Hiking

We haven't had a hiking thread in a while. My husband says he likes to hike. I like to go on walks in the woods, which is like hiking, right? :rofl1:

What gear do you guys like? Pictures? I like hiking pictures.

We are a huge fan of long walks in the woods our IDC harness is great for this purpose!
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I've not been hiking lately since the horror of ticks. When I go I take...uhhhh, dogs and camera? Otherwise just my normal clothes and shoes.

I love hiking but don't do it enough lately. My immediate area is very 'industrialized agriculture' and most of the woodland has been flattened to feed the local ethanol plant. Within the next few years my plan is to get some acreage in the MO River/northern Salem Plateau area, where the geology becomes more Ozarkian and therefore eminently nicer to walk around in. There are a few local spots I like, but just not enough.

Here's a shot from our best recent hike:



Hopefully a little later this summer we'll be taking a weekend hiking trip covering miscellaneous spots around Taum Sauk Mountain. Dog will be in tow and I am looking forward to it hard.

I love hiking and do it a lot, but I never ever take pictures. I'm going to try and change that this summer since my dad just gave me his DSLR (but I need to figure out how to use it first...) This July I'm going on a week long backpacking trip on the Big Island in Hawaii, so I hope to be able to competently use it by then.

As far as gear goes, it really depends on where, how far, and for how long I'm hiking. Like my gear for a 4 day backpacking trip will be much different from a couple mile day hike. But stuff like a first aid kit, poop bags, water, etc. always come with me. And I just stuff it all in my old North Face borealis backpack (for day hikes, at least).

ETA: Here are a couple pictures from March in Big Sur that my friend took.

IMG_9703 by fablethecattledog, on Flickr

IMG_9702 by fablethecattledog, on Flickr

I'm a big fan of Osprey packs, which any REI will be happy to help you fit. I pair that with a 3L platypus for myself and 2-3 Nalgenes for the dog/extra. I recently saw longer nalgenes on my last REI trip, I want to say they were 1.5L... I may try getting 2 of those. I do tend to overpack on water, but that isn't something I want to run out of. For clothes, I really like hiking in running/workout clothes; they're very comfortable and wick the sweat away nicely. Then I wear my chacos as long as I can(which is probably a big contributor to my awesome tan lines). I use the ridge line leash for the dog because it's small and light weight, he's generally off leash, but I tie it around me for quick access when I need to leash him (every time we see someone on trail we're going to pass).

As far as other stuff... There's a lot you only need one of. Joe usually carries the first aid kit, knife, fire starter, etc. I do keep my own emergency bivy and I would recommend everyone carry their own.

When it comes down to a day hike, that's probably the basics that you need. Just throw some food and layers in your pack. Once you decide you actually like hiking, you can start going crazy with all the fun "extras."

Ah I love hiking! Mainly day hiking, but still something that I most definitely enjoy.

Because I mostly do day hikes and don't carry all that much gear, I don't have a ton of gear recommendations. I do love my camelbak bladder and tiny pack (it's worth spending the money on a good bladder because the cheap-o ones seem to leak) and Osprey backpack. My Osprey backpack is good for overnight trips or day hikes where I need to pack more, but I've also been pleased with the cheap "Outdoor Products" hydration pack that I got for my boyfriend and promptly stole back! You do need to change out the bladder to a better brand because the nozzle on the outdoor products bladder will leak in short order, but the pack itself is a good little day pack ($30 as opposed to $100+ that you would spend on a camelbak pack that size).

I wear a pair of old hiking boots that I've had since I was a kid and they suit me just fine and I have an old down sleeping bag from the 80s that still works just fine. However, I did get an REI 55+ travel sack, and that's been a good bag for warm summer nights or just having around for traveling to hostels and such. I also bought a Walmart 40+ "cool weather" Ozark Trail sleeping bag and would say that while I don't regret purchasing it for the price (mine was $25 and compresses to smaller than a football), it absolutely will not keep you warm in 40 degree weather. Maybe 50, but 55 would probably be a better estimate. More of another travel sack than anything. But now I can layer the 40+ bag and the 55+ bag for cooler (maybe high 40s) summer nights. Not my wisest purchase, but oh well.

Oh, and of course, I always carry a first aid kit, extra water, and snacks plus some. I try to wear layers as well or bring an extra jacket/travel sack just-in-case.

Now for photos!!

Rice Fields (Virginia)


View from Max Patch Mountain (North Carolina)


Cole/Cold Mountain (Virginia)


Buzzard Rocks (Virginia)


Mount Hoffman Trail (I think) - Yosemite Nat'l Park (California)


Devil's Marbleyard (Virginia)


Camel's Hump (Vermont)


Hike to Lone Pine Lake - Mt. Whitney (California)


Me on the Bright Angel Trail - Grand Canyon Nat'l Park (AZ)


Old Rag Mountain (Virginia)

I love hiking, and am really lucky to live in a pretty epic area for hiking. I mostly do day trips, but sometimes overnighters.

I'm really bad for gear though, for day trips I put on my running/light hiking shoes, pack some food and water (usually don't have to bring much because there are always streams with fresh glacier water along the way), maybe a leash for the dogs for just in case...and that's about it. Of course overnight hikes would be different. There are some really sweet little cabins up in the mountains here that offer rather luxurious (well, relatively speaking) accommodation for overnight trips, so that also cuts down on the packing that needs to be done.

Pictures! These are all from hikes in the close vicinity of home.

Onyx is a tiny dot out on the ridge

Surveying his kingdom

Fall is my favourite time for hiking

On an overnight trip from last fall

One of the cabins I mentioned (sorry bad quality because I pulled it from fb)

I envy you, your pictures are amazing, you live in an awesome hiking area. I always wonder, do you have a job? It seems like your going on a lot of these hikes that would take all day or even several days. I know I wouldn't be able to do that except for maybe some weekends lol. It's so cool you can do this and share your pictures so the rest of us can see/dream!

Oh WOW gorgeous pictures. I'm so jealous. We can't hike because the kids hate it

Do you sell your photos? Because you should be. This is just freaking incredible, I love it.

I am a big backpacker! Usually I hike for work, but I love taking Pippa on day hikes (we haven't taken an overnight trip together yet...I don't know if I could get her to sleep without her crate and I don't really want to pack it in haha).

Gear-wise, I love my pack (no idea what brand it is...anything with a frame and a belly strap is fine with me!) and I have a Camelba(c?)k that has saved my butt a couple of times.

A shot from our most recent trip to Shenandoah National Park (sorry...Facebook picture...but you get the idea)

What do you guys use on the dogs for tick prevention? My two love to hike but it's been a helluva year for ticks.

Pip gets an oral tick preventative that has been working really well for her. We had always used the topical but it gets her all itchy and bothered.

Do you recall the brand? I'm in my research mode lol.

I used to use Advantage, but I kept finding ticks on Fable (it repelled fleas well). I switched to the oral preventative Nexgard, and it has worked so much better. No ticks so far and no smelly gross topical anymore.