Anyone who has seen the film ‘127 Hours’ or read Aron Ralston’s harrowing account of his fateful trip to Robbers Roost in south east Utah, will know the first rule of hiking off trail….NEVER leave home without telling someone where you’re going. Aron set out to visit the isolated canyon one spring day in 2003, and nearly lost his life in the process when he became trapped by a fallen rock. After 127 agonising hours, and facing certain death, he finally freed himself by taking the drastic measure of cutting off his trapped arm. Even in today’s highly-technological world of communication, nothing is guaranteed – especially in the barren wastes…

Nothing can disturb your pleasure of the great outdoors more than being pestered by myriads of mosquitos and other flying nasties. Not only is it unpleasant being bitten by these insects, the range of diseases carried by flying insects and ticks can include (depending upon the location you are travelling in) various internal organ damaging infections such as Dengue Fever, Bubonic Plague and Malaria. All of these things can result in permanent damage and even death if not treated in time, so it makes very good sense not to get bitten in the first place! Types of Insect Repellent There are a number of types of insect repellent, some of…

One of the most important parts of camping is what you eat. If you are in the outdoors you’ll probably feel that bit hungrier than if you’re at home and enjoying a sedimentary lifestyle. This means that food is very important and the decisions you make regards food are very much a significant part of the trip. Though, you may have Solid Fuel Stoves, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be good to go. So, here are some great ideas for eating when out and about. Plan By planning the meals you are sure to get all you need on your grocery shop beforehand. The meals you choose are down to…

Dehydrating foods is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. In the olden days people would dehydrate foods by drying them in the sun. Such foods included tomatoes, and sun dried tomatoes were a delicacy in those days. People would also dry meat or smoke it in order to preserve it. This preservation quality as well as the reduced size and weight, make dehydrated foods a perfect match for hiking. You always have the option of purchasing dehydrated foods (dried) for your hikes. However, we now have appliances that make dehydrating foods convenient to do at home. These food dehydators come in various capacities, wattage and features. Be sure…