The Video Poker Oasis

As insurance premiums keep going up, cost concious people are looking for cheap auto insurance quotes. There are many assorted types of discounts available and if you can save a little cash, then why not? Below is a list of general price reductions that may be available to you. Check with your insurer to see if you’re entitled.

Personal-Related Deductions

These discounts are usually given based on your performance as a driver and insurance policy owner. The other deductions are given based on your present status in life.

Vehicle Based Insurance Price Reductions

Your car is a huge factor in influencing how much you’ll be shelling out for automobile insurance. Depending on the overall safety and other features of your car, you can receive special discounts on car insurance.

1. Car Air Bags. There are multiple types of airbags: front, rear, side-curtain, etc. The more you’re protected, the cheaper your auto insurance rates could be.
2. Anti-Lock Brakes System (ABS). Some states require that car insurance firms give discounts to policy owners whose automobiles are equipped with ABS.

Anti-Theft Devices. Installation of anti-theft devices like car alarms is a way to get cheaper car insurance. There may be an added bonus if the alarm that you installed automatically turns itself on when you turn the car’s engine off.

With dietary supplements making their way in our daily life, we find it difficult to survive without them. We have very smartly and effectively heralded these supplements as panacea for all ills. But as the saying goes, too much of even good things can be bad! So, we should be cautious enough not to make supplements our oxygen. To know your thresholds of the supplements, read on.

Myth: Vitamins are a source of energy. So, taking multivitamins is always beneficial for your body.

Fact: Vitamins do not contain any calories. Hence, they cant provide any energy. The main role of vitamins and minerals is to build immunity. Only eating a well balanced diet can provide with right amount of energy which is a must. Bottomline: vitamins supplements do not make up for a poor diet Recommended calories per day: 1200 Calories.

Myth: Vitamins and minerals supplements help overcome stress.

Fact: Vitamin C helps in oxidative stress only and it effectiveness in daily stresses is yet to be proved. Only under extreme stress, such as severe illness or surgery, might extra vitamins help.

Myth: Different types of calcium supplements have same effect. After all, calcium is calcium.

Fact: Firstly, different calcium supplements pills have different elemental calcium content in them. Second, not all the calcium gets absorbed in our body. Absorption of calcium depends on estrogen level, acidity in our intestines, amount of vitamin D, and type of calcium supplement. Buy calcium pills which meets the standards of US pharmacopeia. These calcium supplements provides you with adequate amount of elemental Calcium. Recommended intake: 1000mg-1350gm. Make sure you don’t exceed the limit.

Myth: Athletes and bodybuilders don’t need extra protein.

Fact: We can eradicate this myth from the society by applying some common sense. We should have no doubt in our mind that active people like athletes and bodybuilders do need extra protein in their diet as their lifestyle demands more than sedentary people. Now, even studies and researches confirm the same. Specially in the off season period, a body builder needs more proteins as well as calories. In the nutshell, athletes and bodybuilders will benefit more from protein supplements as it will help them build muscle mass and reduce body fat.

Myth: There is not enough scientific data to support the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements.

Fact: This is absolutely not true. If we keep our eyes and ear open, we can find enough reports and studies supporting the benefits of dietary supplements in various areas. Every month, researches at leading universities like Johns Hopkins University and the American Heart Association prove the benefits of dietary supplements with strong evidence. These studies can be read at The Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Cardiology, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute .

About the Author

Jasdeep: for http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.
Look out for highly effective and safe vitamin supplements at Buy Vitamin Supplement and other Supplements for Health Care

Being fit, healthy, and flexible is not always easy. It takes regular exercise and eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables. In addition, any exercise program that you choose such as push-ups stretches, jogging or walking takes discipline. The same discipline applies to using fitness equipment.

If you are the type of person that prefers using fitness equipment for your exercise routines, here are few tips to consider before purchasing.

Do not believe what you see and hear. You will need to assess whether all the advertised claims are true. Fitness equipment will claim for example, that you will lose will lose several pounds off their weight in as little as seven days or that you will decrease your pants size in one month. To lose such weight in seven days or decrease a pant size in such short time is nearly impossible, even with the assistance of dietary supplements.

