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Can Walking Reduce Cholesterol?

In the period between 2013-2016, nearly 12 million adults over 20 years old in the US had dangerously high cholesterol levels, with may more in the borderline high zone. Although progress is being made, cholesterol remains a problem for a huge number of people. Getting active is an essential way to help solve or reduce the many health problems that are exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle.

If you’re affected by high cholesterol and you’re not particularly sporty, you’re probably wondering can something as basic as walking reduce cholesterol? Let’s take a look at what cholesterol is and how the benefits provided by regular walking can help. Why walking? Well, if you ever wanted to get started on an exercise plan to improve you help, there is no easier doorway than to start walking regularly!

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is the name given to a fatty substance that our bodies produce or that is found in certain types of food. Not all cholesterol is bad and we all need cholesterol as it is essential to keep our bodies functioning. However, when cholesterol levels get too high they can cause problems and exacerbate other conditions, often leading to fatalities. It is recommended you get your cholesterol levels checked every four to six years.

Can Walking Reduce Cholesterol?

Walking, along with any other form of exercise, can reduce cholesterol. The Surgeon General recommends that all adults exercise at a moderate intensity for two and a half hours per week. This can help to prevent many other problems associated with a lack of exercise that can also become exacerbated by cholesterol.

Cholesterol causes problems by blocking the arteries and can significantly increase your chances of having a heart attack or a stroke. Regular walking is an exercise that has been proven to reduce cholesterol levels and the associated risks. By exercising regularly your body will start to increase levels of HDL, also known as the “good cholesterol”. HDL removes fatty deposits from your blood stream, where they risk clogging up the arteries, and transports them to the liver. There they will be broken down and go on to be expelled from the body.

Walking regularly will also help you to keep your weight down, by burning extra calories. This is especially important if you have high cholesterol levels as being overweight can cause the amount of unhealthy cholesterol in your blood to increase. Furthermore, walking has been proven to reduce high blood pressure and this will additionally help to keep your blood vessels and heart in excellent shape, further reducing the risk of a heart attack.

Why Walking Over Other Sports?

If you suffer from high cholesterol levels, regular walking is an excellent way to help reduce them. Although other sports will be of equal or even greater value, walking is something that can easily become a part of your every day schedule, making targets easier for a greater number of people to achieve.

Walking is free and something we can almost all do without needing to acquire any specialist skills. Of course, if other activities take your fancy, then go for it. For those struggling to find an effective way to lower cholesterol, walking offers a gentle way to get started.

Aside from incorporating walking into your daily schedule, such as walking to work if possible, walking to the shops, taking the stairs, walking to complete errands, it’s also important to go for longer more purposeful walks as your stamina increases.

Over time as you feel increasingly comfortable walking further and longer it may be time to increase your intensity. Walking faster will increase your aerobic fitness and provide a better workout. To increase your fitness level and further reduce your cholesterol levels, without going to the gym or trying out another sport, hiking might be for you.

Getting Started Hiking

Hiking offers all the benefits of walking and more. As opposed to walking, hiking usually involves longer, set distances along a specific trail across countryside. This gives you a target and often helps to rapidly improve fitness levels thereby reducing cholesterol. By keeping up regular walking you will be in good shape for weekend hiking, so you should be able to get off to a good start

Planning is important. Although walking round the block and on errands might have been getting pretty boring, there’s a lot we take for granted when we’re in the middle of civilization. When you’re on a hike, even just for two or three hours, you’ll need to plan ahead and take a small daypack with a couple of emergency items, water and extra layers of clothing as needed.

To start with you can use the same footwear as you use for walking, although over time you may wish to upgrade to a pair of hiking boots for more support and to cover a wider range of terrain. Steep gradients, rocky ground, and walking on sand will all help to lower your cholesterol levels, burn up calories and workout your muscles. The longer and more difficult the trail, the more you’ll improve. Just don’t forget to start off slow and know your limits. This will keep things enjoyable and manageable.

Hiking will not only help lower your cholesterol levels and keep you fit and healthy, it will also improve your stress levels and pick up your mood. Spending time outdoors in natural settings has been proven to be important for mental health, especially in our increasingly ever connected world. By hiking to improve your physical health you can also improve your sense of well-being and mindfulness at the same time.

It’s also a great way to explore the country, make new acquaintances, discover wildlife and the beauty of nature. In reducing your cholesterol, you could also discover much more to life than you could from a gym or a sports class. In summary, the benefits of hiking are many.

Conclusion

So, can walking reduce cholesterol? Without a doubt, provided it’s regular and undertaken with some level of intensity. Walking is one of the best ways you can incorporate losing cholesterol into your lifestyle. This ensures that once you’ve reduced your levels they will stay down there at a healthy level. It’s easy to get started, costs you nothing and you will most likely enjoy the process.

when you are comfortable with walking regularly, you may want to expand on your regular walking activities by expanding into hiking. As mentioned above, hiking can help provide a greater physical workout and will keep you interested, allowing you to explore different areas of the country. It will also increase your general sense of well-being and appreciation of the great outdoors. Overall, it’s a win-win 🙂

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How Do Water Filters Work and Some Essential Tips

It’s easy to understand why most people rely on a water filter either while they’re at home, on vacation, or out in the wilderness, especially when you can never guarantee the quality of water you’re drinking. Unlike other types of contaminants that are relatively large and easy to see in unclean drinking water, when you learn how water filters work, you would realize that these devices are designed to clean out the things you can’t see.

In plenty of places around the world, you can find crystal clear water, but it may also be filled with microscopic bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals that can make you quite ill. Being able to answer, how water filters work will give you a clear understanding of where clean drinking water comes from and its benefits.

