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Great Outdoors Month: Tips to Make the Most of Your Next
Adventure
Special to The Truth
Spending time enjoying
nature is good for the body and mind, helping to reduce
stress, increase focus and provide opportunities for
physical activity, say studies. Unfortunately, our busy
schedules sometimes don’t allow us to get outside as often
as we would like.
Great Outdoors Month,
celebrated in June, is an excellent opportunity to go on an
outdoor adventure. As you make your plans and enact them,
consider these tips for making the most of your trip.
Get Informed
Visiting a new place?
Learn more about the area, investigating its natural and
social histories before you hit the trail, river route or
campsite. You’ll be more likely to identify rock types and
plant and animal species with a bit of knowledge. This can
also help you understand and appreciate what you are
experiencing with greater depth.
Use Tech Tools
New tech gear is
augmenting the outdoor experience for both casual
adventurers and hardcore enthusiasts. For example, the Smart
Outdoor Watch WSD-F20 from Casio has a rugged build, low
power consumption GPS, is water resistant and features
dedicated apps for outdoor activities. If downloaded prior
to your journey, full color maps can be used offline. And
because it offers a range of tools that can be used
independent of your smartphone, including an altimeter,
barometer, thermometer and compass, it frees up users to
fully enjoy their adventures. Other features include a
Location Memory app, which enables you to customize maps
with markers and text so you can revisit otherwise unmarked
spots, such as a great viewpoint or fishing spot.
Be Prepared
It’s hard to be at one
with nature when nature itself is making you miserable. So
be prepared for all kinds of weather and climate conditions.
If you are camping, patch or replace tents that are worn or
torn and bring a tarp for extra protection. Check the
weather report for temperature, precipitation and other
factors and pack the proper clothing and sleeping bag
accordingly. Make sure socks and shoes or hiking boots are
in good shape so that long hikes don’t cause you any undue
pain. And of course, don’t leave civilization without a
first aid kit, water, sunscreen and insect repellent.
With a bit of extra
preparation, you can take your outdoor adventures higher and
farther than ever before.
Courtesy StatePoint
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