It’s summer! Days are hot, but the trail is shady and cool. Long days meander slowly into evening. It is the season for hiking and what better way to experience nature than hiking barefoot?
Yes. Barefoot!
If you’ve only hiked in big, bulky hiking boots, then I’ve
got a treat for you. Lose the shoes and experience the trail with your toes. Doing
so will completely transform your hiking experience. It’s as if you’ve only
seen the forest in black-and-white, but soon it will flood your senses in full
color! And don’t worry, it’s completely safe even for the novice if you take just
a few common-sense precautions.
Barefoot hiking is one of those quintessential simple
pleasures of life. Like all of the other ‘best things in life’ it is free,
requires little preparation, and is like a reset button for your soul. For myself and many others, hiking barefoot is therapy. In an utterly unique way it reconnects
you to Nature and Nature’s God. In addition to the emotional and psychological
benefits of walking shoeless through nature, there are tangible physical benefits, too. Some studies suggest that hiking
barefoot boosts the immune system by exposing you to non-pathological soil
bacteria. Tannins in fallen leaves give your soles that leathery toughness so
essential for comfortably walking barefoot.
Not only is hiking barefoot good for you, it is better
for the environment than hiking shod. I can lead a troop of twenty barefoot
hikers down a trail and do less damage to the path than a single rambler in ‘hiking
boots’. The bare foot leaves almost no
trace after passing through a trail, but hiking boots trample plant life and leave
deep imprints in the dirt.

·
If one exists in your area, consider joining a
barefoot hiking group. If no group exists near you, you might want to start one!
·
Choose a trail that is smooth and mostly dirt or
pine needles. Rocks and roots are fine for those with experience and tough feet
but are usually uncomfortable for the tender-footed novice.
·
Avoid (or be very careful) crossing streams and
rivers. The mountain stream may, ironically, be the only place a shod hiker
might remove their shoes, but it happens to be the most dangerous place to do
so. Muddy waters hide real hazards like broken glass, shards of metal, and
other dangerous litter. I have hiked hundreds of miles barefoot and the only
quasi-serious injury I’ve received is from broken glass in a river. My motto: “Don’t
Step Down Where You Can’t See The Ground.” Be careful in rivers!
·
Trim your toenails. Keeping your toenails short
will prevent you from snagging a nail on the trail.
·
If you are allergic to poison ivy, you obviously
want to avoid the plant. I am allergic to this stuff, but in my experience if I
rinse my feet and legs soon after returning home from the trail, then I can
avoid breaking out with hives.
·
Wear shorts or capris. Keep your feet and ankles
free.
·
Watch your step and don’t drag your feet.
Shuffling your feet on the ground is a good way to get cut or stub your toes.
·
Take along some bandages and tweezers.
Especially if you are new to barefoot hiking you should expect some cuts and
bruises. Rest assured, most injuries can be avoided by simply paying attention,
and the more experience you have hiking barefoot the less likely you are to get
injured. I must confess, I usually don’t carry these items with me anymore
unless I’m leading new barefoot hikers.
·
Check for ticks upon your return. In my
experience, you are far less likely to pick up ticks when your skin is exposed
(bare feet and shorts) than when your skin is hidden away in shoes and long
pants, but you still should check yourself.
·
Keep hydrated. This has nothing to do with feet per se but is good hiking sense!
I hope you will give barefoot hiking a try. Believe me,
it is transformational. J
Barefoot hiking is great. A few weeks ago, I organized my first barefoot hiking event. We had 8 people total, and everyone went barefoot, which was great.
ReplyDeleteSome tips on organizing your first barefoot hiking event: http://www.barefoothub.com/organize-a-barefoot-hike/
I go on 2.5km hike/jog through the bush & have a quick skinny dip in the river almost every work lunchbreak when the suns shining, for the past 6 months I have been doing this hike barefoot, my feet are starting to toughen up to the same as they were when I was a kid!
ReplyDeleteFrom about age 13 till age 19 when I started a full time job I rarely wore shoes & used to walk everywhere barefoot, my feet were tough as nails & my friends used to be amazed that I could walk over thorns/rock etc with out any pain ;)
Hiking is a great pastime hobby for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy being close to nature. thanks share the post
ReplyDeleteEither hiking or running, I enjoy connecting to trails minus shoes or boots, and I was happy to read your piece encouraging folks to try this (I have a whole blog devoted to it: www.theagavin.com). Thanks for all you do to nudge people toward a more pleasant way of being in this beautiful world :)
ReplyDeleteThea
Great tips especially to barefoot running beginners! Would love to try this out someday. Thank you for posting this.
ReplyDeleteDr.Micheal Nirenburg at friendly foot care is the most recognized and experienced podiatrist surgeon in Northwest Indiana. He has a vast and professional experience in handling all kinds of foot and ankle cases and he has also expertise in forensic podiatrist.
ReplyDeleteFoot Surgery Northwest Indiana
ReplyDeleteChristian Louboutin Pumps are so famous for the luxurious and distinctively styled designs, which enhances personal vogue taste and make it easy to match with varied dressing ways.
Christian Louboutin 12cm pumps White Patent Leather Heart pointed
Christian Louboutin Pumps 12CM Bronze Pointed
Christian Louboutin Pumps 12CM Peach Pointed
http://www.clsneakersmall.com
pixel gun 3d mod apk pokemon go mod apk Badminton league mod apk
ReplyDeleterapid trim 24/7 beings are today full of desires that make them fulfill their every luxury requirements whether it’s about a living habit or eating habit. The craving activities of individuals are aimed towards tongue satisfaction despite their bad results with overeating several sugar and fat stuff. Such cases often lead to the development of extra fat structure inside the body that causes them to experience obesity and overweight condition. If you are not taking enough precautions today the future would be filled with troublesome health with the formation of bad cholesterol inside the body.
