Whether you are out walking or cycling or simply driving somewhere new, being able to use a compass is an great skill that will always come in handy. Rather than just showing north, modern compasses have many features to assist in planning and navigation.
Without a compass, you can still use your map by relying on visible features, but a compass allows you to be more accurate and navigate where there are few obvious landscape features.
There are loads of magnetic compasses available, from those attached to penknives or whistles, to huge, expensive ship’s compasses. Here’s some of the most common:
Basic compass: This will tell you which way is north, but without a rotating bezel or an easy way of alignment, it will never be very accurate. They are inexpensive, but very cheap ones can be of poor quality. Best for driving and road cycling where you only need the approximate direction, or as an emergency spare.
Sighting compass: This compass is designed to make it easy to take a bearing from a distant object, and are still often used by the military. They don’t have all the features you may want, but can be very accurate. Best for people who know how to use them.
Baseplate or orienteering compass: This is probably the most flexible type, as it can be used for taking bearings, setting a heading and measuring distances. The clear base allows it to be laid on top of a map. Best for accurate navigation with a map.
Raynor Winn’s life as she knew it turned an abrupt corner in 2013. She and her husband Moth lost the home they raised their children in, a small farm that was also their livelihood. The next day, Moth was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration, a rare degenerative brain disease with no treatment aside from pain management. The doctor estimated he had only up to two years left.
For the first time in decades, they had nowhere to go and nowhere to be, and they had no idea how much time they had left together. So they started walking.
Billed as “one of the best walks in the world,” England’s South West Coast Path wraps 630 miles around the lower tip of England, from Somerset to Dorset, winding through Devon and Cornwall. People travel from all over to walk part or all of the Path. As Raynor Winn writes with great humor, reflection and generosity in her book “The Salt Path,” many of them do it with much bigger budgets — for high-end gear, for overnight stays at B&Bs — than she and Moth had at their disposal.
They walked through blistering heat and shivered through cold damp nights inside a tiny tent and thin sleeping bags, camping much of the time in the wild — a cow pasture here, a beach there — to avoid campground fees. Some days they had nothing to eat but a packet of noodles to split and some candy; they perfected the art of vicarious eating, in which they appreciated strangers’ meals from afar. And they discovered that depending on how much of their living situation they revealed to strangers, they were treated either as an inspiration or a cautionary tale.
Confusing her friends and colleagues as to what could possibly drive her to undertake such an expedition, sources confirmed that aspiring explorer Jillian Greene’s solo hike through Yosemite National Park has evidently nothing to do with soul-searching, an inner journey, or any other form of self-discovery.
“Naturally, I assumed she was attempting to deal with a catastrophic event, the loss of a parent, or a devastating breakup or something similar. But no, Jillian is really just using her vacation time to be out in nature, just walking for the sake of walking, I guess?” said Greene’s coworker Demory Jacobs, who noted the baffling 10-day trip requires Greene to carry all her own gear and food, sleep under the stars in all manner of weather, and be completely cut off from technology while in no way helping her come to terms with her true self, make peace with her demons, or ease her transition into a new chapter of her life.
“She’s not graduating from anything, trying to reconnect with her inner child, attempting to understand the soul of her distant but nature-loving father, exploring an external wilderness in order to comprehend an inner universe, assuaging her cultural guilt over lands stolen from indigenous peoples, or trying to kick heroin, so we can’t think and any reason she’d want to explore the outdoors. We’re all pretty freaked out.”
Greene’s friends and family expressed regret over not staging an intervention immediately after she revealed her desire to just enjoy the fresh air, silence, and sunsets.
Sarcasm from our friends at The Onion…
For Arizonans especially, the fear of running water should rank right up there with snakes and heights. Although storm water raging through usually-dry channels solicits choirs of oohs and ahhs, the flows are definitely not something to mess with. If the human brain has a “dangerous things archive,” an image of a roaring desert wash ought to be seared into it.
They can go from trickle to torrent in minutes. Driving, riding or hiking through them is extremely risky and potentially deadly. Need more evidence? Next time you’re hiking by a creek or wash, look up into the trees. Those wads of debris dangling high above mark where raging water once was.
That’s why it’s always smart to steer clear of trails that cross waterways until the swells subside. It only takes a day or two for the trails and crossings to dry out enough to pass through safely. Also, not using trails when they are wet and soggy helps prevent the kind of damage that ruins drainage systems, creates dangerous conditions and encourages the blazing of “work around” paths that destroy native vegetation.
A good place to observe the force of water in a desert landscape is in the north sector of the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve. Hedged between Carefree Highway and Sonoran Desert Drive east of Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, the chunk of pristine desert holds many surprises.
