Plantar Fasciitis - my wife was plagued with this for years. We kept bottles in the freezer for her to roll her foot on, she had some prescribed medication when it got really bad and I literally massaged her feet every single night. For other health reasons we started a whole foods plant based diet and 3 weeks into she came home from work excited and said her foot had not bothered her once that day. This was 2019 and she's not been bothered since.
In reference to bears, I think you should always hike with a bear. No body will take advantage of you hitchhiking, they make great cuddle buddies on cold nights and they will find all the berry patches for foraging. I also love the trail name Bear Whisperer.
Deet is a good deterrent but you are right about it melting stuff. I had it dissolve the cover on a Swiss Army Knife and ruin a set of earphones for my 2-way radio.
Yeah but if you wanna bring your headlights back to original condition, this is it. Any old plastic that's lost its color or gets scratched up, deet new bruh!!!
Please do not abuse ibuprofen taking large doses can lead to kidney or liver failure (Both of which are potentially fatal), if you need a stronger painkiller please speak to your doctor about your needs and concerns. I used to take up to 20 or more at one point for migraines and it was reckless, stupid and it almost killed me - learn from my mistake and please do not repeat it yourselves.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31984540/ Results: Twenty-two idiosyncratic ibuprofen hepatotoxicity cases were identified in the literature, suggesting a very low prevalence of this type of DILI. These patients had a mean age of 31 years and 55% were females. Mean cumulative dose of ibuprofen and time to onset were 30 g and 12 days, respectively. Hepatocellular injury was the most frequently involved liver injury pattern. Six cases developed vanishing bile duct syndrome. Full recovery occurred in 11 patients after a mean time of 14 weeks, whereas five cases evolved to acute liver failure leading to death/liver transplantation.
i take more than the recommended dose of motrin on my periods but drs don't take menstrual pain seriously so theres no way for me to get a stronger painkiller lmao
I’m sorry but in the US doctors will just laugh at you. They’ll tell you to alternate ibuprofen and acetaminophen and that’s literally it. My ex had major surgery on his knee and was prescribed ibuprofen 😒
It's risky stuff. I was told to take it by my podiatrist and I ended up with chronic gastritis. Best to have food in your stomach 1st when taking it. I don't use any painkillers now.
@@cstump2005 well of course! doctors overprescribed opioids, contributed to the opioid crisis, and now refuse to actually prescribe things to ease pain because of a problem that they caused. it's fucking ridiculous.
Her experienced advice is excellent. A few points to add, if I may... 1. NEVER undertake extended remote backcountry hiking in new shoes, new boots. You WILL injure yourself. Pack only with boots/shoes that have been well broken in on day-long challenging outings that include long distances on "easy" terrain and long distances on very rough terrain. Blisters can immobilize you. I have rescued hikers who became immobilized by a blister and became stranded. One became stranded in weather that turned wet and cold and had descended into mid-stages of hypothermia before we got to her. 2. Corollary to #1: If you are packing new gear on a remote and extended trek, give everything a vigorous shakeout before before hand. 3. As to crime, while murder is vanishingly low, aggravated assault and rape are high, largely unreported, and of greater danger because of wilderness isolation. 4. At a minimum, take an 80 hour in-person out of doors Wilderness First Responder certification. Better, take the 200 hour Wilderness EMT-B certification. 5. I've found micro-spikes mighty useful in fording rocky waters and well worth the actually minor weight. 6. Hypothermia. At 46:10 "...should be warmed up as quickly as possible." WRONG! Slowly and gently is how to do it. In mid-to-later stages of hypothermia, warming up rapidly can provoke heart arrhythmia, fibrillation, and death. You will learn this in your WFR certification. 7. Fatal hypothermia can onset very quickly. Read up on the November 30 Oregon SAR for James Kim. Further, YOSAR makes numerous summer hypothermia rescues. Wet cotton clothing accelerates hypothermia. 8. Hyperthermia. Consider packing a 100% cotton shemagh minimum 42" x 42". Many uses. Wet and wrapped around head, neck, and shoulders, evaporation slightly cools capillary, venous, and arterial blood supplying the brain and heart. But also: (i) 100% cotton shemaghs are useful for staunching serious external bleeding (limbs AND abdominal wounds); (ii) making a sling; (iii) protecting the skin underneath a splint; (iv) improvising a traction splint for a fractured upper or lower leg. You'll learn this maybe in your WFR cert, and certainly in your WEMT cert; and (v) serves as a dust mask, smoke mask, and a cold weather balaclava. 