Hike Smart

Don't hike like a touron (tourist/moron). Get bliss not blisters. Hiking Expert John McKinney shares what's trail sense and what's nonsense. Get easy-to-remember pointers on how to set the right pace, safely cross a stream, hike in hot weather and cold. Find out how to gear-up and dress for hiking success, how to stay on the trail, and what to do - and never do - if you get lost. Learn the best ways to thwart mosquitoes, avoid poison oak and ivy, and what to do if you cross paths with a snake or bear.


JOHN MCKINNEY is the author of 25 books about hiking, parklands and nature, including The Hiker’s Way: Hike Smart, Live Well, Go Green and A Walk Along Land’s End, Dispatches from the Edge of California on a 1,600-mile hike from Mexico to Oregon.



McKinney has written more than a thousand ar­ticles about hiking plus numerous trail guidebooks including such popular favorites as Southern Cali­fornia, A Day Hiker’s Guide and Day Hiker’s Guide to California’s State Parks. His books for children include Let’s go Geocaching and Let’s go Hiking.



For 18 years, McKinney, a.k.a. The Trailmaster, wrote a weekly hiking column for the Los Angeles Times. A passionate advocate for hiking and our need to reconnect with nature, McKinney shares his expertise on radio and TV, and as a public speaker.