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Hiking and Backpacking

Hiking is going for a walk, but doing it in the wilderness. Backpacking is taking that walk one step further and refers to hiking while carrying a pack on your back. A backpack with extra gear and supplies usually implies longer trips. What you take with you and how how far you hike is up to you. Whether it is a half day jaunt along a local park trail or a week in the deep forest, hiking and backpacking improves people's physical and mental health and general well-being.

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What is the Australian word for backpacking or hiking?

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Asked by Wiki User

The correct term is bushwalking, which refers to on and off trail walking in natural environments, day and/or overnight. Hiking is commonly referred to in North America for day walks on defined trails. As such the use of the term hiking does not make sense in an Australian context as walking often involves travel through open dry forests and scrub where trails can become faint or non existent.

How are backpacks made?

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Asked by Wiki User

They are to complex to be made by hand though it is possible. Backpacks are made by machines in factories.

How often should a knife be sharpened?

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Asked by Wiki User

The frequency with which you should sharpen a knife depends on various factors, including how often you use the knife, the type of knife, the cutting tasks involved, and your own preferences. Here are some general guidelines:

Usage Frequency:

High-frequency usage, such as daily cooking or professional kitchen work, may require more frequent sharpening. If you use your knife less frequently, it might not need sharpening as often.

Type of Knife:

Different knives serve different purposes, and their sharpening needs can vary. For example, a chef's knife used for chopping and slicing might need more frequent sharpening than a utility knife or a specialized knife.

Cutting Tasks:

Cutting tasks also influence how often a knife should be sharpened. If you frequently cut through dense or tough materials, the knife may require more regular sharpening.

Cutting Surface:

The surface on which you cut plays a role. Softer cutting surfaces, like wood or plastic cutting boards, are less abrasive to the knife edge than harder surfaces like glass or granite. Using softer cutting surfaces can help maintain the edge for a longer time.

Knife Maintenance:

Regular maintenance, such as honing with a honing rod or steel, can help extend the time between actual sharpening sessions. Honing doesn't remove metal but straightens the edge and can be done more frequently.

Personal Preference:

Some individuals prefer their knives to be extremely sharp and may sharpen them more frequently, while others are comfortable with a less acute edge. Personal preference plays a role in determining the sharpening frequency.

As a general guideline, a kitchen knife that is used regularly for typical kitchen tasks might benefit from sharpening every 2-3 months. However, it's crucial to pay attention to the knife's performance and sharpen it when needed. Signs that a knife requires sharpening include:

Decreased Cutting Performance: If the knife doesn't cut as smoothly as before, it may need sharpening.

Blade Feels Dull or Tugs: A dull blade tends to tug or drag on food rather than effortlessly slicing through it.

Visible Nicks or Damage: If the blade has visible nicks, chips, or damage, it's time for more than just honing, and sharpening is necessary.

Adjust the sharpening frequency based on your specific needs, habits, and the condition of your knives. Using proper cutting techniques and storing knives appropriately can also contribute to maintaining their sharpness for longer periods.

What foods are best for camping?

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Asked by Mrgd291190

Good foods for camping are foods that will not spoil on your trip (if you are camping with a cooler, this includes pretty much anything you eat at home) and foods that are easy to cook at your campsite. If you plan to cook over a fire or a simple backpacking style stove the best foods are foods that can be cooked on a grill, on a stick or in a packet of foil like hot dogs and other meat, marshmallows, baking potatoes, corn and foods that can be boiled like noodles, soups, corn, and veggies. Canned foods that just need to be heated up are good for people who are uncomfortable with cooking in a primitive kitchen. Other good camping foods are foods that don't need to be cooked at all like sandwiches, crackers, chips, and fruit. That said, you really can eat whatever you want when you go camping: the deliciousness of your camping food is restricted only by your own creativity and ability to cook in a primitive kitchen.

