Latest news with #trail
New York Times
18 hours ago
- New York Times
Hydration When Hiking Is Critical. This Water Filter Can Help.
As someone who has designed their life around hiking, I drink a lot of water. But I don't particularly like carrying it. Water is heavy, over 2 pounds per liter, and its weight adds up quickly. I used to carry a day's worth on my hikes — sometimes in a bladder, sometimes in bottles, but it was heavy all the same. I consider myself frugal, but as Wirecutter's outdoor writer, I'm also always in search of a better way, and I know that sometimes that means buying something. If a purchase would allow me to be a little more efficient or redirect my attention from faffing over my gear to smelling the roses or covering trail miles, I am likely to pay up. Thankfully, the water-management problem has a solution that's not just for outdoor fanatics. For any hike longer than an hour, I bring the Sawyer Squeeze to collect and filter water as I go. I found the filter, which Sawyer sells with a 1-liter bottle, when reading about people who were walking thousands of miles in a year across the country. Most of them were using this filter. They were on to something: Turns out, this filter — which weighs 3.5 ounces once wet — is the slightly larger and faster-filtering version of our pick for personal water filters in our guide to the best gear for your go bag. To use the Sawyer Squeeze, you simply collect water on the trail in the bottle, screw the bottle onto the filter, and — as the name implies — squeeze the water through the filter. The plastic filter body and hollow fiber membrane are compact, lightweight, and reliable, and the 1-liter TPU bottle the filter comes with compresses down as you squeeze the water out of it. I've drunk at least 900 liters of water from springs, streams, mountain rivers, and lakes using the filter over the past 10 years, and I've never been sick from it. Trey French and Jason Toledo/NYT Wirecutter That's because the Sawyer Squeeze works with a 0.1-micron membrane filter that removes bacteria and protozoa such as E. coli, Salmonella, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium . One-tenth of a micron is really small, and it's the same as the micron rating for the filter in the Sawyer Mini, the go-bag-friendly model that we also recommend. But the membrane is not small enough to filter waterborne viruses. (Why are they so tiny?) Thankfully, viruses aren't much of a problem when you're hiking in a wilderness setting, at least in the US. (If you're hiking abroad, you may want to combine the filter with water purification like Aquamira Water Treatment or use a larger, heavier pump filter that can filter viruses.) But to avoid them, you should ensure that you're collecting water above — never below — agricultural or industrial runoff. These bodies of water can carry viruses and heavy metals that the Sawyer Squeeze can't filter out. The Squeeze can't desalinate salt water, either. You can drink straight from the filter, but I prefer to filter water into a second, more rigid bottle for storage. Sasha Hashemipour for NYT Wirecutter For routine maintenance, the filter comes with a syringe for backflushing: You collect clean water from a tap and then push it through the filter in reverse to dislodge debris buildup, which can slow down the filter when you're using it on the trail. The best bottle for squeezing water through the Sawyer Squeeze filter is the Cnoc Premium 1-Liter Bottle, which Sawyer offers in a filter and bottle package. I use it exclusively. The Cnoc bottle is easy to fill with water in a stream, and it's comfortable on my hands to squeeze the water through the filter and into my mouth or a second, more rigid water bottle that's better for carrying in a backpack pocket. The Sawyer Squeeze comes with a cleaning syringe (larger than the filter itself) that makes routine maintenance simple. If the filter rate starts to slow with use, backwash it against the Flow arrow with the syringe using clean water. Trey French/NYT Wirecutter Aside from doing regular maintenance, you need to be aware of some small flaws in the Sawyer Squeeze filter's design, though with a little preparation, you can avoid too much inconvenience. For one thing, the O-ring can fall out, and you'll know right away, as water sprays out. For me, the O-ring pops out when I overtighten the filter. Other people attribute it to the O-ring's simply wearing out and deforming over time. On my first Sawyer Squeeze, I once lost the O-ring on a hike and walked out a little thirsty. Sawyer sent me a replacement O-ring and recommended that I stock up with a few extras. So until a new design solves the problem, pick up some extra gaskets and carry one with you. The flow rate of the filter will also slow over time, but that problem isn't unique to the Squeeze; it's common for any membrane type of filter. It's rated for 100,000 gallons, an untestable number in real life, but you are more likely to lose the filter before hitting that limit — or to let it freeze, which will damage it. A frozen filter is compromised