Debbie Miller Nelson at Wine Goddess posts today about a Wine Lover’s Best Friend. I think she’s onto something. Lord knows I could keep a few handy in my dining room, in my truck, even in my Camelbak.

Perhaps you’ve seen the commercial of the (DAG-GONE!) drill sergeant who nearly goes apoplectic at the sleight of hand performed by his (DAG-GONE!) recruit with this (DAG-GONE!) pen thingy.

But does it really work on red wine stains? Petite Sirah, even? On, say, your best white cotton shirt or blouse? If you have had experience with this product - pro or con - please tell me. Tell the world! Inquiring winehikers want to know.

~winehiker

It’s better to have what you need on the trail than need what you don’t have.

I discovered an online article the other day that lists a few items which its author considers to be basic gear for day hikers, listed in the following order:

• Whistle
• Map
• Water
• Handheld GPS
• Compass
• Mountain money
• Book
• Waterproof matches/lighter
• Knife
• Binoculars
• Windbreaker/waterproof shell
• Bivvy bag
• Flashlight/headlamp
• First aid kit
• Cellphone
• Snack

Instantly, I found myself wondering about the outdoors experience of the author, especially when considering the need vs. want aspects of the items in this list, and any priority one might place on them. Many of the above items I consider optional; you either haul a pack large enough to contain it all and you don’t mind sacrificing the extra weight and bulk, or you realize you just plain won’t use many of these things or get by just fine without them.

That being said, I’ll admit that most hikers won’t carry all the stuff that I carry on a typical day hike. But I have a handy excuse: I tend to lead a lot of group hikes, at least one every two weeks, year-round. With that kind of frequency, somebody on the trail is bound to need extra water, moleskin, or an aspirin every now and then - even spare socks and underwear. Yes, I carry spare undies in my pack, all the time, because they’ve nearly been life-savers for me and others. Why do I haul this stuff around all the time? Because there’s nothing more unnecessary than suffering on the trail when there’s miles to go.*

When you’ve been hiking as long as I have, you develop a sense of what you and your hiking buddies really need out there, and what’s merely extra weight. After all, how many times have you carried a set of binoculars or 330-page bird-finding guidebooks on the trail and not used them? Do you really need a GPS device, or do you just want to let people know that you have one? When you’re visiting the wilderness with a group of hikers - or by yourself - do you need your iPod, or do you really need to hear the tranquil sounds of Nature?

I chose to reorder the above list in terms of must haves and nice to haves, as well as how often a regular day hiker will typically use them. I’ve even added some things I consider important; these items are in parentheses.

Basic must have items for day hikers

Things you’ll use nearly every time you hike (at least you should, so you might as well have them with you at all times):

Things you’ll use often when hiking (not everybody can be MacGyver, so do carry the following items):

Things you know you’ll need sooner or later (your friends will admire your resourcefulness):

Optional nice to have items for day hikers

You may not need the following items, but you may want them from time to time. In fact some, like a whistle or a bivvy bag, can be must have items if you are pursuing extreme or high-elevation activities. If you have a predilection for getting lost, carry a GPS if you must, but first rely on a good topo map and advance planning. It’s important to understand that a GPS device is a tool, not a toy; if you carry it, know how to use it, as well as when.

Consider the following to be luxury items. If you think you might actually need them, consider examining your motives for venturing onto the trail, whether you want to carry them, and if you think you’ll put them to good use. First of all, however, make sure you pack your must have items, then see what room you’ve got left in your pack.

Some may quibble with me about my characterization of the above items. But experienced hikers, prior to hitting the trail, know to examine the contents of their packs. They’ll ask themselves a simple question:

Do I need it, or do I merely want it?

Your goals for the day should dictate what you carry with you, so remove what you won’t need and add what you will need. Next, consider what you may need, then what you want. Prepare your pack based on need rather than want, and do it every time.

Now, lift your pack. Ask that simple question again, and be honest with yourself about what you want from that great day of hiking that you have planned.

~winehiker

*You might think it embarrassing to ask a fellow hiker for a spare pair of underwear. But considering the alternative - chafing and discomfort of tender areas - it might just be more embarrassing not to ask. If that’s a pain point for you, well, now you know to pack a pair of undies.

**Mountain money = toilet paper. You can search every tree, rock, and crevice, but you won’t find an ATM that dispenses this stuff. Don’t let yourself go broke out there!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about basic gear - those hiking and travel items that I consider to be the most essential items for having with you every time you venture outdoors.