The trails here offer a diverse menu of options including moderate ridgeline rambles, barrier-free strolls and easy explorations of the wily water alleys that permeate the area. A hike on the easy-rated Badger Brawl-Cliff Walk-Esplanade loop on the preserve’s far east end is one of the best ways to explore the transformative powers of water.
Resupplying on the Appalachian Trail is easier then you might think. While the heart of the AT takes you through the Appalachian mountains and there are certainly remote parts of the trail, it also takes you within practical distances from dozens of towns and communities along the way.
The AT takes hikers within reach of a town every three to seven days on average. These towns naturally serve as useful resupply points for tangible goods such as food and gear, but they are also helpful for restoring your physical energy and mental fortitude.
Of course, it isn’t always necessary to go into town to resupply. Sometimes you’ll be able to achieve a successful resupply at a random gas station at a crossroads. Some hostels stock basic supplies.
Towns tend to be more reliable and offer a greater variety. That being said, all towns are not created equal when it comes to resupply. The quality and distance to grocery stores will vary from town to town and don’t expect every town to have an outfitter to satisfy your gear needs.
This is where a guidebook can serve you well, as it offers maps of popular towns listing relevant local businesses for hikers.
One of life’s biggest stressors—both on and off the trail—is money. Don’t bring that stress with you during a thru-hike, or at least try to minimize the impact. Running out of money will end your adventure.
This most frequently asked question is also one of the hardest to answer. Running out of money is one of the leading reasons people cite for not completing the trail. But how much a thru-hike costs is hugely dependent on the choices you make both before and during your hike.
Gear choices, transportation to the trail, lodging options, and food choices can vary greatly in cost. Most hikers report about $1,000 per month of on-trail costs, and on average hikers take five to six months to hike the PCT, so it’s probably a good idea to save at least $5,000 to ensure you have enough money to complete the trail.
Keep in mind this is just an average. It’s not unheard of to spend over $10,000, nor is it unheard of to hike on under $3,000. And it’s a lot easier to spend more money than it is to spend less.
It is recommended you make and follow a budget for your hike. This way, no matter what you’ve saved, you have a plan to make your money last.
Nearly 2,000 miles of hot, dry and mostly inhospitable terrain, the United States’ border with Mexico is not a top tourism destination.
It is a landscape in which one is more likely to find people who are compelled to be there: immigrants crossing into the United States illegally; growing numbers of Border Patrol agents assigned to police and secure the area; vigilantes hoping to stanch the flow of illegal migration; and activists working to support it.
Paul and Nick Pineda, a father and son duo from the Seattle area, have set their sights on the border for another reason: They plan to walk it in its entirety, specifically for the unique challenges it presents.
Part political activism, father-son bonding trip and outdoors adventure, their journey began March 6th at the southern edge of San Diego, the latest of a small group of trekkers drawn to the border for a complex and emotional mix of personal and political reasons.
The Pinedas’ journey is more than a personal challenge; it is a political statement, one of an increasingly common type, meant to show that the border and the people trying to cross it — subjects of intense attacks and aggressive policies meant to curb illegal immigration — are not something to be feared.
Thousands of years ago, the spirits of a beautiful mountain towering over a deserted island created three male demi-gods.
These holy men spotted a ship approaching the island while climbing the mountain. On it were three princesses sent by a master of a foreign kingdom. They married the three demigods and founded their own empire at the bottom of the mountain widely known as Mount Hallasan.
This is how legend describes the origins of Jeju, an island off the southern coast of the Korean peninsula which draws tourists from all over East Asia. While there have been reports of overcrowding and excessive development, and the island’s coast has seemingly endless rows of hotels, its interior is surprisingly empty.
Mount Hallasan – at 1,950 meters the highest mountain in South Korea – dominates the island, its summit covered in clouds most days, leaving visitors to guess at the vastness of the volcano’s bulk.
Hallasan National Park, which was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2007, features four main trails, two of which lead to the summit. From the east, the Seongpanak trail has the shallowest incline, making it the most popular route to top. The start of the Gwaneumsa trail, which approaches the mountain from the north, is closer to Jeju City, slightly shorter but also steeper.
Egypt has just opened a new hiking trail. The 105-mile Red Sea Mountain Trail will be the first long-distance trail in mainland Egypt, and takes visitors through the remote mountainscapes west of the beachside resort town of Hurghada.
Its aim is to give hikers an authentic, rugged Egyptian experience in a part of the Middle East that is largely ignored by tourists, and introduce them to the culture of local Bedouin tribes. The trail is composed of several ancient routes the Bedouin have historically used for trading, traveling, and hunting, and it’s owned by the local Maaza tribe.
If a 10-day, 105-mile hike is too much for you, there are shorter and easier circuits within the Red Sea Mountain Trail to accommodate every level of fitness. That said, know that the area is mountainous, so there is serious elevation gain along the way and some parts of the trail involve scrambling.
