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The Hiking Engine - Hikers Guide to Footcare |
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The Hiking Engine - Hikers Guide to Footcare by Stuart Plotkin. A HIkers Guide to the Care and Maintenance of Feet and Legs. 192 pages.
Most hiking and backpacking books cover a lot of ground. They give overviews of equipment, hiking techniques, and general advice. However, none focus on the most critical element of the hiking experience -- the parts of your body that take you there. The Hiking Engine explores the care and feeding of the feet and legs, so that veteran and novice readers alike can be sure-footed when venturing into the outdoors.
Prevention is the heart of this book. Knowing where problems can creep up -- on a particularly uneven section of track, at the end of the day when one's balance is not sure, even when making decisions on boots and socks -- can reduce the amount of pain and suffering often encountered on the trail.
But being careful doesn't always prevent accidents. An extensive first aid section describes treatment options for common problems, such as ingrown toenails, athlete's foot, and strained ligaments, as well as more unusual complaints, like bunions, hammertoes, and even broken legs.
For readers particularly interested in how the feet and legs work, the book examines the structure of the hiking engine -- the system of bones, muscles, and sinews -- and how it helps us explore the outdoors. This section also points out those parts most susceptible to injury. Forewarned is forearmed, so if you understand how your feet and legs work, you can reduce your risk for injury. And if injury occurs, you'll have a better understanding of how first aid techniques can help. A tutorial on stretching and strengthening exercises is also included.
Until a hiker injures a foot or leg -- a blister on the foot, a sprained ankle, an unattended scratch that gets infected -- he or she might not pay a lotof attention to the care of legs and feet. The Hiking Engine increases awareness of all that can potentially go wrong on any kind of hike, so you can avoid the worst and enjoy the best.
About Stuart Plotkin, DPM
Dr. Stuart Plotkin began hiking in the Adirondacks at the age of 13. Since then, he has hiked extensively throughout the United States, including jaunts through Yosemite, Mt. Ranier, the Grand Canyon, and the White Mountains. A graduate of the California College of Podiatric Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics, Dr. Plotkin currently practices podiatry on Long Island. These days, most of Dr. Plotkin's hiking occurs in Montana, Wyoming, and Alberta_dinosaur country_where he helps collect fossils for various natural history museums. He has written various technical journal articles. Remember - Shipping is FREE on all book titles, and all books are discounted 10-15% off list price.
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