Preparing for Hiking Season

With all of this white stuff in the mountains, it may seem like hiking season will never arrive. But it will! And when it does, don't you want to be prepared to grab your gear and go?

Washington Trails magazine has published loads of great articles over the years that can help you get your gear, your food and your skills trail-ready. Instead of having to flip through a dozen magazines, we've compiled them here to help you create your off-season action plan!

Cleaning and storing gear properly extends its life and makes it easier to find what you need when hiking season rolls around again. Photo by Ted Roth.

Cleaning & storing your gear

Ideally, you would have cleaned and stored your hiking and camping gear properly after your last dusty hike of 2007. If you didn't, don't fear - it's not too late to start. Allison Woods' article from March 2006 covers all of the essentials:

• How to wash and store your sleeping bag.
• How to store your tent and address mildew issues.
• Treatments for your hiking boots.
  
• Cleaning and storing sleeping pads, water filters and rainwear

Buying new stuff

After you've cleaned and organized your gear, it's time to assess what you still need to acquire. Washington Trails' Gear Review articles are a great source to research what equipment you should purchase.

• Rusty Leatherman? You'll want to read Multi-Tools for the Trail from October 2007.
  
• Falling apart boots? Read Boots for a Day or a Night from June 2007.
• Can't spend another night on that flat sleeping pad? This article from August 2006 highlights four sleeping pads that offer different strategies on comfort in a tent.
• Take a look at the Gear Review archives for information on tents, sleeping bags, packs, cameras, underwear, sandals, technical clothing and much more.
  

Preparing your meals ahead of time can save you time and money - and they taste even better on the trail! Photo by Jason Zabriskie.

Making Food

You can save time and (lots) of money by preparing your backpacking meals ahead of time. In one cold, rainy weekend in March you can make enough breakfasts and dinners to last you the entire summer! Then when you're packing to go, all you need to do is grab the meal of choice.

A food dehydrator is an excellent investment if you're planning several overnights or longer backpacking trips - but you can make many meals at home without one. Read up on dehydrating food from Allison Woods' August 2003 magazine article.

And don't miss reading WTA's epic July 2006 food-themed issue of the magazine. There are eleven pages of good eating - trail recipies, cookbooks, taste-tested freeze-dried fare, pre-packaged grocery store grub, and a list of the best places to grab a bite after a long hike.

In addition, while WTA's online Backcountry Kitchen is currently undergoing renovation, it will return in Summer '08 to offer more tasty recipes.

First Aid Preparedness

Of course you carry a first-aid kit on the trail (it is one of the Ten Essentials). But have you replaced the items you've used? Are the medicines expired? Does it have everything you'd need in a true first-aid situation?

Wilderness first aid skills and a full-stocked first aid kit are things you can address in the hiking off-season.

Andrew Engelson's article for the October 2007 Washington Trails magazine is a must-read for all hikers. Copy this article and take it with you to the drug store and stock up on checklist. Or purchase a pre-packaged kit and supplement it with other needed items. You never know when this kit is going to help save the day.

Also consider taking a Wilderness First Aid course. It's one thing to have a well-stocked kit, but it's even more important to know how to use it and how to assess injuries in the field. Read about Wilderness First Aid courses on our Signpost Blog - it provides links to courses offered in Washington.

Dream!

Dreaming about your summer hikes is the next best thing to being there. Get out your guidebooks and maps and start planning your next adventure!