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      • TRAVEL TIPS
      • PAC NW III 2023
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      • ABOUT COACH GUNN
      • INSPIRATION
      • UP NORTH 2025
    • HIKE TRAINING
      • NEWSLETTERS
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  • HOME
  • HIKING TOURS
    • TRAVEL TIPS
    • PAC NW III 2023
    • SCOTLAND II 2024-2025
    • ABOUT COACH GUNN
    • INSPIRATION
    • UP NORTH 2025
  • HIKE TRAINING
    • NEWSLETTERS
    • ABOUT TRAINING
    • LECTURE NOTES & TIPS
    • DEFINITIONS
    • TEST HIKES
    • MANISTEE
  • RUN-WALK EVENTS
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LECTURE NOTES & HIKING TIPS

SHOPPING TIPS

Documents: COACHING LECTURE NOTES

QUICK LINKS

DOCUMENTS; Lecture Notes


Essential Hiking Tips


Cairn Stone Vet Hiking Tips


SHOPPING: Local Area Stores


SHOPPING: Online Stores

Cold Weather Tips (pdf)Download
CoachingTips-Daypacks (pdf)Download
Day Pack Checklist - 18 JUNE 2019 (pdf)Download
Grand Canyon Hiking Tips-Rev4SEP2021 (pdf)Download
Last Minute Travel Tips by Lee Riley (pdf)Download
Defensive Walking & RunningR3 (pdf)Download
ExtremeHikingTips2-R071812 (pdf)Download
Foul Weather GearR2 (pdf)Download
Fuel For The Canyon 6-19-14 (pdf)Download
Map Reading R1 (pdf)Download
Shopping Tips R3 4MAR2021 (pdf)Download
Weekly Training Tips R1 (pdf)Download

COACH GUNN RECOMMENDED - AREA LOCATIONS TO SHOP

Gazelle Sports - Kalamazoo

Wanderlust Outfitters - St. Joe

Gazelle Sports - Kalamazoo

214 S Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, MI 49007


 269.342.5996 

LOCATION NEAR YOU

Fleet Feet - Mishawaka

Wanderlust Outfitters - St. Joe

Gazelle Sports - Kalamazoo

 3522 North Grape Road
Mishawaka, IN 46545


574-257-7867 

Website

Wanderlust Outfitters - St. Joe

Wanderlust Outfitters - St. Joe

Wanderlust Outfitters - St. Joe

 120 State St. | St. Joseph, MI 49085 


 269.281.7047 

Website

REI - Grand Rapids

Connected Soles - St. Joe

Wanderlust Outfitters - St. Joe

3149 28th St. SE, Kentwood, MI 49512


616.940.1526

REI NEAR YOU

Connected Soles - St. Joe

Connected Soles - St. Joe

Connected Soles - St. Joe

1501 NILES AVENUE, ST. JOSEPH, MI, 49085 


 269.408.1400 

Website

Bivouac - Ann Arbor

Connected Soles - St. Joe

Connected Soles - St. Joe

336 S STATE ST ANN ARBOR, MI 48104


734.761.6207 

Website

COACH GUNN RECOMMENDED - ONLINE SHOPPING

Campmor

EMS - Eastern Mountain Sports

EMS - Eastern Mountain Sports

 800.226.7667 

Website

EMS - Eastern Mountain Sports

EMS - Eastern Mountain Sports

EMS - Eastern Mountain Sports

 

Website

High Sierra

EMS - Eastern Mountain Sports

Moosejaw - Michigan & Illinois locations

 

Website

Moosejaw - Michigan & Illinois locations

Moosejaw - Michigan & Illinois locations

Moosejaw - Michigan & Illinois locations

Chicago-Grand Rapids-East Lansing-Detroit

Website

Roadrunner Sports

Moosejaw - Michigan & Illinois locations

Roadrunner Sports

800-743-3206

Website

Hammer Nutrition

Moosejaw - Michigan & Illinois locations

Roadrunner Sports

800-336-1977 

(Check out ENDURANCE LIBRARY)

A goldmine of research and studies

Website

ESSENTIAL HIKING TIPS

HIKING POLES

PURCHASE CARBON FIBER POLES

PURCHASE CARBON FIBER POLES

Most of our hikers use them.  Coach Gunn thought them unnecessary for hiking, perhaps because he was such an avid runner.  One concern is burning extra calories during a 10 or 12 hour extreme hike.  A tight grip such as for cross country skiing will take extra energy and tighten your back muscles.  A loose grip that depends on the strap works well except when going uphill.  Keep them at the ready to stop or slow a fall or for balance when crossing a stream rather than to pull you along reduces the energy used.  A lighter pole is better.  Clamps are better than twist locks.  Carbon fiber poles are lighter than aluminum and may be stronger, but can be costly. 

PURCHASE CARBON FIBER POLES

PURCHASE CARBON FIBER POLES

PURCHASE CARBON FIBER POLES

  A recommended hiking pole Thom and other Cairn Stone hikers have and do use are available at HikerHunger.com.  


