Prudent Prepping: Out And About

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent 
Prepping.

I was able to get out into a park this past weekend for a very short hike with my new walking stick.

It was a nice day to get outside, sunny but very windy. There hasn't been any rain now for several weeks, so the hills are starting to go brown and trails are going dusty, but with the steady breeze I didn't have to worry about either breathing the dust or getting too much on my glasses.

One thing many people don't realize about the S. F. Bay area is how hilly it is; hiking in any of the regional or State parks can mean some pretty large gains and matching drops in altitude. I like to get a little off the popular (read: mostly flat) trails to get a better workout and see some of the better views.

 Over those hills is Berkeley

Since I was on less well-traveled trails, the chances of seeing some of the local wildlife are pretty good. One of my reasons for having a walking stick is for the local rattlesnake population. It's a little early to see a large number of snakes on the trails, but as things warm up, sightings and the potential for bites increase. I do NOT plan on killing any snakes with my walking stick, but if confronted I will use it to move the snake out of the way so that both of us can continue safely on our way.

 Local wild life!

The stick worked perfectly, just as I'd hoped it would. If you've been following my articles, that might surprise you!

 On the Trail

There were no creek crossings, but I did have a slightly soggy area to get through, and the pointy end was used as a depth gauge to find the shallowest area to walk across.

Dirty

 Cleaned up

I was out for 3 hours and covered not quite 5 miles and gained and lost ~2500ft.. After getting home, I wiped the stick off with a damp cloth and both pole and brass fitting look to have come clean and show no damage. I may disassemble the end just to be sure.

I'm very, very happy with the result of this project!


The Takeaway

• Having a project turn out successfully with minimal tool use and expense is a big blessing! 
• I need more steady and regular exercise. Seriously. 

The Recap

• Nothing was purchased this week, but I need to spend a little more time on fitness, especially cardio work. 

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NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.