9. Satellite communications and comms in general. Do yourself and your rescuers a favor. They can get to you better prepared and faster when you can provide details of the condition. Broken bone? Which bone? Fractures of the pelvis or femur need immediate response and often SAR will spin up a helicopter because you could bleed out before the ground crew can get to you. Broken arm or lower leg is a ground response. I pack a sat phone on the Iridium system. Have had occasion to use it when coming across others who need immediate response. Important to know, however: there is no 911 on sat phones. You need to pack a list of sheriff's offices in the areas where you'll be travelling. Easy to obtain. Also, be aware that arboreal cover, low clouds, canyons, and time of day all limit satellite signal. ALWAYA pack a signal mirror, the bigger the better, pack a LOUD whistle (the Storm Whistle used by rescue swimmers and river guides is tops). I pack a strobe light (water activated for my kayaking), chem light sticks, and (yes) smoke (smoke is a HUGE help for the helicopter crew). Always be able to convey you map coordinates. SAR crews like UTM, and for lat and long coordinates D.dddd is best. ALWAYS pack USGS hard copy maps and a compass and take classes in land map and compass navigation. Know how far you are from landmarks (you quickly can learn to count steps almost subconsciously). 10. There are two types who get into serious trouble: The highly experienced who are a little too impressed with themselves, and those who are new at it and have insufficiently prepared themselves.
THATS SO COOL! Im hoping you’re doing good rn I hope to be a backpacker one day and thru hike all kinds of trails! If you see this later update me on how it went!
Achilles tendinitis, we Pacific northwest loggers called it squeak heel and is almost crippling. We got it from breaking in brand new heavy duty leather "cork boots". That's the logging boots with spikes on the soles, we had to wear to safely get around in the brush and walk/run on logs. You would love them on your through hikes 😂. As they weighed about 2-4 pounds each! Another great video Dixie. There was no way any of us "tough" loggers were going to not push through the pain. Sometimes the entire crew had it and our log count suffered greatly. Icing and elevating at night helped, and putting a piece of stiff cardboard in your boots behind the Achilles helped during the day. And lots of Advil. We still moved like zombies though until we healed up.
@@paulrevere2379 Midnight riding much? Pretty much everyone got it with new boots at the beginning of the season. If it was towards the middle to end, which was around October, November, depending on snowfall (Tongass national forest, south east Alaska) then probably no squeak heel, as your feet toughen up. And once you've healed up, it doesn't come back, thank goodness.
@@davidbuben3262 Loggers are just one of those oddities* in this world which I discovered when I lived right smack in the Coast range of North Oregon. * You could say it takes one to know one. I can't say I ever met one who endeavored at any kind of intellectualism, but they had some customary ways which I wish the rest of America would follow: - They were not whiners, except sometimes about governmental regulations which we should all be angrily shouting about. - They wore masculine clothing which fit. - They kept their hair cut to a masculine shortness and didn't go around with senseless metallic hardware in their skin. So my basic impression was that loggers tended not to be over complicated. I suspect that any new guys who wanted to be "different" wouldn't last very long, but I can only guess at the dynamic which would make that happen. idk how much is direct/compulsory versus unspoken expectations. An unwelcome memo can be quite strong and gut felt without a single word written or spoken. Just a bit of curiosity on my part and reflection on where I once lived. btw one of my oddities is a highly geographical mindset for an American. Never been to Tongass NF but I have map reconned it just a bit years ago. That's a LONG way from the AT. Already got yourself a change of scenery (less cold) or just planning on it? I'm currently in central WA, a hiker trying to physically recover and not really succeeding. Stay Calm and Semper Gumby
Instead of deet, I use picaridin. Very effective, doesn’t stink, doesn’t melt your gear and safer for skin. It’s all about risk assessment. In Alabama, I’d rather risk using picaridin than risk tick bites.
