How to Meditate Outdoors
Hiking Project Journal
by Phuong Le
3y ago
Imagine that you’re hiking your favorite trail. What color is the sky above you? How does the dirt feel beneath your boots? What do you smell? What do you hear? Chances are, even thinking about that scene makes you feel more relaxed. Spending time outdoors has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, boost happiness and spark creativity, among other benefits. Adding nature-based mindfulness exercises to the mix can also have positive effects. Mindfulness meditation is defined as a mind and body practice that focuses on how your brain, mind, body, behavior and surroundings intera ..read more
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Gear I Hold Dear: My MSR Hubba Hubba Tent
Hiking Project Journal
by Maren Horjus
3y ago
When I was 22, anything was possible. I was just learning who I was. I liked work that made my body strong. I liked sharing intimate moments that let me believe we’d be friends forever. I liked having my own space. I liked sleeping outdoors. I definitely liked my new MSR Hubba Hubba 2 tent. Two doors, good headroom, light enough for me to haul solo, roomy enough to share with a friend, freestanding and a breeze to set up, clever options for using just the mesh or just the fly, an orange color that filtered sunlight into happiness. The more I used it, the more I knew I had chosen well. The 20 ..read more
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Your Guide for Journaling in Nature
Hiking Project Journal
by Michelle Flandreau
3y ago
Whenever I need a break from everyday life, nature never fails me. The deeper into the forest I go, the more peaceful I feel. My worries fall off of me like a heavy coat, and I can focus my attention on the present moment. I notice the smell of fresh pine and cedar, the crunch of raw earth underneath my feet and the fresh air against my skin. It’s a feeling I don’t want to forget, and that’s why I always bring my journal along with me. My journal entry isn’t always a masterpiece, but I can count on it to help me feel calm, grounded and grateful. Journaling in nature brings introspection that ..read more
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Numb Fingers and Toes? It’s Not Frostbite, But Raynaud’s Can Still Be a Pain to Deal With
Hiking Project Journal
by Emily Irelan
3y ago
I was cross country skiing up a long hill the first time I noticed my fingertips turn ghostly white and numb. It wasn’t bitterly cold out and I was wearing warm gloves. Was it a serious condition like frostbite? I later learned that I had Raynaud’s (pronounced ray-NOZ or ray-NAZ) syndrome, a condition in which sufferers are hypersensitive to cold and changing temperatures. Attacks can also be triggered by surprisingly mild conditions—I’ve even had one happen while relaxing in a breezy, shady campsite after a balmy summer hike. The attacks, when I get them, are not painful, and mine typic ..read more
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How Fjällräven Right-sized the Bookbag
Hiking Project Journal
by Maren Horjus
3y ago
As it turns out, bigger isn’t always better—especially when it comes to backpacks. A bigger load can result in a heavier one that leaves you aching after just a few steps. So when Fjällräven founder Åke Nordin decided to design a bookbag for schoolchildren, he made something so small and unassuming that it hardly looked likely to become the iconic backpack it is today. It was the Kånken, named after the Swedish word kånka, meaning to lug something around. And in 1978, when Nordin hatched his idea for a children’s school pack, Swedes were fed up with load-lugging. Back then, Swedish kids typic ..read more
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Staff Picks: The Best Rain Jackets of 2020
Hiking Project Journal
by Aer Parris-Hoshour
3y ago
Don’t let crummy weather spoil your outdoor fun. A quality rain jacket is key to staying dry and comfortable, whether you’re hiking in the rain, running errands in a drizzle or waiting out a storm in the mountains. Once you’ve explored our in-depth advice on how to choose rainwear, read on for our staff’s favorite rain jackets. These six shells will cover you for a range of active pursuits and budgets, no matter how much precip you encounter. They’re all windproof, waterproof and reasonably breathable.   Mountain Hardwear Exposure/2 GORE-TEX PACLITE Stretch Best Rain Jacket for Hiking &n ..read more
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Gear I Hold Dear: My Compass
Hiking Project Journal
by Maren Horjus
3y ago
In 1992, I became plus-or-minus the 30th person to thru-hike the Colorado Trail. Though today the 485-mile trail is signed, marked, mapped and waypointed well enough that a hiker or mountain biker can travel all the way from Denver to Durango with minimal fear of experiencing orientational discombobulation, it wasn’t so three decades ago. The tread was still evolving, as sections that followed old road beds and burro trails were moved onto permanent, dedicated singletrack. The first edition of the original guidebook had been published—but was outdated almost before it came off the press. A pr ..read more
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Staff Picks: The Best Water Bottles of 2020
Hiking Project Journal
by Jessica Bernhard
3y ago
Staying hydrated is key to fitness and overall well-being. And it’s a lot easier when you have a reusable water bottle at the ready. Thankfully, with so many sizes, shapes, colors and materials to choose from, there’s sure to be a perfect vessel for you, no matter your activity. Brush up on the basics of hydration, and then read on to find your ideal water bottle. We’ve identified our top choices for hiking, running, cycling, everyday use and more.   Nalgene Wide-Mouth Water Bottle – 32 oz. Best Bottle for Hiking   Material: Plastic (tritan copolyester) Insulation: None Cap type: S ..read more
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Best Hiking in Florida
Hiking Project Journal
by Michelle Flandreau
3y ago
Florida doesn’t have the summit vistas, alpine lakes, red rock canyons or broad glacial valleys that define our nation’s other hiking hot spots. But if you’re not hitting the trail in the Sunshine State, you’re missing out. Mighty mountain landscapes are replaced with dense forests teeming with life, inky waterways that are home to alligators, historic hardwood stands and, best of all, white sand beaches. Sprinkle that with (comparatively) minimal crowds, little jostling for permits and a flipped hiking season that sees the state hit its stride as the snow flies elsewhere, and Florida’s appea ..read more
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Gear I Hold Dear: My Box of Maps
Hiking Project Journal
by Maren Horjus
3y ago
From where I sit, I can see the blue-blazed Northville-Placid Trail snaking through the rough-and-tumble High Peaks Wilderness Area in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. It jumps sky-blue streams and emerald-green meadows, passing three-sided lean-to shelters named for the water they overlook. I can pick out Big Eddy, a giant whirlpool along the Cold River, and the slow tumble of Millers Falls just upstream. In the other direction, appropriately named Long Lake stretches to the edge of my horizon, dotted with tiny islands and bays begging for a separate canoe trip. At its middle—right about whe ..read more
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