Day hike at Shimek State Forrest

Just some pics from my day hike at Shimek State Forrest in Lee County, Iowa. 

The lake was frozen over. Made for a great ice hike. 

Someone's been ice fishing 

A great winter hike! I highly recommend it. The designated trails are difficult to find, but it's beautiful scenery. Be cautious on the roads though because they aren't well maintained in winter and remain a sheet of ice all season. 

Military vs. civilian gear

When it comes to finding gear and what brands are best, some people look at military gear as well as civilian. 

I go both ways when looking at gear. Certainly, military has superior gear in some areas, but in what areas? Likewise, civilian gear is better in some areas. When deciding what you want, consider what qualities you are looking for in that particular piece of gear. Let's look at a few things and compare military to civilian. 

There are some civilian brands out there that military actually uses such as Camelback. But they generally have their own manufacturers who make military gear. Packs fall into that category. Military has some awesome packs, but depending on what you are looking for. If your primary concern is durability, military is the way to go. They seem to have best made gear. The design on their packs are continually improving and becoming more comfortable. But if you are more concerned about comfort, civilian has it beat. There are many brands out there that specialize in packs, so they can research and develop packs for superior comfort and usability. Military manufactures, however, make gear designed for combat and rugged use. You can find a good pack with tons of space, but again, they are made for combat and pack space is designed to hold military equipment. Civilian brand packs are designed to optimally carry your camping and hiking gear effectively. 

How about tents? The same goes for them. Military tents are designed for rugged use which is a good thing. However, every military tent I've used were all bulky and heavy. If you are backpacking, you want something designed to be lightweight and compact. 

Food. I personally like MREs. I would take then on every trip. Some people don't care for them but it's because they dont know how to fix them. If you want to take MREs, you have to know how to cook them. Same goes for any packaged food. The reason I don't usually carry them, though, is because of the price. MREs are much more expensive. However, they are more nutritious than civilian brands. It's really a preference on taste and nutrition. 

Survival gear. There are endless companies that make survival gear, but hands down, military is better. It's more durable, accurate, and will last longer. The function of the gear is usually more superior to civilian. Look at flashlights. The new military flashlights have so many features and not to mention waterproof. Civilian lensatic compasses tend to lose their accuracy after rugged use and even after sitting for an extended period if time. Military compasses last much longer. Military navigation gear is designed for military navigation so if you get military, get everything military in regards to survival and navigation. Some of it is compatible with civilian gear, but you're better off getting all military. 

I personally think civilian sleeping bags are better than military. I do like military because they are warm, but they are very bulky and heavy. They don't compress like many civilian brands because they are made of durable materials. My military 30 degree bag is down, but made of canvass which really adds weight. 

Mess kits are a great thing to have. Military mess kits are simple and cheap and are very light. You can put your packaged food, snack, coffee grinds, etc. in it while it's in your pack to keep everything together. However, it's not effective for cooking. Civilian brand kits are also optimized for cooking. I will, many times, bring both because the military ones make great plates and clean easily. 

Overall, military and civilian have equally good gear. What you decide is based on what you are looking for in gear. I didn't cover all the items that could be compared, but you can see how military and civilian have their advantages and disadvantages. What do you prefer? Military or civilian?

Improvised first aid

So you are hiking along a trail with your buddies when suddenly Joe falls and sprains his ankle. You are miles from civilization and have no signal on your cell phone. What do you do?

When it comes to improvised first aid, the possibilities are endless. You can use any and everything for about any type of injury or illness. I'll give you a head start on some innovative ideas to treat injuries and illnesses on the trail. 

Allergic reaction

Say someone gets stung by a bee or gets poison ivy and is hyper-sensitive too it. If they don't have a history of anaphylaxis, they probably won't have and epipen. If your read my post on gear lists, you know I carry Benadryl in my first aid kit. Benadryl is an antihistamine and will lessen the effects of the reaction, if not cure the symptoms. 

Speaking of poison ivy, how do you treat it on the trail? In today's day and age, we are used to lotions and treatments for poison ivy to the point we don't know how to treat it without the luxuries of a medicine cabinet. First thing you want to do is wash the areas thoroughly. Find running water such as a stream or river and make sure you are washing downstream from camp. Use any type of soap you happen to have. If you by chance bring laundry detergent, use that. If you carry alcohol pads in your first aid kit and have plenty, occasionally cleanse the area with alcohol. Hand sanitizer will work as well. Make sure to put some gauze over it to keep it from spreading and always change gauze after cleansing the site. 

Broken bones - extremities

If you happen to (or your buddy happens to) break a bone in an extremity (arm or leg), you need to get medical attention as quickly as possible. It's important to stabilize the bone to prevent further damage. You can use the metal frame from an internal frame pack as a splint. These work amazingly well being how they will shape to the extremity. This also works for immobilizing a wrist in the case of a wrist or hand injury. If you have spare lashing straps, use those to secure the splint. Gauze rolls work great too. About anything will work. If you are climbing as well and have tubular webbing, that is ideal. Just remember to minimize movement of the extremity. 

