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Colorado Hiking  
Hiking equipment, the Ten Essentials plus                                

Hiking for a day versus backpacking  

Hikes can range from minor outings to well-known popular areas regularly patrolled by the authorities,  to day-long treks through wilderness that is seldom visited by anyone. There are often significant altitude gains up to exposed ridgelines and summits. The intention to be going out and returning the same day does not imply lack of potential risks, but these risks can be reduced or eliminated with the right knowledge and gear.  

Going out and hiking for a few hours or a whole day requires less gear and supplies than does backpacking, which involves hiking and camping out for one or more nights.  However, there are a number of things that at a minimum a prepared hiker should be carrying.

 The Ten Essentials

1.  Map
2.  Compass  
3.  Knife
4.  Water and food
5.  Rain gear and proper clothing for warmth
6.  Headlamp or flashlight
7.  First-aid supplies
8.  Matches
9.  Fire starter
10. Sunglasses and sunscreen

Let's expand on these "Ten Essentials" and discuss why they are important and get you acquainted with what's involved with each.

 1.  Map. 

You should have a map of the area you will be hiking in.  On one of end of the spectrum, it might be an expensive commercial water proof topographic map which shows up-to-date detailed hiking trails, trailheads, ranger stations, points of interest and so forth.  On the other end of the spectrum, it might be a hand drawn map that you worked up from other maps, showing approximate distances, roughed in streams, summits and ridgelines, tucked into a waterproof sandwich baggie to protect it from rain and sweat. Or, it might be a photocopy of a map. 

Sources of maps include: USGS (US Geological Survey) topographic maps of various scales (sold in many outdoor and book stores); maps that you can get online for free and send to your printer (ex: http://www.topozone.com/); Delorme's map atlas covering Colorado; and commercial digital map programs that you can buy and install on your computer (ex: National Geographic and Delorme). 

If you intend to hike just one area of limited size, then it might be sensible to spend some money on a complete and detailed localized map like the commercial ones found for some popular parks and areas.  On the other hand, if you intend to do hikes over a wide geographic area, then a statewide map atlas (like Delorme's, appx. $20) makes sense.  It shows broad topography, paved roads, many dirt / gravel forest roads, basic types of land ownership and many hiking trails.   

Accumulation of coverage with individual commercial and  government (USGS) maps is not cheap and the costs can go past $20 quickly. Also, the map you want may not be available at a particular store when you need it. The Delorme map atlas for Colorado might be a good way to go. I like it well enough that I use it in describing hike locations. Some of the lettering is very small, and once in a while the minor road or trail designations are incorrect, but overall these are good maps and display a wider variety of information then do standard USGS topo maps.

 Whatever kind of map (or photocopy of a map) you carry with you on a hike, it needs to be good enough to keep you oriented, and the direction north should be marked on it with an arrow. You should be clear on where you are starting from (the "trailhead"), the point to which you're going (the "destination"), and the general route you intend to follow.  You should know what general compass directions you'll be going, and the approximate "straight line" distances.  For instance: "from the trailhead, we'll hike in three miles to the east along the stream, then take the left fork in the trail and go two miles to the northeast, and then we'll be at the lake, which is our destination". 

 Hiking trails rarely go in straight lines -- there are usually a lot of curves and switchbacks which add to hiking distance and mean you will often be changing the direction in which you are momentarily heading. Depending on the scale of the map you're looking at, many of the variations in the course of a given trail will not show up. The important thing is to know what general direction you should going. During daytime, you can rough out geographic direction using the sun, provided it's not blocked by canyon walls, mountains, trees or overcast weather conditions.  A much better way is to use the second item in the list of the ten essentials.

2.  Compass.

It's foolish to go out in the wild without a compass. In recent years GPS units (which we discuss on another page) have increasingly been used for wilderness navigation - but this technology does not totally replace the simple reliable compass (or map for that matter).

If you know the general directions you traveled going in some place, then you are in a position to return simply by reversing the sequence of travel and direction.  There are books written on land navigation and orienteering, but all that we will cover here are a couple of the most simple usable methods.