Basic gear items, I believe, fall into the “need” category, because sooner or later, in some remote location, you’re going to need every item of basic gear that you carry. Naturally, assuming you still have room in your pack, you’re going to want to carry additional items that don’t quite fall into the “need” category, but certainly fill the bill within an optional, or “want” category.

Therefore today I discuss optional hiking gear - those things that can enhance your outdoor experience when you carry them along with you, but are OK to be without. Some of you may think you need some or all of these things, but that’s largely going to be a matter of personal preference. Unlike basic gear, the question concerning optional gear is not “will I need this?” but “do I want to carry this with the expectation of not using it?”

The truth is, all things being equal, that you can’t apply the same level of value to your need for a camera or a pair of gloves as compared to your more important need for water or sunscreen.

Some people find optional gear useful on the trail, if not entirely essential, especially on some of the more lengthy, rigorous, or multi-day hikes. Often, the type of hike you are planning will determine the necessity of certain items that might otherwise be considered optional gear; examples include gaiters for descending talus slopes, a spotting scope for birding, and headlamps for caving.

As you prepare for an outdoor adventure, and after you are certain that you’ve packed all of your basic gear, consider adding the following items to your pack or your person.

• Baseball cap or similar (as a substitute for a wide-brimmed hat)
• Binoculars or spotting scope
• Bivouac sack (often called a “bivy sack”)
• Book (bird, tree, and flower finders, for example)
• Camera, film
• Change of underwear (could be considered essential)
• Digital Compact Flash recording device (for taking verbal notes/voice recording)
• First aid kit, including moleskin (could be considered essential)
• Gaiters
• Gloves, glove liners
• Guidebook (in addition to an essential trail map)
• Headlamp (essential at times)
• Insect repellent with DEET (or without, depending on your allergenic response)
• Journal & pen
• Matches
• Nutrition bars (e.g., Clif Bars or Luna; GU works well as a pick-me-up on the trail)
• Quick-dry travel towel
• Rain poncho
• Signal mirror (some might consider this item essential; most don’t own one)
• Small hairbrush/comb
• Trekking poles
• Water purifying tablets or water filtration kit
• Wool shirt or fleece vest (i.e., warm clothing)
• Ziploc bags or plastic grocery bags for food and trash

Special considerations

They may not seem necessary when you’re out on the trail, but the following items can be more than necessary at times, and are therefore worth considering.

• Contact lens solution or back-up glasses
• Ibuprofen, antihistamine, aspirin, prescription medications
• Foot remedies

In my next Trail Tips post, I’ll discuss “best practice” guidelines for enjoying the outdoors, which some folks collectively term wilderness etiquette. Meanwhile, if you have questions about the above lists or believe that they’re missing something crucial, I invite your input; just click leave a response below.

And while you’re anticipating my next Trail Tip, take a look at my current list of winehiking tours to be guided by yours truly along the trails and the tasting rooms of the California wine country.

Also see:

• The Winehiker’s Trail Tips No. 1: Basic Hiking Gear
• The Winehiker’s Trail Tips No. 3: Wilderness Etiquette

~winehiker

In the next days and weeks, I’ll be sharing checklists that cover a number of hiking and travel essentials, as well as pre-hike precautions and wilderness etiquette. Today I discuss what I consider to be the most essential items for having out there on the trail either on you or with you, and that’s just plain basic gear.

Why “basic”? Well, let’s just say that if you’re out of range from the nearest cell network, as being in the wilderness often causes you to be, and you need what you could have brought with you, the issue you have at hand will suddenly confront you as being a very basic issue.

Veteran hikers and adventure travelers have learned many tough lessons from their travels, and we can learn from them. Perhaps you’ve already learned that it’s essential to have the right gear when you travel with adventure in mind. To aid in your adventure planning, I’ve assembled a list of items that I consider important for everyone to have with or near them when sauntering “a few miles in.” Not regularly having and using these things can easily make you dependent on others, or worse, can make you suffer needlessly through many anxious and unwelcome moments.

Yes, you can leave home without your American Express card, but don’t hit the trail without the following basic gear:

• Convertible hiking pants (denim and cotton are not advised*)
• 1-2 shirts made of lightweight, synthetic fabrics (cotton is not advised*)
• Fleece jacket and/or windbreaker
• Hiking boots that fit well, or trail running shoes
• Socks: inner (thin and synthetic) and outer (thick and comfortable; not cotton*)
• Fanny pack, rucksack, or hydration pack with water bladder (this latter item keeps your hands free on the trail)
• Water bottles - at least one liter each (if not carrying a hydration pack)
• Pocket utility knife (Victorinox or Leatherman are excellent)
• Wide-brimmed hat
• Bandanna
• Lip balm
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Map of the area you’re venturing into
• Compass (know how to use it first)
• Toilet paper, a.k.a. “Mountain Money”

That may seem like a short list to some, a long list to others. It’s a rather basic list, which means, in essence, that you will need all of these items at some point, so you might as well have all of these things with you every time you travel or venture into a wilderness area.