Dislocation, sprain, and strain

If you end up with a dislocated joint, you can always try to reset it. However, there's complications to doing that so do it at your own risk. To be honest, even though I know the complications, I would probably still attempt it on the trail. If you can't reset it in 2 attempts, stop there and don't try anymore. If it's a shoulder or elbow, make a sling from clothing or bandana to immobilize the extremity. Fingers can be taped together (works for fractures too). Knees, hips, and ankles get tricky. You are probably better off getting rescue. It will be difficult to reset and if you happen to succeed, it will still be difficult and painful to walk as well as harmful. 

Sprains and strains are treated with ice. If you have ice packs in your first aid kit, use it. In winter, you have the advantage of ice and snow being readily available. In summer, take a soaking wet bandanna and wrap around the effected area. Make sure the skin is fully exposed. Find some way to expose it to wind. The convection will cool the bandana and the site. It's not as good as ice, but better than nothing. 

All of these injuries should be wrapped and compressed after treated. You can use clothing, bandana, ace bandage, whatever you have. If the injury involves the hips and down, make sure to rest often and stay off your feet as much as possibly 

Bleeding

In the event you get a cut or even amputation, be sure to stop the bleeding. If it's not serious, clean the wound first. Use your gauze, bandana, etc. as a dressing to apply direct pressure to the round. You want it as sterile as possible so always have gauze. Hold tight pressure for at least 5 minutes. If the bleeding is serious, you may need to hold pressure longer. 

If the blood starts to soak through the dressing, add additional dressing on top. DO NOT remove the dressing! If you do stop the bleeding and then pull up the dressing, it could pull a clot and start bleeding again and you could risk an embolism. 

If pressure doesn't work, make a tourniquet. Use rope, bandana, anything you can find to tie around the extremity. Use a stick and slide it under the tourniquet and begin twisting. Twist until the bleeding stops then secure the stick. Note the time the tourniquet was placed and get to a hospital immediately. 

If you get the bleeding controlled and continue with the trek, be sure to occasionally clean the wound with filtered water and change the dressing to prevent infection. If you suspect infection (prolonged inflammation, puss, increased pain), get to a hospital. 

In the event of amputation, treat the bleeding as described above. If the amputated part is retrievable, clean it then put it in a zip lock bag (you should always have these). Put it on ice if possible. Again, in winter you have snow and ice available. Get to the hospital as quickly as possible. 

There are many plants out there that can be used to treat infection and simple ailments such as nausea, headache, and diarrhea. I will follow up with a post on natural medicine. I will also follow up with a post on treating environmental emergencies so stay tuned. 

This is just to get you started. Each injury and illness will come about differently so you will have to use ingenuity to treat each case. Stay tuned for additional posts on this subject. Comment any additional ideas you have. 

Socks!

We all get worn out socks and most of us just throw them away. They get holes, thinned, stained, and who knows what else. Those of us who hike in winter have wool socks that wear out as well and the curious hiker would ask "what can I use worn out socks for?" There are many creative ways to use them. I'm sure you could even think of other uses than I can't but I will demonstrate some really innovative uses for socks. 

Improvised gloves

If you happen to be in a pinch in winter and need an extra layer of warmth for your hands, you can slip the socks over your hands. You can also cut finger holes and use them as fingerless gloves. 

Water warmer

If your socks are still in relatively good condition, you can slide them over your water bottle and stuff it in your pack to keep it warm. It works best if they are wool socks. 

Water filter

If the socks are clean, but worn and thinned, not having holes, you can make an improvised water filter. Make sure the sock is clean first! Fill it 1/3 full of sand. Then fill the same amount of ground charcoal in. Lastly, fill with dirt. Pour your water in the sock and keep a bottle under it. It may take copious amount of water to get the flowing process going through the filter so it's best if your near a water supply. The filtering will be slow so be patient. 

Bandage

If your in a pinch, you can use the sock as a bandage for a wound. If it's long enough, it can be used as a tourniquet. 

Stuff sack

If you think your socks are clean enough to eat off of, you can use it as a stuff sack for your food. It can be used to carry many other things as well such as tent stakes, clothes, etc. 

Coffee filter

You can put your coffee grinds in the sock, tie it off, and boil it in water. You can do this for tea as well. Again, make sure it's clean. 

Poop sack

If your stretched on resources, a sock can be used to carry your business out of the forest. However, make sure it's rather solid or your pack will suffer. As precaution, you can put it in a plastic bag. 

Pot holder

If you need some way to pick up a hot can or pot off the fire, use socks to insulate it to avoid burning your hands. 