First, you should have a map which shows the area and the course you will be hiking.  If you know you should be heading east, then take out your compass, find east, and look for one or more landmarks off in that direction that you should be able to see as you hike along the way.  In Colorado this will probably be a mountain peak or perhaps a prominent rock outcropping or a cliff face. The trail may twist and turn but you should be able to verify if you are traveling in the right overall direction by periodically checking the landmark to see if you are moving towards it and getting closer. Depending on the length of the hike and the terrain, you may have to use a sequence of landmarks.

 However, what if there are no landmarks or the terrain is such that you simply can't keep one in sight?  Then the best thing to do is to frequently check your compass as you hike along, and verify that you are spending most of your time traveling in the right general direction. On a relatively straight trail that's easy; on a highly contorted  one the best you can do is be aware of the average direction you are traveling.  For instance, on a convoluted trail which overall heads east, you should spend most of your time traveling east, southeast and northeast, which averages out as eastward.

There are a number of different compass designs.  The main thing is that it be light and sturdy so that you can carry it on a lanyard around your neck. It should be convenient to look at frequently. If you spend more than $10 you're probably going overboard.  The better models have a way of correcting for magnetic declination.

Magnetic declination refers to the positions of true north and magnetic north.  In central Colorado magnetic north is about 10 degrees east of true (or map) north. One end of the compass needle points to magnetic north -- it's wise to know which one it is. Many compasses have a ring dial for adjusting for declination - it is easy to use.  Just face north, recall that in Colorado magnetic north is eastward of true north, and turn the dial so that the zero degrees (true north) designation is to the left (west) of the compass' magnetic north arrow by 10 degrees. If you ever forget or get confused about setting declination,  just set the zero degrees (true north) mark to coincide with the magnetic north arrow of the compass -- you'll only be off by 10 degrees which is usually no big deal.

Get to know your compass.  Know which end of the needle points north -- if you get that wrong you'll be heading in exactly the wrong direction when you need it.  Use your compass on short hikes when you don't need it.  Periodically check yourself to see if you can determine north from the position of the sun and the time of day.  If it's morning, the sun is to the east, right?. If it's afternoon, the sun is to the west, right? What about 12 Noon, where should it be? 

In the northern hemisphere, at the sun's highest point during the day, it will be to the south.  Face what you think is north and then verify it with your compass.  If you're hiking along a stream, what direction is the water flowing?  Is that consistent with where you think you are?  Look at the surrounding topography, compare it to your map, and from that face north and verify it with your compass. How does your compass behave around metallic objects like your vehicle for instance?  Does it behave differently with the engine running?  Don't expect to be able to use a compass and to be able to navigate the first time you try -- it takes practice.

 3.  Knife

The best kind of knife for hiking is one of those "Swiss Army" types with several blades and tools.  Knives are one of those items that when you need one, you really really need one.  So make a habit of carrying a knife when hiking.

4.  Water and food

Water

How much water you need depends upon your size, physical condition, the length of the hike, the altitude gain, how much weight you're carrying, what you are wearing, temperature, wind, humidity and so forth.  On a short hike lasting a few hours or so one liter (appx. = 1 quart)  is probably enough for most people.  A day-long 15 mile round-trip hike with a few thousand feet of elevation gain might require more like three liters.  On the average hike of six or eight miles round-trip with a couple thousand feet of elevation gain, two liters might be okay.  Those estimates are starting points from which you can determine what is best for you individually.  Your water requirements may vary quite a bit from hike to hike, even if the hikes are similar in their physical demands.

Two liters of water weighs 4.4 pounds and is definitely a noticeable weight in your pack.  However, it's better to take too much than too little.  Getting parched on a hike is no fun and dehydration does physically weaken you.

Never substitute soft drinks or sports drinks for water on a hike.

Staying hydrated by taking frequent small drinks works better for your body than waiting until you're parched and then glugging down a whole bunch at one time.  Some of the modern packs are designed to take water bladders that facilitate drinking  through a plastic tube while on the move.  This type of system is a big improvement over having to stop, take off your pack and dig out your water bottle in order to take a drink.

At one time or another, you have probably seen beer advertisements showing pristine mountain stream waters  implying "nature's purity".  Forget it -- no matter where you go in the mountains the water is unsafe.  Wildlife, cattle, human beings, mining operations and so forth have all contributed to putting things in the water you don't want in your body.  Fill up your water containers at home with good clean "city" water.

