Staying Safe and Healthy on the TrailWear comfortable, broken-in footwear. If you feel a hot spot, stop & take off your boots. Put your feet into cold water if you can. Wicking inner socks may help prevent blisters. Bring Leukoplast or Elastoplast bandages, duct tape & any other blister first aid products you like, just in case. If you do get a blister, using a sterile needle, prick the blister a few times. Drain without touching the fluid or holes. Seal with liquid Betadine and, when dry, place some tape over it. We usually use duct tape — it's inexpensive and seems to stay as well as anything else.
You should expect rain & even snow! A few tips:
Many thin layers are lighter & warmer than 1 thick garment If you get chilled, climb into your sleeping bag. Cuddle-up. Do anything you can to warm-up if there's a chance of hypothermia. Light fleece garments are warm, even when wet, & they dry quickly. If tenting, consider bringing tarp(s) & plenty of tie-up ropes. Protect yourself from the elements while cooking dinner. (Tarp-tying is a much underrated art & science, particularly in high wind.) Bring a backpack cover — even for your daypack (if that is all you will carry). You'll be glad you did if it starts to pour. Waterproof EVERYTHING inside your pack. Plastic bags are OK but they rip. Waterproof stuffsacs are only slightly heavier and are reliable. Consider making yourself a sit pad (of light closed cell foam). Wipe it with a bandana & you’ll have a dry, clean spot to sit — rather than a wet bum. Bring extra plastic bags & ziplocs. Double-bag vulnerable valuables such as cameras. Some hikers thrive on a long walk while others wear down quickly. To survive & thrive, most importantly, avoid getting sick. Be sure that standards of hygiene are maintained. Faecal contamination of any kind is the easiest way to get sick. Use alcohol-based antibacterial gel on your hands throughout the day, particularly before you stick your hands into a bag of GORP. Brush your teeth with treated water. Proper food and safe, sufficient water is essential. Carry your own supply from hut to hut where water is provided (but sometimes in short supply). There is no water between Mangatepopo & Ketetahi Huts. If you want to take water from the streams be sure to treat it as much is tainted by volcanic chemicals. Methods include:
We recommend you invest in a good purifier — the Katadyn is a favourite though we've had good luck with many other units. We collect water from the best possible source & then hang it at our campsite in 10 litre water bags. If it's raining we fix a tarp to drain into a water collector. We then take turns pumping (filtering) our drinking water. Make sure your purifier is well maintained. They need frequent cleaning. |
next page
 |
|
Questions or suggestions? E-mail the website editor
copyright www.i-NEEDtoKnow.com