What is the Most Common Type of Water Filter?

There are four main types of filters that you can find examples of in today’s society: activated carbon, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and distillation. In terms of water filters that you use while hiking, you’re most likely to experience the benefits of activated carbon versus any of the other types of filtration.

Activated Carbon Filters

Also used in household water filters, any filtration straws or pumps that you use in the wilderness will also have activated carbon in them. These are small granules of activated carbon (or charcoal) that help pull impurities out of the water.

What makes them such great filters is that each granule has a large surface area that attracts plenty of contaminants and traps them during adsorption. Adsorption, similar to absorption, is when liquids and gasses will get trapped inside of liquids or solids.

Activated carbon/charcoal filters are phenomenal for getting rid of common contaminants including chlorine, pesticides, some toxic solvents, and more. What makes the activated carbon in household water filters different from specialized filters, such as the ones designated for hiking and survival, is that the specialized filters can also get rid of some heavy metals, microbes, and fluorine.

How Do Water Filters Work, Particularly Activated Carbon?

Now that you have a general answer to on how water filters work, it’s time to go through the process of how dirty and murky water transforms into clear and safe water as you consume it through a water filter straw or pump.

Step 1: Extracting the Water

Depending on the device you’re using, you will likely have to use a hose to access the source of water you’re going to use. This hose is responsible for bringing the water from its source through the filter and then to the spout once it has been cleaned. No matter how high-tech you believe your water filtration device is, it’s always best to avoid water sources that could possibly contain toxic chemicals, as you won’t be able to tell if all of the harmful elements have truly been removed without the help of a microscope.

Step 2: Purifying the Water

As the dirty water is brought into the filter, the activated charcoal will seek out any contaminants and based on the type of filter you have, contaminants as small as 0.01 microns can be removed, giving you cleaner water than you would ever imagine. The majority of activated charcoal filters will have a three-step filtration process.

Pre-filtering: During this stage, any traces of algae and bacteria will be removed from the drinking water.
Second filtration: At this point, a second carbon filter will get rid of traces of heavy metals and generic pollutants.
Ultrafiltration: For added protection against viruses, the third filtration step will remove up to 99.9% of other contaminants that could make you ill.

How to Store the Filtered Water?

Once the water filter has done all that it can to remove as many contaminants as possible, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you have a clean and safe place to store your purified water. Again, depending on whether you’re using a water filter pump or straw, you can either consume the water right away or store it in a hydration bladder or jug for your family or hiking buddies to enjoy.

However, it’s important to remember that you’re able to continue to protect the water against other contaminants such as bugs; otherwise, it certainly won’t be as clean as it was when you first harvested it.

How to Clean and Store the Filter?

The vast majority of water filters will require a small amount of maintenance to make sure they’re cleaned and ready to use the next time you need to filter some liquids. Not only are you going to want to make sure that all of the parts of the filter have been dried, but that they are also cleaned out. The last thing that you would want is to filter dirty water, have contaminants stuck in between the filter, and then find their way into your next batch of clean water.

In most cases, your water filter will give you instructions on what to do if the filter gets dirty. For example, some devices recommend that you throw the filter away and buy a new one, whereas others will come with a cleaning syringe to help pluck large contaminants out of the filter.

When it comes to storing your water filter, it’s the next important part of answering the question “How do water filters work?” You’ll need to make sure that the filter and all of its parts have had more than enough time to dry as you won’t want any traces of mold and/or mildew appearing in its nooks and crannies, essentially rendering it useless for your next outdoor excursion.

Our Final Thoughts

No matter if you’re getting all of your hiking gear together or if you’re planning a trip overseas, having access to a water filter could mean the difference between life and death. The human body is only able to survive for three days without water, and the last thing you’d want is to be in a position to where you’re forced to drink contaminated water that will only make you sick.

With the help of these unique devices, you’ll have the comfort of knowing that up to 99.9% of harmful elements have been removed from the beverage you’re about to consume, no matter where you are. Additionally, it can be a fun experiment to see the quality of your drinking water at home and how much fresher it will taste once it has been purified with the help of activated charcoal or another type of filtration.

What’s The Best Sleeping Bag For a Tall Man

The average male height is around 5 feet 10 inches, with the majority of sleeping bags aimed to comfortably accommodate a 6-foot man. So, if you’re taller than this, you may struggle to get a comfortable night’s sleep in a standard sleeping bag.

Fortunately, there are larger models available, they’re just not always that easy to find. Read on to find out how to evaluate what’s the best sleeping bag for a tall man and make your decision without compromise.

Standard Size Sleeping Bags

As mentioned above, standard sleeping bags for men tend to cater for a height of around 6 feet. However, even when purchasing a standard bag, many people often underestimate the amount of room that they actually need, not only in terms of length, but also width, with extra space on top if you tend to turn a lot in your sleep.

In fact, a standard size sleeping bag aimed at a 6-foot man should really have an actual length that’s around another 6-8 inches longer. This extra length is necessary to accommodate a sleeping person. Think about it, when you lie down your spine relaxes and your feet point forward, so everybody, regardless of their actual standing height, is going to need at least an extra half a foot in terms of length.

If you’re a reasonably tall person and you’re thinking you will probably just about fit in a standard-size sleeping bag, you may want to do your calculations again, using your lying down length rather than your standing height.

