Wisdom of the Week: Hiker’s Bag
Written by: Marc Young
Hello avid followers of weekly wisdom! This week, Aimee and I decided it’s time for a change. There is so much wisdom out there to share that has nothing to do with the gym, and we aim to bring some of that your way from time to time!
Don’t worry, some of our gym videos will still be coming your way, but expect more fun stuff like this as well!
In this weeks video, we discuss what we tend to have in our backpacks when we hike out here in Utah. I guess for starters, it’s important to note that every scenario is different! What I mean by that is, what this video details ain't always the norm.
You may have to adjust what you take based on the weather, location, climate, duration, and intensity of your hike. For me, I assumed we were taking a 3-4 hour hike in summer in northern Utah. Adjust your plans accordingly!
Always pack the right gear for any hike. Lesson #1
Anyways, the contents of the bag were as follows:
- water bladder
- long sleeve shirt
- knife
- protein bar
- phone charger
- and flashlight
Let’s briefly break this down.
Water: This is the most obvious and the most essential. Drink water or die. Duh.
Long Sleeve: From where we are standing, if the sun gets behind the mountains it gets cold FAST, so layering up is important. Obviously, if you are doing a hike in colder months, the more layers you would bring. Throw a hat and some gloves into that mix as well.
Knife: This I rate very high in my essentials category. Wilde Life is just that, wild. Are you likely to run into wildlife? Yes. The kind that will try and kill you? Hopefully not. And if I did come across something fierce out there I would try and leave it be and avoid conflict. But if worst case scenario comes to pass, I am gonna make sure I have something to fight back with. We use a 6-inch buck knife, a nice little knife that also has a whistle attached and a built in Flint. Handy for lots of things if we ever find ourselves in dire need. Some may see this as extreme, but I say hope for the best, plan for the worst.
You never know where you'll end up when hiking. Plan accordingly and pack the right stuff!
Protein Bar: Don’t let yourself get depleted. Or worse, hangry. Nobody wants that. Sub PB and J, jerky, or a trail mix (Get it? Traillllllllll mix??). Or you can always check out our good friends at Muscleup Bars or Atlas Bars.
Flashlight: In case something happens that keeps you stranded on your hike past dark, a small flashlight will come in very, very useful! Again, hope for the best, plan for the worst.
And there ya have it, folks! All this stuff combined is still uber light, and easy to fit in a small bag. Consider yourself educated! BOOM!
If you have any questions, shoot me an email at: marc@voyedgerx.com and I'll hope to see you on our National Parks trip this summer!
Link down below.
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