For a backpacking trip the best foods are non-perishable foods that are lightweight, high in nutrients/calories and use a minimal amount of fuel to prepare. Foods like nuts, dried fruits, beef jerky, powdered soups, pasta, couscous, parboiled rice, and dried veggies. There is advice and good recipes for backpacking at the website in related links. The website is about hiking the Wonderland trail around Mt. Rainier but the meal planning advice works for any backpacking trip.

How long does it take to hike apalacian trail in NH?

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Asked by Wiki User

The Appalachian Trail stretches 161 miles in the state of New Hampshire, how long it would take you to hike that far depends on a lot of factors. The trail in New Hampshire is fairly difficult so depending on your level of experience you could hike anywhere between 5 and 9 miles per day, so it could take anywhere from 17 to 33 days to hike all the way through.

How long does it take to run a half marathon?

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Asked by Wiki User

The amount of time it would take an individual to train for half of a marathon is determined on the individual's level of physical fitness at the start of the training. If the individual has no fitness level, it would be safer to start slow, as not to hurt yourself. This type of training should be expected to take anywhere from 3-6 months.

What is the difference between a park and a forest?

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Asked by Wiki User

A forest is an expanse of naturally-growing trees of various species, along with plant and animal life that form an ecosystem. A park is a natural or semi-natural area for people to visit; it may or may not have trees or forests within it, and if entirely man-made, may not have a fully functioning ecosystem.

What is minimal impact camping?

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Asked by Wiki User

Minimal impact camping is when you go camping, hiking, hunting, or any other outdoor activity, particularly in wilderness areas, where you leave no evidence of your ever having been there. That mean leaving no trash, picked flowers, damaged landscape or other human residue, physical or otherwise behind. In other words, leave it as you found it!

What is the best type of canvas for tents?

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Asked by Wiki User

There are different types of tent that you can buy easily online in your price. But question is where you are residing and what is your actual requirement? You can purchase online peaktop tents, pop up gazebo, marquee tent and many more from gardenmore.co.uk and quictents.co.uk, part of Maxlead Intl' Ltd.

How do you sharpen knives?

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Asked by Wiki User

Ski edges can be sharpened (tuned) easily and cheaply using a file and a file guide, which you can purchase from most shops.

The guide makes sure the file is set to a specific angle, as you pull it along the edges of your skis a few times, until you can see that the edges have been sharpened. There's no need to overdo it, as ski edges do slowly wear down with every service. Angles vary between 1 and 3 degrees, but 1 is a good standard for recreational skiiers.

After you have sharpened your edges, you need to dull the edges at the front and back of the ski, a few inches around where the ski profile comes to its widest point. This is done by pulling a diamond stone over a few inches at the front and back once or twice. If the edges aren't 'de-tuned' at these points, your ski will want to turn all the time, instead of just when you apply pressure in a certain direction.

There are other steps you can take, such as polishing your edges, but it isn't greatly noticeable in performance for a recreational skiier.

Shops will use machines that basically do the same thing, but more precisely.

Note: If you do your edges at the wrong angle/ file away too much, you will have a problem! Use a tool for the job or:

If you are still unsure how to do the edges yourself, ask an expert at a ski shop/ ski service shop to show you how.

How do you store water in the wilderness?

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Asked by Wiki User

the best way to store water it to probabbly put it in a bottle or in a closed cup. since water evaporates, you cant really store water in a large area like a

room,outside(!), or even a refrigerator.

How long would it take to walk from Houston Texas to Bangor Maine?

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Asked by Wiki User

The total distance in road miles is about 3,280 miles according to MapQuest. Assuming that on average 20 miles could be covered every day and no time was lost along the way due to sickness or injury the trip would require 164 days or about 5.5 months to complete. Few would make it all the way and a skilled and trained athlete with sufficient motivation could cut that time in half.

How long does it take to walk through the San Diego zoo?

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Asked by Wiki User

A full day if you want to see everything plus the shows. It's better to take the tour bus, then go by foot to areas not covered on the bus route. Lots of hills with some escalators, but not in all places. Go see the pandas first.

What are some safety rules for hiking?