XL Sleeping Bags

There are a number of larger sleeping bags readily available, they’re just not always clearly marketed. It helps to write out the measurements you need before starting your search and to check the manufacturer’s specifications in each case rather than relying on descriptions. If you’ve now realized that you might need to go in for a larger-size sleeping bag after all, let’s take some factors into consideration to help you to make an informed choice in selecting your larger sleeping bag.

Fit

All sleeping bags are not going to be a perfect fit for everyone, we are all different sizes and have different preferences and styles of sleeping. However, if you consider for one moment the actual purpose of a sleeping bag, as opposed to a quilt or blanket, you’ll realize it’s designed to keep warmth in by trapping a layer of warm air between your body and its fabric.

If the sleeping bag is too small, you body will crush the insulation and there will be less air storing the heat next to your body, so you’ll not only feel uncomfortable, but you’ll also lose a lot more heat.

If, on the other hand, your sleeping bag is too big, you’ll also lose heat as it will just escape. Ideally for maximum insulation, you need to have several inches space between your body and your sleeping bag to maximize warmth and comfort. In other words, if you are very tall and the measurements just aren’t adding up, you may want to consider reading some customer reviews to find out how certain bags match up with certain heights. It’s always best to learn from other’s mistakes, when possible.

Value For Money

A larger sleeping bag is going to cost more, as it’s made from extra materials and takes slightly longer to make, whilst taking up more storage space. So, you should expect to pay more. There’s also not the same amount of choice, and where there’s less competition, prices can be unjustifiably high. In other words, use caution. You’ll have to pay more, but it shouldn’t be a huge amount more, not unless you’re planning to get one made to measure that is.

Features

While there may be less choice than for standard models, you’ll still have plenty of options for different features, such as shapes and styles, fillings, zipper types and so on. When you’re looking for a suitable sleeping bag and you’re worried it’s going to be a little on the snug side, make sure that you take any extra features into account. For example, a mummy style hood is going to more strictly limit the length of a sleeping bag than one without a hood.

Dimensions

Aside from the length of the sleeping bag, you’ll also want to consider its width. Even if you’re not at all bulky, if you are taking up a few extra inches in height, this is going to have an effect upon the width and the whole shape of the bag. A slightly wider sleeping bag will give you more room to turn over and move about, even if you’re reaching the maximum limit lengthwise.

Another consideration to bear in mind when choosing a sleeping bag for a tall man, is its folded dimensions. As longer sleeping bags will be bulkier, if you’re planning a hiking trip you may find you will need to factor in extra space to carry it, or you may wish to consider using a lighter model or one that stores into a more compact space.

Product Review – Teton Sport Celsius XXL

If you’re struggling to find a larger-sized sleeping bag, we’ve reviewed one of the most popular, reasonably priced ones. While the Teton Sport Celsius XXL is an entry level product, it does offer excellent value for money. So, if you’re hesitating over buying yourself a sleeping bag because of your height, this would be a great one to start with.

At 90 inches long, the Teton Sport Celsius XXL is recommended for heights up to 6 foot 6 inches. With a width of 39 inches, you shouldn’t have to worry about your above average height restricting your width, even if you’re on the bulky side.

To find out more about its features, pack size and temperature rating, visit Amazon for the full product specification.

Conclusion

What’s the best sleeping bag for a tall man? If you’re over 6 feet tall then your best option is to look for a sleeping bag in an XL range or one created specifically for taller people. If you are extremely tall, over 6 foot 6, you might struggle to find one suitably long, and you may have to consider camping quilts or a made-to-measure sleeping bag.

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What’s The Best Jacket For Hiking In The Winter?

A good quality winter hiking jacket is a must for any serious hiker. As with any major purchase, it’s well worth going over your needs, budget and must-have features beforehand to help decide what’s the best jacket for hiking in the winter months. Let’s take a look at the types of winter jackets you should be considering to keep warm and active on the trail this winter.

Benefits of a Good Winter Hiking Jacket

A good winter hiking jacket is about much more than just keeping warm in cold conditions, it should enable you to stay active throughout the coldest months in comfort. A winter hiking jacket needs to have two main qualities: it should be breathable and weatherproof.

Breathability is an essential quality for any kind of hiking jacket. The more challenging your hikes are, the more you’ll perspire. Even in minus temperatures, you’ll still appreciate a jacket with good breathability that will help regulate the temperature around your torse, rather than stopping to adjust layers, fiddling with gloves and interrupting your hike. The same goes for wet weather, you don’t want to have to remove your outer layer and risk getting drenched.

Most modern winter hiking jackets are made from advanced materials that have weather resistant qualities, to ensure that you stay warm and dry. Depending upon your level of activity and where you do most of your hiking, you’ll probably be best off with a robust hard shell jacket or a quality rain shell jacket used in conjunction with appropriate layering. This will offer extra protection against the wind and rain, as well as insulation.

A good winter hiking jacket will keep you warm, but more importantly dry, allowing perspiration to pass through micro pores away from your skin, whilst keeping the elements out. Many people new to hiking envisage thick padded coats. However, thanks to advances in modern technology and the creation of new lightweight, robust materials alongside the tendency to layer jackets with clothing for an adjustable level of warmth and freedom of movement, winter hiking jackets are much less bulky than your average winter coat.

Features to Look For in a Winter Hiking Jacket

Now that you know what kind of jacket you’ll need, time to take a look at some of the top-rated features, to help you to really make the most of your winter hikes. Whilst these aren’t strictly essential, they can make a huge difference to your comfort and performance.

Adjustable Hood

When it’s cold and wet, or snowy, you’ll need a hood that adjusts to keep the elements out. Adjustable hoods allow for bulkier headwear and stay up in strong winds. A nice addition is a brimmed hood which can be very useful to keep your line of sight clear while you hike, read a map, etc. in very bad weather.

