By Alec Bialski

Within a 3 hour distance from Calgary by car, one can find a multitude of first class trails, amongst the best in North America. Many Calgarians take advantage of this abundance of hiking options and hit the trails, especially on week-ends, as early as the end of April until early November. In recent years, there has been a considerable change in the demographics of hikers. There are many young people, twenty-something, who can be seen on mountain trails rather than in the dungeons of the fitness rooms.The older crowd has been hiking for resons of fitness, weight loss, health and quality of life for centuries.

For many first time hikers, hiking is an extension of walking. Urban walkers might walk about 1 -2 hours a day on a relatively predictable and flat surface. Meanwhile, hiking involves much longer activity, usually 4 to 10 hours of walking on trails that might change from gravel to rock, roots, scree or perhaps scrambling. Even a moderate trail of five hours duration puts strain on a body, particularly on the feet. Backpacking adds not only more strain on the feet but also on the spine, hips and knees. Therefore, the choice of the right gear is essential for the enjoyment of hiking activity and prevention of injuries. Walking or running shoes simply will not do in the mountains. In the last ten or so years, there have been huge advances in the technology and products that make hiking and backpacking very enjoyable for even the less experienced hiker. This article is aimed at helping the hikers to choose their basic gear to fully enjoy the activity  and especially to avoid pains and even injury.

Also, many  new hikers have not had the opportunity to learn the basic  hiking ethics. We will provide below some basic points on civil behaviour on hiking trails

The Right Gear

First and foremost - the Boots

Forget your tennis or running shoes! Leave them at home. These shoes are simply too soft and inadequate for the rocky, rooty and muddy terrain. Your foot bones and muscles will be heavily taxed after a few hours hiking. In addition, every misstep on rocky terrain can potentially be very painful. Besides, such shoes do not provide any ankle support, which when added to their lack of rigidity, makes the wearer prone to twisted ankle injury.

There are many types of hiking boots and many outdoor stores carry them. Because it is the most important hiking equipment that you need, you should shop at  a reputable store, carrying the brands specializing in hiking boots. In addition make sure that you deal with a knowledgeable sales person with hiking experience. If you plan to mainly do light hiking, you might consider a different boot than a boot for backpacking, scrambling or mountaineering. There are also many brand names. Avoid the hype of marketing. Focus on the performance. Some reputable American and Canadian companies outsource their production to China. Many different brands are produced now in the same factories in Asia. They claim  that quality control does not suffer, but you have to be the judge. The European boot manufacturers, especially German and Italian, were always at the forefront of quality. They tend to cost a bit more, but these companies also tend to produce boots in their own factories, where quality control is king. You need to decide if it is worth it to invest $300 in a European made boot vs. a boot made in China, that might cost $200.

The main characteristic of a hiking boot is that it usually has a stiffer sole than walking shoe,: the stiffer it is, the more demanding service it will provide. Also, a heavier boot will be more suitable for backpacking or mountaineering than a lighter one. In addition, the uppers of the boot can be made of leather or synthetics. Usually, the leather will be stiffer, more breathable and offer more protection from rocks and other hard surfaces. However, ballistic nylon, used in many boots, can provide similar  protection. Lastly, you need to consider water protection. Around Calgary, we  hike usually in dry conditions. However, when backpacking, you might, as it happened to me, on many occasions, face a very wet couple of days, when Gore-Tex lined boots would save a day or two. Beware, some companies claim to use Gore-Tex lining, but use it only on the upper part of the boot, not as a liner sock within the boot construction. That makes the boot prone to seepage of water from the sole, when the cracks develop, which they eventually tend to do.

All of this can be confusing. Forget it for a moment and consider that the most important factor is the feel and the comfort. Forget also the breaking-in period. A well fitting boot must feel good from the get go. Walk around for a few minutes. If your feet feel good, with no pressure points, no chaffing, with a lot of space for the toes, the boot might do very well for you.

