let's go for a hike". I often store all my stuff in my backpacking pack and if I decide to go for a day hike, I just pull out what I need, throw it in a day pack, and take off. But regardless if it's an hour long hike and all-day hike, make sure some knows where you're going in case of emergency. 

There's no set list of things to take with you. You can simply just take a water bottle or bladder and be happy with that. You may decide to toss in some snacks, maybe some navigation tools. I like to take my hammock so when it's time for a rest or if I find a beautiful spot, I can put it up quickly and just hang out (no pun intended :) ). I like to take a small meal and some snacks. If I bring my hammock, I'll often bring a book so I can read when hanging. And as always, if I'm by myself, I'll bring my iPod to listen to on the hike. If you're hiking with someone, leave it at home. The best part of hiking is the time you can spend with a person. If you decide to take your phone, turn it off! Nothing irritates me more than taking a hike and someone is texting. Smart phones are the biggest distraction and takes the point out of hiking. 

If you are taking some gear along, get a decent backpack. You can use a "school" backpack, but I recommend something a little better with hip straps. The hip straps help to keep all the weight off your shoulders. Osprey, Kelty, Camelback, Black Diamond, and Teton make some great day packs. But if you want to minimize how much you buy for day hike, at least get some good shoes. You want some sturdy hiking shoes. If you don't, you won't enjoy the hike. Some good brands are GTX, Columbia, and Patagonia. I'll do a future post on choosing footwear. You want make sure to wear something comfortable and appropriate to the weather. 

There are many parks out there for hiking. Since this is an Iowa blog by nature, I'll give you some good parks in Iowa to hike at: Yellow River State Forrest, Geode Stare Park, Shimmek State Forrest, Pikes Peak State Park, Wilson Lake, Rodeo Park Fort Madison, Nelson Park, Backbone State Park, Mines of Spain Recreation, Eagle Point Park, Maquoketa State Park, Pictured Rock, Carmack Park, Rathbun, Pleasant Creek, Stars Cave, and Volga River to name a few. 

If you live close by a state or national park. You have an advantage! Start researching your area and see what's available. You may only have a park with a 5 mile trail. Great! If you hurry through, it won't take long to reach the end. However, shorter trails allow you to slow down and simply enjoy the hike without worrying about time. It's nice if you have multiple parks in your area so it doesn't become monotonous. You can chose which park to hike at based on the length and difficulty you're feeling. 

Many parks have picnic areas. It's nice when you can hike for an hour, and stop at a picnic area to eat and enjoy the scenery. Say you're hiking at Geoge. You can park in the parking lot, hike the trails, then come back and eat at a picnic spot. This kind of day hiking is ideal for taking young kids and for family hikes. Many of these places also have fishing opportunities. 

In addition to fishing, you can do many things while hiking; it doesn't have to just be walking the trail. Some people like to bring binoculars and bird watch. If you have kids, you can give them scavenger hunts to find certain leaves, bark, etc. Some people like to bring outdoor guides and identify different plants and trees. If it's the right season, mushroom hunting is popular. Some trails are also set up for biking. When I was younger, I used to practice survival skills such as making shelters, constructing snares, etc. This is a great idea for kids. Some of these places have caves that you can explore. I've always had a thing for confined space and exploring caves. 

The biggest thing you should do in hikes is bring a camera. I take hundreds of pictures while I'm out on the trail. It's fun to look back on old pictures and have the memories of those trips. I recommend keeping a journal as well. I do this on all trips. Pictures are great for reliving memories, but puting a journal in your own words really captures the moment. I can go back 5 years in my journal and remember exactly what I was feeling and every detail of the event. It really is worth while. 

Day hikes can be just as rewarding, if not more, as backpacking. So many opportunities to get out there and enjoy nature and the company of who you're hiking with. Please comment any suggestions you would also have for day hikes. If you would like to inquire about places in your area to hike at, please comment or send us a message via Facebook. 

Camping Essentials pt 2

You have read my last post on what gear you need to start camping. Now you’re ready to find a camping spot. People dream of camping in elaborate and beautiful places. In most cases, though, you have you hike a long ways to get that camping spot. If you are starting out and need the experience, find a state or national park closest to you and go to the campsite. That’s the simplest and easiest way to start out. Most sites are pretty cheap to camp at. You can also just start in your backyard or farm. 

When looking for a site, try to find one that is flat. It may not seem like a significant slope, but when you finally lay down to sleep, you will definitely notice it. If you just can’t avoid a slope, put the head of your sleeping bag uphill. This will help to avoid the feeling of being upside down. You can set up near trees, but as you set up your tent, find a spot that is free of tree roots that will dig into your back. Also, try to clear away sticks and nuts before setting up the tent. If you are hammock camping, you obviously need two trees to set up the hammock. Find trees that are about 10 feet apart. That is ideal for setting up the hammock. 

When you set up your tent, do so upwind of the fire. This will keep the smoke out of the tent. You can also apply this to hammocks. I generally face the door of tent towards the fire. However, if you are expecting wind direction to change, face it away. If you camp in winter, face the door downwind. If you don’t, snow could pile up on the door and when you open it, get a tent full of snow.

All established campsites have fire rings. However, if you’re camping in the backyard or your friend's place out in the country, you need to make one. You can buy fire rings, or you can dig out a hole in the ground and clear out the dead leaves from the area. If they are available, you can put rocks around the fit pit. Don’t build an open fire where it can be seen because some people (including police) don’t really like it. 

If you are at a campsite or in the backyard, you obviously have a restroom nearby. But if you are in the sticks, you need to set one up. I will post later on how to make a latrine, but right now, I will give advice and finding a spot. Make your latrine downhill from your campsite. I have heard a lot of people say how far away it should be from the tents and they all disagreed on how far to go. Just make sure it’s far enough away that you won’t smell it when you’re around the fire. You want to dig a hole about a foot deep if you can. Then you can us sticks, logs, a bucket, what ever you want to use as a toilet. I like to also use orange flagging tape to make where it’s at so it’s easy to find in the dark. 

We have a “leave no trace” policy when hiking which also applies to the latrine. When you are ready to leave camp, you should fill in the hole and put a stick in the ground where it was buried so campers that come there after you will know where your latrine was at. 

When you are at the campsite, you can hang a trash bag on a tree branch. However, when you get ready to sleep, you really need to hang it somewhere higher. In my area, there are raccoons who love trash and bears seem to like it as well. Try to hang it like a bear bag, about 10 feet in a tree if possible. This will save you the trouble of having to pick up all your trash off the ground in the morning. 

If you don’t have a cooler with you or didn’t drive to the campsite, you will want to store your food safely. As a backpacker, I hang it in a bear bag in a tree so the animals don’t get to it. You can do the same thing by putting your food in a medium to small sized bag and hang it about 10 feet in the tree. You can also get bear canisters that seal and keep the smell in and bears out. If you have a cooler, you can just store your food in there without having to worry. Although, if you’re in bear country, make sure it latches so the bear can’t open it and store it away from your camp. If you drove to the campsite, your best bet is to just leave the food in the car. If you keep it in your pack or tent, you have risk of animals and bugs invading you in the night to get the food. 

You should be pretty well set for your first camp. I hope this post has helped and if you have any questions or anything to add, please comment.