Air Vents

Although most jackets are breathable, if your trail features challenging sections of intense activity, you’re going to need to cool off quickly and easily. Air vents are the best way to do so in bad weather as you don’t need to remove your protective outer layer, or indeed any layers.

Especially popular are full torso vents for rapid cooling and armpit vents, also known as pit zips. If you’re considering any kind of strenuous hiking in colder weather, you’ll definitely want to make sure you have vents in your winter hiking jacket

Large Zipped Pockets

This may sound like a minor detail, but when you’re out in the cold with thick gloves, large pockets with zipper pulls will make your life a lot easier. The size and number of pockets depends on your personal preferences, what you keep on your person and what goes in your backpack. Just make sure you can easily open and close with gloves.

Adjustable Cuffs

Adjustable cuffs help keep warmth in and allow you to put gloves under or over your sleeves. This also sounds like a minor detail, but you’d be surprised just how much heat you can lose from ill-fitting cuffs and if its wet you risk the rain getting in.

Recommended Layering with a Rain Shell Hiking Jacket

Now that you know what to look for in a winter hiking jacket, how do you wear it to optimize warmth whilst allowing for episodes of perspiration and heat generation?

It’s highly recommended to start with an absorbent base layer next to the skin that will wick sweat away to the outer layers. Your base layer should be tight fitting and as lightweight as possible. This will allow it to wick better and to dry faster, keeping you drier.

The following layers can be multiplied if required, depending upon temperatures and activity levels. In winter you’ll likely need a mid-layer or two, typically a long sleeved top. This layer should also be lightweight with good wicking properties to ensure moisture flows away from the skin.

After your mid-layer, the standard outer mid-layer would be a fleece or similar garment, that will add extra warmth, without weighing you down, and finally you have the outer layer, your hard shell or rain shell jacket to protect you from the elements.

Layering allows you to alter the level of warmth depending upon the temperature. It is important to choose merino wool, silk-based or synthetic-based materials for clothes close to your skin, as they help to ensure that moisture is wicked away to the outer layers so you don’t get wet from the inside.

Cotton is to be avoided where possible, especially near to the skin as cotton absorbs and holds moisture, quickly becoming and staying wet and weighing you down. Ever wonder why bath towels are usually made from cotton? Yep, because they’re so good at absorbing and retaining moisture!

In terms of wearing cotton clothes hiking, this can also contribute to you getting very cold e.g. if you sweat when hiking, when you stop the sweat absorbed into the cotton will rapidly cool down, and it will be like wearing a wet and cold towel after a while … not good! If you were unfortunate enough to become immobilized for some reason, your chances of getting hypothermia will also shoot up if you have damp clothes close to your skin in very cold temperatures.

Conclusion

What’s the best jacket for hiking in winter? In short, we think a good hard shell jacket or a quality rain shell hiking jacket that’s lightweight, strong, breathable and weatherproof is the way to go. Whether you choose the hard shell or the rain shell, really depends on the toughness of the conditions you plan to hike in.

If you’re a regular year round hiker, it is worth investing in both so you have the option and you can try out different combinations of layering in different conditions to see what works well for you.

When used with appropriately layered garments and accessories you’ll have a jacket that will be suitable for a huge range of hiking in winter weather and temperatures, as well as for practical day-to-day use should you need that.

What’s a Hiking GPS Emergency Locator?

Whether you loathe them or love them, there’s no denying that high-tech gadgets are becoming increasingly common in all areas of life – including hiking. Even if you have no intention of purchasing or using such items, it’s still useful to know how they work, as you never know what the future may bring. So, what’s a hiking GPS emergency locator, how does it work, and do you need one?

What is it?

Hiking GPS emergency locators, as the name suggests, use GPS to locate hikers in an emergency. They are also known as PLBs, or personal locator beacons. They are compact hand-held units, with a switch to signal an emergency and your location. Once the alert has been sent, a rescue team will be instructed to travel to your location to attempt a rescue.

It is important to note that these devices are only to be used in a real emergency i.e. a life-threatening scenario. Once sent, there is no way of canceling an alert. The search and rescue team may put their own lives in danger trying to reach you or delay another rescue whilst completing yours. The decision to make use of a PLB is, therefore, not to be taken lightly.

How Does it Work?

Your hiking GPS emergency locator relies upon a vast network of satellites to function. It is important to bear in mind that you will need to be in an unobscured place to ensure efficient sending and localization. Once you send the alert, the device will send out a signal which will be picked up by satellites and then sent on with your GPS coordinates to search and rescue teams. PLBs come with a lithium battery that has a minimum life of 24 hours. The battery lies dormant up until you send the alert.

When you purchase a PLB, you will need to register it. Upon registration your personal details that you provide such as your name, phone number and medical history are linked to a number identifying your PLB. This information is passed on to rescue services along with your location when you use it.

Positive Aspects

PLBs save lives and make rescues safer, saving resources by pinpointing the location of the emergency. The time that is saved searching also means that the search and rescue team are available for more rescues.
Having your medical details sent to the rescue team before they set out to find you, means they can personalize the equipment and supplies that they bring with them if you have any conditions that are likely to require extra attention. This could help to save your life.
Hiking GPS emergency locators are extremely accurate and can locate you to around 500 meters accuracy.
The majority of PLBs have a built-in light to help to attract the attention of search and rescue team when they are near. This can save even more time and means you will exert yourself less trying to alert them to your presence.
PLBs can provide peace of mind for yourself, as well as friends and family who may worry about the dangers of certain trips.
There is no subscription fee or any kind of recurring fee for a PLB, you only pay the purchase price.
You can quickly and easily register your device online and update your personal details, this is important if you develop a new medical condition.
PLBs empower more people to experience backcountry hiking and to try places they may previously have thought were too remote.

