I now know that...

Things I learned or would like others to learn.

• If you leave your gear downstairs and go to bed, people arriving later will simply move it out of the way to some random place. Don’t assume others will not touch or move your gear.
• Mark all gear. That includes boots and snowshoes. Asking if someone has your boot liners or trying to get feet into the size 10 plastic shells of someone else instead of your 11’s, well simply wont work.
• Bring your stuff in stuff sacks and keep them together in another bag.
• A bigger backpack than is needed is better than a backpack that is too small. Err on the large size.
• Some people I have an incredibly loud snore that only they can sleep through. Yes, the trip leaders warned me and I had ear plugs, but for some unknown reason I still did not use them.
• Some people have never tried or used their equipment before. This is understandable early in the winter hiking season or with rental equipment. If you’re in this position, how about spending an hour alone with that new gear, adjusting it, walking about outside in those rental boots instead of waiting until everyone is dressing or dressed to leave for the hike?
• People with new gear to put on or use should not ‘volunteer’ to do breakfast clear up.
• Your level of fitness is a perception before a hike and a reality during it. Make sure your perception matches reality by testing yourself honestly before demonstrating its lack in front of your fellow hikers.
• Even in rustic surroundings social graces count for a lot. So put the lid down in the composting outhouse, wash your hands or use sanitizer and sneeze into the crook of your elbow not on my plate.
• Watch out for people near your car with snowshoes strapped to their packs. They have no idea how large they are.
• Snowshoes can accidentally scratch down to bear metal on your car in 0.2 seconds.
• Don’t put backpacks with snowshoes attached into the passenger compartment of your car, if you value your paintwork.
• Don’t value your paintwork, or carpets.
• Hot water in a Nalgene bottle inside your sleeping bag is heaven.
• Put the Nalgene in an old sock or else it will burn you.
• Bringing one bottle of wine is not enough – unless of course everyone brings one.
• Wear waterproof shells or pants that shed snow. Even when cold, snow melts when it comes into contact and soaks through.
• The same goes for hands. They may be warm enough not to wear gloves or shells, but only until you slip and put one or both hands into a snow drift.
• Don’t expect to hike fast. A lot of time will be spent adjusting gear by people who have not used it before. The same people are likely to have minor problems like shin bang, blisters or other gear problems and general discomfort.
• People like to define themselves and you by the job they do or by where you work. It’s a reasonable conversation starter, but not the best. Try to find a new approach, unless you’re the President (of the USA).
• Listening is as valuable as talking.
• Stopping or turning to talk on the trail is not good for the five or six people walking behind you.
• If a stop is called by the leader for 2 or 10 minutes the keep it to 2 or 10 minutes. Avoid roll on. For example hiker ‘A’ stops for a layer adjustment, ‘B’ adjust layers and goes for a pee, ‘C’ adjust layers and has a drink and eats some food whilst ‘B’ pees and then decides – heh, I need a pee too. ‘D’, ‘E’ and ‘F’ stripped off ready to go in 2 minutes and stand around for 10 minutes getting cold. Empathy and awareness please people.
• Smile – this is fun, this is the outdoors, this is winter hiking in groups.