Also, note that you cannot hike this trail independently; a local guide is mandatory for you to explore the ancient land of the Maaza tribe.
Spring brings the hustle-bustle back to North Carolina state parks. The best way to enjoy spring blossoming across the state is to check out the parks that are less likely to be crowded. Fortunately, some of the most beautiful state parks are also some of the least crowded in the early spring.
Spring is a great time at the parks for all kinds of activities. The thaw settles on our mountain region parks, allowing leaves to bud on branches and the earliest flowers to bloom. Insects emerge, prompting birds to return to the park for food and suitable temperatures. Icy winds turn to cool breezes, making it a great time for hiking and exploring overlooks and mountaintops.
Elk Knob, Gorges, South Mountains, New River, and Lake James state parks along with Mount Jefferson State Natural Area are great western parks to get your outdoor fix without facing clogged parking lots and crowded trails.
Down east, the spring brings ideal conditions for a state park visit. At Lake Waccamaw State Park for example, enjoy the sunshine on the beautiful new boardwalk by the dam, which for the first time allows a hike all the way around the lake.
Hiking is a great way to explore the outdoors with your children, but there is something extra special about backpacking that makes you feel like you’re really getting away—watching sunsets and sunrises, cooking a simple meal at the end of a day on the trail and sleeping under the stars in the backcountry. Even for an experienced backpacker, the idea of embarking on your first overnight backcountry trip with young children can seem like a daunting prospect.
It may sound crazy to those who haven’t tried it but when your child is an infant or toddler they are relatively portable and it can be one of the easier times to backpack with them. You do have to carry diapers, which is a hassle, but there is not much else you need other than some extra clothes and appropriate food for their age. When they are old enough to walk, let them hike until they’re tired and then put them in the kid carrier for a ride and a nap.
When your kids are hiking on their own, start preparing for their first backpacking trip with day hikes of increasing length and difficulty. Ideally, you have accomplished longer and harder hikes before your backpacking trip so that both you, and your child, have the confidence to do a short overnight.
It’s also helpful if you’ve already camped overnight in a tent with your children, even if it’s just in the backyard. For your first overnight trip, choose a destination that is one to two miles from the trailhead.
Getting outside, breathing fresh air into your lungs, getting your heart rate up, and being one with nature on a wilderness hike is one of life’s simple pleasures. Unfortunately, the prospect of getting bitten by a tick turns that simple pleasure into a gamble with your health. Trying to avoid ticks while hiking is like trying to avoid cars while driving, the chances are you’ll at least come close to a tick.
The trick is figuring out how to enjoy nature, without interacting with it too much. In order to hike and avoid ticks, you have to take a lot of precautions and also know that no matter how much you protect yourself, there’s always a chance you’ll still get bitten. So understanding as much as you can about ticks, where they like to hang out, how they find their way onto your body, and how to properly remove them and care for yourself if you do get bitten is the key.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2017, there were 42,743 reported cases of Lyme Disease and nearly 18,000 addition kinds of tick-borne illnesses in the U.S. alone. The number is more than 10,000 more than 2016, which scientists believe is both due to an increase in ticks and an increase in awareness about tick-borne illnesses in general. Chances are, there will be an ever-increasing number of cases each year, so take ticks seriously, and protect yourself from illness by following these simple, but important steps…
The love for North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, its trails, rivers, campgrounds and other amenities, shows no sign of slowing down.
It’s not just Bent Creek Experimental Forest’s parking lots in Asheville that are full to overflowing on the weekends, and even weekday afternoons. The dilemma is spread across the forest’s range through Western North Carolina.
A particularly troublesome spot in the Yancey County town of Burnsville will soon get some breathing room. A $257,000 U.S. Forest Service project will improve the South Toe trailhead parking area, which includes a $100,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Recreation Trail Program.
The trailhead parking area on the Appalachian Ranger District, across from Black Mountain Campground, will close March 4, 2019 through June for the expansion project.
The South Toe trailhead is an access point for five hiking trails, including the popular Mount Mitchell Trail, an approximately 5.7-mile trail with 3,600 feet of elevation gain to the highest summit in the Eastern United States.
It’s one of North Georgia’s favorite waterfall hikes, and for a good reason: this 7-mile adventure travels to a series of cascading falls set in a beautiful forest, framed by towering trees and mossy boulders. This adventure hikes to Panther Creek Falls, a series of broad, multi-tiered waterfalls that tumble into a deep pool on a sandy beach.
The level, sandy flat below the waterfall is the perfect summertime spot to chill and to soak up some seriously beautiful North Georgia beauty. And the trail is studded with campsites along the way, making this hike one of North Georgia’s most popular backpacking trips. (All campsites are first-come, first camp, so be sure to arrive very early on fair-weather weekends.
