Comment
on this story

TRAIL GUIDES
Knoxville is home to a number of hiking authorities—so where do they like to hit the trail?

TALES FROM THE TRAIL
Anecdotes on (and off) the beaten path

THINK RUGGEDLY, HIKE LOCALLY
A sampling of Knoxville's outback, and the types of people you're likely to meet there

PATH FINDER
Think you're a tough hiker? Try off-trail hiking with 67-year-old Charlie Klabunde.

What to take—and what to leave at home

by Adrienne Martini

So you want to go check out some nature but don't know what to bring? Join the club. Neophyte hikers can feel a bit overwhelmed by planning a day hike and figuring out how to gear up. Walking in the woods can be a little bit more complicated than walking through West Town Mall, and you need to be prepared in case you are in the wild longer than anticipated. Most hiking gear stores can be intimidating and cluttered with high-tech items that will just weigh you down. Duane Satterfield of Blue Ridge Mountain Sports offers some suggestions for a simple day hike:

First, and foremost, be sure to wear stiff-soled shoes that are properly fitted, broken in, and waterproofed. "A stiffer sole is good so you don't feel rock and roots," he says. Hiking boots or shoes are nice—especially since boots offer more ankle support than your average pair of tennies. Expect them to be one of the more expensive items you'll have to consider and a decent pair will run you at least $60.

Next, think about socks. For a day hike, you can live without super high-tech fabrics but, still, you should steer clear of cotton. While natural fibers are great for other items, cotton socks simply soak up moisture from your feet and help cause blisters—which is exactly what you don't want. No one wants to be seen hobbling back down a mountain.

As for clothing (you didn't think you could get away with just wearing boots and socks, did you?), the sky is the limit. Wear what you like and are comfortable in but be sure to grab a jacket and/or some raingear to bring with you. The weather in the hills can be changeable this time of year and there is no sense in freezing your tushie off once you get to altitude.

Be sure to also grab a pocket knife, a compass, a flashlight, a whistle, some waterproof matches, sunscreen, a first aid kit, and insect repellent. Never, according to Satterfield, take an item that you don't know how to use, especially in your first aid kit. Granted, most of these items will only become useful should you find yourself lost, like the whistle, but some are just plain sensible to have on hand. Sometimes it takes a little bit longer to walk than you anticipated.

"If you get lost, you might need your knife for who knows what. Having a light is good so you don't go tripping on everything on the trail, which is where your first aid kit comes into play," he says. Also, make sure that your kit has moleskin, which is a pad that is great for covering blisters and can be cut with your knife.

Finally, enough can't be said about water. Two quarts per person should be enough to get through a day hike, but be sure to bring more if the conditions warrant—like it's 90 degrees in the shade. Some packs, which are really great for packing all of the aforementioned stuff into, come with bottles attached or a couple can be had pretty inexpensively. You can also carry water purification tablets or filters in your pack to use with the supply on the trail—but it is a good idea to check that there will be water on the trail to begin with since creek can dry up this time of year. Also, be sure to pack non-perishable items for a mid-trail snack, like trail mix or fruits and vegetables or an energy bar. Remember, it is better to pack too much food than to be caught hungry and eyeing a patch of probably poisonous mushrooms.

Some last tips: always choose your hike based on the physical limitations of everyone in your group, drink water often, pace yourself, and let someone else know where you plan to hike—preferably someone not on the trail with you.

Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is sponsoring a series of seminars/rap sessions about hiking and backpacking. Here's a quick look at what's coming up:

Sept. 27 at the Farragut store (in the Village Green Center): Want to do more to please your hard hiking feet? This chat will cover sock strategy and proper boot fitting, in addition to a NASA-like look at tread dynamics.

Oct. 4 at the Knoxville store (in Western Plaza): Duane Satterfield, a former ranger at Savage Gulf in the South Cumberland area, will give an overview of this overlooked, backpacking/hiking gem. In Southern parlance, gulf means "canyon," and hikes in Savage Gulf lead to wide open views full of fall color. It's a great place for easy strolls with the kids or truly ambitious adventures.

Oct. 11 in Farragut: Need help planning your fall day hikes? Tom Leavy will help tailor the perfect hike to your picky tastes. He'll also answer questions about which gear and which maps are essential for specific trips.

Oct. 18 in Knoxville: Learn how to keep your drinking water and skinned knees clean while out in the sticks. This talk about first aid and water purification could be all that stands between you and an infected cut or an amoebae in your gut.

Oct. 25 in Farragut: Suggestively titled "Layering for Warmth," this discussion will not touch on the benefits of "layering" six people in your two person tent. It won't answer the age old question "boxers or briefs?" It will, however, give you a clue about how to avoid the excess sweat and shivers while trekking in the bush.

Nov. 1 (Knoxville) and Nov. 8 (Farragut): Step away from the car. Put out the bonfire. And please, keep your hands off the Coors party ball. You are not camping. You may think you're camping, but you're not. Call it off-campus tailgating, or parking by the lake to watch the submarine races, but don't call it camping. To learn the true art of the camp, show up for either of these two talks about low-impact and leave-no-trace camping.

All talks at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports begin at 7 p.m. For more info, call 675-3010 (Farragut) or 588-2638 (Knoxville).