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- <h1>Traveling in the Backcountry</h1>
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- <ul>
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- <li><a href="#intro" alt="Introduction">Introduction</a></li>
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- <li><a href="#prepare" alt="Preparation" onClick="showDiv(0)">Before You Travel</a></li>
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- <li><a href="#lost" alt="In To Trouble" onClick="showDiv(1)">When Things Go Wrong</a></li>
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- </ul>
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- <p><a name="intro">Walking in the woods,</a> whether as a hiker, camper, backpacker or
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- hunter, provides plenty of opportunities to practice the skills of a backcountry traveler.
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- With the proper preparation, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to meet the
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- challenges of a variety of outdoor adventures. This page is intended to provide you with
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- some hints and tips to help you create a successful experience.</p>
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- <p>Before you read on, we'd like for you to hear a brief message from our lawyers....</p>
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- <blockquote>
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- <p>This is in no way intended to be a course in backcountry safety or
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- survival. Information provided is from a variety of sources and is to be
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- accepted at the user's risk. <strong>The authors of this page assume no
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- liability whatsoever as to the suitability of this information to any
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- specific situation or person</strong>. It's you against the world, and
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- we're not taking any responsibility for the outcome.</p>
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- </blockquote>
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- <div id="div_0" title="Preparing">
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- <h2>Before you travel</h2>
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- <h3>How far can you go? </h3>
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- <p class="h3">When choosing a location and route, take into account your
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- physical condition, the reason for hiking, and the terrain and weather you
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- could possibly encounter. As a general rule, an average hiker can walk about
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- 1 1/2 to 2 miles an hour on level trails. Steep ascents require considerably
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- greater time allowances. One hour for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain
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- is a good rule of thumb.</p>
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- <h3>What should you wear?</h3>
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- <p class="h3">Proper foot gear is one of the most important parts of your
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- journey. Sturdy running shoes are good for hiking on relatively smooth
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- surfaces, such as maintained trails. You'll want something with a little
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- more tread for rugged trails or cross-country travel. A ten mile hike in the
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- woods is not the best place to break in new shoes.</p>
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-
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- <p class="h3">You should also consider what clothes to wear. Your location
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- and the time of year will be key factors, but a general rule of thumb is to
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- have at least one layer available for each surface of your body -- a sweater
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- if you're in a T-shirt, pants if you're in shorts, and gloves and a hat. The
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- more versatile your clothing can be, the more comfortable you'll be. It
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- should also fit your style. If you don't like a bunch of stuff banging
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- around in your pockets, then consider wearing a fanny pack for essentials
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- such as a compass, pocket knife, lighter or matches, and adhesive bandages.</p>
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- <h3>What should you carry?</h3>
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- <p class="h3">For short trips, a fanny pack or day pack should include at
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- least one quart of water per person, map, flashlight, first aid kit, rain
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- gear, high-energy snack, and toilet paper, in addition to any optional items
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- such as sunglasses, camera, binoculars, and nature books.</p>
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- <h3>What else should you do?</h3>
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- <p class="h3">Make an itinerary and stick with it. Make sure someone knows when and where you're
- expected back, and how long they can allow. </p>
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- <div id="div_1" title="Getting Lost">
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- <h2><a name="lost">When things go wrong</a></h2>
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- <blockquote>
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- <p>The worst thing you can do is to get frightened. The truly dangerous enemy is not the
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- cold or the hunger, so much as the fear. It robs the wanderer of his judgement and of his
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- limb power; it is fear that turns the passing experience into a final tragedy ... Keep
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- cool and all will be well ... Use what you have, where you are, right now. </p>
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- <p class="cite">Ernest Thompson Seton, 1906</p>
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- </blockquote>
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- <p class="h2">So you've planned, you've prepared, and now you're on the trail. And the
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- worst part is, you don't know where you are. There's a four-step process to follow, and
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- all you have to do is <em>STOP</em> -- <strong>S</strong>tay-<strong>T</strong>hink-
- <strong>O</strong>bserve-<strong>P</strong>lan.</p>
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-
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- <h3>Stay!</h3>
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- <p class="h3">At the first sign of trouble, STAY WHERE YOU ARE! The urge to walk faster or
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- run blindly to escape the situation is difficult to resist, but rushing about only leads
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- to more confusion. Stopping helps you fight panic and increases your chances of survival.
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- If you're on foot, sit down. If you're in a boat, get to shore. If anyone is injured,
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- apply first aid and rest. It may take a little bit for the panic to go away, but be
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- patient. You probably got yourself into this mess, you can certainly get yourself out of
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- it.</p>
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- <h3>Think!</h3>
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- <p class="h3">As you relax, think. If you're lost, study a map and look for landmarks. How
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- long ago did you know where you were? Are there footprints to show where someone has gone
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- before? Can you hear traffic from a highway? Do you see or hear a river heading down
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- stream? If you give all the clues time to sink in, chances are you'll get yourself back on
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- course. If you have any doubts, sit still and observe.</p>
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- <p>...Yadda, yadda, yadda...More useful information here... </p>
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