There are basic things we know we need with us, and other things that we don’t need but merely want to have with us in addition to the basics. These optional items can be useful on a general level; often we carry them to enhance our experiences. I’ll discuss this optional gear in my next Trail Tips post. Meanwhile, if you have questions about the above list or believe that it’s missing something crucial, I invite your input.

And while you’re anticipating this next Trail Tip, take a look at my current list of winehiking tours to be guided by yours truly over the trails and through the tasting rooms of the California wine country.

Also see:

• The Winehiker’s Trail Tips No. 2: Optional Hiking Gear
• The Winehiker’s Trail Tips No. 3: Wilderness Etiquette

~winehiker

*Cotton clothing, such as denim, retains moisture, can chafe your skin over the course of an afternoon on a trail, and often limits the range of movement required for climbing steep slopes or scrambling over rocks and logs. Cotton socks dramatically increase the incidence of blisters due to moisture retention, which induces chafing. In contrast, synthetic fabrics are lighter in weight, are often designed to accommodate active pursuits, and allow body moisture to dissipate so that you stay dry and comfortable. For additional advice about hiking gear, I suggest visiting a very good resource on the topic, and that’s gorp.com.

Many hikers will tell you that the twenty-five rules below are worthy of knowing, even if they don’t follow all of them all of the time. Nevertheless, the more time you experience outdoors, the more reasons you’ll find that you need to adhere to nearly all of them. Universally accepted by experienced hikers and backpackers the world over, these basic laws are designed to save hikers from a ton of unnecessary grief.

If you’re venturing outdoors, get to know these rules. If you are a novice hiker, it will pay to study and know them before you venture out into the wilderness, even if where you’re going is only a few miles from your front door.

An ounce of prevention

These Top 25 Rules, by their nature, are preventative, but they should not prevent you from enjoying your day in the wilderness. Instead, they are intended to help you be prepared for those instances when adventure can become disaster. After all, misadventures do happen every day out there. But you don’t want to wind up on the evening news, or worse: a statistic. To avoid such recognition, your regular objectives are to be prepared before you go out there, then go out there and hike with confidence.

Consider hiring a guide

Nevertheless, if you’re going out for a hike alone, are new to an area, or are uncomfortable about your level of expertise in the wilderness, consider joining a responsible hiking group, or hire a professional guide who is familiar with the trails and the weather. You’ll often be glad you did, since local groups and guides often know quite a bit about the local terrain, climate, flora, and fauna. Plus, you’ll actually learn a lot by listening to them, and that’s where you’ll get your money’s worth time and time again.

