Don’t underestimate the pain and agony that having a small issue with your feet will cause when backpacking or hiking.

• Before any hiking trip, trim toenails using straight-edged – not curved – clippers.  Leave an extra bit of nail on the outside corner of the big toe (the side with no toe next to it) to avoid an ingrown toenail.
• Keep your feet dry by wearing synthetic socks since they’re cooler and wick sweat from your skin faster than wool.
• Change socks throughout the day as they get wet.
• Apply underarm antiperspirant to your feet  but try this at home first – to  check for an allergic reaction.
• Finally, add “trim toenails” to your packing list so you don’t forget at home.
• Add the book “Fixing Your Feet” by John Vonhof to your library. Talks about all kinds of foot issues.

Following these tips increase the chances of having happy feet – a good thing when backpacking or hiking.

I generally don’t get too bugged by bugs when I’m backpacking or hiking but here are a couple of tips to prevent the bugs from being interested in you.

• Wear light-colored clothing – it attracts fewer bugs than dark clothing.  Mosquitoes seem to like the color blue.
• Sweaty clothes release ammonia, a suspected mosquito attractant.  I don’t have any tips on how not to sweat but this is a fun fact to know and tell.

No telling what you might find here.

Ever tried to get a weeks worth of food into a bear-proof canister? Try these ideas:

* First, make sure all air is squeezed out of zipper-lock bags and remove all all excess packaging.
* Load in the reverse order that you’ll be eating, so the last day’s food goes in first.
* Place the first day’s lunch, snack, and dinner elsewhere in your pack, unless you are in grizzly country, then all food goes in the canister.
* Squash each layer as far as it will go.
* Pack malleable items around the outside edges and line the bottom with tortillas or other flat items.
* Fill small spaces with bags of spices, flour, hot chocolate or oatmeal packets.
* With luck you’ll be able to get 7 days worth of food in the canister – 5 days for sure.

So you are out on a nice backpacking (or hiking) trip and suddenly realize you don’t know where you are.  You know – the trail you were following just is not visible and when you turn around you can’t see it that way either.  What to do?

• Protect yourself for immediate danger.  Treat injuries and stay out of nasty weather.
• Calm down and get oriented.  Sit, relax, and do nothing.  Sometimes a change in attitude reveals important clues you overlooked.
• Stay put.  One of the few times you should move is if there is almost no chance of a quick rescue.  Another is if you can safely get to a much more visible location, like an open meadow.
• Provide clues to assist searchers.  Break branches, tie ribbons, and build rock cairns in obvious locations.  Light a smoky fire, blow a whistle, or use a signal mirror.  Make a big X on the ground (universal sign of distress) with gear or by digging an embankment in snow.
• Improve your comfort.  Set up a tent or build a shelter to get out of the weather.  Make sure you are still visible, however.
• Respond to searchers.  Believe it or not some hikers are too embarrassed to be found.

• Move your tent every day to keep from compressing ground and depriving a single spot of light and air.
• Set up your tent out of site of any trails and at least 200 feet from water sources.
• Move your tent every day to keep from compressing ground and depriving a single spot of light and air.
• Set up your tent out of site of any trails and at least 200 feet from water sources.
• Choose the most durable surface available for your campsite: rock, sand, or dry grassy meadows are your best options.
• Always select a heavily impacted site over one with little signs of use.
• Vary routes to and from water sources, and between the cooking area, food storage, and tent so you don’t create paths.
• Move your tent every day to keep from compressing ground and depriving a single spot of light and air.

When enjoying the great outdoors the weather can sometimes be a pain.  These two rules can help.

Bag ratings. Sleeping bags are “rated” to their lowest comfortable temperature.  Keep in mind that “comfort” is a relative term, so use these ratings as guidelines, rather than absolutes. These ratings are often optimistic, so cold sleepers should purchase a bag that has a more generous rating. Use the ratings as guidelines rather than absolutes.

Consider a liner. Consider purchasing a fleece liner that can add up to 15 degrees extra insulation to your bag without much bulk.  The liner is also easy to throw in the washing machine when you get home.

Indulge yourself. Your body needs sufficient carbohydrates to stay warm at night, and sufficient fats to metabolize these carbohydrates effectively.  Half a peanut-butter bagel and some hot chocolate will give your body the fuel to stay warm all night.

Warm up before getting in. Sleeping bags keep you at the same temperature you were when you got in.  Don’t put a cold body in a sleeping bag.  Do some sit-ups or jumping jacks to get your blood moving before you get in your sleeping bag.

Breathe OUT. It’s tempting to breathe into your sleeping bag to warm it up – but it’s a bad idea.  The moisture in your breath reduces the loft of the insulation and makes you colder over time.

Clean Up. Some swear there is extra warmth after washing the body and wearing clean clothes.

• Use a knife to flick away a bee’s stinger – tweezers can pump more venom into the wound.
• Carry a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug such as Ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.  These are sold as generics or in the common brand names Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Anacin, and others.  These are good for alleviating pain and inflammation to include sore muscles and joints.
• If the aspirin you are carrying smells strongly of vinegar it is outdated – DON’T take it.
• Carry aloe vera gel in a film canister to soothe mild sunburn, scald from boiling water, and mild frostbite.
• Anytime you make a moleskin or duct-tape patch, round the corners with a pair of scissors to prevent it from peeling.