@C. P. Depending where you live of course, most ticks aren't actually carrying diseases, but some things, like Lyme disease is something you never, ever wanna get.
From a current thru hiker (getting back on trail soon to finish what I started in March): -Ticks:I treated my clothing with permethrin and never had a tick on me. I wore long sleeved sun shirts, long pants, and socks that covered my ankles, all treated. -Fording Rivers:doesn't start in Maine like she said. Perhaps some rivers before Maine were streams, but I crossed plenty that were bigger than 20' across, not easy and some are VERY scary! Fast flowing on sliippery, mossy rocks. . Way more dangerous than people make them out to be. -Rock climbing: How did this not get mentioned? Rock climbing sucks! Having a pack makes it much harder and much more dangerous. -Navigation: The trail is poorly marked in Vermont and New Hampshire. NH has hardly any white blazes. FarOut makes a huge difference, but expect to get off trail anyway. Georgia was also poorly marked with white blazes. I would never recommend someone hike this trail without FarOut or some other GPS device. People think of the AT as a well blazed trail, but it's not. There have been hundreds of times I have had to use4 FarOut to figure out where to go, which path to take, etc.
I'm not a hiker but talking about ticks. I have live on a farm most my life. I used Vick's vapor rub on ticks. Put the Vick on the tick and he or she will come off by these self. They breath though they skin!!! Thanks for the information.
Just thought I’d mention Richard that even though this approach works to remove the tick it also forces the tick to regurgitate the content of its stomach and can result in the tick burrowing deeper.
I've only done minimal section hiking, but I have found that nearby towns tend to have people with love or hate relationships with hikers. Most businesses cater to hikers, but a couple make it clear they don't want hikers. That said, the latter make it clear enough you can easily avoid them.
Feel free to ask your doctor for prophylactic antibiotics for Lyme. If you see a tick and it could have been attached >24h, it’s a single dose of doxycycline to prevent Lyme. It’ll make you nauseous, but it’s worth it to prevent Lyme dz.
Love the repellent Deet. Hate what it feels like on my skin. Ticks are no joke. Met this guy in a restaurant in Maine. He has 7 kids. Every member of his family had lime disease, Mom, Dad, and all the kids. He had nothing good to say about ticks. I’ve pulled more than 200 ticks off my dog, after one day, hiking through the woods, behind my house on FT. BRAGG. Hate ticks. Kentucky
As an Australian one thing we are told is to always told is to have a good quality snake bite kit and know how to use it. An indicator bandage over the entire limb and preventing movement with a splint is essential when dealing with venomous snake bites, downside is they're bulky and do add about 500g to your kit which for a through hike is a fair bit of extra weight
I watched a video where someone placed a carbon fiber cascade mountain trekking pole, suspended a few inches of the floor, secured well. They stood on the pole and it didn't bend or snap or anything. I was pretty impressed and bought a pair and the price was pretty reasonable then.
Counterintuitively a lighter kit weight might actually lead to more blisters rather than fewer to none. Nobody really wants hot feet or rubbing inside your footwear, but speed and miles are massive contributors to heat and rubbing. Two simple things offer one OPTION which can reduce blisters and foot issues in general: Fewer miles and slowing down. This might mean that you need to carry more food and more water if you aren't running from one water/resupply to the next, but the added weight actually helps to incentivise a slower pace. After all the purpose of a scenic trail is not a race.
