The Wide World of Walking Equipment

Walking or hiking staff do you really need one?  Assuming for the moment that you’re not into Nordic walking or don’t require one because of an infirmary of some sort, the answer is, not usually.  Your daily walks are most likely in an urban environment with plenty of paving and has little in the way of strenuous climbing.  But if you’re lucky enough to be able to get out into a more rugged setting with a fair degree of frequency, a hiking/walking staff is something you might want to consider as part of your assortment of walking equipment.

A hiking sticks or staffs come in a wide array of configurations and a wide array of materials.  They can be as simple as a stick you pick up along your walk to a complex, hi tech piece of equipment.  If you find yourself selecting a stick from the first, improvisational, category here are a couple of tips to help you find a walking stick that will work well.

•   Find something that isn’t too heavy.  Of Couse you could throw it away if it got too much of a burden but if it works, you may want to keep it around if for nothing more than as a memento.

•  There is a bit of a debate about the height that a stick should be.  At a minimum, it should be 6 inches taller than your elbow.  At the most, a bit higher than your shoulder.  Your preference, however the taller version would be more helpful in rugged country.

•  Before you decided on a particular stick you need to be sure it can handle the job.  You don’t want to rely on something that is going to give way when you need it the most.  So put your full weight on the stick.  If there is excess bending or obviously it snaps then toss it and look for something else

•  Make sure the business end…where the stick meets the ground…is sturdy.  No splits, cracks, missing portions or uneven surface.  Nothing that is going to throw you off balance.

•  Make sure the hand grip area is smooth, free of knots or a potentially abrasive surface.  Insure that the grip area is not too big or too small.  You going to be carrying it for a while, so a comfortable grip is key.

• Finally, find a stick that’s already on the ground.  Don’t go tearing branches off a healthy tree.  Likely it will be too green to do you much good anyway.

A good walking stick can be of real benefit when walking on uneven or difficult terrain.  It can be that third leg that will help you maintain your balance and prevent a fall or twisted joint. In the right circumstances, a walking staff has its place among important pieces of your walking equipment assortment.

Technorati Tags: exercise walking, fitness walking, hiking staff, walking, Walking Equipment, Walking Gear, Walking Safety, walking stick

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Snow, Ice, Sleet when will it end?  But perhaps a more important question is,   Will our concerns about walking safety end our walking routines?

Walking during the winter months can be difficult.  Many of us resort to walking indoors or employ walking equipment (treadmills, etc.) of some sort to maintain our exercise routines until spring arrives.  Right about now we are likely bored to death and yearning for the outdoors.  Just a bit of fresh air and a change of scenery.  However, walking in snow and ice can be a challenge, no question about it.  Slipping, sliding, falling and the potential for injury are real dangers and should give us a moment’s pause.  However, at the end of the day, we can’t let a bit of ice and snow or an overpowering sense of boredom erase all our time, hard work and effort.

There are steps we can take to minimize the likelihood of us ending our walk on our derriere or in traction.

• The first rule is don’t overdress.  Although you need to stay warm don’t overdo it.  Too much clothing, particularly if you’re not use to it, can negatively affect your balance and mobility making you more susceptible to a fall.  So dress warm by all means.  Follow proper layering guidelines but don’t dress like the Michelin Man.

• Wear walking sneakers with a gripping tread design, not smooth surfaced.  Be sure that your sneakers have adequate tread and not too worn to give you an adequate grip.  Most quality walking sneaker tread is designed to handle navigating slippery surfaces.  If you live in wintery climes and are uncertain about the traction you shoes provide, a good source of information is your local athletic shoe store.

• In the way of specifically designed walking equipment, there are traction cleats that you attach to your sneakers to give you extra grip and support.  Yaktrax is among the most popular.

• Slow down you walking pace a bit and keep an open eye well in front.  Plan your walk a few steps ahead to avoid potentially slippery areas.  If your walking route takes you on blacktop watch for “black ice”.  I was introduced to this phenomenon one frightening day when I found my car moving sideways down the highway at 60 miles per hour.

• Walk with your feet pointed outward slightly.  It helps with your balance.