The Top 25 Rules

1. Avoid cotton clothing. Cotton keeps moisture close to your skin and can cause chafing, blisters, and fungus. Instead, wear wickable fabrics such as lycra, silk, nylon, wool, and polyester blends that channel moisture away and keep you dry, warm, and comfortable.
2. Before you go, know your equipment. Check it thoroughly, make sure you have what you need and that it works as you expect it to before you set out for your hike.
3. Before you go, know your map. Have a map of the area you’re venturing into, study it well before you set out, and then carry it with you on the trail. A map can show you not only where you are and how far you have to go, but it can also help you indicate terrain, find water, find a campsite, and find an emergency exit route in case of an accident.
4. Before you go, be aware of weather and trail conditions. Check the local weather conditions before you leave for your hike, and if need be, contact the local park or wilderness jurisdiction to determine if trails are closed due to weather, geological activity, or other events.
5. Before you go, tell someone. Let a trusted friend, family member, or ranger know where you are going, the trails you are hiking, and when you will return. What will you do in the event of an emergency? What if you don’t come home when you say you will? It won’t hurt to also share your emergency plans with that same someone.
6. Before you go, pack plenty of water and a way to purify it. Without enough water, your body’s muscles and organs simply can’t perform as well, and you’ll be susceptible to hypothermia and altitude sickness.
7. Before you go, pack extra food. Any number of things could keep you out longer than expected: a lengthy detour, getting lost, an injury, difficult terrain. A few ounces of extra food will help keep up energy and morale.
8. Before you go, pack rain gear and extra clothing. The weatherman is not always right. Therefore, bring along extra layers, especially above treeline.
9. Before you go, pack sunscreen. Apply it liberally before you begin your hike, especially above treeline, to protect against sunburn from direct sun and sun reflection from snow. Often you’ll need to reapply sunscreen while you’re out on the trail.
10. Before you go, pack sunglasses. You’ll protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays and also prevent snowblindness.
11. Before you go, pack a hat. Wear it on the trail, because sunscreen and sunglasses are not enough. You’ll also keep your body warm if you can prevent the loss of heat from where it exits your body at the top of your head.
12. Before you go, pack matches. Know how to start a fire. The warmth of a fire and a hot drink can help to prevent hypothermia. Fires are also a great way to signal for help if you get lost.
13. Before you go, pack a knife. A Swiss Army knife or multi-purpose tool such as a Leatherman can enable you to cut strips of cloth into bandages, remove splinters, fix broken eyeglasses, and perform a whole host of repairs on malfunctioning gear - not to mention cut cheese and open cans.
14. Before you go, pack a flashlight. If you’re lost and it’s dark out, what will you do without one? To find your way in the dark or to signal for help, be sure to always have a working flashlight in your pack. For extra assurance, carry an extra bulb and batteries.
15. Before you go, pack a compass. A compass can help you find your way through unfamiliar terrain, especially in bad weather in which you can’t see the landmarks.
16. Before you go, pack a first aid kit and know how to use it. Take a basic first aid class with the American Red Cross or a Wilderness First Aid class, offered by many hiking organizations. Preassembled first aid kits for hikers are available at many outfitters.
17. When you’re out there, know your limitations. Don’t try to do more than you know you are capable of. Most especially, don’t try to show off to others; going for a laugh should not result in going for a stretcher.
18. When you’re out there, recognize when you should turn back. Weather can change quickly in the wilderness. Fatigue and unexpected conditions can also affect you or the members of your group. Know when to postpone a hike; that lovely hill you want to climb will still be there next time.
19. When you’re out there, stay together. When you start as a group, hike as a group, and end as a group. Set the expectations of the group before you step onto the trail. And because a group hike will never go faster than the slowest person in the group, pace your hike accordingly; stop to regroup at all trail junctions, even hilltops. Hike leaders who don’t follow this rule don’t remain hike leaders for long.
20. When you’re out there, don’t over-rely on the guidance of the group you’re with. Even if you are hiking with people you trust, can you rely on them to guide you to your destination and back? Would you leave all the navigating to somebody else? Are your trusted companions professional guides? Are they carrying a map?
21. When you’re out there, assume the worst. Even if you are headed out for just an hour, an injury, severe weather, or a wrong turn could become life-threatening. Don’t assume you will be rescued; know how to rescue yourself.
22. When you’re out there, need rescuing, and you’re under thick tree cover, try to move to open country where searchers can find you.
23. When you’re out there and you’re in trouble, stay mentally focused. Don’t waste emotional energy on what could go wrong. Focus on doing the right thing by yourself and your group.
24. When you’re anywhere on this planet, be responsible to yourself, and be responsible to others.
25. Share these Top 25 Rules with others.

~winehiker

I’ve camped with folks who really love the JetBoil system. Others have endorsed JetBoil’s products online. It’s true that the JetBoil stove can certainly can put a hot steaming mug of caffeinated goodness in one’s hand very quickly on a cold morning.

However, the JetBoil system uses a proprietary propane/iso-butane fuel mix; on their website, they state “we cannot claim safe operation with any canister other than our Jetpower brand of fuel.”

Their fuel canisters are not refillable, either, being designed only for one-time use. Yes, they are recyclable, but who among us knows off the top of their head where they can go nearby to recycle these canisters? This type of helpful information does not appear to be present on the JetBoil website.

Years ago I made a commitment to not buy disposable/nonrefillable products if there were alternative products available. Products that are disposable or are not designed to be reused merely clog the landfills and enlarge the aggregate ecological footprint, our per capita impact on the Earth.

Therefore, when recently replacing my trusty old Coleman stove, I did not purchase a JetBoil system.

I wrote to the JetBoil folks and asked the question, “Do you plan to produce a fuel canister that is refillable and/or can the JetBoil connect to a larger fuel distribution system such as a one-gallon propane tank?”

This morning I received the following response from Kristen Headley at JetBoil Customer Service:

“At this time our canisters are not refillable. However the canisters can be recycled anywhere that will recycle steel products. When recycling we do recommend that you puncture the canisters before sending them to be recycled. This can be done with a common can opener.”

