Any Hikers Out There?

Hello SJ Hikers,

I will be making my own TV public access show this week focusing on getting outdoors. I'm going to start with some family-friendly hikes in the local area and touring some historical places. One of my segments is going to be "what do you need in your bag?"

On shorter hikes 1-2 hrs. I figure its water, maybe a power bar.
On longer hikes, I would think a map, compass, what else?

P.S. No overnight stays so I won't need tents, or anything like that.

 

Before I left the newspaper biz, I did series on hiking.
GF and I picked two hikes a month in the nearby national parks and national forrest.
Obviously, print is much different than a TV show, but my focus was giving readers tips about nearby, cool, hikes.
We only did beginner and easy intermediate trails. Serious hikers don't need tips from a general interest publication.
Every piece in the series included a breakout box with: a trail map anddirections on how to get to the trail head, a difficulty rating, elevations, trail traffic.
The body of the story included descriptions and advice on stuff to look out for, should you wear heavy-duty hiking boots or light boots, etc.
And of course it's a great chance to run a lot of cool photos.

It was a lot of fun.

 

Always, always, always carry a first-aid kit, map, compass, fire starting kit and signal whistle/mirror.

Doesn't matter if it's a one-hour hike on a trail you've known your entire life, prepare for a worst case scenario.

 

A good segment might be on how to read a trail/elevation map. As someone without a lot of hiking knowledge, I look at those things and have a hard time figuring out what's what. But I'm sure it's a valuable skill to have.

 

Elevation is key point when talking about hiking with novices (by the way, I am not an expert hiker).
Your readers/viewers need to know the overall elevation and how it could effect their stamina and the difficulty of the trek.
They also need to know elevation differences along the trail. A 1-mile hike that rises 500 feet in elevation can be a lot more strenuous than a 3-mile hike that rises 500 feet. The steepness of that grade is very different.

The idea is to provide information for people who might not normally be out on the trail.
The expert hikers have their own magazines and Web sites for information about expert-level hiking.

 

How about whether the hike is in a cell phone coverage area and what costs you might incur if you dial 911 for help and they send out a search party?

What cool out-of-the-way restaurants might be on the way to or from the trailhead for a post-hike munch-down?

A general warning not to drink from those seemingly-clear streams without the proper equipment might also be good.

 

I'm an Army hiker, I guess. We carry some other stuff, but hey ... hiking's hiking, right?

GPS for all trips. $100 job from Dick's will do just fine.

For longer trips, in addition to what's been mentioned, rain gear, multi-tool, larger water source (Camelbak, etc.), emergency blanket, a topographical map that shows not only the route, but terrain relief as well (this can cover the elevation question). All this, of course, depends on the size bag you're carrying and how much weight you want to throw on your back.

Some people, myself included, hike for serious exercise, rather than pleasure, so weight is pretty critical (sometimes, the more the better). When you suggest a certain packing list, make sure you weight it and provide that for the reader.

 

Wife makes me go on a forced march once a year. I suggest a segment on how to feign injury on the eve of the scheduled jaunt.

 

This at a minimum, plus a hand-crank flashlight.

 

TOILET PAPER!

5 minutes or 5 days ... toilet paper.

If you are anywhere near the AT, it would be good to give a description of the trail marking blazes -- white, double white, blue.

 

If hiking in the mountains I always take bear repellent. It works on cougars, too. I agree with suggestions of most other posters and would add a bear bell and hiking poles. The poles save wear and tear on knees and for stabilization purposes on uneven footing they are essential.