Negative Aspects

Emergency GPS locators are fairly expensive, averaging around $300 for a standard model and they can only be used once.
If you use it accidentally or your situation changes, you cannot cancel the alert, a search and rescue team will arrive as soon as possible.
Satellite coverage can vary and obscured areas such as caves or areas of heavy vegetation can cause problems sending your alert effectively. You will have no way of knowing that your request to be rescued has been processed until the rescue team arrive.
PLBs may encourage some people to take unnecessary risks or to engage in irresponsible practices if they see it as a safety net. Search and rescue teams still take time to arrive and although they will arrive much sooner, there is no 100% guarantee they will be able to save a life.

Do you Need One?

If you’re thinking about purchasing a hiking GPS emergency locator, you should first consider when and how often you are in environments where a PLB might come in use. PLBs can be useful for extra peace of mind, especially for solo hikers and those who go on long expeditions into the wild.

They can also provide reassurance for loved ones at home, just knowing that you have a way to request emergency assistance can make them more accepting of your risk-taking needs. You may also consider purchasing a PLB if you hike with family members, especially children who may get into trouble more easily than an experienced adult.

If on the other hand you are an occasional hiker and you tend to stick to well known trails, you probably don’t really need an emergency locator. However, if having one in your backpack gives you greater security and allows you to enjoy exploring the great outdoors, then you should go ahead and purchase one regardless. It’s true that we cannot predict the future and sometimes bad accidents can happen even on what seem like the easiest of trails.

Conclusion

Now that you have the answer to what’s a hiking GPS emergency locator, it’s time to make your own assessment of whether you need to purchase one for your future hiking trips. With a one-off purchase fee and free registration, the benefits by far outweigh any negatives, especially if you are the more cautious type and you value extra peace of mind.

However, in many cases, good planning before you set out will be enough to keep you safe and a mobile phone can be enough to get help if you get into difficulty. Always do your research well in advance, and obviously, if you’re heading deep into the remote wilderness where contact with the outside world will be dificult if not impossible, then a device like this makes sense.

How To Get a Backpack Zipper Unstuck

The humble zipper. Like many other inventions that are practically indispensable to our daily lives, we frequently overlook just how useful zippers are. That is, until they become stuck.

If your coat zipper starts playing up on the way to work, it’s annoying to say the least, but it’s not such a big deal. However, if you’re miles from civilization, the weather’s turning and you’re desperately wondering how to get a backpack zipper unstuck, the situation can seem pretty serious. Let’s take a look at what may cause zipper malfunctions and some of the easiest ways to get stuck zippers unstuck.

Why do Zippers Get Stuck?

Zippers are, by their very nature, the most fragile part of a backpack. Backpacks are increasingly made from strong, durable materials, reducing wear and tear and extending their lifespan. Although certain zippers may be stronger and more reliable than others, the mechanism remains the same, and where there’s a possibility of things going wrong, that possibility often becomes a reality.

Zippers are made up of a series of interlocking teeth on opposite side of the zipper tape. The slider, when pulled up or down, either locks the teeth together or forces them apart. While the zipper’s design allows for quick and easy opening and closing, it is often subjected to a variety of situations that are likely to cause malfunctions.

Common Zipper Problems

Common zipper problems often come down to faulty manufacturing, or a poor-quality product. With a top-end backpack, this is less likely to be the case. Zippers may also get stuck due to overstraining, trying to squeeze in that one extra piece of gear that just won’t fit while tugging hard on the slider pull. Over time this can deteriorate the regularity of the teeth’s alignment or the slider’s inner mechanism.

Aside from misalignment from straining, zippers, especially those used in hiking products, can get stuck because of dirt buildup. Small particles like sand, earth, dust, grit and bits of vegetation can clog up the inner mechanism leading to a malfunction resulting in slider and teeth distortion. Fabric from either side of the zipper can also become trapped with similar results.

Ways to Unstick a Stuck Backpack Zipper

If your backpack zipper is refusing to budge, as tempting as it may be to start pulling hard to release it, it’s important to stop and assess the situation. Is any of the surrounding fabric trapped? Was the zipper working fine up until now? Are you going to be relying on your backpack for the next few days?

Before possibly irrevocably breaking your backpack, taking the time to examine the problem can help to provide a solution.

Snagged Zippers

If the zipper is snagged on the surrounding fabric, gently try to reverse it. The more gently you can do this the less likely you are to cause any lasting damage. Sometimes a good deal of patience will be required, holding the trapped fabric a millimeter to the left or right can help to release the slider while slowly reversing it.

Trapped Dirt

If you can’t see any obvious reason for your backpack zipper to be stuck, it could be caused by a buildup of trapped dirt within the slider. Try blowing hard to get any loose particles out before they cause any further problems. Gently try to manipulate the zipper, stopping immediately if there’s any sign of it straining. You may want to try wetting or submerging the zipper area whilst gently jiggling it to remove any trapped dirt.

Other Scenarios

If the zipper is clean, there’s no trapped fabric (remember this could also be on the interior), then your zipper may be faulty. Some people recommend greasing zippers, and you could try it if you happen to have any kind of lubricant to hand. However, this can often be a bad idea as it can attract dirt and grit causing them to stick inside the zipper, making the problem worse, or creating a new one. However, this is a great last-ditch option and could save your backpack.