Be skeptical about claims that say you will be able to burn a tremendous amount of fat in a specific area of your body, such as the hips, thighs, waist just by applying a specific type of ointment or lotion, etc. The only sure way to burn fat is by changing what you eat and exercise.

Before and after pictures of people who claim that they were able to lose weight because of using such and such equipments may or may not be true. If ever they are, their experience is purely personal and that is no assurance that your unique body weight, body make-up will also undergo the same change they went through.

It is also always advisable to read the fine print, whether it be fitness equipment or anything else. Though you believe that the fitness equipment you are planning to purchase is a good one, reading the fine print really would not hurt as it may say that you also have to decrease your calorie intake and not just rely on what the machine could do for you.

There are advertising statements that say you could pay off the fitness equipment in a number of easy payments or by paying a mere thirty-nine ninety-five a month. Do not forget to inquire about shipping and handling costs and include that in your calculation. In addition, add-on the required sales tax, delivery fees, set-up fees. Know all the details before you purchase.

It is best that you consider asking about details on their thirty-day money back guarantee. Though this sounds good to you as the consumer, it may or may not actually be a good deal, if for example you are going to return the item. You may actually end up paying large shipping cost, return to stock costs, etc. Make sure you contact their customer service hotline. The customer service hot line should have a toll-free number as well as a customer service representative in case you have problems with your fitness equipment.

As stated above, to be fit, healthy and flexible takes more than just fitness equipment. It will take discipline to exercise and a healthy diet.

For more information about fitness equipment, visit http://www.fitnessequipmentinfoguide.com and http://www.exerciseequipmenthelp.com

Swooping is becoming more and more popular, which means that there are more places where you can actually swoop. In fact, most of the major drop zones where people go skydiving will allow you to swoop. However, all of these drop zones require that you know how to swoop if you’re going to do it yourself.

In order to find a good location for swooping, you should first find a drop zone where people have a tendency to go swooping quite often. This will generally be a place where you’ll be able to go swooping without too much difficulty. Also, you should ask around if you know anybody who has ever been swooping – and find out where they usually do it.

Then, before you do any swooping, you should get a good idea as to what the conditions at the drop zone are like. What this means is that you should take a look around the drop zone before you do any jumps, and you should make sure that your first jump is a standard skydiving drop. The reason for this is that you might experience conditions toward the end of the drop that you are not used to. Therefore, once you have made a few safe jumps, you should be ready to swoop.

Another good way to find a place to go swooping is to look for instructors in your area first. This is especially the case if you have no swooping experience – you’re not going to want to go swooping without instruction. There are just too many different techniques that you need to learn first.

Also, most of the instructors are at drop zones that make it easier for you to learn how to swoop.

The other thing that you should consider if you are already experienced at swooping is that some of the swooping locations are more fun than others. For instance, if you’re already used to doing regular swoops, you might want to try something a little bit different, and look for a drop zone that is over a lake or other body of water.

Finally, if you’re very good at swooping, there are swooping competitions held all over the world, some of which allow amateurs to sign up and compete. If you decide to compete in a swooping competition, good luck!

With the pound fetching only slightly more than a Euro at exchanges, you would reckon that there would be a few great ski bargains to be booked in skiing resorts this season as potential skiers remain back home to fight the crisis. Early numbers just announced point to the fact that ski towns are 90 percent full over the New Year and Xmas time period. 15 percent higher than the identical period a year ago.

You will have some luck in Jan which at the moment shows a 37 percent booking rate. The signs of a recession is across the key Feb ski holiday month which has 62 % bookings, 1 % lower than last season. Booking centers in the ski areas of Meribel, Gourette, Flaine and Risoul have observed strong reservations during November encouraged by the good early on ski season snows. La Plagne has higher inquiries in comparison to a year ago, whilst Isola 2000 experienced a fantastic New Year and Christmas.

But there is strong call for larger accommodation, 7 to 11 beds, as people group-up to save. Evidence shows that do it yourself skiing holidays are holding up, evidence perhaps that earnest boarders are not going to fore-go their ski trip. However inquiries for package holidays are lower than last year.

