|
|
PRACTICAL HIKING INFORMATION
Being prepared, without bringing everything you own,
is a trick. Obviously, items that you would bring for overnight will
not be the same as for day hikes, and we will focus on just day hiking
necessities.
1. Day pack
2. Trail map
3. APP (all purpose paper) is toilet paper
4. Sunglasses
5. Water or water purification system
6. Lunch or snacks (take plenty of snacks)
7. Bug repellent
8. Camera
9. Hiking boots & socks
10. Sunblock
11. Rainwear, if cloudy
12. Chapstick
EXCREMENT and URINE
Improperly disposed of waste contaminates water and spreads
disease (hepatitis, guardia, typhoid) in both wildlife and humans.
Most trail diseases come from water contaminated by feces, urine or
both. Packing it out is obviously distasteful, so here are three simple
rules in order to minimize impact:
- Make sure no one will find it. Dig a hole not more than eight inches
deep (it's the bacteria in the upper layer that decompose the feces).
-
Keep it at least 100 feet (200 is better) downhill
from water sources.
-
Take advantage of biodegradation by digging separate
holes for each instance so that the underlying organisms can do their
thing.
PERMITS REQUIRED FOR BACKPACKING
All overnight trips into the Hoover Wilderness and the
additional 72,000 acres of pristine National Forest lands require a wilderness
permit. During the quota period from the last Friday in June through
September 15, you can obtain a permit at the Bridgeport Ranger Station
during business hours or by mail. Forest Service must receive your requests
postmarked by March 1, three weeks before the first day of your trip.
Due to volume of mail, a response may take up to five weeks. Enclose
$3 per person with your application request.
You can help protect your food from a bear by hanging your food from
a tree, and if done properly, you will earn a good night's sleep. First,
understand one thing, nothing is bear-proof as well as a food storage
container. Always place food storage containers on a flat, open area
away from cliffs, lakes and streams to avoid other natural disasters.

|