Ms. Headley’s response is quite disappointing, if not also shocking. It tells me nothing that I don’t already know, plus it evades my question. Apparently JetBoil does not plan to adopt a universal system that allows for reuse. It is also not clear to me why I should puncture the fuel canister prior to recycling. Quite frankly, the last thing I’m willing to do is to puncture a pressurized fuel canister. In fact, the Northeast Recycling Council, a non-profit organization, advises the public that “The individual consumer should never attempt to puncture, incinerate or otherwise vent [a] fuel canister except through its normal intended use.”

The NERC goes on to state, “…the canister may be recycled in some communities if accepted in the recycling program or at the household hazardous waste collection site.”

There’s two big IFs wrapped up in this problem of recycling nonrefillable fuel canisters. Most people will have to drive to one location to buy their proprietary one-size-does-not-fit-all fuel canister, then drive to another location to recycle those same canisters — IF they can find one within a reasonable distance and IF that recycling location accepts spent fuel canisters. To say nothing of using more gasoline to accomplish these tasks, most people will, I’m afraid, just throw their spent canisters away, thereby adding to the landfill problem.

Until JetBoil and other campstove manufacturers adopt product policies that incorporate zero waste and a more open design approach to fuel type, canister reuse, and fuel distribution systems, I cannot in good conscience buy or endorse their nonrefillable products.

~winehiker

I’ve just got to laugh at the ingenuity of bright minds. Along with how to make a Five-Cent Wedding Band and How to Get a Free Yacht, the Instructables collaborative website suggests that we can recycle all our wine-in-a-box liners into solar showers that we can use to stay clean while we’re camping.

And that’s just one use. How about an inflatable pillow? A Camelbak-style water bladder? A sleeping bag insulator for homeless people? At the Instructables website, you can even find out how to clean a box-wine bladder and “get the funk out.”

~winehiker

One recent Sunday at one of my volunteer hikes, twelve of us were assembling prior to entering the trail, and I overheard two of them recounting a 10.5-mile hike they had done the previous day at Point Reyes National Seashore. I knew I had some serious hikers with me, since we were about to embark on an 11.5-miler at Portola Redwoods State Park. And yet one of them, in pulling her boots on, winced a little, and asked point-blank if anyone had any moleskin.

I said I did and proceeded to set down my pack (I carry a large-capacity Camelbak) and pull out my bright-red Backpacker’s First Aid Kit, its 12″ x 3″ x 4″ dimensions causing an audible buzz among the group.

“Geez, that thing’s huge!” remarked one hiker. “How do you fit your lunch in your pack?” inquired another. A third calmly said: “I know who I’m getting hurt with from now on.”

I smiled and, having deftly rolled out the contents of the kit to grab the moleskin and a pair of scissors, I cut out a piece of moleskin and handed it to the hapless hiker. She was ready for me by this time, having removed her socks to display a dime-sized blister on her heel. I instructed her briefly about applying the patch of moleskin, and we were soon ready for the trail.

As I shouldered my pack, I asked her to consider wearing two pairs of socks when hiking - one of them an inner pair made of wicking fabric - and mentioned how the incidence of blisters can be vastly reduced by doing so. I was speaking from experience, having worn wicking socks inside my boots for nearly 20 years. I’ve carried moleskin in my pack even longer, but I’ve found in recent years that I distribute it much more often to others than I’ve used it myself; I’ve only had 3 hot spots (pre-blisters) in all that time.

Made of polypropylene or nylon, wicking socks function as an inner lining to reduce foot friction under a pair of outer hiking socks, which are typically made of wool or a wool/nylon blend. Wicking socks are less abrasive than wool, too, but their main purpose is to move moisture away from your feet. Cotton socks can’t do the same job. In fact, if you hike distances longer than 4 or 5 miles at a time, never wear cotton socks, since cotton absorbs moisture and can practically guarantee that blisters will form.

When it comes to blister prevention, I consider the most important rule to be a pretty easy one, and that is: STOP! The second you feel the slightest hint of a hot spot on your heel or other part of your foot, don’t keep walking, and don’t wait until it becomes a painfully large blister to do something about it - even if your friends don’t want to stop and are egging you on.

If something is chafing in your shoe, stop and remove your shoe, and find the pebble, seed, dirt clod, or wrinkle in your sock. And, if you know you’ve got a vulnerable trouble spot (or a blister already formed, like my fellow hiker), put a piece of moleskin on it before you begin hiking. You don’t have to carry a serious humongosity like my Backpacker’s First Aid Kit, but you should consider always packing a Swiss Army knife that includes a pair of scissors and a patch or two of Dr. Scholl’s. If you’re a serious hiker (or want to be), you might also bring two pairs of socks - an inner pair and an outer pair - along with you to your nearest outfitter so that you fit well into that new pair of hiking boots.

~winehiker