Saturday 16 April 2016

Ashton Cobb - Common Hiking Mistakes You Want to Avoid

Ashton Cobb is a talented football player who has played starting strong safety for the Wildcats and the Boston Bashers. Apart from playing football, he likes to go hiking. He started hiking when he was in college and has made it one of his favorite things to do when he is not playing football. Ashton Cobb grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania but moved to Lexington, Kentucky after he received a football scholarship to study at the University of Kentucky. If you are planning a hiking trip with your friends or family, here are some you want to avoid.

Ashton Cobb

Avoid these Common Mistakes

When you are going hiking, the first thing you need to know is how to avoid making the most common mistakes other make when they go hiking.
  • Choose the right trail. There are several different trails, all ranked on a scale of one to five, with five being the most difficult. If you have never gone hiking before, you obviously don’t want to choose a trail ranked number five. That would make your hiking trip a disaster even before it started. Most hiking trails rated number five are rock climbing trails, definitely not for beginners.
  • Over-packing and under-packing are both not recommended. If you are going out on a short afternoon hike, you want to make sure that you are not carrying 25 pounds of hiking equipment, and on the other hand, you don’t want to go empty handed as well. You will need to carry the essentials such as sunglasses, sunscreen, drinking fluids (water and energy drinks). Each person on your hiking team will need to have at least three to four liters of water for themselves. You might want to carry sufficient energy-packed snacks and have them along the way instead of eating a large lunch at the summit.
  • A good idea would be to carry a first aid kit with athletic tape, Band-Aid, antibiotic ointment and some bandage to clean wounds if necessary. Don’t make the mistake of not carrying a first aid kit.
  • It is recommended to carry a rain jacket when you go on a hike. Regardless of what the weather forecast might be for that day or afternoon, it is always good to carry a rain jacket as thunderstorms are common in mountainous areas.
  • If you are going to be out late in the evening, you will need to carry a flashlight or headlamp. In fact, every hiker in your group should pack their own flashlight when they go hiking.
  • Sometimes during a hike, you might come across rough terrain, and it is good to carry a hiking pole when you go hiking. Don’t think that you would look silly walking around with a hiking pole. It’s surprising how much weight a hiking pole can take off your ankles, knees, and hips especially when you are going downhill.
Ashton Cobb has been on several hiking trips with his college buddies.
Source: ​http://www.oprah.com/health/Hiking-Mistakes-to-Avoid-How-to-Hike-for-Exercise