The Backpacker

The choices in cookware for backpacking can be overwhelming. Determining exactly what you need and choosing between options is often difficult for the new backpacker. Getting advice from seasoned hikers and researching the differences in backpacking cookware can help sort through the confusion.

Getting What You Need: the Basics

Every person in your party will need to carry one cooking pot that holds one pint of food, one snug fitting lid that doubles as a plate and frying pan, one spoon and a sharp knife. You will also need a collapsible handle, a wire bail, or potholder to fish your pot out of the fire.

This basic cooking package will be enough to cook and eat basic meals while in the backcountry. You may want to include a pot scrubber to make clean up easier. All items should nest inside the pot to save space in your pack.

Choosing a Metal for Your Backpacking Cookware

Ideally, backpacking cookware is light, easy to clean, durable and heats evenly. The three basic metals used for outdoor cookware are stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium. Each works well and price is the major determining factor.

Aluminum
Aluminum is the basic metal for backpacking cookware. It is lightweight, durable, and inexpensive. Over time, it can become pitted if not washed and dried thoroughly.

There has been some recent concern over aluminum leeching into foods from cookware, with a possible link to Alzheimer’s disease. This prompted many concerned hikers to switch to stainless steel cookware.

Subsequent studies have shown this may be unfounded since the amount of aluminum deposited in foods from cookware is four times less than the amount consumed by ingesting an antacid. If you are concerned, you can spend a little extra on a stainless steel pot.

Stainless Steel
Stainless steel cookware is moderately lightweight, durable, and less likely to scratch or dent then aluminum pots. A stainless steel pot is easier to clean than aluminum but is also heavier to carry. It can also heat less evenly, resulting in scorching of food in spots, so be sure to stir often.

Titanium
Titanium cookware is the ultimate in backpacking cookware. It is 50% lighter than steel, nearly indestructible and cleans up easily. It is also much more expensive than aluminum and stainless steel pots. Like steel, it can heat foods unevenly and frequent stirring is required to keep your food from burning.

The Extras

A few extras may be considered if you plan to backpack frequently, or if you plan meals that are more elaborate. A basic upgrade would consist of a fork (possibly in the form of a combination utensil pack), a camp spatula, an extra pot, and even a coffee pot.

Pampered hikers can splurge on an outdoor espresso maker, wire whisks, ceramic mugs, separate plates, frying pans and spice containers- but these items are unnecessary.

Choosing cookware for backpacking should be limited to the basics and affordable solutions are available for every budget. Packing only what you need will make your load lighter and your trip less cumbersome. Enjoying nature’s simplicity is one of the great attractions for backpackers and hikers.

Pocket knives, hunting knives and survival knives are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some perform single functions while others are intended for multi-purpose use. Choosing a great knife begins with understanding how you will most often put the knife to use.

• Will you be using the knife occasionally or every day?
• Do you hunt large or small game?
• How important is portability?
• Do you need a multi-purpose knife or only a single, fixed blade?
• How often do you prefer to sharpen your knife?

When choosing the perfect hunting, survival, or pocketknife, you must also consider which type of knife you prefer.

Basic Types of Knives

Folding Knives
Folding knives have a hinge that conceals the blade in the handle of the knife. This is an ideal choice if you plan to carry your knife every day. Folding knives slip easily into a pocket or are stored in a small pouch on a belt. Many folding knives have combination blades or a variety of other tools contained in the same unit. Pocket knives are a type of folding knife.

Fixed Blade Knives
Fixed blade knives are a great choice for hunting and survival knives. They are stronger than folding knives, specialized for different functions and come with a protective carrying sheath. Some types of fixed blade knives have interchangeable blades that can be changed for different activities.

Each type of knife also comes in several different blade options.

Types of Knife Blades

Drop-Point Knives
Drop-point knives are constructed of thick, sturdy steel. The sharpened edge runs the full length of the blade. This feature allows a hunter to skin an animal quickly without damaging the meat.

Clip Point Knife
The clip-point knife is a good general-duty knife. It is strong enough to perform nearly any activity and is versatile enough to adapt for many different functions. Keep in mind that it is not as durable as a drop-point knife because it has a thinner blade. The clip point blade tapers to a sharp point and is a popular knife for hunters.

Specialized Blades
Some hunting knives have specialized blades that perform tasks such as skinning or gutting an animal. These blades are very useful but may require special care. For example, a gut hook blade is curved and requires a special round file for sharpening and is only sharpened on one side.

You may also choose a non-slip handle material and a blade size to match your usual performed tasks. Choosing great pocket knives, hunting knives and survival knives depends greatly on your budget and your purpose for the knife.

Understanding the different types of knives available is the first step in selecting the perfect knife for you.

Hiking in the winter can be a very rewarding experience. During winter months, many trails transform into solitary, snow covered landscapes with breathtaking scenery, overwhelming silence and glimpses of wildlife that are not present during the warmer summer months.

These ten winter hiking destinations offer the best winter has to offer.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA
Be sure to check out Yosemite Falls during your hike. The base of the waterfall forms an ice cone that can grow to be 330 feet tall and covers four acres! Winter wildlife like coyotes, Sierra hares and several bird species can be seen more easily in the snow covered landscape. The good news is that the bears are all hibernating!

