Personal Safety and How To 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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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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Portable Battery Packs for Hiking and Backpacking

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 22:49:28 +0000

Portable battery packs aren’t one of the 10 Essentials for hiking, but you could make a strong argument for advising most hikers and backpackers to carry one. If you use any form of technology on a hike, like a smart phone or GPS device, for photos and/or navigational purposes, I highly encourage you to carry...

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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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How to Stay Safe and Found Before Leaving on a Hike

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:27:02 +0000

You’ve got your backpack loaded up with the 10 Essentials, which you’ve tweaked to fit the environment you’ll be exploring. You’ve picked out the most perfect trail in all the land, and you’re ready to put those feet on the ground and start tearing up the miles, right?! Almost! Before you walk out that door,...

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What You Need in Your Backpack Beyond the 10 Essentials

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 13:31:39 +0000

So you’re all set with the 10 Essentials and ready for a grand adventure in the woods. Well, almost! While the 10 Essentials are absolutely vital to every hike you go on, no matter what the environment or season, it’s important to individualize the rest of what you take in your pack, to suit your...

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Do I REALLY Need All That Gear for a Short Hike?

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 17:48:07 +0000

I could talk your ear off with stories from my SAR experiences that have made me more prepared hiker. If there is an overarching theme to our search operations, it’s the fact that most folks don’t think about what could go wrong beyond blisters. I used to be one of those people too. Sure, I...

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