Why NOT to Skimp on your Hiking Gear
For anyone out there who does a lot of walking, hiking, camping, or any other outdoor activities, you probably will laugh when you read this post, but for all the other people out there, who, like me, just take up these kinds of things once in awhile, read on…
Lake District
This article’s concept comes from my first hand experience doing some walking in the UK last year. I am a California girl truly, but have been living in England for over 5 years now. Everyone had said what a beautiful place the Lake District was, so my husband and I ventured up there last autumn. Outdoor stuff is such a great way to get some exercise.
Now, just to set the scene, I’m not a girly girl, but I’m also not a regular outdoorsy person. Or at least, I’m not an “I can deal with any kind of weather” kind of person. Remember, I grew up in southern California – I’ve been spoiled with year round mild temperatures, little rain, etc. So, I’ve done some camping, hiking, and rock climbing while growing up, but it was almost always sunny, warm conditions.
Needless to say, the UK’s climate is much different to what I’m used to.
Before we did any walking in the Lake District, my husband (who is English, and ex-Army, so knows about being prepared) insisted that I get some waterproof clothing, some appropriate walking boots, and even a waterproof cover for my daypack. I thought he was being ridiculous, but he wouldn’t let us go anywhere without these things!
My Bad Choice
Anyway, I had already purchased a waterproof jacket and boots in the end of summer sales, so I was content with those. But, then I had to look for some waterproof trousers. As I hate spending money on things like this (which I know I will only use a couple of times each year) I scrounged around for a bargain. Eventually I found this pair of waterproofs for £10 that were 100% polyester. I thought this was a great find and didn’t hesitate buying them!
Moving onto the use of these trousers – the first day we didn’t do a very high peak, so all the clothing was fine. But, when day two came around and we did a much higher, much steeper peak, things went wrong.
The Problem
Once we got to the second highest park of the walk, the fog came in really quickly, it started raining, and the wind was so strong that I literally went down on all fours because I felt like I was going to be blown away. (Not my normal California weather!) The problem with the trousers was not that they weren’t waterproof, but that they weren’t breathable.
What I mean by this is that my body heat and sweat were being held in by the waterproofs. So, my cotton trousers underneath the waterproof trousers were totally drenched. When you add this to the already cold and windy conditions, I was in bad shape. My body just couldn’t get warm and my clothes felt so uncomfortable. But, what do you do at the top of a mountain? You have to just grin and bear it..and get yourself down to the bottom.
The Moral
Clearly I survived the experience, but if I had to do it over, I would have bought different pants! That £10 I spent was a total waste, as I will never use those again. If you require waterproof clothing for something you’re planning, don’t make the same mistake that I made – don’t skimp on your gear.
Spend a little bit more and get something that will actually benefit you if the weather is different than what you anticipated. Many good quality hiking clothes are made of a special nylon that is quiet, so as not to annoy you (or wildlife) all day long. Nylon dries quickly and is lightweight.
Gore-Tex products are also a good buy. They have been innovators in the “outdoor gear” industry since the 1970′s. In fact, their website states that their mantra is dry=comfortable. I can verify the truth in that statement now that I’ve had my bad experience 
Check out a few options here:
To your health (and staying dry!),
Kimberly
The Importance of Walking
Walking: Get Moving
I have written previously on this site about the importance of walking when it comes to weight loss, weight maintenance, and general health and wellness. But, I want to write about it again because I’m personally experiencing the effects of not walking as much.
For the last five years, I have walked at least a couple of miles 5 times a week. This was simply getting to and from the train station, then to and from my office building after getting off the train.
Without making many other changes in my life, this daily walking helped me lose almost fifteen pounds. Now, that was gradual weight loss, but it was without any effort, dieting, starvation, extreme fitness, or anything else. It was great!
For the past six months, I have been working three or four days a week at a different location…somewhere I can’t walk to. I haven’t replaced that walking with any other form of regular exercise, apart from the exercise I was doing before this change in job location. And now, finally, six months later I really feel the difference. I feel it mainly in the belly area and in my legs. It feels awful.
I’m telling you this for a couple of reasons.
Two lessons
Firstly, I want to stress the importance of consistent exercise, like walking. You don’t need to have a crazy fitness plan to get yourself in better shape. You just need to have some consistent level of fitness in your life. You need to get up and move. And if you can break it up into a couple of shorter sessions during the day, that is great . If you can do some or all of that activity first thing in the morning, before you eat breakfast, even better. I honestly believe that getting some exercise first thing in the morning, before you’ve consumed any calories, is the best way to start the day.
Secondly, I think it is interesting that it took a full six months of getting out of my walking routine before my body started putting weight on again. What this means to me is that once I get my body into good shape and do good things for it, it can hold those good results for a time without as much effort. (i.e. it is easier to maintain your weight than it is to lose weight)
What does this mean for you?
No matter what shape you are in, adding some walking to your daily routine can bring amazing benefits. My experience with walking has been mostly weight related, but walking is great for other things too. Walking keeps your joints more flexible. Walking keeps your digestive system working better. Walking is great for your heart. Etc.
If you can find a friend or a group of people to walk with, it makes it easy to make it part of your routine. Or just try to walk for twenty minutes in the morning before you go to work. Even substituting one of your drives during the day (say, to the supermarket), can be a good start. However you fit it in, just start walking. You will feel great and lose weight.
To your health,
Kimberly