IF YOU decide to DRAIN a blister make the SMALLEST hole POSSIBLE. A pin hole the tip of a very pointy knife. Always carry safety pins on/in your pack. My personal experience has been to keep it VERY DRY and not pull the skin off, let it Dry out on its own if you can. Quality socks make a big difference. Moisture Wicking socks whenever possible. I don’t get out to much anymore because Spinal Stenosis is literally killing me. Great videos as usual 😉👍🏻
On my first hike I asked a bunch of people if they had any medical supplies no one did so I ran to Walmart and grabbed the biggest kit I could find and added some stuff to it. It was only a 3 day hike but I ended up helping some people out now my hiking nickname is Doc. It was a random join up hike there where 8 people that showed up that never hiked before me included but I was in a mountain bike club that everyone had to take a basic first aid class to be a part of.
@@papajeff5486 If your medics did their job then they regularly checked water sources whether you knew it or not. Protozoa are no joke and only trace amounts are resistable even by the strongest immune systems, although quantity of consumption does matter which few ppl seem to grasp.
I don't plan to ever hike the AT (too many people for this lonely soul) but I'm loving this in-depth series hahah, lots of great info. I am absolutely considering the CDT or PCT in the next couple years though! Harder (debatably), but better for me with crazy social anxiety and hermit tendencies.
Yet you have extended maybe outside your comfort zone to comment. Good on you. I never have to worry about too much company bc I refuse to follow a schedule. Every single day is different from all others. Where I will spend each night is rarely planned, but I do lots of planning in terms of map and terrain studies, astronomical, weather, bail out points whatever. I think the longest company I had while moving was not a thru-hiker at all and that lasted maybe two hours. It seemed to me that the majority of hikers were introverts which encouraged the more extrovert side of me to come out. Established campsites would I think be an issue which might be solveable by shifting off season at least to one of the skinny ends of the herd bell curve.
Dude I love your videos. They’re always so informative. My adhd doesn’t allow me to watch most things over 5 minutes, but I can watch your videos start to finish
I suggest a "Control Wrap" (Tacmed) or "Easy Bandage" (Lifeguard). They are strong ace wraps with velcro straps and a secure Hook at the end. They are intended to control major bleeding, but: You can use them for a tight pressure Bandage to control bleeding, To bandage a sprained ankle You can use it to wrap a improvised splint to a limp And, of course, you can use ith as a normal bandage. I like it in my First Aid Kits because of it versatility. But be careful: I'm only a day hiker :-) I don't think that every thing can be transformed from day hikes...
Hi I love your videos because for someone like myself who has a lot of health issues your videos are so informative like this one I'm watching now as far as Neosporin things you can do on the trail tents equipment and so on I really appreciate all the information you put out there like I said I love your videos keep it up please don't stop
Always break your boots or shoes in before going on long hikes..I worked construction and got a new pair of boots and just wore them to work. By day 2 I couldn't walk 30 ft without having to stop and act like I was tying my boot it hurt so bad to walk.Bbaftwr about 4 days I never had anymore issues. So I would say walk about 20 miles in them in all terrain before committing to them full time..
Never needed bells .. I'm breathing so hard, they can hear me a mile away 😄. So the most common bear sighting in my hiking is the crashing sound which when I look is a black flash in the distance. Even the acclimated bears I've seen (that don't run) still maintained their distance; aware, but not concerned. That said, I did have one unexpected (for both of us) close encounter on a windy day (masked my noise) when I came around a bend and s/he was lunching about 10ft to the side of the trail. As I have the (bad?) habit of talking to animals, I spoke when I saw it and startled the bejeezus out of him. I felt bad about that for a long time 😒
Did you ever see the clip of Dixie trying to make friends with a bear? Literally crouching and saying “hey darlin” in her sweet voice? Yeah…that bear was no darlin lol
For a hitchhiking sign, FedEx Tvyek mailing envelopes are white on the inside, waterproof, tearproof, two-sided, can be used for other purposes, and are free at FedEx drop boxes.