If in some desperate emergency you do need to get water in the wilderness, then avoid areas used by cattle and wild animals.  If you see hoof prints and trampled vegetation then move upstream. Avoid areas where there has been mining activity - these areas sometimes have chemically contaminated water many decades after mining operations ceased.  Avoid using areas with powdery residue on the edges of the water body.  Avoid water bodies with dead vegetation around them, or discolored water or areas with a lot of algae.

Look for clear flowing water preferably coming from a spring or a waterfall, and then sterilize it by boiling, filtration or iodine additive.  Boiling water is the best way to kill  the harmful organisms in it.  However, that presupposes you brought a metal container along which you probably did not.  That leaves filter's and iodine.  You probably did not bring along an expensive water filtration unit either.  That leaves iodine pills, crystals or tincture. 

Iodine pills dissolve slowly in water, and the dysentery causing Giardia organism / cysts takes time to kill so to be effective, you should wait about an hour after dissolution of the iodine pills or crystals before drinking.  There is a drawback to using iodine treated water -- one of the troublemaker bugs (cryptosporidium) is not killed by iodine.  So carrying iodine water treatment (or iodine tincture disinfectant, use 8 drops per liter, mix and let stand for 1 hour) in case of emergency need for drinking water helps, but is not a total solution. Crypto intestinal infection and the associated GI tract disruption takes a couple days to start, and is not terribly serious for healthy people. However,  if you do get it, it is highly contagious and there is no effective treatment. Most people with a healthy immune system will recover on their own. So, carrying iodine treatment is a reasonable precaution in case you are stuck in the wilderness and need to replenish your water. It will protect you from the more serious illness risks involved in drinking stream water.

Food

People vary a lot in what they like to eat on a hike. Nutrition, especially sports nutrition, is a contentious subject with all sorts of conflicting dogmas. It's probably best to try a variety of things over time and see what works for you.   Personally, I prefer three or four slices of plain bread and maybe some nuts or a candy bar.  With that kind of food,  you don't have to worry about it spoiling during the day  before you eat it.  Also, carbohydrates are easy for the body to break down and transform into burnable nutrition.

It may be best to avoid eating sugar and carbohydrates on a hike before you have done some physical exertion. Apparently, when the human body is not being physically taxed, it may react to sugar and carbohydrate inputs by releasing insulin which actually drives blood sugar levels down.  After exertion has begun, this apparently is less of a problem and the body puts sugar to use in supplying hungry tissue.

5.  Rain gear and proper clothing for warmth

I think the most important of the10 essentials is to wear and carry the right clothing when hiking. One thing to remember is that temperatures tend to fall as you gain altitude. A number of factors dictate that the types of clothing and cloth  that are worn in everyday life and when doing athletic activities in town, are not the same as those that are best for wilderness activities.

Good effective rain gear is not only necessary for comfort, but is also a safety item. Violent storms with rain and wind can move in at any time in the Colorado Rockies, especially during the summer. Mid-afternoon rain and thunderstorms are a fairly common occurrence. Exposed peaks and ridges sometimes have strong winds, storm or not. On the "Safety" web page we discuss the greatest safety hazard of being out in Colorado wilderness areas -- hypothermia. But for now let it suffice to say that rain gear is a required piece of equipment for Colorado hiking.  Often it is wise to carry an extra shirt, sweater or jacket in case you run into cold conditions -- but you should almost always have rain gear with you - not back in the car four miles and two hours away. My personal rule is that regardless of what the weather is like or what the weather forecasts say, if I am going to be on a hike which lasts more than one hour (round-trip), then I carry rain gear with me.

Rain gear varies from a $6 poncho you can buy at Wal-Mart,  to a $400 sophisticated state-of-the-art Gore-Tex jacket at a quality mountaineering store.

Staying dry and warm.

The problem of staying dry and warm while active in the outdoors involves several factors.  First, protecting yourself from becoming wet from rain, sleet or snow.  Second, protecting yourself from becoming wet from your own sweat.  Third, keeping the wind off you.  Fourth, wearing fabrics that can still provide some warmth when wet and that will dry relatively quickly (cotton, the standard cloth of in-town wear, does NOT do either). Avoid cotton in hiking clothing.

