Ten Backpacking Trip Essentials

I've had backpacking trips that included rain, snow, lightning, rockslides, altitude sickness, and twenty-mile days - all in a summer weekend. Wilderness trips can be dangerous, but you can make then less so, by having the following ten essentials in your backpack.

1. Knowledge. What good is a compass if you don't know how to use it? Play with matches if your fire-making skills are shaky. Learn what to do when you see a bear. Read a little, practice a little - knowledge is more likely to save you than gadgets.

2. Map and compass. These are together, because that's the way you need to use them.

3. Matches and lighter. Bring both, or waterproof matches and a fire starter of some sort. Having two ways to start a fire is much safer.

4. First aid kit. Buy a pre-packaged one or build your own. Make sure it has pain relievers, bandages, disinfectant, and notes on basic first aid procedures.

5. Foot care. Your first aid kit needs moleskin, and maybe a pin, to treat blisters. Your feet have to be well cared for when you're hiking miles from the nearest road.

6. Water purification. A filter works, but they clog and break so often that you should have a small bottle of iodine tablets or other water purification as back up.

7. Rainwear. One of the biggest killers in the woods is hypothermia, and it often starts when you get wet. Try to stay dry.

8. Shelter. This can be a tent, tarp or bivy sack. Just be sure you know how to use it.

9. Sleeping bag. Down bags are the warmest for their weight, but be sure you know how to keep it dry, or bring a synthetic bag.

10. Specific trip items. For backpacking trips in Michigan in May, bring insect repellant. In June in Arizona, bring sunblock. Think about the specific conditions for the time and place of your trip.

Make your own list if you take regular backpacking trips. It's no fun when a friend tells us ten miles down the trail that he's allergic to bees and forgot his medicine. A little planning means less worries, and a better trip.

The Best Backpacking Foods

Maybe your favorite backpacking food is a freeze-dried turkey dinner. There really is no "best" backpacking food. There are reasons to bring certain foods, though. Here are ten foods, and the reasons you might want to consider them.

1. Nuts. This is one of the most calorie-packed foods you can take. That means less weight to carry. With lots of protein and other nutritonal benefits, nuts are one of the best backpacking foods.

2. Olive oil. Add a little to your soups or dip bread in it. The best of the oils health-wise, you can eat it before sleeping, to stay warm, because fats generate heat when digested.

3. Trail mixes. Any mix with raisins and nuts is great for backpacking. Vitamins, minerals, protein, and the best reason - convenience.

4. Corn products. Tortilla chips or corn nuts are convenient, and they don't seem to cause the tiredness that potato chips and other simple carbohydrates can cause.

5. Ramen noodles. When you need a hot meal fast, there isn't much that's better.

6. Instant coffee. A necessity for caffeine addicts, and it's good to have a stimulant available for emergencies.

7. Wild edible berries. Learn to identify a few, and you'll have a nutricious excuse for a break along the trail.

8. Instant sports drinks. Pour a little in your water bottle and shake. Replacing electrolytes doesn't get more convenient.

9. Instant refried beans. When you want sustained energy, eat beans.

10. Your favorites. Having your favorite foods can help salvage a rainy backpacking trip spent in the tent.

Always consider the nature of the trip when you choose your backpacking food. Hot meals are much more important in cold climates, and convenience is king, if you want to make miles. A bottle of rum might even be appropriate, if it's a trip wih friends.

All You Need To Know About Motor Home Rental

Copyright 2006 Karin Manning

Are you planning for an ultimate holiday getaway on wheels with your friends or family?  Whether you go for hiking, fly-fishing, or simply escaping from your stressful life in the city, traveling on a motor home is an experience worth taking.  It is wonderfully fun and exciting knowing that it gives you freedom to explore everything worth discovering on earth with no limits.

Now if you are serious with your holiday getaway plan, but you’ve never owned a motor home, then don’t just lose hope.  There’s a good solution for that – to consider a motor home rental.  Motorhome rental is on the increase.

Motor home rentals are available anywhere in the United States and the world these days.  A lot of motor home rentals companies are in fact out there to give you the right motor home to rent and drive.  You can even find these companies online as there are a lot of sites out there on the virtual world that offer services for finding your right choice.   Perhaps what it all takes is time and effort.

Considering a motor home rental, however, has never been so easy.  One main reason for this is the fact that thousands of options are available out there for you to choose from.  Another thing is that almost all of the rental companies offering motor home rental services are claiming to have the best service available, creating confusion on the part of the customers.  The good news is you can do something to avoid such confusion by determining first what you really want and desire.

So before you take a motor home rental to drive, make sure that the vehicle you are considering can answer all of your needs.  Think about the space requirement, the amenities and facilities included, or everything that it provides for a comfortable and safe traveling.  Also consider the number of people you are taking with you on the trip.  Note that there are a lot of motor home types available today and each of these types features a number of things that are unique from the other.   Each type even has its own space requirement.

Once you’ve determined your desire and everything related to your needs, try then to test drive the motor home rental you are considering.  Test driving is a good way of ensuring that the vehicle you are driving is in good condition, thus capable of taking you where you want to go safely and securely.

Then it’s time to check what it provides for your ultimate living on wheels.  See if it offers all the luxury of a comfortable home.  Check the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, dining and living area and all the amenities it gives.  Make sure that the motor home rental you are considering is capable of giving you the best RVing experience you’ve never imagined.

Finally, know your responsibilities as a renter.  Note that you are not the owner of the vehicle and you are just taking it for rent.  So take and drive the motor home with much care.  This is also needed as you are not the only one traveling on that vehicle.  You’ve got friends and families in there and you all want to get to your destination in one peace.

So next time you’re thinking about camping why not try a renting a motorhome instead of committing to a long term financial decision?  You’ll be glad you did.