If ever, when on the trail, should you start to feel any pressure point after an hour or so, stop and put  medical tape or a band-aid on your foot, to prevent any further damage.

In summary, choose a boot from a reputable store and manufacturer that fits comfortably from the get go. If there is a choice between two comfortable boots, choose a stiffer, heavier boot as it will provide you with more support in various hiking conditions.

In general, such boots will serve you well for about five years or until they start to feel inadequate or the sole is worn out. At that point the boots can be re-soled. One has to consider such expense vs. buying a new boot, as the internal structure of the old boot is probably worn out and "tired".
 

The Socks

There is an on-going battle of thick vs. thin, wool vs. synthetic fibers. In general your foot will tend to heat up and swell in the warm conditions of the summer and therefore swell out a bit. Take this into consideration when choosing the sock. Thinner socks will provide more space for a swelled foot. Also, wool or wool blends will provide better temperature regulation. If you are sensitive to wool, any synthetics, with wicking capacity will do. Do not use cotton or cotton blends because they tend to hold rather than wick away  moisture and lose the insulation ability.

Sole Inserts

While most boots have inserts, these are no match for well designed inserts available on the market. You will feel a great difference in your feet, after a long hike, if you wear inserts that are designed for hiking, i.e. stiffer than your standard "sock inserts". Avoid gel based inserts as they are not meant for hiking.

Packs

Here we come to the second most important well fitting hiking equipment item. Day hikers carry water, some food and a change of clothes. This may not weigh very much, but if we add a camera, a thermos, the weight of the pack may exceed 10 lbs. A well designed pack, even a day pack, should have a built in load bearing belt. This will allow the majority of the weight to sit on the hips. For heavy overnight backpacks, the rule of thumb is 90 % of the weight on the hips. There are many light day packs that have weight bearing belts. These are your recommended packs for summer and winter. For backpacking trips there is another element, the length of the torso. In some quality packs the torso length is adjustable. There is a huge difference between just a pack and well fitted quality pack. Unfortunately, there are too many packs sold and too few specialists selling them. Beware; it is not the brand but the knowledge of the sales person that sells  the pack to you that is important.

Trekking Poles

Some swear by them, some do not want to use them. If you need support, for balance or for taking the load off your hips, there are many poles on the market - some as expensive as $200, some at a quarter of the price. However, please do not use your old ski poles as they are not designed for it. Their tips will slip on the rocky surface and their grips will chafe your hands. Invest in yourself and buy the proper trekking poles.

Accessories and Clothing

In general, you should use the same clothing that you might use for other outdoor activities, such as X-C skiing, biking and so on. The base layer, and outer shell  should be light, breathable and preferably warm when you need it. Do not use cotton, except for thin fabrics for hot days. I will pass on discussing anti bear paraphernalia and on discussing hydration methods as I assume that most people hear about it from other sources.   Please do not use the annoying  bells which are meant to psychologically calm the wearer, but are useless against the bears and are very, very annoying to other users of the trails.

Do's and Don'ts on the Trail - Hiker's Etiquette

• Hikers ascending a trail have priority. This is because it is harder and an uninterrupted breathing rhythm is needed when ascending more than when descending the trail. Step to the side and let the hiker pass, rather than walk along the trail on the grass or moss. This, especially in sub-alpine areas will prevent the destruction of slow growth plants and the creation of ugly "breaded" trails.

• When in groups avoid loud talk. Remember that bears have a very acute sense of hearing. Speak normally, do not shout. Be one with nature; do not pollute it with too much noise.

• However, if "Nature calls", reliever yourself far from water. If it is a major production, bury it in the soil.

• Take back with you all your waste, such as feminine hygiene products, packaging materials, and so on and either dispose of them at home or at the trail head if there are garbage cans.

• Do not wash clothes or dishes in lakes and/or streams. You can wash your dishes by taking the water out of the stream, washing the dishes a few meters away from the body of water and disposing of the wash water on the ground away from the shore.

• Say hello to other hikers on the trail and smile. You share one of the best shows on earth.