Being outdoors: Why it matters to your health.
When I was a kid my parents would often tell my brother and me to “go outside and play”. I think this was true for all of my friends. We spent very little time indoors. It wasn’t what we were doing that was so important, but that it was being outdoors. Reflecting back and looking at the way many Americans spend their days, I think we have minimized our contact with nature and it’s killing…
The Biggest Problem in “Waterborne” illness Comes Down To This Word That Starts With “W”
I bet if you ask 10 people how you prevent “waterborne” illness nine would say treat, filter, and/or boil the water. Guess what, they would be right. However, what if we change the question a bit. How do we prevent backcountry gastrointestinal illness? Now, what do you think? If we look at gastrointestinal diseases contracted in the backcountry, we don’t have good consensus that it’s from the water you drink.  In the journal “Wilderness and Environmental Medicine”, Thomas…
How Much Water Should You Drink on a Hike and Why?
Fluid replacement is critical to athletic performance. Yes, I said it, athletic. That’s what extended hiking is. I’m not talking about your walk in the local park, but intensive hikes that last longer than 1.5+ hours. I hear many theories on how much water one should drink during sporting events and many are “one size fits all” in nature. Intense activities lasting longer than an hour will require a specific re-hydration strategy. This applies to…