Snowshoes – Hike on snow

Cross-Country Skis – Glide through the wilderness

Spotting Scope or Binoculars – Get a closer peek

Steripen – lightweight UV light sterilizes water

Subscription to Backpacker Magazine – A nice, inexpensive gift

Outsak Bag or Bear Canister – Protect food from animals

Gloves – Replace them often for maximum efficiency

Socks – Try Merino Wool

Emergency Radio or Weather Radio – Keep it light and small.  Handy to have.

Multi-Tool – A great traditional gift

If all else fails… Give your hiker friend a gift card to his or her favorite retailer.  REI and Summit Hut are great online retailers

Ventana Trail

Distance (Round Trip):  13.4 Miles

Elevation (Start): 2,950 Feet

Elevation (End): 7,000 Feet

Difficulty:  Strenuous

Dogs Allowed?:  No

Location:  Santa Catalina Front Range

Contact:  Coronado National Forest

Hugh Norris Trail

Distance (Round Trip):  9.8 Miles

Elevation (Start):  2340 Feet

Elevation (End):  4687 Feet

Difficulty:  Moderate

Dogs Allowed?:  No

Location:  Tucson Mountains

Contact: Saguaro National Park West

Tanque Verde Ridge Trail

Distance (Round Trip): 18 Miles

Elevation (Start):  3,120 Feet

Elevation (End):  7,049 Feet

Difficulty:  Moderate to Strenuous (“Strenuous” due to the distance)

Dogs Allowed?:  No

Location:  Rincon Mountains

Contact:  Saguaro National Park East and Coronado National Forest

Romero Trail

Distance:  13.2 Miles

Elevation (Start):  2,800 Feet

Elevation (End):  6,000 Feet

Difficulty:  Moderate

Dogs Allowed?:  No

Location:  Santa Catalina

Contact:  Catalina State Park

Old Baldy Trail

Distance:  9 Miles

Elevation (Start):  5,400  Feet

Elevation (End):  9450 Feet

Difficulty:  Moderate to Strenuous

Dogs Allowed?:  Yes

Location:  Santa Rita

Contact:  Coronado National Forest

1.Insured – Accidents do happen, and so does negligence. You may be saving a few bucks by going with the lower price, but think about why it is a lower price. They may not have adequate coverage in the event of an unfortunate incident.

2. Permitted - Is the company legal in the area of your trip. The company most likely needs some form of commercial permit from a governing body of some sort. Examples are the National Park Service, National Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management to name a few.

If they are not permitted, they are most likely not insured.

3. Active Ownership - Is the owner/owners a current or former guide. This comes down to knowledge and practical experience. Who better to run a tour company that someone who has done, or is still doing the trips.

4.Qualified Guides/Trip Leaders – All guides should have medical training. Different areas have different regulations. A good company will encourage its staff to stay up to date on medical training.

5. Ask Questions - Call them and ask questions. If the person who is selling you a trip can’t answer specific logistics questions, do not book your trip. The person/persons selling the trip should be able to answer questions about every aspect of your trip.

6. Beware of the Internet - Purchase your trip from a person. Fancy websites are easy to create                 and may entice you into booking a trip. Shopping online is great. When you think you are ready to buy, call the company and speak to a representative.

7. Ask For References – Happy customers are a great way to get good information.

8. Be Open To Recommendations - If you have spoken to the company, discussed the requirements of the trip, and they seem to be guiding you towards another trip, it may be for a reason. A good company will be honest and not sell the trip if they believe the client isn’t capable of completing the trip. A good company has options available.

9.Food - Make sure they take into consideration any dietary restrictions for each member of your group. Some folks feel this should be higher on the list.

10. Trip Insurance - A good company will recommend that you purchase trip insurance. They recognize that unpredictable events do occur. A last minute illness could cancel your trip. Insurance would cover your cancelled trip cost. Sometimes you will be able to purchase trip insurance from your tour provider. Most times you will have to purchase through a third party.

9 Signs You Are Dehydrated On A Hike

1.  Infrequent Or No Urination

2.  Dark Urine – Often With A Strong Odor

3.  You Feel Thirsty or Have A Dry Mouth

4.  You Have A Headache

5.  You Feel Dizzy

6.  You Feel Nauseated

7.  You Are Vomiting Or Suffering From Diarrhea

8.  You Are Rationing Your Water

9.  You Have Reached Your Half-Way Point And Have Less Then Half Your Water Supply Left

Take What You Need

The recommended daily water intake, for average body sizes, is between 3 and 6 Liters, depending on your weight, for a body at rest.

• This does not account for temperature, humidity, exertion level, distance, or elevation
• The recommended daily water intake is for proper bodily functions (sweating, salivating, eliminating, etc)
• Your personal hiking history should indicate whether to bring more or less water than the daily recommended amount

Add Emergency/Extra Water

Now add 2 to 3  more  Liters of water to your recommended daily water intake.

• Consider temperature, elevation, distance, and personal history
• Emergency water can be used to clean wounds
• Extra water can aid in emergency survival situations
• Remember, that emergency water can be used on you or someone else

Cached Water

If you cache some extra water, as is commonly done in desert backpacking, always protect it in a critter proof container.  Outsak bags work great.

Rules And Regulations Most trailheads, entrances, and/or websites will have specific guidelines to follow.

Stay On Trail Traveling on established trails in high impact areas protects the surrounding nature.

Leave No Trace Please use “Leave No Trace” ethics or do your best to minimize your environmental impact.  This includes packing out trash, leaving no crumbs or peels behind, staying on trail, eliminating far from water sources, animal proof food storage, etc.

No Rock Throwing Assume there are hikers, bikers, trail runners, horses, or wildlife below every edge.  Never throw a rock below an edge.  Innocently thrown rocks can kill.

Stop For Horses When encountering  horses, mules, or other pack animals, step off the trail and stop.  Make no contact with the animals.  Listen and be open to instructions from the riders, as they sometimes have specific directions about their animals.

Yield To Uphill Traffic Allow uphill traffic to continue with their pace by stepping to the side.  The uphill traffic will sometimes want the break and might wave you through.

Leash Dogs While on trail, it is respectful to keep your dogs leashed.  This protects wildlife from stress and prevents your dog from approaching other people, dogs, bikes, horses, etc.  Do not assume other people and animals want to greet your dog.  Your dog should be under your control whether they are leashed or not.  Know your dog, and do not allow your dog off leash if you are unsure if they will listen and comply with your requests.

Stay Off Cross Country Ski Tracks Winter time travelers should avoid disturbing cross country ski tracks by walking to the side of them.

Be Quiet Allow others a quiet environment.