If your backpack zipper is well and truly broken you should consider your options and upcoming needs before breaking it further. If you’re going to be relying on your backpack for the next few days, you should consider cutting through from another internal compartment with a functioning external zipper if possible. This will maintain the integity and functionality of your backpack, enabling you to continue your hike with the least inconvenience.

If this isn’t possible, decide if you want to rip or cut open your backpack at the zipper opening and try to replace it later upon returning home, or if there’s another more convenient place to cut into your backpack. This opening should be created in a position where it would be easier to tie or somehow fasten shut for the rest of your hiking expedition.

Replacing and Mending Broken Zippers

It can be a waste to throw away a good backpack because of a broken zipper. Zippers themselves are relatively inexpensive and if you can’t fix the zipper yourself, you should be able to find a local company that can replace it for you.

If your zipper is faulty, you may be entitled to a new backpack under your manufacturer’s guarantee. In any case it’s often worth contacting them, you never know, they might at least offer you a discount even if the product itself wasn’t faulty.

How to Avoid Future Zipper Problems

Zipper problems often occur because of misuse, by taking good care of your zipper you will reduce the chances of it getting stuck and extend your backpack’s lifespan.

Helpful hints to keep your zipper from sticking:

Don’t overfill your backpack. Not only is it going to be heavy, trying to squeeze in extra items will strain the zipper. Plan before packing.
Always open the zipper fully when putting your stuff inside. You may just need to quickly slip a container in, but if the opening isn’t wide enough this will cause the teeth to tear apart and increase the likelihood of your zipper getting stuck in the future.
Don’t ever force your zipper, you will cause it to become (even more) stuck. If you’re not the patient type and you don’t urgently need access to your backpack contents, give it a few minutes and try again later.
Clean your zipper after every hike, especially in dirty conditions. Give your backpack a good shake out and wipe over in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Pay attention to the quality of zippers, their positioning and how well they function on future purchases. When possible try before you buy or ask questions online.

Conclusion

It’s not always easy to figure out how to get a backpack zipper unstuck, but a bit of patience and common sense can make all the difference and may save your backpack from unnecessary destruction. If not, you might just have to make the best of a bad situation and look forward to treating yourself to a new backpack, there are worse things that could happen 🙂

What Are The Best Hiking Boots With Ankle Support?

Hiking? That’s our kind of thing! Running and sports shoes are very light and serve an excellent purpose if you intend to cover long distances on flat and even surfaces like roads, tarmac, etc. The question is, is that the kind of shoes you need for your hiking expeditions? Will they protect your feet and ankles adequately? In short, no, we definitely do not think so.

When you’re hitting the trail, you need hiking boots, or for less difficult terrain, trail shoes. As a general rule, we recommend hiking boots over trail shoes (although we of course use both), as they provide more stability and support, particularly around the ankles.

Why you need Good Ankle Support

When you’re out hiking, typically you will go over a wide variety of terrain. Everything from flat and even trails to rocky ridges are on the cards for the more adventurous hiker.

This is all good and the reason why hiking is so enjoyable. However, when you’re on that kind of varying terrain, you are of course running a greater risk of turning over on your feet, slipping, etc. and heaven forbid, twisting or even breaking your ankle.

Ankles, as well as feet and knees, are one of the typical areas prone to suffering when you have a nasty twist or fall on the trail. Enter hiking boots with good ankle support!

I can’t count how many times I’ve put my foot down onto a grassy piece of ground, only to find that there is a hole there, and my ankle has jerked off to the side as I adjust my body to find stability. Likewise, I’ve walked up plenty of wet rocks on ridges in my hiking career, and once or twice, I’ve had a bit of a slip.

All was fine though, as I had solid hiking boots that had appropriate protection for my ankles. So while I certainly felt a tug when I slipped, my sturdy boots kept my ankle secure enough so no ligament, muscle or bone damage was done.

Also, typically when you hike, you carry a pack of some kind, be it a day pack when day hiking, or a backpack if you’re out hiking for longer. This extra weight on your back makes you more prone to losing stability and falling, should you have a minor slip i.e. it’s harder to maintain your balance with a heavy load, when you take a small slip. Good hiking boots with good ankle support help greatly with this problem.

What Provides Good Ankle Support

In short, it’s the construction of your hiking boots that provide the stability and support in them. This is why investing in quality hiking boots is, in our humble opinion, so important.

You need hiking boots that have a well-constructed upper that works well with all the other constituent parts of your boots e.g. midsole, shank, etc. The upper will typically be leather or textile or a mix of the two. Leather can be a very good option for providing more stability around the ankle, but there are also excellent leather and textile mix options too.

The outsole of course must have good grip to help prevent slipping, Vibram soles are excellent for that, and you of course want good cushioning around the feet and ankles. Cushioning around the ankle will be held in place by a good lacing system, which of course holds your boots in place as you hike.

All these things put together provide the sum total of the level of ankle support you can count on, while out on the trail.

Top Hiking Boots with Excellent Ankle Support

We recommend you check out our top hiking boot recommendations for men and our top hiking boot recommendations for women, they all have great ankle support to one degree or another. However, we’ve singled out two top performers in this area in case you want to get straight to it.

Best Hiking Boots with Ankle Support for Men

The Meindl Vakuum GTX, pictured below, for men are an excellent pair of leather hiking boots. They are top of the range, and so are at the higher end of the scale in terms of price, but you can rest assured they will hold your ankle securely over a wide variety of terrain. The only downside is that they are probably too much boot for hiking in warmer times of year, as they can be too warm. That being the case, we think the Lowa Renegade GTX are also an excellent option.