Everybody is aware of how fast you can get your clothing soaked in a rainstorm, but some are surprised at how fast you can soak your clothes with your own sweat.  If you put on rain gear made of standard non-breathable material and perform strenuous activity (like hiking up a mountain trail), almost all your sweat will be trapped within your rain gear. Depending upon your physiology,  how strenuously you are working and the surrounding atmospheric conditions, you can be soaked in your own perspiration quickly.  That can be just as dangerous as having been soaked by rain. The main problem with getting your clothing wet is that depending on the type of fabric involved, it will lose  much or all of its heat insulating properties.  When that happens, you start losing body heat.  Losing body heat leads to feeling uncomfortably cold, then shivering and then possibly to hypothermia, which can kill you.

These factors have led to what is known as the three layer system of clothing for outdoor wilderness activities.

1) The clothing layer next to your skin.

Wet clothing in contact with the skin leads to a great deal of heat loss from the body.  The key objective is to have perspiration pass through the cloth next to your body and evaporate.  This is commonly referred to as "wicking".  A good  hydrophobic or "hydro"  T-shirt is not only more comfortable than a standard cotton one, but is also far better at avoiding chills and hypothermia.

The best fabrics for hiking T-shirts (and long johns) are polyester and polypropylene. There are also a lot of newer specialized synthetics with all sorts of marketing buzz names.  You won't usually find underwear made of these materials at standard clothing stores.  You will probably have to buy them at an outdoor sports store. Any fabric with any percentage content of cotton should be rejected for wilderness sports use.

2) The insulating layer of clothing.

Upper Body

This layer is made up of one or more garments (shirt, sweater, fleece etc.) and is designed to create a layer of dead insulating air.  It's better to have two or three loose garments than one thick one so that you can add or subtract layers according to changing conditions. In years past, wool and down were often regarded as good choices for insulating clothing.  However, in recent years a variety of synthetic fibers have proven to be superior.  Polyester fleece jacket's work well.  These synthetic fibers retain some insulation ability even when wet and tend to dry faster than conventional materials.  For example, down jackets have excellent insulating properties but when they get wet they lose all that, and take a long time to dry out.

 Pants

Hiking pants should be made of strong enough material to protect your legs from branches and thorns. The material should dry relatively quickly. Even when it's not raining it's easy to get your pants soaked by walking through dense vegetation that is wet from dew or a previous rain.  Cotton pants are to be avoided, nylon or polyester are the best materials.  Cotton and synthetic blends are better than 100 percent cotton. Some have zippers that allow the lower legs to be removed so that the pants can be worn either regular length or as shorts.  Some nylon pants have zippers to allow venting.  "Quick dry"  pants are made of synthetic fabrics that promote rapid evaporation of water.

One thing to remember -- standard cotton jeans are just about the worst type of hiking pants you can find.  They get wet very easily and dry out very slowly.

3) The shell layer.

This third outer layer is analogous to the siding on a house -- it fends off precipitation and wind.  There are generally three types of materials that a shell can be made of.

1. Some sort of totally impermeable plasticized or rubberized material.  Some common examples would be  inexpensive plasticized poncho's, military poncho's and rain suits.  Stores like Wal-Mart have inexpensive ponchos and rain suits that can do an adequate job of keeping the rain and wind off you.  
       Ponchos have some advantages in that you can get one on quickly in a sudden rainstorm and they can cover your pack which is otherwise exposed to precipitation.  Another advantage of a poncho is that it is easy to lift it up and disperse some of the humid air accumulating around your body. In contrast, a rain suit made of impermeable material can become a real steam box.  
       A disadvantage of ponchos is that in heavy winds they offer less protection and can almost be blown off.  The way to mitigate that is to keep a bungee cord with you which is long enough to use as a waist belt to keep the poncho wrapped in to your midsection. If you buy inexpensive packaged gear like this, be certain to try it on and see if it needs some modifications to be water and wind proof. Some inexpensive ponchos have a wide opening at the neck that invites getting drenched with rain. Some rubber glue and Velcro or metal snap-ons can fix that, and with a bungee "belt" you can create a good piece of rain gear out of an inexpensive poncho.
       Items like this typically cost from $6 to $30.