ReplyDeletepure primal keto pure primal keto boasts of an herbal composition to let you naturally get into a state of ketosis and stay there provided you are consuming them as suggested by the manufacturers. The makers of this weight loss keto supplement claim that the users can definitely slim down if they are following a more-fat and less-carb diet.
ReplyDeletezyalix reviewsPlus the side effects were muscle cramps in my legs.When asked why I was canceling I said the product did nothing and the representative basically said it wasn’t for sexual enhancement but was for increasing energy Zylix Plus Male Nutrition & Natural Testosterone Performance.
ReplyDeleteketo slim 7 reviews Obesity is a Condition in which an individual has excessive body fat. More than only a number on a scale or the size of somebody’s body, obesity may increase an individual’s health issues, including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It’s a complicated issue and a significant public health issue, all around the world.
ReplyDeleteRetro Lean Forskolin is a promising and natural alternative weight loss herb – Control your food cravings without the jittery side effects Stimulates Energy and Boosts Metabolism With A Healthy Diet. 100% Money-Back Guarantee. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Get 4 Free Gifts.
ReplyDeleteBuy from an ibx male enhancement You can purchase from a trusted name so re have a perfect shopping with feel of security.
ReplyDeleteBuy Best Kabaddi Shoes Wrestling Shoe for Men and Women Online From Gawin Sports Goods Online
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to discuss that, I really feel strongly about it and love learning more on that topic. If achievable, as you gain competence, would you mind updating your scr888 free credit for new member 2019 blog with more information? It is highly helpful for me.
ReplyDeleteWhy are everyone looking for ways online to get help solving their pregnancy and infertility problems when most of every native American is talking online about the help of Dr Mandaker Alamun. I checked him out when my husband who could not get me pregnant for over 9 years of marriage as a result of low sperm count became fertile and now, I am 5 months pregnant and it is this man known as Dr Mandaker who helped my husband solve his problem. My name is Alecia Maldonado from CA USA. I would advise anyone and everyone who needs the help of any spell caster in love marriage,finance, job promotion,lottery spell,poker spell,golf spell,Law & Court case Spells,money spell,weigh loss spell,diabetic spell,hypertensive spell,high cholesterol spell,Trouble in marriage,Barrenness(need spiritual marriage separation),good Luck, Money Spells,he also heal HIV and AID and it's all he does or looking for breakthrough in your political career to meet this Dr Mandaker the link to his website copy this link (witch-doctor.page4.me)His email contact witchhealing@outlook.com for He is a Reliable and trustworthy. I and my husband have gone to different hospitals having the thinking that I was at fault for not getting pregnant. But at the Federal hospital, they examined him too and his sperm count was low and unable to get a woman pregnant as a result of male infertility. It was then I sort out,thanks to Dr Mandaker.
ReplyDeleteOur research paper services writers have been 14 years experience in the field where they have assisted thousands of returning clients in attaining high scores in their custom research paper writing service.
ReplyDeleteWe are among the best online companies providing affordable custom research paper writing services. When you cheap essay writing service USA and buy nursing essays online you get the services of experts and specialists in your field.
ReplyDeleteWe are one of the nursing essay writing service company as we submit our papers on time and students will have a satisfactory time to go over the essay trying to counter check for any mistake or error which might need urgent correction. Order a custom assignment help and get the best results.
ReplyDeleteEnsuring our clients get 100% Already Written Essay Writing Services is one of the strategies we have adopted in becoming the best provider of do Literature Review Service in the industry.
ReplyDeleteThe backbone of Term Paper Writing Services company is its writers and ours are the choicest in the industry to ensure that clients acquire the Best Term Paper Services and that will make you collect a high-quality Custom Term Paper Writing Help.
ReplyDeleteOur Professional Medicine Essay Writers work tirelessly to ensure that your Medicine Research Paper Writing is completed within the time frame given to avoid poor scores in your Medical Essay Assignments Writing.
ReplyDeleteOur experts provide 100% plagiarism free content for college and university students.
ReplyDeleteAssignment Help
Assignment Firm
Good articles, Have you heard of LFDS (Le_Meridian Funding Service, Email: lfdsloans@outlook.com --WhatsApp Contact:+1-9893943740--lfdsloans@lemeridianfds.com) is as USA/UK funding service they grant me loan of $95,000.00 to launch my business and I have been paying them annually for two years now and I still have 2 years left although I enjoy working with them because they are genuine Loan lender who can give you any kind of loan.
ReplyDeleteWow! this is Amazing! Do you know your hidden name meaning ? Click here to find your hidden name meaning
ReplyDeleteGood post thanks for share article. Install IAP Cracker rtx 2070 vs gtx 1080
ReplyDeleteIt is important for midwifery assignment writing service seekers to find the best Midwifery Writing Services from a reputable midwifery research paper help provider for their custom midwifery essay writing services.
ReplyDeleteWeb property is properly designed in a friendly way Thanks For Sharing Beautiful Memories!
ReplyDeletewww.norton.com/setup
norton.com/setup
office.com/setup
www.office.com/setup
officecomsetup
officesetup
my.norton.com
us.norton.com/setup
login.norton.com
You may find your law assignments and research complex due to various reasons. You can try Law Assignment Writing Services as well as Law Research Writing Services And get your assignment done on time. The company also offers Affordable academic Help Online that are original and authentic.
ReplyDelete