Best Hiking Boots with Ankle Support for Women

We think the Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX hiking boots, pictured below, provide excellent ankle support and are a top of the range pair of boots. While not as pricey as they Meindl Vakuum above, they’re still an excellent pair of hiking boots.

As a second runner, we again recommend the Lowa Renegade GTX hiking boots, but obviously the ladies version of this fantastic pair of hiking boots.

Conclusion

Hiking just isn’t as enjoyable as it can be, without having proper hiking boots on. When you have the proper boots, you naturally hike with more confidence and so have more bandwidth to enjoy the trail, as you’re not overly worrying about where you are putting your feet.

The above features we touched on are key elements in choosing best hiking boots with good ankle support for you. However, as mentioned, we only touched on them here. If you are planning to buy a pair of hiking boots, check out our hiking boot buying guide, as it covers everything you need to consider when buying a new pair of hiking boots, and all of the constituent parts that go into making up a good pair of hiking boots in much more detail.

Suffice it say, we think good ankle support is a must in hiking boots, and the good news is, most decent hiking boots available on the market today offer a good level of support to your ankles. Like anything though, some provide more than others.

Remember to take the type of hiking into consideration too. If you typically hike on flat and even well marked trails, you likely have less need for very serious ankle protection, and you may even get away with trail shoes if the ground is very flat and even. However, if you enjoy a bit of off trail, it is worth investing in good hiking boots that have adequate ankle support.

Remember, if you’re in the market for a new pair of hiking boots, you find our top hiking boot recommendations for men here, and our top hiking boot recommendations for women here.

Remember, always be safe on the trail and wear the appropriate gear. Happy hiking!

How To Adjust Trekking Pole Height

If you’re thinking of trying out trekking poles, or maybe you already own a pair, you may be wondering how to best adjust them. When used correctly trekking poles can help reduce fatigue and joint strain while improving stability, however, if they are not correctly adjusted to your height they can be cumbersome and more of a hindrance than a help.

Let’s take a look at how to adjust trekking pole height correctly for the different types of poles and why it’s important to do so. If you’re new to trekking poles or if it’s something that you’ve just never quite ‘got the hang of’, you may find that this could lead you to change your mind and possibly make your hiking trips go even better.

Reasons To Adjust Trekking Pole Height

Firstly, although you can buy fixed height poles, as each and every one of us is different to the next person, it makes sense to be able to customize our accessories whenever possible. Adjustable trekking poles allow you to fine tune the exact length of your poles, thus maximizing your levels of comfort and support. Most adjustable trekking poles have an alterable length of 24 to 55 inches.

Secondly, trekking poles are a huge help when negotiating difficult terrain. They can make the almost impossible, possible and a good deal easier, especially on the joints. Once you have adjusted your poles for your height and you’re using them with ease, you will find them even more useful for ascending and descending if you shorten and extend them accordingly on the go.

Rugged hillside terrain may even require you to lengthen one while shortening the other for perfect balance and comfort while contouring a hill with narrow paths. In fact given the simplicity and efficacy of trekking pole adjustment, you may find yourself adjusting them for any kind of rough terrain, streams and sand dunes.

Thirdly, and best of all, it takes seconds to do. So let’s take a look at how it’s done.

How To Find The Right Height

To find the optimum length for your trekking poles, hold your pole with its tip touching the ground. When you will have adjusted the height as necessary, either increasing or decreasing, your lower arm will be parallel with the ground with your upper arm at a 90 degree angle.

This will be the main height that you will need for flat terrain. Once you’ve done one pole, don’t forget to make sure that the second one is the same length by comparing them.

Some people find it useful to mark this height on their poles or to adjust the lower level(s) then use the upper level for changes when they’re on the trail. I’d say to hang on a bit and just get comfortable, once you’ve got a few hikes with them under your belt, then you will get a feeling for how they work best for you and what, if any changes you will be making on a regular basis. Most poles come with graduated markings so you should be able to keep track of which height works best for you.

How To Adjust Your Trekking Poles

Although trekking poles may differ in terms of looks, materials and price, in general there are two main types of adjustable ones, telescopic poles and foldable poles.

Telescopic Trekking Poles

Also known as telescoping poles, these trekking poles are made up of sections that store inside of one another when not in use.

Foldable Trekking Poles

Foldable poles, also known as tri-fold or z-fold poles, are made of separate sections that are connected by a cord. These sections fold next to one another when the pole is not in use.

To adjust the height of your poles:

Unlock the pole from its collapsed/folded position.
Hold the pole by its grip with its tip touching the floor. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and your grip is comfortable.
Decide if you need to lengthen or shorten the pole to achieve the correct height (as discussed in the previous section).
If your pole uses a twisting mechanism, twist to loosen or tighten as appropriate. If it has a lever or catch mechanism, extend or shorten until the desired length is achieved, then close or release the lever or catch. Double check that the pole is locked, and repeat for the second one.
Try both poles and adjust again if necessary.

If you have any difficulty adjusting your trekking poles, check the manufacturer’s notice or website for product-specific information, see this example. The vast majority of poles are extremely simple to adjust and self explanatory.

Once you’ve adjusted your trekking pole height you may like to check it again with a pole in each hand, to check that you have the right weight distribution and that they feel comfortable. Having done each pole individually the first time allows you to be familiar with the process and to arrive at the stage where only very fine tuning should be needed. Also, make sure that you have the correct pole in the correct hand, most brands have left and right hand poles that are slightly different to one another.

