[nagdu] Backpacking

Wed Jan 25 22:39:13 UTC 2012

Hi Jeff,
First, let me congratulate you on your first kiddo.  That's awesome.  Now, 
I'm also a hiker, and I'd like to add a suggestion of a trekking pole.  I 
use these when I go on hikes with Liam with the Blind Outdoor Adventures 
group in Colorado, and they can be bought at any REI or other sports 
outlets.  They serve the same purposes as the cane does, and you can adjust 
them to be taller or shorter for the terrain you're hiking.  Liam and I are 
much more confident with this device.  Just another option, not trying to 
advertise or say it's the only way.  Liam and I have found them to be quite 
effective.
Best,
Nat and Liam Joshua, who would be glad to go on a hike right about now

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeffrey Young" <jeff.young8806 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2012 1:09 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Backpacking

> So I have done extensive backpacking as a boy scout, but I haven't had a 
> chance to do any with my guideDog. One thing I'd recommend is to bring a 
> cane along. A good sturdy cane not a telescoping one. The cane would serve 
> two purposes. One as a walking stick. Most backpackers use a walking 
> stick. A walking stick is especially useful on steep rough terrain.
>
> Secondly, when hiking you may encounter many obstacles that your dog might 
> not normally encounter. You can use the cane to explore the obstruction 
> before moving on. Also, make sure your dog is well fortified against flees 
> and especially ticks. I don't remember if you said in the first email, but 
> you might want to find out how rough the hiking will be and how many miles 
> per day you will need to travel.
>
> If you and your dog only travel a mile or two a day on city sidewalks and 
> you are expected to travel six or seven miles a day on the trip, then this 
> could pose a challenge of potentially overworking your dog as well as 
> yourself.
>
> I could probably come up with some other tips, but I don't want to ramble 
> to much. If you have any general backpacking questions feel free to let me 
> know. Also, I'm sure we have some other backpackers on the list.
>
> I should add that I can't wait to take Hansel on a trip, but we are having 
> our first child in August, so their won't be much, if any camping this 
> summer.
>
> Jeff and Hansel
> Jeff Young
>
> Home of the world's healthiest energy drink. No Caffeine, no added sugar. 
> Email me for a free sample today.
> Phone: (318) 243-3003
> E-mail: jeff.young8806 at gmail.com
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>
> On Jan 22, 2012, at 9:57 AM, Abigail Lanier wrote:
>
>> Julie,
>>
>> The book's title is "Blind Courage" and I am going to try and get a copy 
>> of it.
>>
>> The good news is that I already live in the mountains of North Carolina 
>> and Alexa and I are fairly used to hills and such. We have done some 
>> hiking, but I wouldn't say that we are well seasoned or experienced 
>> hikers.
>>
>> I'll let you know of our "progress" :-)
>>
>> Abigail
>>
>> On Jan 22, 2012, at 9:01 AM, Julie J. wrote:
>>
>>> Abigail,
>>>
>>> I have been backpacking, but not with my guide.   The trip I went on was 
>>> 5 days in Colorado in the Rockies.  I'd estimate the pack I carried was 
>>> 50 pounds or so.  It was just about all I could do to carry the thing. 
>>> *smile*   Of course that was just my stuff.  I agree with Nicole to have 
>>> your guide carry her own food.
>>>
>>> My      suggestion would be to get a pack for yourself and for your 
>>> guide now and start building up your strength to carry it.  Add in a 
>>> little more weight each day, practicing going up and down stairs to 
>>> simulate mountain hiking.  Your guide won't be used to carrying weight 
>>> and will also need to build up strength to be able to do so comfortably. 
>>> There are a lot of web sites that talk about dog backpacking, you could 
>>> check out some of them to get an idea of how much the maximum weight is 
>>> that your guide could potentially carry.  I'd subtract a bit from that 
>>> because guiding is work too.
>>>
>>> There is a book about a guy who hiked the entire Appalachian trail with 
>>> his guide dog.  NLS has it.  I want to say it was called, "Blind 
>>> Courage" but I could be misremembering.  I've read a load of dog books 
>>> and they sometimes get cross-wired in my head! *smile*
>>>
>>> Best of luck,
>>> Julie
>>>
>>>
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>>
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