Stay Together

When hiking, stay together. Most rescues involve groups that have separated. Do not leave and hike ahead. A common mistake involves the slower hiker telling the faster hiker "You go on ahead: I'll be all right." Then you hike ahead and spend the next three hours worrying and waiting at the trailhead about the friend you left behind that should of been out by now.

 
Keep the First Day Easy

The first day needs to be the easiest. This is when your pack is heaviest. The last thing you're thinking about as you descend to the river or ascend to a summit is the warm spot on your big toe. But by the end of the day, your toe will be a big problem. Tape the warm spots and take extra socks to change into when they get wet from sweat. Take care of your feet.

 
Eat Well When It's Hot

Keeping yourself cool and hiking in rugged terrain takes a very large amount of energy. You need to make sure that you eat more than you normally do. Eat small amounts of complex carbohydrates -- breads, fruits, crackers, grains, non-fat energy bars -- every 1/2 hour. While hiking, you should avoid foods that are high in fats and proteins because these take time to digest and will unsettle your stomach in the heat. If you do not eat enough food to meet your energy needs, you end up burning your fat and muscle tissues. This is very inefficient and creates a lot of metabolic waste products that are guaranteed to make you feel ill. Eating adequate amounts of food will also help guarantee that you are replacing the electrolytes that you are sweating out. If you replace the water, but not the electrolytes, you can develop a serious and dangerous medical condition known as hyponatremia or water intoxication which, if left untreated, can lead to seizures and death. You need to eat at least two to three times your normal food intake to meet your energy needs while hiking rugged terrain.

Eat Well When It's Cold

Keeping yourself warm and hiking out of the canyon takes a very large amount of energy -- food. Make sure that you eat more than you normally do. Eat small amounts of complex carbohydrates -- breads, fruits, crackers, grains, non-fat energy bars -- every 1/2 hour. If you do not eat enough food to meet your energy needs, you end up burning your fat and muscle tissues to meet these needs. This is inefficient and creates a lot of metabolic waste products that are guaranteed to make you feel ill. You need to eat at least two times your normal food intake to meet your energy needs while hiking West Virginia's rugged terrain.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

In summer, hikers can sweat around a half-quart of a quart of water and electrolytes per hour. Don't wait until you feel thirsty to replace these fluids and electrolytes. By the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Even this mild level of dehydration makes your body approximately 10-to-20 percent less efficient and makes hiking a lot less fun. The more dehydrated you become, the less efficient your body becomes at walking and cooling. Even a slight to moderate fluid and electrolyte loss will lead to heat cramps and exhaustion, including nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and fainting. A moderate to large fluid and electrolyte loss can lead to severe heat exhaustion, includingt extreme dizziness, constant nausea and vomiting, shock, kidney damage, and heat stroke. A normal hydrated adult should be able to urinate approximately 1-to-2 ounces of light yellow urine every two hours. If you are urinating more frequently than this and your urine is clear, you may be over-hydrating and may need to cut back on your fluid intake. If your urine is dark or smells, you are probably dehydrated and need to drink more frequently.

Stay West and Cool in Hot Weather

Whenever you're near water on a hot day, treat yourself to a dip. Make sure that you actually wet yourself down. If you hike while soaking wet, you will stay reasonably cool. Carry some extra water to wet yourself down again when your hair and clothing begins to dry. This will make a wonderful difference in how well you feel, especially at the end of the day! You'll stay fresher longer, and you will reduce your fluid, electrolyte, and energy loss significantly.

Keep Warm and Dry in Winter

Synthetic fabrics such as pile, bunting, and fleece will help keep you warm even when they are wet. Natural fabrics such as wool and silk are also effective at keeping you warm when they get wet. Cotton, however, when wet will leach the heat away from your body through evaporation and conduction. Cotton also readily absorbs water and takes a long time to dry. Avoid wearing cotton if you can. If cotton is all you have, then do whatever you can to keep it dry, so it can keep you warm.

Take a Break Every Hour or Half Hour

A break of seven to nine minutes can flush out 20 to 30 percent of the waste products that have built up in your legs while hiking. Sit down, prop your legs up above the level of your heart, and let gravity help drain these metabolic waste products out of your Legs. Eat some food, drink some fluids, and enjoy and appreciate the view. These efficient breaks can really recharge your batteries. In the long run, they won't slow you down.

 
Pace Yourself