Thursday, September 6, 2012

Important Suggestions For Hikers and Hunters

By Ethan O. Tanner


As colorful leaves paint the autumn landscape, hikers and hunters across the nation will go to mountains, woods and fields, but numerous, unfortunately, are badly trained for the beating their feet will take. Hunters and hikers will often navigate the most difficult terrain. Hikers, hunters and others who love the outdoors oftentimes don't comprehend how laborious it can be to withstand repetitive, vigorous walking on unsteady land.

Walking up and down steep hillsides and tramping through wet, slippery fields and wooded areas puts stress on the muscles and tendons in the feet and ankles, especially if you haven't conditioned properly before hitting the trail. The best gear for walking up and down in the woods is a quality pair of well constructed hiking boots. This investment in good boots will prevent sprained ankles or strained Achilles tendons.

It is wise for hikers and hunters to make the investment in top-grade hiking boots. Strong, well insulated and moisture-proof boots with steel or graphite shanks provide terrific ankle and foot support that facilitates lessening stress and muscle tiredness to keep down injury risk.

In wet and cold weather, wearing the right socks can help prevent blisters, fungal infections and frostbite. A good synthetic sock for the first layer keeps the feet dry and reduces blister-causing friction. For the second layer, wool socks add warmth, absorb moisture away from the skin, and help make the hiking boot more comfortable. Wool lets moisture evaporate more readily than cotton, so fewer blisters develop.

How should you act if your feet or ankles start to suffer on a hike or hunt? Pain typically happens because of overuse, being out of shape, or even from simply walking. If you're not habituated to walking on inclined or broken ground, your legs and feet will get fatigued and cause muscles and tendons to hurt. To avert a critical injury, such as a serious sprain to the ankle or an Achilles tendon rupture, take a breather for for a while if you begin to hurt.

Temperance is also a golden rule to observe when first taking off in the woods. Equate hiking to skiing in that novices should accept less challenging trails until they become better competent and more surefooted. Practicing good sense in starting out easy will make your hunt more comfortable and gratifying.




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