The adventure departs from the opposite side of Historic 441 from the Panther Creek picnic area. The hike follows its namesake waterway downstream, traveling under a concrete overpass and diving into a young, mossy hardwood forest. The route ventures deeper into the forest and the sounds of the highway disappear in the distance.
The trail reaches the beautiful, multi-tiered waterfalls of the upper falls at 3.4 miles. Small cascades flow over a wide, tiered rock outcrop, pooling along banks filled with tall grasses and wildflowers.
From natural arches, hoodoos, and hanging gardens to balanced rocks and towering mesas, slot canyons and vast chasms, the desert Southwest holds in its dry, searing, lonely open spaces some of America’s most fascinating and inspiring geology.
The writer “Cactus Ed” Abbey no doubt had this region in mind when he said there “are some places so beautiful they can make a grown man break down and weep.” Much of it sits protected within southern Utah’s five national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef.
The good news? Many of the best sights can be reached on day hikes of anywhere from a couple hours to a full day.
The list of the best day hikes in southern Utah’s national parks derives from numerous trips made to each of these parks over the past 25 years. Use this list as your compass to guarantee you will knock off the best hikes in these parks—and you won’t need a quarter-century to do it.
Water is the most important resource thru-hikers must learn to manage on the Appalachian Trail. Water is typically easy to find—as hikers meander through the woods they’ll cross numerous fresh springs, streams, ponds, rivers, and lakes from which they can draw water. It is not uncommon for hikers to pass multiple water sources in a single day. Shelters and popular campsites are also usually positioned within reach of a water source. Guidebooks, apps, and some maps will mark the locations of viable water sources for hikers.
It is important to note that water sources listed on maps or guidebooks can sometimes dry out in drought conditions. Local climate and weather conditions can affect the availability of water on certain areas of the trail (we’re looking at you, Pennsylvania in July). If there is an area displaying uncommonly low water levels, local rangers and trail clubs might post alerts to keep hikers informed. Be sure to stay prepared in case of dried-up sources, and don’t rely on other people or organizations to keep you up to date.
The amount of water hikers need to carry at a time depends primarily on the number of water sources available on a given day. Crossing fewer water sources necessitates carrying greater amounts. However, if water is abundant on a section of trail, it becomes more a matter of personal preference.
With any open backcountry water source there is an inherent risk of contamination. The water found along the AT is likely not swimming with parasites, but the obvious problem with viruses and microscopic organisms is that you can’t tell if they’re there just by looking.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw a record 11,421,203 visitors in 2018. That slight, 0.7 percent increase over 2017, was attributed to the opening of the new section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley in November.
In just two months, nearly 200,000 visitors experienced this new park opportunity, which resulted in record-setting visitation in both November and December.
“The new section of the Foothills Parkway is a spectacular scenic driving destination and we’re pleased that so many people have already enjoyed it,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We hope that people take the time to explore it across the seasons.”
Park visitation across the park remained relatively stable as compared to 2017 with the highest visitation in July, followed by June and then October. Monthly visitation records were set during June, September, November, and December.
Visitors spent nearly 400,000 nights camping in the park which was down 3 percent from 2017, but within the 5-year average. The park offers 9 front country campgrounds and 100 backcountry campsites for visitors to enjoy across the park.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that a pavement preservation project will begin Tuesday, February 19, 2019 on Little River Road. A thin pavement overlay will be applied to the entire length of the 16.5-mile roadway between Sugarlands Visitor Center to the Townsend Wye along with associated pull-offs and parking lots and the 1.5-mile Elkmont Road leading to the campground. The project should be completed by September 20, 2019, though work schedules are subject to revision as needed for inclement weather.
Visitors traveling on Little River Road should expect weekday, single-lane closures and traffic delays from February 19 through June 14 and again from August 19 through September 20. Single-lane closures are permitted from 7:00 a.m. on Mondays through 12:00 p.m. on Fridays. The lane closures will be managed with flagging operations. Parking areas and pull-offs will be closed intermittently for pavement application. To better accommodate visitors during periods of high visitation, no lane closures will be allowed during peak summer months, weekends, or holidays including the week before and after Easter from April 12 through April 26.
The Federal Highway Administration awarded the $6.5 million paving contract to GC Works, Inc. Road work will include the application of a thin lift overlay to preserve the life of the pavement. Potholes will be patched before application of the pavement overlay.
In addition to this work, the park is also overseeing tree removal work along various roadways in the park including Little River Road between Sugarlands Visitor Center and Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, Elkmont Road, Cherokee Orchard Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and the Gatlinburg Bypass. Motorists should expect delays due to single-lane closures associated with this work through April.
For more information about temporary road closures, please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/grsm or follow @SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.
I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
Copyright © 2011-2023 Internet Brothers. All Rights Reserved. ISSN 2324-6057
Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by Wordpress | Logo by Design Aspirations
