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Show 4 little planning makes backpacking a lot more enjoyable Uintah Basin is famous for reservoirs, and the Uinta "Stains Anyone who lives here and fvt take advantage of the recrea-nal recrea-nal opportunities afforded by the ' "la is missing a wonderful portion of ; t living here can provide. ; tt-jth all the talk recently about .,derness areas, perhaps more peo-!i peo-!i are thinking about seeing just what ' wilderness is all about. In order to Hv be a part of the wilderness ' Ills getting away from the roads ad spending a few days where cars j can't ft.,.,,..,. v In order to experience the wilderness it is not necessary to go to the ligh Uinta's Primitive Area. Thereare many places practically in your backyard that will satisfy the wilderness urge quite satisfactorily. For people who have never backpacked, a word of caution is in order. To don a 40 or 50 pound backpack and take off into a thicket someplace may prove to be your first and last backpacking experience. As strange as you may feel, before hitting the back country you may want to work up to your backpacking trip by carrying your backpack, or a day pack around a few times. A few short trips into the hills with a fully loaded backpack will tell you a lot about your capabilities. The first few minutes under an extra 40 pounds doesn't do justice to the way you will feel after you've been under that weight for a few hours. A little extra exercise during the summer months, like jogging or tennis ten-nis will also go a long way toward making your backpacking trip a positive experience. Start out with an overnight trip to a ' , .: .. n ' . . "I r . . . - . -, . . . . . -' ' J ,; r ".f jr. ). .- v.- . t .. -V ;v . -1 4 " v ' . ' f i . . , . . ' r . . :V ; I . . : .';', , ' ; ' 'r - ?A t q , ' , , , jv;, . , ; ' - !,', '-if"! ; V." i ' .',.'' " I . . . j- ' v : . c J , '.," .if r J - " . I1; v. '. f;.v-i wiv THIS FULLY loaded backpacker and her dog begin their ascent up the side of the v mountain. Dogs can be a lot of fun backpacking trips, and there is no reason r they can't pull their own weight, either. V' This dog is loaded with 10 pounds of dog food and other backpacking needs. Since dogs have a tendency to get in every creek that comes along, it's advised to put everything that goes in the pack in waterproof water-proof containers or wrapped in two separate plastic bags. point only 4 or 5 miles away. Take your time. There are no set rules to backpacking: Travel at your own pace and don't let anyone else in the group try to hurry you along. They can slow down a lot easier than you can speed up. Take everything you are going to need, but don't overpack youraself . As you throw things into the pack it is easy to say, "Well, that doesn't weigh much." But, after you have thrown several things in that don't weigh much each, you can easily add several pounds to the weight of your pack. After a few miles, several pounds of extra weight can mean the difference in enjoying the trip and wishing you had never come. A few special items are needed for backpacking which are not needed for camping. A lightweight sleeping bag and tent are imperative. The difference dif-ference in weight between sleeping bags is amazing. A down bag or a bag made from one of the new synthetic lightweight materials is worthy whatever it costs. Some people say you don't need a tent, but after you have been rained on a couple of times, you realize the necessity of a good backpacking tent. Always pack with the rest of the people going on the trip, since many of the items can do for a couple, or even the entire group. One hatchet or backpacking saw will suffice suf-fice the needs of everyone. Many cooking cook-ing utensils can be shared, plus knives, and food should always be planned together. Weight is always a consideration, but especially with food, things should be considered from the amount of utility utili-ty they provide, and not simply from the aspect of lightening the load. Nutrition Nutri-tion is very important and all food should be chosen with that in mind. For the beginner, or even the very experienced ex-perienced backpacker who doesn't want to be bothered with figuring out a menu to suffice over a period of days, prepackaged foods are available at sporting goods stores. Backpacking poses unique problems for keeping the blood sugar content up. The extra weight of the backpack has a tendency to make the legs mushy underneath you. While there is no absolute ab-solute cure for this problem, there are things you can do to minimize the effects ef-fects of the weight, the heart, and strenuous climb. Always have water close at hand, so you need not unpack in order to have a sip. Constantly adding ad-ding sugar to the system also helps keep your strength from ebbing away. The best way to do this is by nibbling on dried fruits and even candy. Don't let the backpack get you down. You can rest your shoulders wkhout actually stopping and removing the pack. Find a rock you can sit down on and put the bottom