and should be discarded. To guard against cold temperatures, I carry the Squeeze in a jacket pocket when I'm hiking in cold weather. Of course, if you're backpacking, and you're after the lightest-weight option for staying hydrated on the trail, this isn't the smallest filter (though at 3.5 ounces when wet, it's still really small and light). I've tried the Sawyer Mini, our recommendation for a go bag, but its flow rate is too slow for me for regular use in a non-emergency scenario. Who wants to wait for chemical purification when you're thirsty? Just scoop and drink! Sasha Hashemipour for NYT Wirecutter The Sawyer Squeeze and the Cnoc bottle in their happy place, full of water from the lake outlet. Trey French/NYT Wirecutter Who wants to wait for chemical purification when you're thirsty? Just scoop and drink! Sasha Hashemipour for NYT Wirecutter Of course, the most obvious shortcoming of the Squeeze is that it relies on the presence of a water supply when you hit the trail. But as long as I know that there will be a river, stream, or lake along the way, I know that I can use the Squeeze to filter safe drinking water for my hike. The trail is where I shoulder off the weight of everyday life — so why should I carry extra water if it's not necessary? The Sawyer Squeeze can help you answer the common question: 'How much water should I bring?' It's probably less than you think. This article was edited by Katie Okamoto and Maxine Builder. These items will meet your needs for water, nourishment, comfort, and more while you evacuate to a safe location. After 140 miles of testing on trails in California's Eastern Sierra, we've determined that the Black Diamond Pursuit Trekking Poles are the best for most hikers. Whether we're hiking in the sun or the rain, a hiking umbrella like the Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow Carbon Trekking Umbrella protects us from the elements. The Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat is the most protective and comfy sun hat for most hiking scenarios. Readers routinely come to me asking my advice on water filtration. I always tell them the same thing: I don't filter my water because I've had it tested.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Malmesbury scarecrow trail returns with 'Best of British' theme
An annual scarecrow trail has returned to a Wiltshire in Malmesbury have created 50 scarecrows to fit this year's theme "Best of British".Scarecrows of Shaun the Sheep, Paddington Bear and a King's Guard complete with a replica bearskin cap are just some of the creations on display this competition runs until 25 August. Resident Derek Tilney is the oldest entrant this year, with his King's Guard 92-year-old has been active in the community for the past 60 years and was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to the town. Owain Cole, part of the Malmesbury Carnival and Scarecrow Crew, said the trail had been really well received."The skill of some people in creating these scarecrows is just amazing," he said. Mr Cole added: "It's a brilliant way to give back to the community."People hoping to follow the trail can purchase a map from the town hall.
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
A pilgrimage to the desk with the greatest view
In the high desert of West Texas, there's a trail dodging cactus. No signs or guideposts here … just the crunch of gravel underfoot, and above, a wide-open sky. But for those in the know, like Matt Walter, this is the journey to a local legend. It's become known as The Desk on Hancock Hill. Locals call it simply "the desk" … an unlikely landmark in the city of Alpine that's been holding court for more than 45 years. Matt Walter has been making the trek to it almost as long: "The first time I came up was like January 1986," he said. "It was cold. There was snow on the ground. I didn't know about the desk then; that was before the signage. And I was just kind of like, Oh my gosh, this is so cool!" An amateur photographer, Walter has documented the changes over the years. The desk isn't much to look at. It could have come from any classroom – weathered by the weather, and covered in graffiti. But when seated at it, and looking out over the desert, you feel changed. Walter said he has felt introspective when visiting the desk: "I've had a couple of moments like that where you reflect on the views, the distance, looking out onto this vastness, and wondering about the amazement of Mother Nature," he said. Dani Bell, who was visiting the site, said, "It's very therapeutic. You can clear your mind and really just get some stuff out if you need to." What may be more remarkable than the feeling it inspires is how it came to be. In the late 1970s, Jim Kitchen was a student at nearby Sul Ross State University. He wanted a place to study with a view, so with a couple of classmates, they hauled up a desk, planting it at the top, like a flag on a new frontier. Kitchen's nephew, Tony Curry, said his uncle was someone who would drag a desk to the top of a hill: "He is that kind of guy," Curry said. "He's a wild, wild