Dixie is right about how bad a case of Giardia is. I got it from drinking spring water in the Smokies and did not improve until Grammy made me drink a weak hydrogen peroxide solution. I noticed marked improvement, but all should proceed with caution. Also, you can become immune to it once you have had it. BUT, since Dixie showed me the Sawyer filter, I ALWAYS use it.
Walked out the other end of the hundred mile wilderness with 2 extra tents, brand new pack, ton of trash, but tossed it when I visited the white house by boat!
I really appreciated your video and learned quite a bit actually. I enjoy your honest approach to content and reality. I honestly cannot imagine hiking the trail alone and have yet to form a crew lol. Besides, age has taken over. Thanks again for your insight!
I had Lyme Disease from a camping trip. Luckily I caught it early but the symptoms usually do not show up for 30 days after the bite. After being diagnosed with it, it took me three weeks to return back to work because of the fatigue. It take about 6 months till you fell back to normal. You still have fatigue. Also doctors are very good at early Diagnosis of Lyme disease, especially if you have a city Doctor. It also good to stress the environment you where in . My doctor did not believe me when I told him I thought I might have Lyme disease until I told him the camping area I was in was known to have ticks.
cross streams sideways , less surface area for water hitting your legs pushing you.. in fast rivers have biggest heaviest guy above your blocking fast moving water
About 30 min. into the video talks about hitch hiking.... I remember needing a ride after hiking to the top of the Grand Tetons in WY and by the time I got to the bottom, 12 hours later, it was dark at 7:30pm, and this is Grizzly Bear country... Granted I had a 357 Cal. & Bear Spray, but it would be scarier to be confronted by a bear in the dark... I still needed to get to Jenny Lake Visitor Center parking lot which was a few miles away, but I was fortunate to see a nice looking couple sitting in their car at the trailhead, and I walked over to ask for a ride and after they debated with a moment of silence, they said ok.
Great Heads up! When mentioning guides & apps, you didn't mention the AT Data Book? I attended Dr. Warren Doyle's ATI(AT Institute) on October 2022. He is against electronics for guides & apps. He even slammed an AT Data Book into the wall and had an attendee pick it up; he said that can't be done with a cell phone. I hope to hike the AT in 2023.
I'll have both my phone and a lightweight set of analog paper maps for whatever part of the trail I'm on. These days, not having both is silly. It might be redundant but so be it. (My start date is April 1, 2023.)
My Spot X allows for live texting. I use Leukotape for hot spots on my feet and runner's compression sleeves to reduce swollen ankles. Thanks for another excellent vid, Dixie! Happy Trails! 🌄🏕
I've heard that ticks breathe through their backs, so if you swipe a bit of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) across them, they'll back out on their own. Then you know the head is no longer an issue.
@@paulrevere2379 Yep, they can be a bit snarky, maybe defensive! They're usually pretty shy but cheeky, wanting food, eating your garden vegetables and playing bunji jumping on your roof at night when you're trying to sleep. It's usually the larger Brush-Tailed Possums. The smaller ring tail variety are quieter and even more shy.
We were issued small bottles of 100% DEET at Quantico OCS in the 90s. During a foot locker dump gear went everywhere and somehow a bottle got stepped on and broke. That stuff proceeded to dissolve a small hole in the concrete floor. The only comparison was my memory of watching one of the Alien movies although there was a speed difference. I have never wanted to spray that stuff on any valuable clothing or my skin since then.
Hey Dixie! I always enjoy all your videos and helpful advise on the trail. Was wondering how I would go about ordering one of your knives on your page? I see they won’t be available until Nov. is there a waiting list to get on?