For many reasons, it is with some trepidation that I approach this subject. As I have stated in previous articles about fly fishing gear, you ask 15 people, and you get 15 different opinions. Choosing a fly rod is no different. In fact it might be the epitome of that statement. Fly anglers are picky about their fly rods, and they love their fly rods. To many it is like comparing spouses, and if you love your spouse then you have the best one. But having said that we can lay down some truths about the fly rod industry, and then go into more specifics about the fine art of finding you a partner with which to share the passion of fly fishing.

What is it to be used for:

The first thought when selecting a fly rod, is it’s most often intended use. Are you casting for Tarpon or small trout on a creek? Most likely somewhere in between, and maybe even several uses. You first need to think about the size of the water you are mostly going to be fishing, and then the size of the fly you intend to cast. After that you need to consider the size of the fish you intend to catch. The rod size effects both the casting and the playing of the fish. The nice thing is if you are both a smallmouth bass and a rainbow trout fisher, you can probably get by with one rod. The same for Largemouth and Steelhead and Salmon. You might not get the ultimate choice for either, but depending on your budget you can get a very nice choice for a variety of fishing conditions.

THE #’s:

Fly rod sizes are categorized by number’s. Unlike flies, where the smaller the number, the larger the fly. Rods go by the larger the number the larger the fly rod. A number 3 rod is a very light rod, used for small trout in small streams. A 12 wt. rod is used for Tarpon, Stripers and other fish that need long distance casting, big flies. The most popular all-around rods are in the 5-6 category, here you can cover the whole gamut of trout fishing and a good chunk of bass fishing as well. A number 6 rod can also tackle small steelhead and other sea-run fish, if the angler is skilled. Most steelhead angler’s will choose a bigger rod however, in the 7-9 range, and they can also fish salmon with that range as well.

The other number to consider is length. 9′ is by far the most popular length right now. You can cast a 9′ long distances without getting tired, and have good control of the drift. If fishing smaller streams and or bushy areas, 9′ will frustrate you, as there isn’t enough room to maneuver it. Rods commonly go down to 7′ and even shorter ones can be found. If doing a lot of fishing out of a float tube, longer rods are common place, as one can get more distance with a longer rod, and the extra length helps to keep the fly off the water on the backcast.

Action:

Here it gets even more complicated, as different manufacturers call the action of their rod different things. But basically action can be broken down into slow, moderate and fast. Many manufacturers have 4 classification, but they all are based on the same concept. And that is how much of the rod will bend, when casting.

A fast (or super fast) rod will have only the tip bend, they offer the longest casting distances, they also are great if you are fishing in the wind. Allowing for tighter casting loops, they are great for shooting head lines, double-hauling casting techniques and are a treat for the skilled caster. They are however, are harder to learn on and therefore not recommended for one’s first fly rod.

The next level down is medium and is the most popular action being sold today. They flex further down the rod than the fast action. Great for beginners, it is also the choice of most experienced angler’s who don’t own a bunch of rods. For beginners they are forgiving to learn on, providing more accuracy then the super fast. They don’t cast as far however, and you will battle the wind more in this type rod.

The last level is slow or full bend, often bending all the way to the grip. These rods are dying out, which is a shame, because for fishing small creeks they are the best. They don’t cast very far, but you don’t need that on tiny creeks, but what they do best is absorb the shock, so your tippet doesn’t get as stressed, there fore your chances of snapping off the fly are reduced.

Grips:

The choice of grip is often over looked when choosing a fly rod. This is a mistake, as the grip is important in the comfort of your fly rod in your hand. Most decent fly rods these days use standard cork as the material. full wells grips are the choice if you have large hands, and half wells grips are popular with lady anglers. They both many ways you can hold the rod, and your hand seems to naturally find it’s preferred method of holding the rod. It can also be altered once fatigue sets in, so you can fish longer without cramps.

Manufacturer’s:

There are many of them, and guess what, the most common names all make great fly rods. With the advent of graphite in the 70’s the fly rod industry was revolutionized, and now one must not spend a fortune for a bamboo rod, to enjoy great fly fishing.

I, personally have fished almost every name brand on the market today. Like every other angler I have my preferences but I must admit the differences are nil, and I could probably learn to like any of them, just as well as the ones I won. I currently own rods from Scott, LL Bean, Loomis and Cabela’s, and they all have characteristics I love and some I would like to see improved, and I am a very happy owner of them all.