man and he's got a lot of energy." Curry showed us one of the earlier desks. (They're now swapped out every decade or so, as the elements and visitors take a toll.) And Kitchen left more than a desk up here – also, a notebook and pen, because with vast views come big thoughts. Curry said he'd written in the book many times. "It's kind of like a meditative place, you know, where you can go and you can just think about things and kind of sort out your problems," he said. Dozens of filled notebooks, dating back decades, are catalogued at the university library, and meticulously preserved by the school's archivist. You might call Paula Kitchen Curry, Jim's sister, the unofficial archivist, having gone up to the desk at least 30 times to rotate out the notebooks. "I've copied them one time and sent them to my brother, just so he can see what has happened," she said. What she's comes back with is something akin to a confession booth wrapped in a time capsule … the entries, often heartbreaking. "To 18 y/o me & everyone who needs to hear it: It does get better. Change can be good. The world is bigger than you think it is." Reading the entries, Paula said, "Sometimes it breaks my heart, and sometimes it makes me laugh, sometimes it makes me want to be a better writer!" Asked what he believes the notebooks, and the solitude at the desk, provide to people, Tony Curry said, "There are times when you find yourself looking for a way to get something out of your head, and going up to the desk gives you time to think about it, and then the notebook gives you a place to put it down, and then the journey back down gives you a place to kind of leave it behind." For more info: Story produced by Christ Laible. Editor: David Bhagat.
Daily Mail
10-08-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Simple dog walk snap hides hidden predators - can you spot FOUR snakes in photo in under 30 seconds?
At first glance, it looks like a peaceful woodland trail - a pup climbing over rocks, sun-bleached logs, and scattered patches of grass. But look again. The photo, posted in the subreddit r/FindTheSniper, hides a sinister twist: four camouflaged snakes slithering among the rocks and brush, perfectly blending into their surroundings. What seems like an idyllic hiking snap is actually a test of visual perception - and a reminder of just how deceptive nature can be. The image has become a viral brain teaser as people struggle to spot all four snakes in under 30 seconds - with many missing at least one. Some give up after finding two, while others say they can only make them out after someone points them out. Their cryptic coloring makes them nearly invisible against the backdrop of dusty purple rocks and driftwood-gray branches. Need a hint? Start by scanning near the logs and grassy clumps - the snakes are masters of mimicry, often hiding in plain sight alongside sticks, stones, and shadows. Ready for the reveal? Scroll down for the answer - and see how many you actually spotted. The answer photo reveals just how stealthy these predators really are. Three snakes lie coiled together near tufts of grass toward the left side of the image. The fourth snake is nestled between rocks - all expertly camouflaged. It's a chilling reminder of how well nature's predators can disappear in plain sight - and why it's important to stay alert while out on a hike. Do you think you have what it takes to do another forest-themed brain teaser? This wild brain teaser takes you on a trek through a lush, green jungle filled with flowing streams, towering trees and thick foliage. At first glance, it may seem like just a peaceful forest scene but look closer. Somewhere in this vivid landscape, a wild animal is cleverly concealed. Your mission? Find the hidden creature in under 10 seconds. This optical illusion is more than just a pretty picture - it's a challenge designed to test your observation skills and attention to detail. Do you have the sharp eyes it takes to spot what others might miss? Only the most eagle-eyed viewers will succeed. If you're still scanning the scene, don't worry - you're not alone. It's a tricky one, and giving too many hints would spoil the fun. So take another look. The animal is there, hiding in plain sight. Can you find it before the clock runs out? Have you managed to spot the hidden animal yet? Or is it still eluding your gaze? If you're hoping for a clue, look in between the long, thin tree trunks, and you might just spot a four-legged friend. Don't follow the creek upstream. Instead, look toward the dirt road and see where the path takes you. This illusion is a perfect reminder that sometimes, what we think we see blinds us to what's actually there. So, did you beat the clock? Check to see if you were correct. Amid the towering green trees, the faint outline of an elk blends seamlessly into the leafy wilderness.
CBC
09-08-2025
- General
- CBC
The City of Moncton wants you to learn some trail etiquette
Complaints from trail users have prompted the city to add more signs encouraging users to follow certain protocols in shared natural spaces.
