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      • ABOUT COACH GUNN
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  • HOME
  • HIKING TOURS
    • BEST OF THE WEST 2022
    • TRAVEL TIPS
    • PAC NW III 2023
    • SCOTLAND II 2024
    • ABOUT COACH GUNN
    • INSPIRATION
    • BEST OF UTAH 2021
  • 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

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

HYDRATION

WATER BLADDERS

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

WATER BLADDERS

WATER BLADDERS

Most hikers will find a 3 liter bladder in their day pack as the best way to carry the water they need.  The drinking hose is very convenient and efficient, and the weight is carried close to your back so will feel lighter than laying in the bottom of your day pack. 

A popular option is fresh water in the bladder and triple strength electrolyte (Gator Aid, Power Aid, Hammer, or Nuun) in a bottle.  Small amounts put back essential electrolytes.  The sweet mixture may be hard to swallow after several hours on the trail.

For cooling, carry a liter bottle of fresh water as a way to wash or wet down a microfiber cooling towel.

BLADDER REVIEWS

FUEL

WATER BLADDERS

FUEL

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

MORE HIKING TIPS

TRACTION DEVICES

TRACTION DEVICES

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

TRACTION DEVICES

TRACTION DEVICES

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

BE PREPARED TO OVERNIGHT

BE PREPARED TO OVERNIGHT

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

BE PREPARED TO OVERNIGHT

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

TIPS FROM CAIRN STONE VETERAN HIKERS]

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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