Outdoor Skills + Advice: Six Steps to Steer Clear of Lightning Strikes

By Contributing Writer Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, faculty member and Diversity & Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and NOLS Research Intern Kate Herden

Aaah, summer! The sweet smell of wildflowers, rain-soaked earth, and . . . ozone? Yes, the stormy months have arrived and in this year of apocalyptic flooding, best prepare yourself for an epic light show in the backcountry, complete with the smell of burnt air (that’s the ozone) that accompanies it. You can never eliminate the risk of a lightning strike, but you can reduce it by following these simple guidelines:

1. Time your travel.
Find out when summer storms typically strike where you are travelling (here in the Wind River Range, they’re usually in the early afternoon), and make sure you’ve completed your travel for the day—including peak ascents—and are back on safe terrain by the time you hear that first crack of thunder.

2. “Flash, 30-Seconds, Boom” means head for safety.
Count how many seconds pass between lightning and the thunder. Every second is equivalent to approximately a five-mile distance. If your count gets down to 30 seconds (that’s six miles), go to step 3.

3. Find safe terrain.
Lightning is more likely to strike at high points (peaks, ridges, and lone trees), caves (yes, a cave will not provide shelter), and on water. Lightning can also travel through metal fencing, wet ropes, and other long conductors. Wet ground isn’t any more dangerous and actually dissipates current. So seek a uniform stand of trees on rolling terrain, at least 50 yards from high-risk spot.

4. Get in lightning position.
One of the most common misconceptions is that lying down flat will minimize the likelihood of a lightning strike. Not so! Once you find safe terrain, minimize the contact between yourself and the ground (50 percent of lightning strikes happen from ground current, not from direct hits). Place some padding (clothing, sleeping pad, or backpack) under you, place your feet together (not apart, which can cause a change in voltage between your feet and . . . zap!), and squat or sit hugging your knees until the storm is a safe distance away. If you are in a group, position yourselves about 50 feet apart so you can still communicate with each other.

5. Avoid contact with metal objects.
If you can safely do it, remove metal backpack stays and crampons while you are in lightning position, and place metal umbrellas and hiking poles far away from you. Understand the consequences of doing so. Will getting rid of your umbrella expose you to the risk of hypothermia? Will getting rid of your crampons jeopardize your descent? Balance the risks before you act.

6. Plan your campsite.
Itching for that panoramic view of the sky and peaks below you when you unzip your tent in the morning? You’re asking for trouble. Pick campsites that are in safe terrain. If a storm hits at night, don’t run helter-skelter in the pitch dark and further risk your safety. Stay in your tent, and get in lightning position.

For more on lightning, read NOLS Curriculum Director John Gookin’s 2010 Wilderness Risk Management Conference article Backcountry Lightning Risk Management.

Outdoor Skills + Advice: What’s in Your Hiking Day Pack?

By Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, Faculty member and Diversity + Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and NOLS Research Intern Kate Herden

“Preparedness” is relative. As I head out on a day hike to Popo Agie Falls with my toddler, his backpack is sure to contain “necessities,” such as Matchbox cars, toy dump trucks, and a couple of stuffed animals. But mine will look different. Here are ten things that will prepare you for that short day hike that could turn into an overnighter.

1. Water
Forget the soda. Bring at least a liter of water. To replenish your reservoir, stick close to potable water sources or carry a water purification system.

2. Rain Shell
Wherever you are, you'll be happier if you stay dry. Even on a clear day, pack a rain shell for protection from wind and water.

3. Map
How many times have you rounded a corner hoping to see your car, only to see more hills? You may think you know where you're going, but in case you find yourself in untrodden territory, bring a topographical map.

4. Headlamp
It might only be a day hike, but you could get be-nighted. Lighter than a lantern and more convenient than a flaming torch, a headlamp will lend a helping hand if you find yourself out later than expected.

5. Warm Layers
Whether a synthetic or down jacket, fleece, or a woolly pullover, a warm layer will keep you snug if the temperatures drop.

6. Lighter
Don’t be stuck trying to rub two sticks together or trying to use your Jedi mind powers to create fire. Grab a lighter and give your forearms (and telekinetic brain) some rest.

7. First Aid Kit
A must-have, pack a first aid kit. ‘Nuff said.

8. Sunscreen
Pack some broad band SPF 30 to 50 water resistant sunscreen.

9. Snacks
Hiking makes you hungry! Bring some nosh—bananas, granola, chocolate, peanut butter crackers. And remember to pack-out wrappers.

10. Peace of Mind
This means leaving something behind—a message to a loved one letting him or her know where you are going and what time you plan on returning.

Packing for more than a day hike? Check out the equipment list for a 30-day NOLS Wind River Wilderness Course.

Photograph courtesy of NOLS

Best Hikes in the Parks: Yosemite's Half Dome Hike

Photograph by Michael Maloney, San Francisco Chronicle/Corbis

Celebrating Great Outdoors Month With 35 Great Hikes

Half Dome Hike

When to Go: April to October

Round-Trip: 17.2 Miles

Level: Challenging Day Hike

See the Trail Map

This is the hike you’ll talk about as all the others fade into pleasant memories. Not only do you climb 4,800 feet out of Yosemite Valley and past Vernal and Nevada Falls, but the last 900 feet are right up the granite face of fabled Half Dome. Luckily, you get a hand from well-placed steel cables on your way top of the dome. It’s a heart-thumping, insanely wonderful feeling to be hanging in space until you top out—and then the view takes over.

Insider Tip: Break it up by staying the night in Little Yosemite Valley campground, about halfway to Half Dome. This gives you a huge head start on the legions of hikers who do the dome every day.