I do look for the lifetime warranty, and it offered by virtually all major rod maker’s today. It is figured into the price of the rod, and you must register your rod upon purchase to qualify for it. But if you have your rod for any length of time you will undoubtedly be glad you have it. Whether you broke your rod tip off fighting a fish, trying to free a snag, or in the car door, most rod makers will send you a replacement.

Recommendations:

Realize these are very basic recommendations and use them as a starting point. But for small streams and brook trout I like 3-4 weight slow action rod. They are still out there, but you may have to look. For other trout and small mouth bass I like 5-6 wt. rods and medium action. And for largemouth, salmon, and steelhead, try a 7-9 weight fast action rod. Look for future recommendations on Saltwater Fly rods from The Big Y Fly Fishing E-zine at http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html .

About the Author

Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishing guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company. Http://www.bigyflyco.com. He can be reached at info@bigyflyco.com. This article will appear in the Big Y Fly Fishing E-Zine at Http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html

Copyright 2006 John Perry

Researchers at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering and Pennsylvania State University are explaining how “all animals bear the same stamp of physics in their design.” (http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2005/12/locomotiontheory.html)

The researchers show that “constructal theory” is a powerful analytical approach to describing movement, or flows, in nature.

Adrian Bejan, J. A. Jones Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke’s Pratt School reports that in the case of animal locomotion, “animals move such that they travel the greatest distance while expending the least amount of energy.”

“The theory applies to virtually everything that moves,” Bejan said.

This is what I took home from the article: All animals attempt to be efficient when it comes to movement. This is probably subconscious for the most part.

A related article “The Best Exercise for Your Brain and Body” http://www.hiptobefit.com/node/36 describes the brain preferring muscle synergies (muscles working together in groups) so as to be more efficient with movement.

The human body’s architecture is such that it enables fluid movement when allowed to perform optimally. The skeletal system, muscular system and ligamentous system is arranged to work in harmony to expend the least amount of energy for the task desired.

Muscle fibers are orchestrated in a manner to promote multi-planar movement. This helps the body produce more force, which in turn makes it more adept at achieving desired movement results.

As mentioned in “The Best Exercise” article, the nervous system along with the help of the proprioceptors, gives the brain (and spinal cord) constant feedback to make the body more proficient.

Ligaments and joint capsules protect the joints from unwanted and extreme movement and also give feedback to ensure movement competence.

Our system and, it appears, all animal species’ systems, are designed rather well for success.

As children we are “wired “with all the right movement patterns for success. As we age and develop poor postures, inflexible musculature and other compensations due to poor movement habits…we “foul up” the system.

It would seem to make sense that our best movement strategy would be to let the body move as it is designed to move. We would be successful by leaving well enough alone. “Don’t try to fix what ain’t broke”- so to speak.

We are “messing with nature.”

So, how can we keep from altering nature? How do we keep from developing poor movement habits; and better yet un-do existing ones?

I think it is fairly simple and something that can be achieved quickly. As the saying goes, we will have to jump over to “the simple side of complexity.”

The body is a complex organism. However, it is already designed for us to be successful. We just need to take advantage of the arrangement and work with it instead of against it. This will improve our overall health and fitness.

Here are some key points to allow this to happen:

Perform a daily exercise routine that works the body in all three planes of motion. These planes are the sagittal, frontal and transverse (front to back, side to side and rotational). This action alone will allow the muscles to operate as designed and give proper feedback to the brain and spinal cord. Sending proper information to the “control tower” will result in better movement outcomes (posture, flexibility, reflexes, muscle and ligament strength).

Exercise with the movement goal in mind. What does your body have to do on a daily basis? What postures, movement patterns and activities do you ask it to do? How do you need to prepare for its ultimate success? What exercises and/or stretches must you perform to prevent problems?

If I am a computer programmer, I want to make sure I do exercise routines to stimulate my muscles to help keep my metabolism at levels to prevent excessive weight gain. I want to make sure I do flexibility routines to prevent muscle tightness and poor posturing. I need to make sure I take several breaks throughout the day to at least adjust my posture and possibly do quick exercise routines to stimulate my brain.

Stop introducing unnatural exercises and exercise machines to your system. A basic rule of thumb is to evaluate your routine based on its functionality. Do you do a movement like this on a daily basis? Does a particular machine put you in a non-functional environment?