Entertainment

When you have been on the trail all day and want to relax around the fire, what kind entertainment is available? Sock puppets!

There are several ways to utilize old socks and these are just a few ideas. Some are better than others. I personally use them for warming water bottles but not so much for poop sacks. How you use then is based on your preference. Comment some things you use old socks for. 

Treating frostbite

This has been a cold winter. In Iowa, temperatures have been regularly dropping into the subzero range. There are many ailments that come along with this much cold, from hypothermia to pulmonary edema. One the most common ailments with cold is frostbite. You don't really have to be outside very long in subzero temperatures to get frostbite. You have probably watched movies such as Vertical Limit, Touching the Void, or The North Face and seen how bad frostbite can get. Unfortunately, most people think frostbite won't happen to them if they aren't alpine climbing, but even a day hike on a trail in Iowa can result in frostbite. 

To better understand frostbite, we should know how it works and effects us. Frostbite occurs when skin is exposed to severe cold and usually affects areas with less circulation, such as fingers, toes, and face. When the body gets cold, it will begin to cut off circulation to extremities to preserve body heat for the vital core organs. A cold wind chill or being wet will speed up the process of frostbite significantly. 

Frostbite is really a type of burn, a cold rather than heat burn and there's different degrees just as there are with thermal burns. First degree will normally just result in numb skin and redness. Second degree will lead to blistering. And third degree results in the black, charred look that will sometimes be bone deep. When it gets this bad, it can become gangrene and may have to be amputated because it's hard to restore a third degree frostbite. 

The biggest complication of frostbite is infection. The higher the degree of frostbite, the higher the risk of infection. Obviously, when it reaches third degree and develops into gangrene, infection can develop rapidly and may enter the bloodstream, causing sepsis. 

Prevention

The best way to go about frostbite is simply preventing it. If it's windy and cold out, it's good to take regular breaks and get out of the wind. This isn't always possible, but ideal for avoiding frostbite. When going out in the cold, ALWAYS dress appropriately. If it's subzero weather with wind (or even without wind), wear wind proof clothing and make sure to layer well. Wear thick, warm wool socks and consider a second pair of socks (of wicking material). Just make sure it's not too tight as to cut off circulation and make your feet colder. With gloves, you want to make sure to have liners. Normally, you would want a waterproof ski glove with a warm, thinner liner, preferably wool. Make sure to not expose your hands any more than you have to. That's why you want a thinner liner to perform precise tasks without exposing your hands. 

Keep your face covered as much as possible. Get a gater or balaclava. The reason people get frostbite to their faces is because they are exposed to the wind and cold. If you suspect severe cold and wind such as in alpine climbing, you may want ski goggles, this will keep the wind off from around your eyes as well as keep the snow and wind out of your eyes. If you wear a stocking cap or hat of some sort, also use the hood on your coat. This will help keep the cold off your neck and blocks some of the wind. A key sign of early frostbite is your skin going numb, if any part becomes numb, make sure to warm it actively to prevent it from turning to frostbite. 

Treatment

When on the trail or mountain, you probably won't have too many treatment options. However, there are some ways to treat frostbite. Early frostbite (or frostnip) can be treated by simply boiling snow and holding the warm cup in your hands out of the wind. You can add layers if it's available or use hand warmers. You can, for the most part, actively warm frostnip if you need to. 

When it progresses to second or third degree frostbite, DO NOT actively warm. Doing so may cause farther harm. By actively warming, I mean rubbing your hands together, using warm water, etc. You can put your hands in your coat or pockets to help reward them SLOWLY. Warming too fast may cause further problems. If it starts to blister (or worse), wrap it in clean sterile dressing such as gauze. This will help to keep infection down. If it does blister, do your best not to pop the blisters. A popped blister is more susceptible to infection than a closed one (not to mention painful ). You probably don't carry antibiotics with you, so you need to get somewhere as quickly as possible for treatment. I could tell you that as soon as you get frostbite, get home and if it's bad, get medical attention. However, I'm the kind, as with most people, who will finish a trek with frostbite. Just make sure to keep the frostbite clean and change the dressings if you need to. Although, if it progresses to third degree frostbite, you need medical attention as soon as possible. 

Frostbite is no laughing matter and needs to be taken seriously. Even if your not climbing Everest and may only be hiking a small park trail, you can still get frostbite. Take precautionary measures to avoid it and your trek will be much more enjoyable. 

Gear review: Platypus water bottle

I've used many methods of carrying water and as you saw in one of my previous posts, there's more than one way to carry it. I recently started using platypus water bottles. I have grown to love these things. I was a little skeptical at first, though. I assumed that being how it's flexible, it would spring leaks or tear easily, but I was mistaken. 

