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I'm a trekker, ask me anything!



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Thu Nov 22, 2018 12:59 pm
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Tenyo says...



I love hiking, long journeys and camping. Being well prepared isn't just a necessity it's part of the fun. I'm particularly good with the survival aspects of travelling long journeys, like food, first aid, fatigue, morale, and coping with difficult environmental conditions.

Ask me anything!
We were born to be amazing.
  





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Thu Nov 22, 2018 4:56 pm
Oxara says...



How much can a woodchuck chuck wood if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Ok fine in actuality exactly how would you suggest one get into these, as in which activity is best or that. The closet thing I have ever done is nearly climb a mountain and loved it but haven’t really done a anything more than that.
  





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Thu Nov 22, 2018 5:40 pm
Hattable says...



Have you ever stumbled upon anything spooky while hiking?
"I remember I posted Klingon and it made the mods super hard" -Willard

Prok once said something about Nate and apple pie. I forget the context.
  





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Thu Nov 22, 2018 6:09 pm
Starve says...



What is the general interaction on seeing another hitchhiker when walking alone
  





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Fri Nov 23, 2018 1:46 pm
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Tenyo says...



@Oxara

Local clubs are useful, like running, rock climbing or excursion groups, scouts or cadets, things like that. You'll meet people of different abilities and find out about group events, and since they're usually organised and run by people with more experience they tend to be a fairly safe place to begin. If you can find a group of friends or family who are interested then you can start small like camping in your garden and work up to bigger adventures.


@Hattable

Oh gosh yes. We have a strong Celtic and druidic heritage where I'm from so I've come across some odd things on my more familiar routes.
A few weeks ago I found an adorable shrine dedicated to the spirit of the mountain, with coloured fabric and painted rocks and... a pile of plastic dolls next to the fallen rocks that surrounded what looked suspiciously like a ritual circle. I'm pretty sure they weren't part of the original shrine.

The remains of a campfire surrounded by marked trees and shreds of burned bibles was a weird one. We had gone wandering off track in the forest and come across it. The fire smelt quite fresh. I wanted to go back that way at sunset because it would make for some really cool photographs but we were worried in case who ever started it came back XD


@Traves

I assume you mean another hiker? Hitchhiking is when you travel by getting rides from other people.

An amicable smile and a verbal greeting is the usual thing to do. If you're particularly sociable then a boost of encouragement or a heads up if there's anything of interest on the path you came from. Space is important. If it's a narrow path or near a ledge then you usually step aside and wait for the other person to pass, on a wider path you give them plenty of room.

Occasionally if two people are heading in a similar direction they might offer company but this is mostly a thing that women do, it's not so common with men.
We were born to be amazing.
  





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Tue Nov 27, 2018 12:34 am
AlyTheBookworm says...



Just wondering, what kind of food would be best to bring if you're travelling a long distance on foot? And what supplies would you bring with you to prepare food and spend the night outside?
  





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Wed Nov 28, 2018 3:26 pm
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Tenyo says...



@AlyTheBookworm

Food. Food is amazing. I like talking about food =]

One of the main reasons I'm fond of my familiar routes is because I know where to forage on the way, and that's really fun and means fresh food and less weight. Unfortunately there isn't really any kind of magical elven bread that fits nicely into a backpack and can keep a person fed for weeks.

When travelling long distance on foot it's generally best to opt for lightweight, easily accessible food, since you'd most likely be eating snacks through the day rather than full meals. It's also important that you actually like the foods you're eating because on a long trek morale depletes as much as energy and nobody wants to eat dried kale and milk powder after walking for four hours in the rain.

If you have the resources, freeze dried meals or survival packs are super light weight and easy to prepare, though I don't have much experience because I've never really had the money to invest in them. Trail mix, dried fruit and nuts are my go to.

Energy bars are good, especially if you make them at home. I generally go for cashews, peanuts, almonds, dried peaches, cranberries, apples, and carrots are some of my favourites. Dried bananas are high in energy but I prefer fruits that are oilier when dried because I can eat them for much longer before my stomach starts getting sick of them.

If you eat meat then some kinds of dried meat are good so long as they're lightweight and salted.

If cooking is an option then rice with dried vegetables and herbs are pretty good. Powdered potatoes are my favourite, mixed with dried onion or chive, since they make for a hefty, warm evening meal. Crackers and tahini or peanut butter are good too.

When cooking while spending the night outside, mess tins are super useful for cooking in and eating out of, and they're usually light weight and shaped to be easy to pack. Ziplock bags to pack or repack food to stop the smell from attracting critters. Water purifiers if water is available. Tissue wipes to clean up, or a fast drying cloth if you have a place to rinse it. Tin foil. Wooden skewers are optional and pretty light weight if you don't have access to dry sticks.

For an open fire; flint and steel, tinder (shredded paper, oil-soaked wool, whatever works.) Dry sticks. A cover or extra mess tin to keep ashes out of the food.

For a gas fire; gas canister and cap, stove, firelighter or extra-long matches. A prep board or small, fold out table to give it a secure base. Roasting on a gas fire isn't dangerous but it will make anything cooked on an open flame taste kind of funky.
We were born to be amazing.
  





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Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:37 pm
AlyTheBookworm says...



Thanks so much for the help! :D
  





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Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:31 pm
Tenyo says...



@AlyTheBookworm

Anytime =]
We were born to be amazing.
  








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