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Lyme disease |
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Ticks can be rather unpleasant on their own, but Lyme disease can make you hate them even more. Although cases of Lyme disease have risen, the condition is still very rare. If you are bitten by a tick, wait for signs of a fever or rash within four weeks of when you were bitten. Your physician can administer a blood test in order to make a definite diagnosis. |
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Monitoring Your Heart Rate |
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Cardiovascular fitness can ultimately improve your ability to complete a long hike. This fitness is the ability of your heart and lungs to maintain movement over a sustained period of time at a certain level of intensity. If you can comfortably carry on a conversation, then you are probably working at the right intensity. If you can sing a song, then you are probably not working hard enough. And if you are gasping for air, then you are probably working too hard. To regulate your heart rate more accurately, you'll need to find your target heart rate. Once you know this, then you can determine how hard your heart is really working. |
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Target Heart Rate Formula |
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220 minus your age (30) = 190 Minus your resting heart rate (62 beats per minute) = 128 multiply by 60% = 76.8 Add resting heart rate = 138.8 Divide by 6 = 23 (beats every 10 seconds) |
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High Altitude Pulmonary Edema |
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The most common serious illness related to altitude is high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). This condition is excess fluid in the lungs caused by ascending elevation too quickly. HAPE is the number-one cause of high-altitude deaths. One of the first signs you may notice is shortness of breath. But for the type of hiking that most of us are doing, deaths are rare. If you think you or your companions are experiencing altitude sickness, the best cure is simply to descend elevation. |
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Blisters |
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if you're planning for a long hike you'd better take the moleskin along. Because no matter how careful you are, chances are you will get a blister. With good preparation, blisters can be easily remedied or avoided so that you can continue to enjoy your hike in the great outdoors.
• When a blister does occur, cut a piece of moleskin that is large enough to cover the blister evenly on all sides by at least a quarter of an inch.
• Then cut a small hole in the middle to make room to expose the blister.
• Make sure you've got clean socks.
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