Pretty much any exercise that “isolates” a muscle is unnatural. The brain recognizes muscle synergies, so isolating a muscle confuses the brain. Examples: seated leg extensions, machine biceps curls, pec (chest) machine.

Get on your feet and work in 3 planes of motion. Allow the muscles to “load and explode” (lengthen and contract) through the available range of motion (i.e. not too extreme range under tension as to cause injury).

Lastly, feed the system nutrients. Start with water; half an ounce to one ounce of water per pound of body weight. Keep your body hydrated to ensure proper functioning – not to mention clearer thinking.

I recommend 2.5 grams of carbohydrates for every gram of protein. Breads, fruits and vegetables (carbohydrates), provide the main energy source for our bodies. Meat, fish, dairy products and nuts (protein), provide the major building blocks for all the cells in our body.

In general, whole foods are better than processed. Stay away from sugar, flour, and high fat oils.

We can aid the architecture of our body by working with our natural system and avoiding habits that work against it.

We are born with all the tools for movement success; it’s how we develop these tools over time that makes the difference in our health and fitness.

As a wise man said long ago:

“If a man would move the world, he must first move himself.” -Socrates

Take a breather. The dog days of summer have come and gone.

Thermometers might disagree, but sports bettors should be notified that the best action of the summer is fast approaching.

Bettors typically grow tired of Major League Baseball’s regular season monotony by the end of July. Then, like a cool sea breeze, the NFL blesses bored bettors with a breath of fresh air.

NFL training camps opened for the season on July 27. Over the following two weeks, teams begin a grueling schedule of curfews, diets, and two-a-days to get in shape for the upcoming season. In the following month, all 32 NFL teams will work toward making the playoffs.

The NFL begins its pre-season this week. This time of year is without question the best kept secret in sportsbook wagering.

Most NFL fans know that very little can be learned from pre-season games. The main purpose for the scrimmage-style contests is for coaches to make starting lineup evaluations. Last year’s starters are only on the field for a few plays, mainly to avoid getting rusty for the pending season. While they see their only bench time of the season, reserve players and rookies get the majority of snaps, hoping that their performance will earn them a roster spot.

For the first (and only) time of the NFL season, line makers have no advantage. They are creating lines blindly, forced to set the spread as if the games are regular-season contests.

The reason they are in this situation is simple. No consideration can be made on their part for how reserve players and rookies play. How can bookies create an accurate line when players they haven’t seen play are taking the snaps?

Example. When the St. Louis Rams play the Kansas City Chiefs on August 23, the spread and over/under will be set assuming that KC’s defense (one of the five WORST in 2003) is lining up for each snap against St. Louis’ high flying passing attack, which ranked third in 2003.

The spread for this contest could favor St. Louis (for this example, we’ll say it does). The Rams’ three-headed offensive monster (quarterback Marc Bulger; receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt) likely will not play past halftime. Also, KC’s one-man offensive machine, running back Priest Holmes, should see more bench than turf. These two events make the game wide open. Your guess about the outcome is as good as the bookies.

The second half should see the field full of unproven players. Who knows where the game will go from there? Will it be a low-scoring contest, or a barnburner? No one can be totally sure. This comes as great news for bettors, and bad news for bookies.

“The NFL pre-season is easily the most unpredictable time for offshore sportsbooks,” said Anthony Wayne, marketing director for EWINNER.com (http://www.ewinner.com). “Very often, the field is full of players who have similar skills. Without big game playmakers on the field, how are line makers supposed to know who the favorite will be?”

Following below are several pre-season contests which could prove to be very beneficial to the sports bettor. Strike while the iron is hot. (All spread statistics courtesy of Gold Sheet):

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers, 8/19, 8pm on FOX: New York finished a dismal 4-12 last year, and failed to cover the spread in their final eight games However, they have reloaded by acquiring quarterback Kurt Warner as a mentor to rookie quarterback Eli Manning, and have a new coach, former Jaguars leader Tom Coughlin. Coughlin is a pre-season safe bet, with a 16-8-1 exhibition record against the spread.

With the exception of their offensive line, Carolina has maintained most of the lineup which won the NFC championship last season. The Panthers have covered the spread in their last five pre-season contests, but four of them were as the underdog. During the 2003 regular season, they went 3-9 when favored.

