Handy uses for bandannas

We often include bandannas on our packing list and people often ask, "do we really need one?"

True, it is not essential, but it is incredible multi-useful and here are just 5 suggestions:

1) For your head. You can use it in lieu of a hat to cover the top of your head. You can use it as a sweatband around your forehead to keep sweat and sunscreen from running in your eyes. You can wet it in a cold stream and either wrap around your head or tie it around the back of your neck. This will cool your body temperature down a couple degrees.

2) For your lunch. You can use it as a napkin, or like a plate to hold your sandwich. You can pour some of the trail mix into it and use it like a little sack to eat you loose snack out of. You could even use it to collect wild blueberries or raspberries should you be lucky enough to find ripe berries.

3) First aid. You can use it as a cold compress on bumps and bruises. You can use it as a makeshift sling for an arm. You could use it to secure a splint. Or should you need it, you could use it as a tourniquet to stop bleeding.

4) As a pot holder. I am sure there are many uses for a bandana in a camping kitchen, but my favorite and most common use is when I am cooking over a stove and need something like an oven mitt. I wrap it up in my hand and can then use it to grab hot pan lids, coffee pot handles, and even a pot itself.

5) a pee rag. Instead of using toilet paper, dedicate one of your bandanas to being what you wipe yourself with when you pee. You can then rinse it off in a stream, the sea, or even a little of your drinking water. Then hang it to dry on your pack or across your canoe thwart. Urine is sterile so this an environmental and cleanly use. If you continue to store it in a zip lock after each use, though, even if you rinse it, it will soon become bacteria laden and stinky. And definitely do not use your pee rag on your head or to grab food at lunch!

Deb

Women's travel tips: Five essential tips for women who hike

With hiking season right around the corner, I've compiled a list of tips that can help women get maximum enjoyment from their hiking.

• Hike at your own pace
  For many women, their first experience of hiking is with a male companion who takes off at a pace that leaves them gasping for breath. The most important hiking skill any woman can learn is to hike at her own pace, a pace that can be comfortably sustained without ever having to stop to catch her breath, even when going up a steep hill.
  
  
• Don’t wear cotton clothing
  Except when hiking in a hot, dry climate, cotton clothing should be avoided - including cotton bras. Having wet, cold clothing next to the skin causes rapid chilling. Bras are particularly bad because they are designed to be skintight. The best solutions are to not wear one and have the first layer be a fabric that “wicks” sweat away to buy a bra made of wicking material.
  
  
• Stay well hydrated
  Sometimes women hesitate to drink as much water as they need when outdoors when bathrooms aren’t available, a huge mistake. Inadequate hydration leads to headaches, fatigue, and irritability. While an easily accessible water bottle is adequate, a hydration system that enables sipping water while hiking is even better.
  
  
• Take care of "hot spots" immediately
  Frequently women who start feeling "hot spots" on their feet, small areas of heat and discomfort, put off treating them out of hesitation to slow the group down. While understandable, it’s big mistake: hot spots can quickly become blisters, which are more difficult to treat. Hot spots are best treated with tincture of Benzoin and some moleskin.
  
  
• Wear boots that fit correctly
  Many women have "low volume" feet, feet that have a very narrow forefoot and heel area and a low instep. This makes getting boots that fit quite challenging, and ill-fitting boots lead to ankle injuries and blisters. Buying boots from a store that has salespeople who know how to fit them and take adequate time to make sure the fit is correct is critical. Superfeet insoles provide support, add volume, and improve comfort, all of which make hiking more enjoyable.

a salty snack

I recently returned from our Sea Kayaking in the Caribbean trip and was once again reminded through experience something we talk about as a safety factor on our trips.

We all know that being adequately hydrated is very important on active vacations - helping us to sustain hours of physical activity, maintain our sense of balance, keep our muscles and joints well-lubricated, etc. Equally important is not drinking too much water, keeping a balance between the salt intake and output when we exercise. Most of the time we can balance these 2 things with drinking water throughout the day and also eating meals and snacks. Most of the time when I need a snack it is due to my energy being low and I often reach for a granola bar.

On the Caribbean trip, where it is hot and humid and you do not feel you are sweating as much, I always talk about the need to eat some salt in a snack just as much as eating fruits or carbohydrates. Despite the awareness of this, it is hard to remember (or want) to eat something salty when you feel thirsty or are already feeling salty from the sea water.

However, twice on this trip, when I was feeling a bit low of energy I ate a handful of salty snack and within moments no longer felt hungry, tired or achy. I definitely do not recommend eating an excess of salt, but next time you are in a hot, humid environment and exercising, try a couple bites of something salty (Chex mix, Cheese nips, salted almonds) and see if that helps. - deb