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Ready For Hiking News? October 17, 2024 |
October 2024: A Note From Diane
October already? Yup. And there's a ton of hiking news to share with you. And a new giveaway! Keep reading, my friend. Glad you're here :)
HIKING FOR HER MONTHLY TIPThis month's tip is completely due to the fact that I took out my cold weather hiking hat and fell in love with it all over again.That's why I am featuring it in this month's giveaway. I want you to have one! It's a ball cap style but made of fleece, with ear flaps that can be folded up out of the way in case sunshine makes an appearance. The generous brim shields eyes and keeps trail debris out of your face. The ponytail cutout at the back doesn't have to be used if you don't have long hair. But imagine no more tangled, pulled hair in velcro or snap closures!! Soft, warm, wind resistant, easy to fold up and store, and well able to handle changing conditions of fog, mist, breezes, windy gusts at the ridgetop... I was reminded how great I feel wearing this hat while taking my last hike of 2024 into the high country before snow makes it inaccessible. What in the name of all that is holy is this miraculous hat?? You can see it
here:
APPALACHIAN TRAIL UPDATESAssessing the condition of hiking trails is not the first priority in the wake of the recent devastating storms. But you might be wondering what happened to portions of the AT.Here are links to the Appalachian Trail Organization for current conditions (updated daily) and ways to help:
Don't know what the word “phenology” refers to? I bet you do – all hikers do. It’s a branch of science dealing with the relationship between climate and periodic yearly biological phenomena (bird migration, plant flowering). It's the stuff we take note of, perhaps unconsciously, as we hike through the seasons! For the past 6 years, AT hikers have snapped photos as they hike and then uploaded them to the iNaturalist app: a total of 50,000+ observations of 3,400 species of flora and fauna. This boatload of data documents how a warming climate is changing what occurs along the trail. Take a look here:
VASQUE FANS, HEADS UP!If you love this hiking boot brand, bad news: They are going out of business.Owned by Red Wing Shoe Company, they haven’t been doing well the past few years so the decision was made to “sunset” them. No word on exactly when the doors will close, but if you’re a Vasque fan, it may be time to stock up on your favorite hiking boots. Here's what REI has on offer right now:
HIKERS ARE THE BEST HUMANSIt’s true, you know it's true!But if you have even the teeniest doubt, read 3 stories that show why hikers are such amazing people, including a tiny act of kindness on the trail, a broken leg rescue mission involving good old fashioned muscle power, and what you learn when you hike with older folks.
ONLY 6 TYPES OF HIKERS?In my hiking universe, I've discovered that other hikers self-sort into 6 types. See if you agree with my observations:6 types of hikers To my delight, I found a female hiker/writer who validates one of the types of hikers, the "grump", and she doesn't hold back on her own observations: Did she really say that out loud? GENDER DIFFERENCES IN HIKING ACCIDENTSI recently read a study by Linda Rausch and colleagues focused on sex-specific hiking accidents in the Austrian Alps from 2015 to 2021.Interesting findings, which I quote: "Male victims showed significantly more frequent cardiovascular events (m: 78.5%, f: 21.5%), multiple injuries (m: 60.2%, f: 39.8%), and wounds/blood loss (m: 57.4%, f: 42.6%) than female victims, whereas women showed more fractures (m: 31.5%, f: 68.5%) than men. Men were more likely to injure their abdomen/chest (3.7%), head (14.1%), and multiple body parts (26.5%), whereas women were more likely to injure their ankle or foot (42.3%). Men were more likely to have an accident during the ascent (24.1%), whereas women during the descent (69.0%)." The reason I bring this up? Female hikers seems to get into trouble with lower leg injuries during descents. Hiking poles to the rescue! And a slow, steady hiking pace (don't rush things) never hurts either.
JUST FOR FUNNeed a tent that sets up in... wait for it... 10 seconds?Fits right in with the "fast" trend, right?
HIKING FOR HER GIVEAWAYYou need a hiking hat for cold weather, and in fact, you need the one I myself wear all.the.time.So enter for your chance to win one by November 15, 2024 or risk cold ears on your chilly hikes. And congratulations to Darla F. from Mauldin, SC for winning a pair of crocs in last month's giveaway! Hiking For Her Giveaway Details
Guess what?You're the best, that's what. I know I shared proof that hikers are the best humans (see 3 reasons above), but you in particular are THE best for exploring all that hiking has to offer.Think about it. Any time you get out on a trail, no matter how long or hard (or not) it may be, you're challenging your Self to be better. And that's one of the best parts of being a hiker: learning, exploring, getting stronger. Hike on! Until next month,
Happy Trails to you, Diane a.k.a. Happy Hiker diane@hiking-for-her.com Looking for the best deals on hiking and camping gear, apparel, destinations and fun stuff? Here's my constantly updated page to save you time and money: Best Current Deals For Hikers Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Sign up for your own free monthly subscription. Back Issues for Happy TrailsStop by these HFH pages for a little hiking inspiration! Likes, comments and shares are always appreciated.
Hiking For Her HFH Pinterest HFH Amazon Author Page HFH Goodreads Author Some of the links in this newsletter and on the Hiking For Her website may be affiliate links. What does this mean for you? You create a small miracle when you buy hiking gear through those links, by allowing a modest percentage of your purchase price to flow into the HFH coffers. What's so miraculous about that? You receive great gear that has been trail tested and approved by a seasoned hiker. You pay nothing extra. AND you help keep the free hiking tips flowing to your virtual trail buddies around the globe. Wow! And a sincere Thank You for your vote of confidence in Hiking For Her. It means a lot! |
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