2. A nylon jacket / rain pants which are made impermeable to water by periodically spraying the fabric with a waterproofing coating, usually polyurethane based.  These jackets are more expensive and far more durable than inexpensive ponchos and rain suits.  They are usually good for winter wear in addition to being rain gear. This type of gear also seals in body moisture after being waterproofed, so you can become soaked with your own perspiration. Sometimes these jackets come with air vents that can be opened and closed with a zipper or a snap lock. 
       Items like this typically cost from $50 to $300.

3. Breathable waterproof  jacket / rain pants.   The best-known fabric for this type of shell is Gore-Tex (which is a commercial brand name).  The basic idea is that the membrane allows the small particles of water vapor being given off by your body to escape out through the fabric, while blocking much larger droplets of water precipitation from entering.  Like anything else, it's not perfect.  If you are working very hard, or perhaps if your physiology is such that you sweat a great deal, then you may exceed the ability of the fabric to allow water vapor to escape out. If that happens, you will get sweaty despite the fabric operating as it is supposed to. Another way for a Gore-Tex rain garment to not accomplish its goal, is if the fabric is allowed to become dirty, thereby blocking the minute pores that are supposed to allow your water vapor to escape. Gore-Tex has to be kept reasonably clean.  There are product tags and brochures that give details on how to do that. Obviously, you would never spray a Gore-Tex garment with waterproofing.
       Items like this typically cost from $200 to $400.

 Seam sealer.

 An often overlooked factor is that sewn seams will leak water.  Seams on even the best jackets have to have seam sealer applied periodically to them to avoid water penetration.  Seam sealer is sold in most outdoor sports stores.  One way of checking whether your rain gear leaks or not is to put on light colored cotton T-shirt and pants, then put on your rain gear and go into the shower and let the water beat on you for awhile from all directions.  Afterwards, the T-shirt and pants will plainly show  if and where any water was getting through.

With respect to appearance (for you outdoor fashion types), seam sealer shows up plainly on light and medium colored jackets.  It's not so evident on dark colored jackets.

Headgear

 In some cases up to 50 percent of body heat loss can occur from the head.  An easy way to warm up if you are feeling cold is simply to put on a hat.  Likewise, during a hike in warm weather taking off your cap can help you cool down.  In hot weather some people will soak their hat in a stream and let some body heat be consumed in the evaporation process.

Socks

Again, cotton is to be avoided in socks worn for hiking.  Besides holding water, cotton can be abrasive to the feet. The best system is to wear two pairs of socks.  The first pair next to the skin can be polyester or some other synthetic fabric that is good at wicking moisture away from the skin.  The outer sock can be thicker and made of rougher material.  Wool is usually the best choice. The less processed varieties of wool are stronger and better at handling moisture. Wearing two pairs of socks tends to transfer some friction to between the sock layers, versus between skin and sock.

6.  Headlamp or flashlight

If something keeps you from getting back to the trailhead before nightfall you may have a miserable time hiking along the trail when you can't see rocks, branches and other obstacles in front of you.  A headlamp is better than a flashlight, but either will do.

7.  First-aid supplies

 Here are some first-aid items that are sensible to carry along on a hike: 

·                    moleskin for blisters
·                    safety pin for puncturing and draining blisters
·                    tweezers for removing splinters, thorns and ticks
·                    strong adhesive tape
·                    disinfectant (tincture of iodine can double as an emergency water disinfectant, use 8 drops per liter, mix and wait for 1 hour).  
·                    some gauze pads
·                    a few Band-Aids of assorted size
·                    aspirin, ibuprofen
·                    possibly a Sawyer extractor kit for dealing with snake bites and insect stings.

8.  Matches

In the event of a stream crossing mishap, being caught in a downpour or whatever, you might need to start a fire to get warm and/or to dry your clothes. Keep matches in a water-proof baggy or other container  that's tightly sealed. Other than the rare emergency, open fires should be avoided in the forest.  Abundant kindling wood on the forest floor and gusting winds can create an out-of-control fire easier than you think.