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
Winter is a great time to view the popular Old Faithful Geyser. Crowds are rare in the cold months and the contrast between the hot springs and layers of snow and ice add an interesting dimension to the park that can only be seen this time of year. Your hike could get you a few pictures of trumpeter swans, coyote, bighorn sheep and elk.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO
Visiting the Rockies in the winter provides you with spectacular views of snow capped mountains, pine trees laden with mantels of snow and herds of elk.

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK, OREGON
In the winter, Crater Lake is a breathtaking vision of sapphire blue surround by a blanket of pristine white snow. The contrast adds a dramatic feel to the landscape and local wildlife flock to the lake to drink. A Weekend in the park includes ranger-led snowshoe hikes through the Crater Lake region.

SMOKEY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, TENNESSEE
Because of the heavy snowfalls and bitter cold temperatures, hiking in the Smokies is often reserved for the summer months, but winter hiking in this park offers a multitude of waterfall trails and cascading streams that are just as beautiful in the winter as they are in the summer!

HOCKING HILLS STATE PARK, OHIO
This state park offers an annual winter hike every year in January. The trails are kid and pet friendly and the waterfalls have been known to freeze solid!

SAN GREGORIO LAKE, NEW MEXICO
This rarely traveled winter hike offers contrasting landscapes of flat, open meadows and dense forest areas as you travel to San Gregorio Lake, framed in a layer of snow blanketing the surrounding meadow.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, MAINE
This national park boasts views of the Atlantic Ocean from the snow covered trails. White-tailed deer, red fox and the pristine white snowshoe hare all thrive in this winter habitat.

DENALI NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA
Winter in Alaska may mean fewer daylight hours but it also means natural light shows from Aura Borealis. These Northern Lights are a sight to behold!

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, NORTH CAROLINA
Hilton Head Island is less crowded in the winter months and hiking between the sound and the Atlantic Ocean provides glimpses of wild horses, ducks, birds and a multitude of other non-hibernating wildlife. The quiet of the sound contrasts with the roar of the breaking waves just a short hike away.

Winter hiking takes a great deal of planning and carries an added risk of hypothermia and frostbite to the usual hiking dangers like encountering wild animals, falls, injuries and getting lost - just to name a few.

WARNING - Using compasses and maps of the area are essential, and are important items to carry at any time of the year.

Before setting out on a winter hike, be sure to prepare properly, let someone at home know where you will be and read up on winter hiking tips and precautions. Happy hiking!

Hunting and fishing during winter months require a whole new set of safety considerations.

Hunting and fishing excursions often involve crossing bodies of water. This creates a very serious potential for accidental drowning, hypothermia and frostbite.

How to Cross a River Safely

Flash floods can occur at any time. Keep this in mind when traveling in unfamiliar territory. If you are in doubt, wait it out! Winter water crossings should be avoided whenever possible because of the added risk of hypothermia. But, if you must cross, these tips will help you do it safely.

*Never cross in fast flowing or white water where you cannot see the riverbed!

*Watch out for submerged trees, slippery rock bottoms and drop offs.

*Always cross a body of water at the widest and shallowest point possible.

*Choose a long stick to help you gauge the depth of the riverbed before stepping out further.

*Loosen your backpack backpack or gear straps before wading into the water so you can quickly ditch them if you get into trouble.

*Always wear your shoes or boots into the water. Avoid cotton socks cotton socks in the winter as they are slow to dry, hold moisture and do not keep you warm when wet.

*When crossing, face the opposite shore or upstream and cross slowly by letting your feet guide you along the riverbed.

*Keeping your eyes focused on the shoreline will help ward off vertigo.

*If you fall or get swept away by the current, ditch your gear, roll onto your back with your feet downstream and let the current carry you as you swim towards the shore. If necessary, protect your head from knocks by clasping your fingers behind your head and bringing your elbows together in front of your face. Once you reach land, get warm and dry as soon as possible.

Preventing Hypothermia

Hypothermia is a serious threat during bitter cold winter months. When combined with the possibility of encountering icy waters, the risk increases tremendously. Knowing the symptoms of hypothermia and how to prevent it could save your life or the life of another.

Early hypothermia presents as uncontrolled shivering, mental sluggishness, and uncoordinated, stiff body movements and slurred speech. As it progresses into the severe stages, shivering may stop, muscle rigidity begins, breathing, pulse and blood pressure slow and a comatose state soon follows.

To help prevent hypothermia, never drink alcoholic beverages when out in the cold.

Alcohol slows circulation. Dress in loosely layered clothing made of synthetic materials to help trap body heat.

If your clothing becomes wet, get to a sheltered area, out of the wind. Remove wet clothing and replace it with dry items or cover up with a dry blanket.

Pay special attention to your hands, feet and head, keeping these areas covered at all times. Avoid wrapping clothing too tightly around limbs as this can inhibit your blood flow to the area. Never warm up too quickly. While the temptation is to plunge into a steaming bath, bringing your body temperature up slowly is best.

Preventing Frostbite

Covering exposed skin especially in windy conditions is the best way to safeguard against frost bite. Skin protections can help to some degree but covering up your nose, fingers and toes is the biggest step in keeping frostbite away.

Keeping an eye on your environment and being prepared for an emergency will help keep you safe while hunting and fishing during the winter. Always let someone know where you will be and when you expect to return. Safety comes first when hunting and fishing in the winter months.