Camping Accessories
Camping Accessory Information
Archive for the ‘Hiking Gear’ Category
There is always a need to go out and get some exercise to lose weight or just keeping a certain amount of physical fitness. We can join a health club or just take a walk through the neighborhood. Having a walking stick does a couple of things for us. It makes the walk easier, helps keep our balance and in an emergency it can be used for self defense.
A Cold Steel walking staff was copied from the designs of walking sticks used by the Zulu tribe in Africa. The Zulu tribe was known for their ability to walk long distances. The walking stick is strong yet light in weight. A walk stick is a great gift for the person who has everything.
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I commented recently about meeting a couple biking and camping on a trip from Portland Oregon to Minneapolis MN. They were camping long the way although they did stay from time to time in a hotel. The type of camping tent is different for bike campers than someone who can drive to their site. Extra weight makes a lot of difference when you have to pedal. The Stansport Olympus works well for this.
The Olympus camping tent is designed for backpacking. It is compact and sleeps two. Normally I always suggest that you subtract one when determining the number it will sleep. However, when backpacking or bike camping weight and size are critical so choosing from one of the smaller camping tents makes a lot of sense.
Yesterday I met a couple on the Heartland bike trail in northern Minnesota. The Heartland trail goes across most of northern Minnesota and they were using it to bike from Portland Oregon to Minneapolis MN. To do that you need different kind of camping gear than if you camp at site you can drive to. The Chinook Trail Rest is a good example of a camping air mattress that works for this type of camping.
The Trail Rest is a self inflating camping air mattress that provides insulation from the ground. On cool days the insulation will do as much good in keeping you warm as a good sleeping bag. That way you can keep the zipper open on your sleeping bag without the cold from the ground getting you cold. Remember on long trips you will get some cold weather.
There really isn’t much question that as a group we need to get more exercise. One way to get it is spend the money on a health club and use it several times a week. Bikes, cross country skiing, jogging and many other activities are great for those who can do them but not everyone can. Almost everyone can ago for a walk and actually it is one of the best exercises you can do. A hiking stick can make it a little more fun and a little safer.
It is a little more fun to use a hiking stick since a long walk or hike is easier with the hiking stick. Actually why would those who used before modern transportation was available have used them if it didn’t make the walk easier? It makes your walk safer as the stick is a self defense weapon also.
I think there is a little bit of nomad in all of us. The desire to see what is beyond the next hill is almost impossible stop. One of the reasons for what used to be the Sunday drive is the nomad in us. Although the Sunday drive is a thing of the past a hike, bike trip or canoe trip still gives us that sense of adventure.
One problem can be finding or carrying water for drinking. Rivers and lakes have plenty but we don’t feel it is safe to drink. One solution is a Katadyn water filter. Katadyn water filters are used by the U.S military to keep the troops safe. Take a water filter with you and it will take less space and weight than the water you will need.
From time to time I manage to throw my back out and feel the frustration of some limitation in my mobility. Not that I accept the concept of taking it easy wiling and I suspect that it prolongs my back problems, I do recognize the value in a walking staff. If you are going to get a walking stick you should get a good one. That is what I learned as a farm boy. The good tools were worth more than the cheap ones when cost is considered.
A Cold Steel walking staff was designed by copying what the Zulus in Africa used for their hikes. The Zulus are famous for their long hikes which were part of their survival.
I went with my grandson to the zoo and observed several people with walking sticks. One of the better uses of a walking stick can be when you are not on a fast walk. The slow walk at a zoo can actually be harder on you than the longer faster walks you do when you are on a power walk. The reason you don’t maintain the correct posture and actually can slouch instead of walking straight.
A Cold Steel walking staff works great for this. Modeled after the tribes in Africa they carry a great balance and make your trips to the zoo more fun.
I read an article recently about the need to do exercises that stress the bones in order to strengthen them. The article commented about bikers not getting enough walking or jogging and their bones were fragile. Personally I like biking and kayaking but with the aid of a walking stick taking a long walk is kind of fun. That is one of the values of a Cold Steel walking staff to make long walks more fun.
I suspect most people are like me when it comes to something where they can think of things they would rather do. However, a long hike is a lot more fun than a root canal, which also would tend to make your forget your bones are shrinking and fragile.
Many times I see people going out for a hike or a walk down the street trying to retain their physical fitness. Some people walk rather slowly while others do a power walk. Frequently the people doing a power walk also have a walking stick or hiking staff and frequently two of them. It makes it easier to take those walks when a walking stick is used.
I used to think that a walking stick was for those who had a balance problem but they are really for anyone who wants to walk aid physical fitness. It makes it easier to walk and the physical fitness you save just might be your own.
I was in Florida and watched many people walk or hike down the beach. One observation was that there were three basic types of people who walked the beach. One group walked slowly and had the body to show for it. Some were not necessarily over weight just not in shape. Others jogged down the beach and had the body to show for it. For the most part they were younger and did it on a regular basis. However, at my age younger doesn’t have to be that young. The third group was the power walkers.
The power walkers frequently used a walking stick to assist their efforts. They also had the body to show for their efforts. A Cold Steel walking staff makes a great walking stick and serves as a self protection device as well.