So, You Want To Go Hiking?!
You're scrolling through your Instagram Reels and see all these great clips of folks enjoying their views of the beauty of America and what our National Parks have to offer. All the Influencers are clean with clean clothes, hair and makeup are on point, and so on. Either these Social Media Influencers have dolled themselves up for the trendy Reels. Or, they didn't have to work very hard to get their trendy hammock up in the scenic picturesque view. I'm going to go with the latter. As someone who has hiked 15 miles just to get to the scenic views, or climbed 11,000 foot mountains, I know not one soul that looks that good after a day of hiking in the mountains. Or spending days/weeks in a tent. It's safe to say that these Influencers are living behind a digital veil and portraying themselves and their adventures as these glorious moments. WHen in reality, its a damn hard doing all of this. Little do most of their viewers know that the grifters, I mean, influencers are well, grifting you and taking advantage of individuals that seek nature, peace, solitude, and freedom.
Over the last 4 years I spent most of my free time either researching or partaking in hiking and camping. Specifically in remote areas such as the Bighorns, the Red Desert, Montana, and in the backcountry of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. With that said, I have been inundated with questions by eager people who are either desperate to get out and experience life, or have romanticized ideas that have been influenced by the dreg of social media, influencers. Sadly, I can watch the enthusiasm drain from their faces when I begin to tell them about the dangers of the road, the trails, camping and more. Sadly, social media influencers, the pandemic, and Hollywood have romanticized the unconfined wild and our National Parks without giving warning to those that are inexperienced and easily influenced.
When I made the decision to get busy living or get busy dying, aka getting out into the wild, I knew I had to prepare for what I was getting myself into. I am fortunate enough to have grown up around plenty of outdoorsmen and hunters. The time spent with them, I knew that getting out into the unconfined wilderness can be extremely dangerous. Even for the most skilled and knowledgeable outdoorsmen. I am also well read enough to know about the many individuals that go missing in our National Parks, National and State Forests and public lands.
I feel like many have the romanticized idea of the wilderness that they gather from the wretched social media influencers. I have yet to see a post of how difficult it is to sleep in freezing temperatures when just a few hours ago, it was 90 degrees. Or pooping in a hole in the ground. The lack of sleep due to not only the cold, but because following the snow storm that hit you in mid June is a lightning storm. Or acclimating yourself to the elevation and my favorite part, the steep inclines and declines that most of us are not used to. Then there is one of the biggest threats, charismatic megafauna. Bears and Mountain Lions are not cuddly. Bison and Elk are not farm animals. These are large and dangerous animals.
If you're like any of the millions of Americans that have visited our National Parks in the last two years, you have noticed a massive increase of visitors at all of the parks. In 2020, the National Parks saw a 50% increase of visitors. This increase of visitors put a massive strain on the Parks System. So much, that in 2021, the NPS implemented a reservation system at its most popular parks. This reservations system is not for camping, this is to enter the park. According to the National Parks website, in 2021 “of 423 parks in the National Park System, just 25 received more than 50 percent of the system’s total 297.1 million recreation visits in 2021. Last year’s visitation increased by 60 million over 2020 when COVID-19 shuttered facilities in most parks for at least part of the year.”
It is fairly safe to say that most of the new visitors to the parks are fairly inexperienced when it comes to survival in the wilderness. There are more than enough harrowing stories about the wilderness and survival. Three particular stories come to mind when I think of survival in the wilderness. First is Truman Everts, a fairly experienced individual. While on the first commissioned expedition of Yellowstone National Park, Everts was separated from the expedition. Months later and knocking on death's door, Everts was rescued.
Second is, Remi Warren's then girlfriend, now wife. Remi Warren is a professional hunter and guide along with being part of the MeatEater crew. While on a solo hiking trip, Warren's wife lost her bearings and was reported missing. Even with her own experience, she had still found herself stranded. Professional rescue crews and volunteers were unable to locate her. Warren details the story and how he, his experience and knowledge of the region helped rescue her.
Finally the third and most tragic story that comes to mind is the story of Garldine Largy. Largy was hiking the Appalachian Trail when she stopped off the side of the trail to relieve herself. Somehow, she got turned around and could not find her way back to the trail and her friends. After being reported missing, search and rescue teams scoured the area for her. Sadly, her body was recovered months later, only 50 or so feet away from the trail in which she stepped off of.