Platypus has many products from water bottles, to water bladders, to filters, to wine containers. The advantage to Platypus is how flexible and collapsible their products are. Today, I will just review one of the water bottles. Platypus actually makes a few different water bottles. They have their more flexible ones that come in multiple sizes and colors. They also have flexible water tanks that hold 2, 4, and 6 liters. The 2 bottles they have that I would recommend for backpacking are the Platybottle and the Platyplus. The Platybottle holds 2 liters which can get a little bulky when hiking, but has higher volume if you need to carry more water (although I would rather have a water bladder to carry that much water). The Playplus is what I recently started using. It holds 1 liter and has the option of a closure cap (twist cap) or a pull open cap. It also has a looped handle in one corner that is durable and can be hooked to a pack with a carabiner or simply make it easier to carry. 

It is made of a thin food grade plastic and is BPA free. The bottle is very flexible and can be rolled up to about the size of a roll of quarters (excluding the cap). Initially, when you pick up the empty bottle, it feels flimsy and as if it can be ripped easily. But when you actually handle it, you can tell that it is very durable, despite how thin and light it is. When filled, it's about the size of a 1 liter pop bottle. It is clearly marked how much water you have in it. The handle and opening are made of a thicker, rigid plastic. Overall, a great water bottle. 

Platypus, I believe, makes exceptional products. I actually prefer their water bladders over Camelback. I'm impressed with how well Platypus makes their stuff. I high recommend this product. For backpacking, it is ideal because of its collapsibility and it takes almost no space in your pack (not to mention that it's really fun to drink from). Comment below what you think and if you have had any experience with Platypus. 

Planning

When getting ready to go on a trek, it's vital to preplan the trip. Even small, local day hikes must be planned out. Not planning can result in many consequences such as running out of food or ending up soaking wet. When looking at planning, there are several factors to consider but I will go over the top five. 

Location 

You obviously need to know where you're going. You pick out the area you will be hiking in and maybe even the trails. When you know for sure where you're going and how long you will be there, you really should tell someone so if anything is to happen, you can be found. A part of planning the trip is knowing what routes to take and determining how long you will be gone. If you are wilderness hiking where all your directions are based on navigational skills and use of a topo map, you need to determine the best routes to fit the level of difficulty you want. Also take into consideration of the xperience of the other hikers in your party. Try to plan the route that is most appropriate for the level of the least experienced person. 

Food

When you determine how far you are going to trek and how long you will be gone, it's time to plan your food accordingly. Take into consideration how much food you normally eat for each meal then add up how many meals you will have. You can also take the easier route of having dehydrated dinners for each meal. Decide what kind of food you want to bring and make sure you have the means to prepare it. 

While determining the length of the trip, also consider the route and how many water sources are along the way. If there won't be many water sources, bring extra water. If you know there will be plenty of water sources, you may only bring the amount of water you need for hiking. Also remember that when winter hiking, you can melt snow. 

Clothing

As you begin to plan the trip, start looking at the forecast and what the weather will be like. If it will be damp or rainy, you may want your good rain jacket and pack cover with a spare poncho. If it will be cold or snowy, you will want your warm clothes. Also take into affect, the weather at night. Do you need the 30 degree sleeping bag or the -10. If you like to sit around the fire at night, you may need an extra sweatshirt. Make sure to have clothing appropriate to the climate and temperature. Even if the forecast looks good, you may want to bring a little extra if you will be in an area with a certain climate. For example, you trek in Alaska and the forecast shows sunny and clear, but you know that it tends to get cold and rain a lot, so you take light rain gear and extra insulation. 

Camping

If you are hiking a trail at a state or national forest, there will more than likely be campsites along the trail that are already made up. However, if wilderness camping or camping where there's no premade campsite, you should plan your set up. Take into consideration how long it takes you to set up shelter, dig a latrine, dig a fire pit, make or set up chairs, and so on. Think about how long it takes to fix your meals and if you want to day hike a little after getting to camp, factor that time in. When you determine how much time it will take to set up camp, you can figure how far and long you should hike before stopping to set up. 

You also need to decide what kind of shelter you want to bring. Most people go with tents, but you may want to just sleep under the stars. You may want the hammock, snow shelter, or just tarp camp. Your shelter will be relative based on your preference and type of weather and terrain. 

Travel party

Probably the first thing you may have planned is your traveling party. How many people will be going with you? After you decide, you really should work together to even out the load. Maybe someone can haul the tent while someone hauls food and the other carries cookware. The trip will be much more pleasant if everyone shares the load. You may also want to determine everyone's roles. You saw in one of my last posts that the trek can be much easier if everyone splits up responsibilities. Someone is the medic while someone is the navigator. Generally, the one planning and coordinating the trip ends up being the leader. 

Make sure to plan your trip well. The better you plan the trek, the less "bugs" you will have and the experience can be much more fun. If you will be hiking with more than just yourself, try to involve the others in the planning process. Comment below what you think.