See All 20 Best Parks Hikes, Photos, and Maps >>

Appalachian Trail Women's Thru-Hike Record Holder Sets Out to Break Her Own Record

Photograph courtesy Maureen Robinson

In 2008, a junk food loving, Classics major hit the Appalachian Trail to have a big adventure and figure out what to do with herself. Appropriately, her trail name was Odyssa. She was such a hiking newbie she didn't even wear moisture-wicking socks. But the hike must have been her destiny because she managed to set a new women's thru-hiking record. Next week, Jennifer Pharr Davis will begin an attempt to break her own record on the AT, hiking an ambitious average of 46 miles a day. Here she discusses her trail strategy (which involves hiking at night), training on the AT, and how she may have figured out how to be a professional thru-hiker. —Mary Anne Potts

More: See our guide to the world's best hikes and trails >>

Adventure: How did your Classics degree prepare you to be a repeat thru-hiker?
Jennifer Pharr Davis: Actually, I have my Classics degree to thank for initially turning me into a thru-hiker. After graduating college my immediate thought was, Now what!? I had no idea what to do with my degree. So, it was the perfect opportunity to get out on the trail. Classical literature is full of adventure. After reading about Roman gladiators and epic Homeric characters, I decided that I wanted to have a great story of my own. My trail name is “Odyssa”… and I called my memoir Becoming Odyssa because it’s an account of how the trail helped form me into who I have become. Perhaps the AT is not what my professors (or parents) had in mind, but it certainly was an adventure!

Why try to break your own record? Why not do something new?
JPD: I think many record-breakers can attest that there is always a new level to aspire to. I do hold the women’s speed record on the AT, and I’m very pleased with that, but the overall record (for men and women) is still out there. There is a chance I could meet that standard. It's like being a high jumper: You want to keep raising the bar until you knock it down, otherwise you don't know how high you can jump.

Ultimate Hiking and Camping Gear Guide: Best Sleeping Bags

If you needed an excuse to upgrade your gear, we have it. June is Great Outdoors Month and National Camping Month. Better show your support by getting out there...and maybe with an awesome new tent or sleeping bag or light hiker. We asked Steve Casimiro, veteran gear reviewer and editor of Adventure Journal, to give us his picks for the best of the best gear for hiking and camping. Check them our by category here on the blog or see the complete Ultimate Hiking and Camping Gear Guide.

Ultimate Hiking and Camping Gear Guide: Best Sleeping Bags

Sleeping Bag, Value Down

Photograph by Kelty

Kelty Cosmic Down 20

A hundred bucks actually buys you a heck of a lot more than you might expect: The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 has a few frills tucked into its no-frills price. There’s a full-length tube of down behind the zipper to guard against drafts, an insulated hood with elastic to cinch it tight, and a down collar. Oh, and a full-length zipper and European standard comfort rating of 32 degrees. So where are the cut corners to reach that awesome price? The 550-down fill doesn’t loft as well as spendier 800 fills. And the size regular claims to fit someone up to 6’0” comfortably, but 5’10” is more like it ($110; www.kelty.com).

Sleeping Bag, High-End Down

Photograph courtesy Mont Bell

MontBell’s Ultralight Super Spiral Down Hugger (15 Degrees)

This is the most comfortable sleeping bag you’ll ever use. A bold claim? Yes, but MontBell’s Ultralight Super Spiral Down Hugger 15 is constructed with a tricky little sewing sleight of hand. The threads are cut at a 45-degree angle, the fibers are coiled, and the stitches are elastic—all of which adds up to a bag that stretches and moves with you no matter how much you toss and turn. You could inchworm your way along the length of the Pacific Crest Trail and still not feel constrained. Insulation is 800-fill down and, you’re right, that 15-degree temperature rating is wildly optimistic. This is a three-season bag, not four—but a mighty comfortable one ($399; www.montbell.us).

Sleeping Bag, Synthetic

Photograph courtesy Mountain Hardwear

Mountain Hardwear’s Ultralamina 32

Mountain Hardwear’s Thermic Micro is one of the more down-like synthetic insulations you’ll find, both compressing and lofting better than most manmade fibers. Why pick a synthetic bag such as the Ultralamina 32? Unlike down, it still insulates when damp or wet—think Pacific Northwest and/or paddling trips. The Ultralamina has a mummy cut tempered by a vaulted footbox, so there’s room for your tootsies to move around. It also sports an unconventional double zipper, which allows the front of the bag to drop open for cooking, reading, etc.—some will like this convenience, while others might miss the ability to unzip down the length to cool off ($190; www.mountainhardwear.com).

 

Gear Review: Coleman's 60-Second Instant Tent Could Save Your Camping Trip

How many times have you been on a camping trip and by the time you finally arrive at your campsite, the last thing you feel like doing is hassling with your tent? Maybe there's not a lot of daylight left. Maybe it's raining. Maybe you are all cranky and hungry from the journey. Maybe you forgot or lost a part of a tent pole. It can be a frustrating moment.

We recently learned of a tent that eliminates this problem: The Coleman Instant tent. This tent comes with the poles pre-attached to the tent. You literally pull it from your trunk, spread it out, and with a few bends of the poles, you have a four-person tent ready to go. Coleman claims it takes 60 seconds. It could be faster than that. The tent is a little heavy, so it's best used with a car to haul it around (the six-person tent weighs 25 pounds). For 2011, Coleman has three sizes—the 8'x7', the 10'x9', and the 14'x8'. The seams are taped so you don't need an additional rain fly.

With this tent, you can't lose a piece or forget how the assembly works. You won't bicker with your companions about who will wrestle with putting it together. Just pop the tent into position and move on to more critical tasks, such as getting dinner started or finding a good place to catch the sunset. We think this tent could relieve a lot of the interpersonal tensions of a camping trip. That alone is worth the $137-$242.00 price tag.—Mary Anne Potts