The Virus Thing and Hiking – 8 Ways to Protect Yourself and Others

UPDATE - 7/23/2020 Please consult the local, state and federal areas for these closures and please obey the regulations. Change your hiking plans. A thru hike can still be accomplished in a calendar year by some creative ways once the emergency is over. Be flexible, and most importantly, don't give up on your dream!

Every year viruses do plague the trails, esp the AT which comes down with its annul norovirus bug every spring. So of course hikers are going to wonder whether the Coronovirus will hit too.

First off, be sensible and take simple steps to safeguard yourself and those around you. A good hike in the woods is actually therapeutic for the mind and body. Cardiovascular exercise makes you feel good and releases good hormones like endorphins. Fresh air and getting away from crowds are other good things.

But be sure to follow some simple, common sense steps as there are other hikers out there and towns are also on a hiker’s list of stops for resupply. But right now avoid the heavily used areas. Seek other lesser known trails. Seek solitude. And hang in there. This too shall pass.

1.       Carry hand sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol on the trail but handwash as much as possible in towns.

Practice social distancing on the trail at all times.

2.      No staying in shelter areas. Some areas like on the AT are closed to backcountry camping too. Plan ahead and avoid closed areas. Have guidebooks and maps to tell you where campsites are if it is allowed.

3.       NO sharing of food at any time. Do not take food from hiker boxes. Plan accordingly so you have enough food for your hike. As resupply is limited in some towns, do mail drops.

4.       When in town, avoid communal and gathering areas. A motel room or a separate room when offered at hostels might be good for now (though many hostels are now closed. Budget your money so can prepare to spend a little extra for a single room. Hand wash frequently and use your hand sanitizer in town. Call ahead with hostel and other providers to see if they are open (many are not).

5.       It may be hard to find rides (hitchhike) right now as people may be reluctant to pick up hikers. Plan to walk or call for a shuttle. Budget to pay for the shuttle rides. Call ahead on shuttles though as some providers are canceling services for now.

6.       If you hear in the trail grapevine there is sickness ahead, avoid staying in the affected area by slowing down or speeding up.  Carry extra food in case you must spend extra time on the trail and can’t get to town right away.

7.       Carry good foods to eat (less of the empty sugars, etc), Vitamin C tabs, Zinc. Get enough rest. And watch the alcohol, etc.

8.       If you feel sick and especially have the norovirus or a fever, get off the trail and stay away from others. Know the symptoms of each type of virus. (Noro for instance is the stomach bug with runs and vomiting. Coronovirus is a fever and dry cough with chest irritation. The common cold is a sore throat and runny nose and usually no fever). 

   Related Links:  The Virus and Maildrops. 

     Check out my Blissful Hiking Adventure and my series of books on the Appalachian Trail - Mountains Madness and Miracles and the Florida Trails - Gators Guts and Glory!

The Hiker Medicine Chest

So what do you carry on a backpacking trip with regards to supplements and other medicines? I’ve touched on this briefly in my blog on first aid, but I wanted to add in a few extra ideas that I found helpful on hikes.

Supplements

Drink Water!

While it would be nice to get all our nutrition naturally from what we eat, as backpackers it’s rare we can do so. Additional supplements helps the body recover quicker from the damage caused by hiking and provide more energy and less issues with health. Herbs can also help with inflammation and pain. Do not underestimate water consumption. Water is your best defense against achy joints.

These are supplements worth taking (some will be different with men and women)

A Multi Vitamin- some prefer to carry a chewable kind, but if you do, they usually have sugar on them. All vitamins should be hung then in your bear bag. I take just the plain pill form. Women, make sure yours contains adequate iron.

Turmeric for Inflammation

Joint supplement – this can vary, but to help with joints and knees especially, glucosamine sulfate, at least 500 mg and up to 1000 mg a day works well. So does Eggshell membrane that contains MSM and chondroitin.

For Inflammation – I carry Turmeric in pill form. Also Boswellia Serrata. Ginger has also been used for anti-inflammatory issues as well as the chief component in Cayenne pepper, capsaicin. Green Tea helps fight pain, which you can bring in pill form or as teas to drink.

For women, I highly recommend carrying calcium carbonate, extra Vitamin D 3 (helps absorb the calcium), and cranberry tablets to control urinary tract issues

Other Medications

Sometimes other pain relievers are needed. If you don’t have ulcer issues, you can bring some of the standard Vitamin I – commonly known as Advil, to help with inflammation and pain. I usually try to control pan with plain Tylenol though and use the other herbal supplements to help with inflammation. Do not plan to bring other kinds of narcotic pain relievers with you. If you feel the need for a narcotic, then the pain you are having is NOT normal and you should get off the trail and to a doctor.

Doxycycline – 200 mg of this, taken when you first discover a deer tick bite, can help against the development of Lyme disease. Talk to your doctor about having this prescription in your first aid kit. And carry a tick key too for tick removal. Use permethrin to treat your clothing, shoes and socks (do not apply to your skin!).

Stomach Aids – I do not recommend any kind of stomach aids for diarrhea such as lomotil. Diarrhea is the mechanism the body uses to flush out harmful bacteria and viruses. If you are experiencing constant diarrhea for a week or two that does not go away, you may have contracted the water borne illness giardia, and then, you need a prescription antibiotic to cure it. If you suddenly develop an onset of the runs and vomiting, you may have contracted norovirus. No stomach aid can help with this, but only time as it is a virus. Be sure when you are able, drink electrolyte solutions (such as Gatorade) to replace the fluids lost. Coconut water, if available, is helpful also. Try also broths and bananas. Carry with you a good hand sanitizer such as Purell with at least 70% alcohol content, and use it freely to help prevent contamination.

If you plan to be on the trail long term and are on prescription medication, use mail drops to mail the meds to your stops. Having a reliable person at home to help send them to you is a good idea. You can also get a vacation refill from your pharmacy so some drops can be made up ahead of time. Drops can be sent to a host of locations such as outfitters, hostels, motels etc besides just post offices. Check recent guidebooks for where to mail them. And always send your parcels Priority Mail.

 Related Blog

Sickness on the Trail - what to do, prevention