Alternative to Hiking Sandals?

Vabram Five Finger Classic

At first glance, I was convinced that this strange footwear had to be a joke!!!
But now...I've seen them on actual hiking feet!
If I could bring myself to put up my Keens...maybe I should try them on our trails?
How could I gather coral dust between my toes with these strange boys??!!
Could these be better than hiking sandals?
Leave a comment if you've ever worn them, or have an opinion.

Hiking, Walking, Moving

Want to lose weight for free? No supplements needed, no drugs required, take a walk or a hike. With the economy deteriorating fast we are all looking for things to do that are free. Unemployment is up, prices are up, about the only thing going down are our home values and retirement funds.

The weather is perfect for walking. Start the walking regime that works for you. If you are in reasonably good shape, just open your door step outside and start walking. If you have any health problems at all, check with your doctor before you start any exercise program. You should walk fast enough to get your heart rate up but not so fast that you cannot speak comfortably. Try to increase your intensity or distance every few days. To increase your weight loss and conditioning try to jog for short spurts.

Grab the dog, call a friend, bribe a child, do whatever it takes to get moving. You will feel better after taking your walk or tackling a trail, and you may just lose weight in the process.

I got to strap on my beloved Keens a week ago and hike the beaches of San Diego!! They were glorious!! The hiking shoes and the beach!! I gathered real 'coral' dust between my toes!!
ahhh!!!
I broke down and bought myself a pair of hiking shoes from Keen this month as well. They are marvelous!!! They're light and airy and come with plenty of traction and style!!
LOVE, LOVE, Love my Keens!!!

Day Hike Anyone?

Billed as a backpack that is stocked and packed and ready to go for your pleasure on a day hike...they would be happy to take your $500 for the chance.
There's lots of good stuff in there though, including a first aid kit, poop trowel, space blanket, multi-tool, headlamp -- but alas, no duct tape. Alas, every well equipped backpack MUST come with duct tape!!
Doesnt it kind of make you wonder who would spend this much for a day pack...sure its a nice idea, but dont you envision the person purchasing such a thing as this, as being the one who would immediately get lost on a trail and need rescuing and find themselves on the news?
God bless the good intentioned hikers and God bless capitalism!!!
If you'd like- go HERE to find out more.

10 Most Dangerous Hikes in America

(I know, I know...this isnt America...but still....)

From a slippery Sierra catwalk to a treacherous Hawaiian paradise, Kelly Bastone in Backpacker posted this list in 2008, naming the country’s 10 most hazardous hikes.

The Maze, UT

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, AZ

Barr Trail, Pikes Peak, CO

Mt. Washington, NH

Muir Snowfield, Mt. Rainier, WA

Huckleberry Mtn., Apgar Range, MT

Kalalau Trail, Kauai, HI

Buckskin Gulch, UT

Abrams Falls, Great Smoky Mtns., TN

Mist Trail, Half Dome, CA
( I wonder where Angels Land ranks on the list?)

Click here for details on each.

One of Ten Top Adventures

Im re-visiting a book that may be one of my all time favorite books I've ever read. At least as far as being inspire and motivated by a true and unique story.
You may be wondering what it has to do with hiking?

First, learn a bit about Greg Mortinson.

"A dazed climber descending from a failed attempt on K2, got lost, stumbling into a remote village."


Greg Mortenson is the co-founder of nonprofit Central Asia Institute www.ikat.org , founder of Pennies For Peace www.penniesforpeace.org , and co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea www.threecupsoftea.com , and author of the bestsellerStones into Schools www.stonesintoschools.com.

In 2009, Mortenson received Pakistan’s
highest civil award, Sitara-e-Pakistan
(“Star of Pakistan”) for his dedicated
and humanitarian effort to promote
education and literacy in rural
areas for fifteen years.

This guy has done more by himself to help Pakistan than all the hundreds of millions spent by the U.S. government. I love the title of this article: He Fights Terror With Books I highly recommend his first book.

"Never has the failure to climb a mountain
led to such success. After Greg Mortenson
failed to climb K2 in 1993 to honor his
dead sister, he picked a new mountain. He
raised enough money so a small village in
Pakistan could build their own school.

In 2006 he published Three Cups of Tea, a
book chronicling his journey. By 2009 he
had supported more than 131 schools in
Pakistan and Afghanistan. At a time when
U.S. foreign policy is governed by military
might that includes Shock and Awe and a
flock of high-altitude drones, Greg Mortenson
took a simpler, gentler approach. He traveled
on rugged roads to small villages—in the same
remote regions where the United States
dropped bombs from unseen and unheard planes
high in the sky—to deliver cash so locals could
build schools from stones and have basic
supplies for their children. He took the war
against violence out of the sky and put it in
the hands of young girls on the ground. "




Outside – The Top 10 Adventure Stories of the Decade

Can I Have That....Please!!!!????

are you tempted to purchase one for you and every member of your hiking family!!??