Tips 1. The Bottle Shower: From Ray's Bible).Take 1.5 L Bottle and make 3 little holes in the lid. Use natural soap and start with your upper body. Usually 1 L will be enough and you will feel fresh and clean in the end of the day. Keep the "holy" lid in your BP and use it for just for the shower. 2. Running Shoes: Running shoes are more suitable for long trail hiking! The faster one realizes it, he will have less blisters, a more enjoyable hike, a longer day & achiever more mileage. Running shoes are lighter; your feet will have more ventilation. Your knees will thank you for the extra cushion. Many think that it's more likely to sprain the ankles this why. My answer: • Use lightweight techniques, so you will carry as little as possible. • Work on your ankles, start with a one day walk, move to 2-3 days etc'. : Hiking the Israeli National Trail (INT), I felt like I was using too much sunscreen to protect my hands and that I was still getting burned. I hiked with a polyester dry-fit T shirt and thought about what could be done to improve my situation. Version 1: So I made two sleeves from old bandanna I had and used Velcro to attach them to my T- shirt. Now I was able to protect myself from the sun, get enough ventilation and I didn't have to buy a new shirt! Version 2: When my girlfriend wanted to have one as well she bought a long sleeved polyester shirt. We cut the sleeves to make it as a T-shirt and again used Velcro to attach the now removable sleeves to the T-shirt. Don't start the long hike strait from a tour couch or PC chair! Start with day hikes, weekend and so on. Try to hike on varied ground with as many ups and down as possible. It will help you learn and improve your abilities and skills. Your body will thank you! Food is very important for both body & spirit. Spare no money, weight or time in preparing the best trail food you can make. See resources. Here is my daily diet: • Morning: 150 g of muesli plus half fresh banana or apple, mixed with milk powder. • Lunch: 100 g bread, 120-180 g tuna with oil (eat the oil too) with fresh tomato and onion • Dinner: 150-220 g pasta or mashed potato powder, cooked with olive oil, salt, basil, parmesan cheese. Frying fresh pepper and salami adds very good taste. Eaten during the day, every break. Contained 150-200 g of nuts, almonds, sun flower seeds, halva (sweetmeat of sesame oil and nuts), etc. Use natural ingredients with out salt or any other processing. Should be the number one item on your list. Reading the Bible will give you many good reasons why and many methods about the how. Basically your hike will be more enjoyable, with less chance for injuries and physical stress. You will hike faster, further and better. Concentrate on the main 3 heavy items: Tent, Sleeping Bag, Backpack |