Conclusion

Trekking poles are often invaluable aides for hikers, they are extremely useful for navigating difficult terrain, improving stability and reducing the risk of a slip or fall. They can also help to reduce fatigue, improve cardiovascular fitness by increasing upper body movement and circulation, and they help to reduce joint strain.

However, in order to fully benefit from all of the positive aspects that trekking poles can offer, it is essential that you know how to adjust trekking pole height correctly. Trekking poles that are not correctly adjusted can cause muscle pain, joint pain and general discomfort, so it’s important to check that your poles are adjusted to the right height.

Adjusting trekking pole height is extremely simple and it can be done quickly and easily, making difficult ascents and descents much easier and safer, and general hiking a lot less tiring. If you’ve never quite taken to using trekking poles, or you’ve just got your first pair, take a few moments to double check that they’re the right height for you, it will definitely be worth your while.

Finally, if you’re looking to invest in a pair of trekking poles, check out our top trekking pole recommendations.

How Many Calories Do You Burn Hiking?

One of the many benefits of hiking is that it’s a great physical workout, helping you to stay in shape and burn off calories. There are many reasons that you may want to find out how many calories you’re burning while hiking.For example, if you’re looking to combine your love of the great outdoors with losing weight, finding out how many calories you use can help you to effectively plan your weight-loss goals. Alternatively, you may want to make sure you’re optimizing your nutrition for performance, or to work out how much food to take with you on a long hiking trip.

Here’s a breakdown of the main factors that affect the number of calories you go through on a hike, to help you to answer your question – how many calories do you burn hiking?

Body Weight

Your body weight affects how many calories you use up, the heavier you are, the more you will burn off per hour. When hiking, rather than just walking on the flat, it is estimated that a person weighing 155 lb will burn around 446 calories per hour, with someone who weighs 185 lb using 532 calories per hour. However, this is really only an approximate amount to be used as a guideline. .

If we consider the same two persons but for an hour’s walk at 3.5 mph, the estimates drop to 298 and 356 respectively. From looking at these two sets of figures it’s clear that the hiking estimates account for much more calories than simply walking and body weight alone. In order to find out how much more you will need to add on to make your own estimate of how many calories you burn while hiking, you will need to take the following factors into consideration.

Distance

This speaks for itself, the greater the distance you cover, the more calories you burn. Once you’ve decided on your trail, you can begin to work out the number of calories that you’ll be burning by factoring in any variables that will affect this, such as how long you intend to take, your pace and what types of terrain you’ll cover.

Speed

The faster you go, the more calories you burn. Let’s compare the calories burnt per hour for someone who weighs 185 lb at walking pace (3.5mph) 356 calories, at a brisk walk (4.5mph) 444 calories, and jogging (5 mph) 710 calories. As you can see, increasing your speed and intensity greatly increases the number of calories burnt. While you don’t have to go full out speed hiking or fastpacking, if you are looking to burn off extra calories or to raise your cardiovascular fitness you could increase your speed, terrain and stamina permitting of course.

What’s more, research has found that a strenuous hike can temporarily raise your metabolism for several hours afterwards. This can mean a general increase in the number of calories you burn for up to 14 hours following your hike, so it can be worth putting in the extra effort to really maximize your caloric consumption.

Terrain

Steep inclines and more challenging terrain will greatly increase the number of calories that you use during your hike. It is estimated that a 5-10% gradient will increase the number of calories you burn by as much as 30-40%. Differences in terrain will help to work out different muscles and contribute to an effective calorie-busting workout.

The beauty of hiking is often found in the huge diversity that you come across in nature and you may not fully appreciate just how many different types of terrain you’re actually navigating. If your local hikes are mostly flat grasslands you always have the option to increase your speed if you’re looking to increase your caloric consumption.

Trekking Poles

Using trekking poles will increase your upper body movement, this will use more calories as you are moving more of your body, whilst increasing circulation and reducing fatigue. Although using trekking poles as hiking aides will not burn off quite as many extra calories as going in for the full Nordic walking regime, hiking with trekking poles is likely to burn off at least an extra calorie per minute.

Backpack

Carrying a backpack while hiking will add a lot to the number of calories that you go through. A heavy load for a long trip can easily burn as many as 200 calories an hour more than hiking without a backpack. Good planning and local knowledge can help you to pack light to avoid having to carry huge amounts where possible.

Lighter backpacks that contain a minimum of equipment and supplies for a day’s hiking will probably cause you to consume an extra 50 to 100 calories per hour. If you’re looking to add extra weight to a short hike to burn a maximum of calories, carrying extra water is a good option as you can always lose the extra if you change your mind along the way or if you need to get back quicker, without causing any damage to the local environment.

Conclusion

So, how many calories do you burn hiking? There are many factors to take into account and in the majority of cases it’s usually a lot more than you realize. Once you’ve factored in for a full day’s hiking, with a body weight of around 185 lbs, a heavy backpack and some challenging terrain, the average amount of calories burnt is going to be around 5,000.

On the other hand, if you go for a 2 hour hike with easy-going terrain and a very light load, you’re probably looking at about 900 calories. If you take into account the factors that we’ve looked at you can easily reach a ballpark figure for your requirements. Overall though, hiking is a great exercise for your heart, mind and general health.

Just as each and every hike is different, the number of calories you burn off hiking will vary each time. There are plenty of variables that you can control in order to alter the amount. You might find it useful to choose trips with more gradient, to carry extra weight or to alter your pace if you’re looking to increase the number of calories that you consume. However, don’t let your calorie counting get in the way of your enjoyment, explore, let your mind wander freely and immerse yourself in the great outdoors.