9.  Fire starter

Carry some stuff in a waterproof baggy that makes it easy to get a fire going: chemical heat tablets, candles, dry wood shavings (perhaps from a mechanical pencil sharpener).

10. Sunglasses and sunscreen

 Sunglasses

Ultraviolet light from the sun is 50 percent stronger at an altitude of 10,000 feet than it is at sea level.  Above timberline there is little or no natural shade.  Also, it is not uncommon  even in the summer to hike near or across remnant snow patches which strongly reflect sunlight.  Being in a very bright environment without sunglasses means that you cannot see as well as you need to. Snow blindness is caused by intense sunlight and is very painful and totally disabling for hours.  Another factor to consider is that over the years, too much exposure to sunlight can promote the premature development of cataracts in the lenses of your eyes.

 Sunscreen

You can get exposed to a lot of sunlight when hiking, especially at higher altitudes where the atmosphere is thin.  A bad sunburn is painful and too much sunlight exposure over time can promote skin cancer. The best sun blocker is a shirt, trousers and a hat.  For exposed skin you can use over-the-counter sunscreen which is widely available in drugstores and supermarkets.  Look at the SPF of the sunscreen - the higher the number the more it blocks the sun - use a product with an SPF of 15 or more.  Different brands of sunscreen use different blocking chemicals, PABA being a common and effective one.

Some people have an adverse skin reaction to some of the various sunscreen types.  At home, it might be wise to test a small amount on a limited area of skin just to verify that the brand is ok for you.  You don't want to be stuck with a sunscreen that causes skin irritations, on a hike miles from the nearest store.

That covers the 10 essentials, but there are still some other items that need discussing. Here are some other items to bring along on a hike.

The semi-essentials

Wristwatch

You need a wristwatch to keep track of time.  You always want to know how long it is since you left the trailhead - that’s about how long it will probably take you to return if you reverse course. On some hikes you will want to keep track of the time with respect to possible afternoon storms.  Sometimes you will want to know how much daylight time is left.

Note paper and a pencil 

Occasionally you'll need to take notes or markup your map during a hike. I recall a hike during which about a mile from the trailhead we came to what amounted to a "traffic circle" of trails. I think there were four or five trails converging on this one spot. The trail that we wanted was marked, so he had no problem choosing the right one on the way out, and we just barreled right on through. A little problem developed on the return. At this "traffic circle", most of the trails were not marked and we weren't really sure which one we had come in on. We hadn't worried about it before. We finally figured it out with a map and compass, but it would've been easier if we had just made a note when we were first there as to which trail we had come in on.
        You might also want to write down the time at which you started hiking instead of relying on memory.  Sometimes you will want to start your return based on how late it is getting and how long it will take to get back.  That's when it comes in handy to know exactly how long you have been hiking.
        While hiking out, sometimes you will want to note landmarks to use to guide you on your return.  Some trail that you need to take might be faint, hard to notice, and easy to walk right past on your way back. You might want to note that there is a rock cairn nearby or perhaps a log cabin or some other feature that will key you in. Some people carry flagging ribbon to mark a trail they need to take. Or, you might create your own rock cairn or lay a piece of wood on the trail.

Goggles

For wind protection. Once in a while, peaks and ridges can be so windy that it is difficult to see.  I can recall climbing about 90 percent of a particular mountain and then almost being driven off by 50 or 60 mph winds that made my eyes water so badly that I could barely see.  It would be a waste to do almost all the work of climbing a peak only to have to give up because the winds are so bad you can't see. Ski goggles work fine, but nothing expensive is necessary. If you wear glasses, make sure the goggles will fit over them.

Caffeine tablets

 To get rid of mid afternoon lethargy.

Toilet paper

Self-explanatory. Human waste should be kept at least 200 feet from water and trails. Bury it and put a stone over it if possible.

 Plastic bag for trash

The bags used at checkout counters in stores make good trash bags. The basic rule is to "leave it as you found it, pack out your trash".

Bright orange vest during hunting season

In the fall months, hiking areas are often also hunting areas . You can buy an orange plastic vest for about $1.00 which weighs next to nothing and leave it in your pack. If it becomes obvious that the area has hunters in it, put the vest on.

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