While some of these stories come from well experienced individuals, there are countless stories of individuals who are not experienced. You can't go out into the wild all willy nilly like. You can't be a geek off the street, if ya know what I mean. You have to be prepared, it truly is a matter of life or death. Plenty of knowledgeable and experienced individuals with all the proper gear have gone in and not come out. Aside from putting yourself at risk, or anyone in your party, you're also putting the search and rescuers at risk. For reference, read the many “Missing 411” books. Or watch the two movies, “Missing 411” or “Missing 411: The Hunted.”
The books and movies document the people that have gone missing in our National Parks and Forests. Many of them are far more skilled than the average person. Be prepared and be ready. According to David Paulides, author of the Missing: 411 series, within the last 100 years, over 1,600 people have gone missing in our National Parks, National Forests and other public lands.
While on my trip into the backcountry of Michigans UP, I ran into a group of 3 men in their mid twenties. While sitting around the campfire, conversing and enjoying some adult beverages, they began to pick my brain. At one point, I went into “grumpy old man mode” and lightly berated them for not being properly prepared for their adventure. They had no medical kits, no battery packs, no firestarters, no form of self defense from animals or people and so on. They were far from prepared to make the week-long trek. They asked me why I carried bear spray and a gun. “Bear spray is great, however, the wind may not be in your favor. I carry a gun for a 60/40 reason. 40% for animals, 60% for humans. Animals are predictable, humans are not.”
I am not attempting to scare any of the readers off from going out into the wild and discovering freedom and enjoying the beauty of nature. Along with finding out what it truly means to be an American. “If you go into the heart of America and see the continent in its glory, it will embolden you to dream. To dream about the possibilities of life. That American nature is the guarantor of American constitutional freedom. That if you don't have a genuine link to nature, in a serious, profound way, you can't be an American.” I do, however, want to warn you about what you're getting yourself into and what you can do to make it out safe. Be prepared.
Fitness. I find fitness to be the most important item for preparedness. It also takes the longest to harvest, aside from money to purchase gear. That is for some of us. I learned the hard way when I thought I was in good shape and then realized that that couldn't be further from the truth. Had I gone to the mountains in the shape I was in when I found out I wasn't, I wouldn't have made it. I probably would have died from a heart attack or a collapsed lung. Or I would have been stranded in the mountains with a pulled hamstring. Being fit and learning to continue to push yourself can determine life or death. You can read more about my view on fitness and training for endurance events, through hikes, and time in the wilderness here.
You can't go into the wild unprepared. If you do, you most likely will not come out alive. If you are somehow fortunate enough to come out alive, you most certainly won't be whole. If you are unprepared, you may starve to death, freeze to death, die of dehydration, or exposure. Or worse, via large mammals. Friendly reminder, bears eat you alive. Death by big cat would be the best way to go.
In order to harvest the proper information on survival and survival gear, I had to tap into those who are well versed in the field. After some brain thinking and some conversations with my hunting buddies, I figured I would figure out what the Special Operators in the American Military use and recommend. I would also see what professional hunters use and recommend.
The internet is full of grifters who will tell you what's best to use and how to lighten your load and blah blah blah. In all honesty, these people are just trying to make a quick buck. They have spent a fraction of time in the wilderness or in areas in which your life depends on the quality of your gear and your knowledge of how to use it. You can read more on the gear I use while hiking and camping here.
Getting into the wild and being alone in nature is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I have learned more about myself than I could have imagined. I learned that I can tolerate quick temperature shifts, ice storms, wind storms and thunderstorms, Gale Force winds, starvation, dehydration, encounters with mega fauna, apex predators, sore muscles, sleep deprivation and oh so much more. I guess what I am getting at is, don't buy into the BS you see on social media about how glorious it all is. Don't get me wrong, it's more than glorious, but its dangerous, as well. If you want those views, those memories, and those pictures, you're going to have to earn them. It's not easy earning any of it. Ill leave you with some parting words from someone I admire, Steven Rinella.
“If you don’t love Mother Nature, stay the hell away from her. There is no room left in the world for outdated “man versus wild” sentiments. For much of human history, we had wild places simply because we hadn’t gotten around to destroying them yet...... The next time you step into the wild, remember this. Acknowledge your gratitude for every danger. Regard every risk as a blessing. Be thankful that there’s something left to survive. The rustling noise outside your tent might be something that’s coming to eat you. By all means, be prepared to punch it in the face. But when you throw the punch, throw it with love.”