Bet on: Coughlin and his G-men, especially if Carolina is favored.

Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens, 8/12, 8pm on ESPN: After an off-season of drastic changes, Atlanta has nothing to do but improve after finishing 2003 with the league’s worst defense. New coach Jim Mora, Jr. is going to put some youth in their booth, and with Michael Vick healthy, 2004’s Falcons should play more like 2002’s playoff team. During Vick’s first two seasons, Atlanta was 7-1 during exhibition season; last season, they went 0-4 (Vick broke his leg in Atlanta’s second pre-season game).

Baltimore should be the beast of the AFC North this year, as well as a contender for the Super Bowl from week one. Quarterback Kyle Boller will be a year learned, and their top rushing offense (thanks to marathon HB Jamal Lewis), will be complimented by newly acquired wideout Kevin Johnson. This team should improve on last season’s 10-6 record, as their storied defense remains one of the NFL’s fiercest. Head Coach Brian Billick is 11-4 career in exhibition games against the spread, and is 6-2 as the underdog. Last year, the Ravens only went 1-3.

Bet on: Atlanta if Vick is healthy. Keep an eye on Baltimore, especially if they are the underdog.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles, 8/26, 8pm on ESPN: Pittsburgh has a lot to recover from after last season; mainly injuries. Their offense was only imposing on paper, thanks to injuries on the offensive line and a lack of carries for “The Bus” (Jerome Bettis), who only averaged 3.3 yards per touch. Head coach Bill Cowher has turned into a perennial pre-season choke artist. Last year, his team was 0-4 heading into the regular season, and they have had trouble covering the spread in past seasons as well (0-4 the last two seasons at home versus the spread).

Philadelphia is once again the favorite to go to the Super Bowl in the NFC. They addressed their two most pending needs in the off-season, adding wideout Terrell Owens and defensive end Jevon Kearse. The Eagles also have a tendency to choke. Unfortunately, the pre-season is no different. For his career, coach Andy Reid is 2-7 in exhibitions when favored at home.

Bet on: Philly. These games don’t count. They’re less likely to blow it.

Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys, 8/30, 8pm on ABC: The Titans cut a lot of salary (and talent) in the off-season, but they will still find a way to compete for the playoffs thanks to ironman QB Steve McNair. Tennessee’s 13 draft picks will see a ton of snaps before the season starts, as this team attempts to gel into a solid unit. A virtual lock in exhibitions, the Titans covered all four games last pre-season against the spread, and over the last four schedules are 7-1 in away exhibitions. As an underdog, they are more of a sure bet, a perfect 6-0.

Eddie George, a Titan as late as July, now runs for Dallas. George should carry a large chip on his shoulder after being one of Tennessee’s salary cap casualties. The 2004 Cowboys will also feature wideout Keyshawn Johnson, and rookie QB/retired minor league baseball player Drew Henson. Henson is going to see quite a lot of snaps in exhibitions to get rid of his diamond rust. Dallas was 10-6 last season, which is Bill Parcell’s best first season record as a head coach. However, quality opponents (teams with a winning record) went 4-2 against them last season, 3-1 against the spread.

Bet on: Titans. With their record in the pre-season, and Dallas’ tendency to lose to good teams, this should be a sure win.

For more information on NFL wagering, plus links to preferred online sportsbooks, check out Bet-Online-Sports (http://www.bet-online-sports.com).

Jonathan is a starving, struggling writer who aspires to work in public and media relations when he graduates college. He is a marketing intern with Advanced Telecom Services (http://www.advancedtele.com) and a freelance Web Consultant.

I’ve had backpacking trips that included rain, snow, lightning, rockslides, altitude sickness, and twenty-mile days – all in a summer weekend. Wilderness trips can be dangerous, but you can make then less so, by having the following ten essentials in your backpack.

1. Knowledge. What good is a compass if you don’t know how to use it? Play with matches if your fire-making skills are shaky. Learn what to do when you see a bear. Read a little, practice a little – knowledge is more likely to save you than gadgets.

2. Map and compass. These are together, because that’s the way you need to use them.

3. Matches and lighter. Bring both, or waterproof matches and a fire starter of some sort. Having two ways to start a fire is much safer.