• Walking on snow is easier than ice, so stay on snow whenever possible.  It will surely make the walk more difficult of but you’ll get the added benefit of an extraordinary cardio workout.

• Keep your hands free.   Lean forward slightly and keep your arms out away from your body a bit more than usual.  This should provide additional balance and a brace should you in fact slip and fall.

• Shorten up your pace.  Take short steps rather than your usual long stride.

• Sidewalks are a bit of a problem.  Walking is easier but if they are shoveled clean they will usually have periodic ice patches.  If they’ve been salted it probably best to use them.  If not, snow depth permitting, it would be best to walk besides them.  As with all things you’ll need to exercise a little judgment when deciding which way to go.

Hey no one said it was going to be easy.  Walking safety in snow and ice can be troublesome.  But if you need to “get out and about”, just do it.  No need to be overly concerned.  Simply take a few extra precautions.  The important thing is to keep going.   Spring will be here before you know it.

Technorati Tags: exercise walking, fitness walking, ice, snow, walking, Walking Equipment, walking sneakers, winter walking

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As winter approaches and the days get shorter and nights longer added attention needs to be paid to the clothing and equipment we wear. Not only should they be designed to keep us warm but they should also enhance walking safety by making us highly visible to traffic. Every wonder why road side workers wear florescent colored vest outlined with yellow or gray tape? It’s because it’s the best way to stay visible during the day and at night. The florescent material is ideal for daytime visibility while the yellow or gray reflective straps are critical at night. The day time sun’s ultraviolet rays react with florescent colors to make them appear to “glow”. At night, light from a source such as car headlights bounces off the reflective tape portions making them appear to “glow”.

Florescent Colored Material

Again florescent colors owe their increase visibility to the way they absorb and emit different kinds of light. Many different colors can be made fluorescent. The most popular are yellow and orange but red, pink and green can be used as well. In an industrial setting yellow and orange are most commonly found. Lifeboats have orange life jackets since this color shows up best against blue and gray water. Hunters use orange. Interestingly, some recommended that hunters wear pink, a color not found often in nature and as a result shows up well against autumn leaves. Good luck with that one. The color blue is not epically effective for fluorescent clothing. Its wavelength it is not good at emitting light and therefore the human eye is not good at detecting it. Florescent colors “glow” extremely well in bright sunshine and even work well on dull or rainy days and when daylight is fading. But fluorescent colors don’t show up well in the dark. To be seen by drivers at night you need clothing and/or equipment that incorporates materials that have reflective properties.

Reflective Materials

Reflective materials work at night by bouncing back the light toward its’ source. For reflective gear to work properly it needs to be dark and there must be a light source, car headlights for example. The best reflective materials are called ‘retro-reflective’ . They are designed to bounce most of the light back toward its source as opposed to some materials that reflect but do so in a diffuse manner. . Retro-Reflective materials can help drivers to see you three seconds sooner, which could be the difference between life or death. However reflective material are not epically effective during the day, at dusk or in inclement weather, unless of course it is fluorescent in color. Although reflective tape can sometimes glint in the sunlight, it really doesn’t show up properly until after dark.

There are two types of retro reflective materials. You may have seen silver gray bands. They are called glass bead tape. When light shines on them at night they shine a very bright white. The preferred reflective materials are made of special plastic vinyl with lots of tiny prism shapes sealed inside. These prisms bounce the light off one another and then straight back to the source. This material is called microprismatic retro-reflective tape. This tape is a bit expensive but is very long-lasting and can be made in many different colors and shapes and can even be made to generate a holographic effect.

Key Take Aways

The key take away here is that neither florescent nor reflective materials work all the time and in all conditions, therefore to maximize your visibility your equipment and clothing selections should incorporate elements of both. Avoid dark colors and select microprismatic reflective take whenever possible. When selecting your clothing and equipment it’s important to give high priority to walking safety issues. This is epically true this time of year when you’re more likely to be walking during dusk, in inclement weather or at night. Fashion and color coordination should not be an overriding concern…Remember Safety First.

Technorati Tags: florescent colors, reflective material, safety, walking, Walking Clothing, Walking Equipment, Walking Gear

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