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| Desert Survival - Page 3 - On Foot (underwritten by David) |
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| Now for a few tips some, unfortunately, learned from experience. You already have your sunscreen on. You would never leave your rig without plenty of water, right? On a day hike I usually carry about three liters of water on a warm day. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The best way I have found to carry water is with a Camel Bak. It is a large bladder that you carry on your back with shoulder straps. There are models available that have handy pockets to slip in a few snack bars, poncho or an extra quart of water. I believe the large Camel Bak that I have holds 96 ounces. The U.S. Military now uses Camel Baks, and that surely speaks for itself. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please just don�t go skipping off carrying a six-pack of diet Coke. Save the caffeine and especially alcohol for another time. There is nothing better to hydrate with than good old water. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| As a footnote here, I always wear a hat. It is usually a baseball type cap that I got free somewhere. I wear it simply to keep the sun out of my eyes. It doesn�t have to be cool looking, but it should be cool on your head. I haven�t worn my black, felt cowboy hat in years. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just as important as almost anything else is selecting the right footwear. In the past I have worn eight or ten inch high top boots, usually Danner�s or White�s. The older I get the lighter I seem to like my footwear. Now you will find me in ankle top �day hikers� that are very popular and found almost anywhere. Be ready to spend about 150 bucks for good ones, and I�m sure you want good ones. Make sure they fit and wear them around for a while so they are well broke in before your trek. Some folks carry extra socks to help keep their feet dry, which isn�t a bad idea. It just depends how far you are traveling. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Well, I hope you find these tips useful and can one day explore the luring beauty of the west. Naturally, these suggestions weren�t meant to be all-inclusive, but I hope they have sparked an interest to experience the joy of the outdoors, especially here in the southwest. Hope to see you on the trail sometime so we can say hello and maybe share a few yarns. Or, if you have read this and find my white pick-up in front of the White Oaks Saloon, I�ll buy ya a beer where the yarns get bigger. Happy trails. |
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| How did you like the article? Leave a message in the Guestbook... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Back to Page 1 of Desert Survival | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Back to Page 2 of Desert Survival - On Wheels | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Back to Miscellaneous | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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