Hi All, Finley here!
As most of you know, National Take a Hike Day is Saturday, November 17th. I love this day, because I get to go and enjoy the great outdoors all day with my human. I think it’s kinda cool that this day was started as a way to enjoy all the many great trails that are, not only in our area, but all over! Did you know that there are more than 60,000 miles of trails in the United States? I’m not the best at math, but I think that’s a pretty big number! And what else is a really BIG number are the calories that taking a hike can burn for humans. Did you know that hiking can burn between 400-550 calories for EVERY hour that you hike? WOW!!
Well, now that you know this, I’m sure you’ll be marking your calendar for November 17th! Now, before you head out, I’d like to share with you my list of essentials you will need for your hike!
FINLEY’S LIST OF HIKING ESSENTIALS
- ME! Well, in your case YOUR dog! We love hikes, especially with our humans so don’t forget to include us in your plans. You can find some pet friendly hikes in our area right
- Dog Gear: Since you will be taking your dog, make sure you have the right gear for him or her. We need:
- Our leash,
- A hiking vest if you have it,
- Plenty of water, along with a collapse-able water dish! So we can easily drink the water we’ll need
- TREATS!
- And of course bags for cleaning up after us!
Human Gear: As a human, you’ll want to make sure that you have all of your gear too. It’s pretty much the same for you as it is for me with a few extras, but just so you don’t forget anything, here’s what you should pack for yourself.
- Good Shoes for Hiking
- A good back pack for storing supplies
- A Human friend; it’s smart to have someone with you.
- Plenty of water
- Food and Snacks
- First Aid kit (plus doggie first aid kit too)
- Compass and map
- Flashlight
- Whistle; I think this is in case you have an emergency and need to let others on the trail know.
- Shelter in case you get caught in bad weather.
- A “fix-it-kit”; It’s always good to have a few tools in case some of your gear should need repair.
- A camera: For taking pictures of the beautiful scenery, which of course includes your dog!
Well, now that you have your lists of essentials (and ours) I hope I’ll see you and your best friend out on the trails on November 17th, when we all get to Take A Hike!
Until Next Time,
Finley
Executive Canine Quality Control Officer