One of our Rookie hikers alerted us of this:  Currently (Mar 2024) Costco has carbon fiber poles at an unbelievable price.  


[Check this Do You Get What You Pay For video comparing Costco poles.] 

HOW TO USE POLES

HYDRATION

PURCHASE CARBON FIBER POLES

WATER BLADDERS

Your body is about 60% water.  It stops working if you run low of water or electrolytes.  

You lose water and electrolytes in your sweat.  Drink often and replace the lost electrolytes.  

Carry enough water:  2 to 3 liters may be enough water for most hikes but for an extreme hike you may need to carry 4 to 5 liters.  

Emergency water sources:  You may also need a way to make water potable in an emergency.  Portable filtration systems are now available, they are light and make tasty water and may be a better alternative to traditional iodine tablets.

FILTRATION SYSTEM REVIEWS

WATER BLADDERS

CORE BODY TEMP CONTROL

WATER BLADDERS

Most hikers will use a 3 liter bladder in their day pack as necessary to carry enough water.  The drinking hose works well while on the move.   Carrying the weight close to your back feels lighter. 

A popular option is fresh water in the bladder and triple strength electrolyte (Gator Aid, Power Aid, Hammer, or Nuun) in a bottle.  A few small swallows put back essential electrolytes.  Sweet electrolyte mixtures may get hard to swallow after several hours on the trail.  Fresh water is never hard to swallow.


BLADDER REVIEWS

FUEL

CORE BODY TEMP CONTROL

CORE BODY TEMP CONTROL

During an extreme hike your body needs fuel.  Eat what works for you and what your stomach will not reject.  A variety is helpful when your hike exceeds 8 hours. You determine what to eat during the training hikes and test your plan at the Test Hikes. 

Coach's rule: Do not experiment with unfamiliar food or drink during the hiking tour.

Sweet and Salty Snacks:  These are proven hiking snacks because they replace carbohydrates and lost salt (an essential electrolyte). 

A pattern or rhythm works best such as taking a drink every 15 minutes and adding a snack every second drink.  Find what works best for you during our training.

HAMMER NUTRITION - GETTING STARTED

CORE BODY TEMP CONTROL

CORE BODY TEMP CONTROL

CORE BODY TEMP CONTROL

Your core body temperature averages 98.6.  Strenuous exercise will raise this temperature.  Use layers to keep it from going too high or too low.  In hot conditions we may need to assist the body's sweat evaporation by wetting down and even laying in a cool creek.


 Carry a microfiber cooling towel to wear around your neck, wash or wet down.  If water sources are unavailable carry a liter of fresh water to re-wet the towel.  Used conservatively this can last for several hours. 

8 BEST COOLING TOWELS

MORE HIKING TIPS

TRACTION DEVICES

Coach Gunn seldom promotes specific brands as seldom does one brand best meet all needs.  There are many products for added traction on icy roads and trails.  The options are many and often specific to the activity and surface, whether trail or road.  The button below will take you to a website with evaluations of several products to assist you with an informed decision.

TRACTION DEVICES

WHERE TO SHOP

Coach Gunn recommends these shopping locations because they offer quality products and have trained staff to fit you.  Shoes and day packs should be fitted to your specific size, shape, foot strike and intended use.  [Use an experienced Boot Fitter and Backpack Fitter]


Many of our experienced long-distance hikers use Superfeet premium insoles in their shoes.

COACH'S RECOMMENDATIONS

WORN OUT HIKING SHOES

Tread bare worn-out shoes

[THE SOLES ABOVE ARE BALD TIRES!]

Check the lugs on your hiking shoes for wear.   The elite hike candidates will put more than 400 miles on their shoes just with the biweekly training hikes.  400 miles is the end of life of a good hiking/running shoe.

Replace your shoes early or rotate two pair during the training season.  Warn out soles give poor grip, and you want shoes that you've proven on long training hikes.

[Always use a good Boot Fitter when you buy shoes.]

CAIRN STONE VET TIPS

BE PREPARED TO OVERNIGHT

The longest Cairn Stone hike is all-day and we never plan to sleep on the ground.  However, we do want to be prepared to overnight in a remote area.  A simple ankle sprain could require an overnight on the trail, whether yours or someone you stay to help.  Coach Gunn includes a mylar blanket in his day pack list for this reason.  Some Cairn Stone vets go a step further with a mylar sleeping bag.  At just 4oz. and $4 each this better than option could mean a more comfortable night on the trail.  (The button below offers one good purchase option)


[SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE]

MYLAR BAG

HARD-WON EXPERIENCE TIPS FROM CAIRN STONE VETS

Many Cairn Stone vets have had multiple elite hikes in the backcountry with good and not so good experiences.

Here they share some of that hard-won experience.  [Downloadable pdf files]

BONKINGONTHETRAILS (pdf)

Download

Core Stability Exercises (pdf)

Download

Bladder Maintenance 9-19-13 (pdf)

Download

Thoms Trail Mix-Grand Canyon (pdf)

Download

Thom'sFavoriteGranolaClusters (pdf)

Download

QUICK LINKS

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