4. First aid kit. Buy a pre-packaged one or build your own. Make sure it has pain relievers, bandages, disinfectant, and notes on basic first aid procedures.

5. Foot care. Your first aid kit needs moleskin, and maybe a pin, to treat blisters. Your feet have to be well cared for when you’re hiking miles from the nearest road.

6. Water purification. A filter works, but they clog and break so often that you should have a small bottle of iodine tablets or other water purification as back up.

7. Rainwear. One of the biggest killers in the woods is hypothermia, and it often starts when you get wet. Try to stay dry.

8. Shelter. This can be a tent, tarp or bivy sack. Just be sure you know how to use it.

9. Sleeping bag. Down bags are the warmest for their weight, but be sure you know how to keep it dry, or bring a synthetic bag.

10. Specific trip items. For backpacking trips in Michigan in May, bring insect repellant. In June in Arizona, bring sunblock. Think about the specific conditions for the time and place of your trip.

Make your own list if you take regular backpacking trips. It’s no fun when a friend tells us ten miles down the trail that he’s allergic to bees and forgot his medicine. A little planning means less worries, and a better trip.

About the author:

Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of ultralight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheBackpackingSite.com

Have you caught the bug yet? The desire to climb a mountain with a summit rising at least 14,000 feet above sea level has reached near-epidemic proportions in Colorado, with estimates of roughly 500,000 hikers and climbers making their way up a Fourteener each year.

The good news is that a number of Colorado’s 54 Fourteeners can be climbed by anyone with good stamina and overall fitness. That’s also the bad news. People who know little about the special risks of hiking in the mountains often set out along a well-marked and well-traveled trail up a Fourteener ill-equipped for the venture. Hypothermia and dehydration are two of the dangerous and all-too-common problems that might await hikers who aren’t prepared.

It was the Fourth of July weekend, and we headed to the mountains, escaping Denver’s 95 degree heat. As we approached the summit above tree-line (trees can’t grow above a certain elevation; in Colorado that elevation is around 11,000 to 12,000 feet), it began to snow. Hard. And blow. Harder. We donned our wind pants and warm coats, hats and gloves, and continued to the top.

There we found a hiker who had passed us on the trail earlier in the day. He was dressed in running shorts and a light shirt, wearing tennis shoes (which were quite wet by now), and carrying a small, empty water bottle. He was shivering violently. People began bundling him up in their extra warm clothing, giving him food and water, and then helped him back down the trail.

Here are a few basic “rules” to remember before heading up that mountain trail (even when hiking up peaks lower than 14,000 feet):

1. Bring along extra layers of clothing. No matter how beautiful and warm the weather is when you start out, temperatures can plummet and you can get soaked if a thunderstorm moves in.

2. Thunderstorms are extremely common in Colorado’s mountains during summer afternoons. Plan your day so you can be leaving the summit and heading back down the trail no later than noon. Watch the sky for cloud build-up, and turn around earlier if a storm seems to be forming early.

3. Carry plenty of water, and drink frequently. Even in cool weather, you’ll probably need to drink a minimum of 2 quarts of water during your hike to and from the summit of one of the “easier” Fourteeners. That amount of water is on the low side for many people.

4. Some of the other “essentials” to bring along: food (snack frequently – don’t let yourself run out of “fuel”), map & compass (and know how to use them), fire starter, flashlight or headlamp, 1st Aid kit, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

5. Hike with a buddy. That cold, wet guy was lucky that other people came along to help him. Imagine what would have happened if he had been alone for another 30 minutes!

These tips are just a start to help you hike more safely in the mountains. Consider joining a hiking club before tackling higher peaks in Colorado. You’ll find some new hiking partners, learn more outdoor skills, and probably have a great time to boot.

Let’s head for the hills!

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Several of the “easier” Colorado Fourteeners are:

Mount Sherman

Quandary Peak

Mount Elbert

Mount Evans

Mount Belford

About The Author

Diane Winger is co-author of “Highpoint Adventures – The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints”, and other guidebooks. Visit www.HighpointAdventures.com to learn more about hiking, climbing, and travel adventures in the great outdoors.

Diane Winger ©2004 All Rights Reserved.