Outdoor Education Archives - Nancy East

Backpacker Magazine’s Misleading Article

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 16:14:00 +0000

Recently, Backpacker Magazine released an article titled, “How ‘Essential’ Are the Ten Essentials? According to This Study: Not Very” You can read it right here. A few people reached out to me and asked for my thoughts about it. But first a little background about me, in case a hiking friend shared this with you....

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Ways to Give to our Preventative Search and Rescue Fundraiser

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 16:14:06 +0000

First, thank you for taking the time to click on the link that brought you to this page! It means you care about helping us reach our goal of $60,000 for preventative search and rescue (PSAR) programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The money raised will fund two seasonal rangers, who will implement a...

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Should I Hike During COVID-19?

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 17:33:05 +0000

Best Hiking Practices During COVID-19 Last fall, if someone asked me to make a list of what might delay someone’s thru hike or my own FKT (fastest known time) attempt this year, or even cause someone to sit and ponder where and if they should head out on a simple day hike, I’m pretty sure...

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Mt Sterling – Balsam Mtn. – Palmer Creek – Pretty Hollow

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 02:39:18 +0000

The following is a trail journal of a one-way, nearly 20-mile hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park connecting the following trails: Mt. Sterling, Mt. Sterling Ridge, Balsam Mountain, Palmer Creek and Pretty Hollow Trails. I hiked with two of my faves, Chris and Lane, on a chilly day on the last day of January....

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Appalachian Trail – Lower Mt. Cammerer – Low Gap Loop Hike

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 02:53:27 +0000

On a seasonably cold winter’s day in January, I set out to hike one of my favorite loops in the Smokies, combining the Appalachian Trail from Davenport Gap, Low Gap, and Lower Mt. Cammerer Trails. In total, it was 20.8 miles (I really wanted those last 2/10 to take it to 21 miles, but I...

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Thomas Divide – Indian Creek Motor Trail….with an impromptu rescue effort

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 17:14:19 +0000

On a chilly, winter’s day, ripe with conditions conducive to hypothermia, I set out on a hike to complete a 15-mile convoluted route in the Smokies. My hike, however, was altered about two thirds of the way through when I encountered two teen boys in desperate need of help. This post will be a bit...

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How to Dehydrate Food for Hiking and Backpacking

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 02:23:43 +0000

The following post is a compliment to this live video event I hosted in my Facebook group (which you’re more than welcome to join if you’re not in there already). The purpose of this post and the video is to educate you about the basics of dehydrating food for hiking and backpacking. It’s one of...

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Hiking Hacks for Hand Warmers

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 02:10:22 +0000

**This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a small commission if you use them to make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. It’s how I afford to run this website and provide quality outdoor education content at no cost, so I greatly appreciate your support. 🙂 While some may...

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What You Should Do if You’re Lost on a Hike

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:20:05 +0000

So what the heck do you do if you find yourself in this situation? First, pat yourself on the back for bringing your 10 essential “systems,” because it’s going to make a world of difference in your ability to overcome this predicament! Even in the best of circumstances, a search and rescue team will typically...

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Navigation Tools and Techniques for Hikers

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 03:44:17 +0000

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time hiker, the importance of navigation skills for hikers is not lost on many (pun intended). What is sometimes lost though is understanding what that looks like in reality. From my own observations (and even my own experience pre-SAR days) most people want to understand more about navigation techniques,...

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