28:30, they're not gonna drive off with your gear. They will shoot you, or use a taser while you're stowing your gear in the trunk, and then they'll cut your arms off and leave you for dead. That's what you need to worry about when you're hitching a ride-not robbery.
im glad that i chose to do no hitchhiking on my TCT trip. I have mapped out either in town walk arounds or through, or choosen to just do the extra milage into another town. Like f im going to die in the hands of a stranger or on the road. ive had it happen once as a fake set -up and threatened to jump out of the car on the highway beause the driver said 'ive kidnapped you, im taking you to montreal'. id rather die on my own terms then die to someone elses fetish lol. (got into a really bad drug, someone had me 'set up' to scare me out of using and it worked and i never looked back and i thanked them for it )
Run thread thru blister, let it wick out. Never done it, watched lot of ppl do it, and it does work, regardless I'd just bite a big chunk out of mine, let it burn a day then enjoy a nice tough footpad afterwards. Needless to say I only got 2 blisters on my hike, one on each foot lol. However, when it comes to heat, sweat and inner thigh gaulding... Lord have mercy!! Night hike,Vaseline, antiperspirant, and a shamwow tucked inside the back of waistband at or below where your pack rests at the base. You can either be the hiker wringing out your ass sweat towel, or, you won't be a hiking at all! And when it comes to ticks, one word.... Permethrin, just follow the instructions and let it completely dry before wearing any clothing or boots, trust me! my buddy's dad is a logger, he did not let his boots completely cure out... just follow the directions folks, u know how evil ticks are!!
I would add the scorpions in the desert, India, and Nepal. They are nocturnal. Don't leave anything outside your tent and keep it zipped once you set up. If you forget: shake out your boots, and shake out your sleeping bag before you enter, check the ground INSIDE your tent if you forgot and left the tent unzipped. Turn your jacket and sweater inside out and shake too, in case they climbed into the sleeves. The baby scorpions are more poisonous than the adults, like tiny baby copperheads and rattlers. Don't neglect to shake out the sleeping bag. I had a friend die in India from a baby scorpion the size of a silver dollar that got into the foot of his bag. A very painful death. And don't go out barefoot at night on jungle patrol. Boots on! I had a scorpion come out of the ceiling over my bed in India. It was at least a foot long, not counting the tail. Just then the electricity failed! ACK! Torch? Be prepared!
I ran into the big scorpions in Thailand, usually docile and not so venomous. The ones in most of the US are like a wasp sting, the Arizona Bark Scorpion can put you in the Hospital but not really lethal like the ones in India.
Hi dixie I'm rob , the inflammation on the bottom of your feet is your body detoxing through the damaged tissue, and to repear the tissue you get inflammation , the best way to heal and stop that is by eating healthy, lots of fruit, staying hydrated drinking lots of water and change socks regularly, and no junk trail food , I know its very easy to say but almost impossible to do on them long long trails but I hope this helps , love from the empathic raw vegan in UK 🇬🇧 x Love your videos. X
@@paulrevere2379 hello Paul, you said it , when you said about the toxic mess waiting to erupt, thats about wright , it happened to me and I had two choices, keep getting worse or change my diet , I'm 62 , thanks for the reply Paul, best wishes, from Rob.
Never take things that stop the diaharia if you are at home!!! The human body works wonders and is designed to give us fevers to kill the bacteria we are afflicted with and diahria is the body's way of ridding the bacteria that is inflicting you. If you take things to stop the water works you are keeping the bacteria in your system. Just an FYI.
PSA: this is dangerous advice. Please take medicine to lower high fevers and stop diahria to avoid dehydration. Both conditions can cause major issues.
ahh the longest and hardest mile in the maine woods and rocks.....video/cover....dont eat before you enter the area/lol you may have a hard time getting from 1 end to the other///
Having you as my doctor is also a positivist that I don’t really have to brother about any sickness or virus, because your herbal medication to cure herpes has shown me that you are a real Doctor and your product work like magic. Thank you so much #doctoromohan you are the best.🌿😊
Wait...don't suck the poison out of a snake bite? Damn! I think my buddy may have drawn fang marks on his...nevermind...I don't wanna talk about it. We're not friends anymore.