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Asked by Wiki User

Bring lots of water. Don't camp right by the river because it can flash flood without warning. Remember that it takes twice as long to go uphill as it does to go downhill; don't get carried away with hiking down because it's much harder to go back up, especially in the heat of day.

What is the size of a full backpack?

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Asked by Wiki User

It depends on the backpack, though most full-sized school backpacks are large enough to store a laptop and multiple notebooks and school supplies. A backpack for hiking can be much larger, enough to store multiple days' worth of food, shelter, and other survival supplies.

What are the best places to go for hiking?

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Asked by Wiki User

The best places to go hiking would be the official hiking trails in a locality of interest. Such trails are marked and may have shelters and other amenities available for multi-day hikes.

What is the hunting regulations where you live in UK?

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Asked by Wiki User

Mostly the majority of uk's hunting species are or is deer or moths they internally hate moths. The white horned deer is one of the most sacred animals in the UK. if you hunt one down you will suffer the consequences.

What are good foods to eat while hiking?

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Asked by Wiki User

For lightweight food, use food that only requires adding boiling water such as freeze-dried meals (I like Mountain House brand the best!), instant potatoes, couscous, instant rice, instant oatmeal, and granola. This requires less fuel for cooking and can be made and eaten in a ziplock freezer bag so there are no dishes to clean--just zip the bag closed when you're done and pack it out. I like to drink apple cider mix or Stephen's Gourmet Citrus & Spice Wassail because they are good either hot or cold.

For eating while hiking, I like Clif Bars, Corn Nuts, Jerky, M&Ms, etc.

If I am hiking all day and need to keep my energy up, I will eat Hammer Gel during the first hour and any time I need an energy boost. Then I drink a serving of Hammer Perpetuem with one quart of water over the course of an hour or two (I add powered Gatorade Propel to the Perpetuem for flavoring). I will drink three or four servings of Perpetuem over the course of a day. I eat Clif Bars for my lunch. This keeps me going all day.

How long does it take to climb the Himalayas?

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Asked by Wiki User

To actually climb a mountain takes from 2 to 7 days (round trip) but for mountains such as Mount Everest there is more time spent in the base camp and resupplying at advance camps on the way up. Some mountains, such as Everest and K2, have restrictions on the numbers of climbers and permits are required.

How far can you walk into the woods?

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Asked by Wiki User

Halfway. After that you are walking out of the woods.

How long would it take to walk from Mississippi to Miami?

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Asked by Wiki User

A little under 12 days if you walk nonstop from Jackson, MS to Miami, FL.

Is a jacket designed for hiking waterproof?

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Asked by LindaCudjoe

Waterproof jackets for hiking can be purchased at many retail stores. The North Face and SportChek both have many jackets which one can choose from in stores and online. Prices and styles vary per retailer.

List 5 key safety points or actions when hill walking?

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Asked by Wiki User

  1. Plan your route and tell someone where you're going, along which route and when you'll be back. Instruct them to contact the emergency services if you have not returned safely or been in contact after a certain cut off time.
  2. Check the weather reports and ensure you are appropriately dressed for the conditions. You should be aware that the weather can change very rapidly in the hills so carry warm and waterproof clothing even if it appears to be a nice day when you set off. Ensure you are wearing suitable foot ware such as a stout pair of walking boots. The RAF and Navy SAR helicopter crews and the Mountain Rescue teams don't necessarily like having to come out to rescue people who have tried to climb a mountain in winter in jeans, a t-shirt and trainers (yes, this has happened).
  3. Ensure you choose a route that is suitable for your level of fitness, skill and experience. A walk that is to physically demanding will put you at risk of injury (potentially requiring rescue) but will also feel like a slog and be much less enjoyable.
  4. Carry a map and compass and make sure you know how to use them. Otherwise they are useless.
  5. Consider carrying a whistle to help attract attention if required, an emergency bivi bag (normally a fluorescent orange plastic water and wind proof bag that can be used as a shelter in an emergency and can be bought for as little as £2), a torch, a mobile phone (even though the signal may be variable, there is a strong probability you will be able to contact the emergency services for help if required).

For further information, please see the related link.