of the backpack on the rock. By slumping slightly the rock can take the entire weight from your shoulders. And don't hesitate to take the pack off entirely and walk around. What's the hurry? The object, after all, is to enjoy the trip. Always make sure you have more than adequate time to reach your destination. Never set out with the intention of hurrying. It's not worth it. Staying cool and keeping warm are two backpacking problems and both can be encountered on the same trip. Pack with the assumption that both situations will arise. Shorts and light shirts will be wanted for the middle of the day, but long pants and a sweater will probably be needed in the evenings even-ings and mornings. A pair of good boots is imperative. There is much controversy whafkind of boots are the best, but there is a consensus con-sensus that quality is the most important impor-tant aspect. The ankles take a lot of abuse from the rocks and extra weight. Socks should be heavy and the . boots should fit snug to avoid blisters . Other than a serious injury, the last thing you want while backpacking is a blister on your foot. If you don't have a lightweight rain-suit, rain-suit, buy one. It may be 90 degrees in the valley where you live, and it may even be 80 degrees when you begin your backpacking trip, but that may : .:::::x,:::::. :S::- : .: :: . .-: The first time he put his jig in the waters of Flaming Gorge, Andy Hawes of Boise, Idaho, pulled in an eighteen pound Mackinaw trout. The thirteen year old joined his father, Stan Hawes of Vernal, grandfather Rodney Hawes of Marsing Idaho and fishing guides Doug Boone and Hank Regulski late in the day. The elder fishermen had been fishing for the last seven hours. Following the instructions of the guides, young Hawes allowed the jig to float to the bottom at about 75 foot level. Within a minute, the eighteen pound mac went for the jig. It took Hawes less than fifteen minutes to land the prize catch. change abruptly in the high mountain areas. A mountain rainstorm can easily easi-ly bring the temperature down 20 degrees, and being wet and not having a building to go in to get out of the rain isn't fun. If you see a storm coming, the best thing you can do is find an overhanging rock or a big lowhanging pine tree to crawl under. Not only is . being cold no fun, but the rain can ' make walking trecherous. Safety must always be the first consideration. Hypothermia is also a consideration in high mountain areas. It doesn't need to be extremely cold for hypothermia to set in. Hypothermia is simply a lowering of the body temperature, usually due to being wet and being in the wind. Hypothermia sets in without the victim even being aware it's happening. hap-pening. Pretty soon the person just doesn't seem to care, and will actually actual-ly just lay down and die. Prevention of this is simple, stay warm, don't get wet and keep the blood sugar content up. Although keeping your pack light is important, don't forget the first aid kit. Be sure to pack a snake bite kit, something for poison ivy, compresses in various sizes, tape, triangular bandages, ban-dages, small adhesive bandages, burn ointment, something to clean wounds, (such as iodine) aspirins, elastic bandages, ban-dages, and water purification tablets. There is no way you will be able to carry enough water to suffice your needs, and you shouldn't even attempt to, because of the weight. Clear creek water looks inviting, but may not be as pure as it looks. All water you use should be boiled for 10 minutes, or should be purified with water purification purifica-tion tablets. A refresher course in first aid is wise on a regular basis, with or without the intention of going backpacking. No list could possibly contain all the necessary and wanted things every person will want and need on a backpacking trip. To attempt one would be futile. Every person will need to do that for himself. However, a few suggestions are in order. A small roll of nylon cord and some heavy nylon thread with a needle take up little room and it is surprising how often they come in handy to secure something or make a quick repair. A sharp knife can be a hiker's best friend. The uses are endless. One of the expensive swiss knives are well worth the price. A small bottle of insect repellant will never be regretted. Sun-tan Sun-tan lotion should be close at hand. Watch especially the back of your neck. A hangnail can bother you the whole trip. Take a good pair of fingernail finger-nail clippers. A hat which shades your face and a waterproof container of matches will both prove desireable. If you're not Daniel Boone you may want to put a little newspaper in the bottom of your pack. Damp twigs start much easier when they have a little help. Most people want to remember their trip. Cameras are fun, but camera equipment is very heavy. Perhaps one lense is a happy compromise. Save your wildlife photography for a day hike. A little preparation and a few precautions will go a long way toward making backpacking one of your regular summer outings. |
