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Recently I have been setting my sights on another outdoors prize. To be able to knock a 14er off my list of things to do and explore.

I am sure your asking yourself why in the world do I have the desire to hike a 14,000 ft mountain. My answer is why not!

This is not something that I will be able to head out and attack this next Friday. There is a lot of time and preparation that goes into be ready to attack a feat such as allusive 14er. But, I have my heart and mind set, and nothing comes between my goals and success. I am a do it and die trying type of girl. Hey I am Girl vs. Wild.

Listed below are a few basic suggestions for chasing a 14er.

Of course selecting the mountain you will climb is important along with all the fancy gear to go along, but the most important is training your mind and body for the feat ahead. If your mind and body are not on the same train you will never arrive at the top. No matter how fancy and high tech your gear is it just wont happen if your not fully prepared.

First set a date and stick to it. This is the goal you are working towards and all scheduling works around this date. When you train for a goal with a set date you are far more likely to be successful.

Start slow. Keep in mind this is something your training for not do spontaneously in an afternoon.

Your cardiovascular stamina and endurance is very important. In the first weeks of training start out doing a 30-45 minute treadmill workout and gradually add an incline.

At this same time find a good yoga and pilates class. Most gyms offer these and the benefits you will see from attending both classes once a week will help create the total body you will need to accomplish the 14er ahead.

After the first few weeks of training start wearing the pack you indeed to wear climbing. This will acclimate your body to the extra weight.

Gradually over time add weight to your pack. Either items you intend to pack or free weights while at the gym. Start light in the beginning. If your to eager at the start it can lead to being burned out.

You can always take this workout to the outdoors. You are not restricted to the gym. Grab your weighted pack and water for hydration and hit your local walking path or trails. This will give you a better feeling for how the outdoor elements will feel.

After several weeks of training it’s time to hit the stairs. Start rotating stair climbing into your workout. With a weighted pack on hike up and down a flight of stairs for 30 minutes. Also this is a good point to add the boots you plan to wear on your climb in to the equation. Each time you do your stair training or trails wear your hiking boots. It’s imperative to have your boots broken in prior to the big event.

Lastly talk to the pros, take notes, and in the end it’s all about enjoying the great outdoors.

Girl vs. Wild,

Jacquelyn Farris

Backpacking is one of the oldest American wilderness adventure traditions. Fo decades families, wonder lust young adults, and middle aged thrill seekers have been filling up their packs and hitting the trail in search of a little time in the great outdoors. It brings me great joy to see fellow backpackers on the trail experiencing all the things that make being outdoors amazing.

At the same time I see many people doing it all wrong. Good intentions, but oh so misinformed on how to pack!

I can not even begin to count all the people I have passed on the trail they don’t appear to be on a joyful backpacking trip, but instead resemble a person on a death march.

Without a doubt in most cases it boils down to bad footwear for the occasion and improper packing.

Shoes are the number one deal breaker. You can not expect your favorite pair of running or aerobic shoes to suffice as a trail hiker. It just doesn’t add up. Bottom line if you’re not wearing proper footwear you will be singing the trail hiking blues. Everyones’ feet are different so this is not something you should do through mail order. Take advice and suggestions from your local outfitter. That is what the are there for, they are the advice guys. Be sure to try several different styles on before deciding which is best for your feet. An important trick is to do this with the socks you indeed to hike in. This will play a role in picking the fit for you.

After you have found the perfect shoes next is mastering the art of packing. First rule of thumb pack what you need. Not what you want! The most entertaining item to see come out of someone’s pack is a gigantic pillow or blanket. I swear I have seen this. People have actually tried to pack their bed. No joke!

Packing light is essential to whether or not someone is going to have a good time. Don’t forget you actually have to carrying everything you put into your pack. I personally like to make a list a day prior to packing of the essentials I will be packing. This list works as the master to my packing. Everything from the bottom of my toes to the top of my noise, and all items in between. After the list is made I go over it one last time before packing to see if there is anything that needs to be trimmed. Over time you will get quick at this and be able to pack in a flash, but the first couple of times give yourself time because a rushed pack is usually a bad pack and you will feel it on the trail!

For more on backpacking head to newsok.tv to watch the latest Girl vs. Wild video on backpacking.

Who knows I might even see you on the trail!

Girl vs. Wild,

Jacquelyn Farris

Food is essential to survival. This is not rocket science or some lost truth I have sought since I was a wee adventurer. Its just common sense!

With it decided that yes in fact I must eat to survive I started taking a look at the foods and snacks that I pack for a typical backpacking or climbing trip, and most important ways to save space. You are what you eat!

I stick to a few simple tricks to create the least amount of mess. I prepackage everything. Creating individual servings makes less trash as well as bulk. I suggest getting high quality zip locking sandwich bags and packing your items ahead of time. Recently I have discovered bags that have a double seal which adds peace of mind. There is not much worse that having a pack bottom full of smashed chips.

The night before a trip I will individually bag all my meals in zip bags. This way all I have to do is grab a bag from my pack and go. There is no mess of preparation in having a snack or meal.

Leave the biscuits and gravy at home! Instead granola or meal replacement bars are ideal for a breakfast on the trail. They pack small and are no mess. Literally you can eat these as you hike.

Don’t pack a fruit basket as your trail snack. The odds of the fruit not being bruised and smashed is so unlikely. In fact I would go as far to say your much for likely to win the lottery than having bruise free fruit after it travels in your pack. Instead go to your favorite grocery store and get your various fruits in the dried form. Just as good, but packs light and doesn’t make a squishy mess.

Assorted pretzels and cheese crackers make great trail snacks too. There is no mess and they pack small and light in a zip bag.

Try and stay away from chocolates and candy bars. Yes they taste great, but I have never not had them be a melted mess. This is a huge hassle to clean up and at times can ruin gear.

When it comes to lunches I usually pre make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for each day I will be out. They do stay fresh made ahead of time I promise! Just pack them individually in a zip bag and pull them from your pack as needed. I love the no hassle that comes with having my sandwiches made ahead of time.

Freeze dried meals are brilliant. I only use these for dinner meals because they are a bit bigger than what I would like to pack for all three meals. But they are a great way to have a hot dinner at the end of the day. They are packed full of calories which you need before crawling into your sleeping bag for the night. These are just an A+ idea!

These are just a few minimalist adventure tricks I follow when heading out on an adventure. In fact I used these methods before I headed out this weekend. Right now I am probably dinning on a pb&j out on the trail and enjoying life without the mess!

Happy trails from Girl vs. Wild!

Yoga is all about body and mind. Both of which are very important to being a skilled adventurer.

I know some of you might be getting huffy with idea of doing silly stretching and centering your mind. But the benefits far out way how rediculous you might look. Plus, all the big time pro athletes are doing it and I am sure they don’t mind looking a bit silly.

Studies have shown that practicing yoga on a regular basis improves flexibility and joint mobility. As well as strengthens, tones, and builds muscle. Yoga is also ideal for people with back or knee issues because yoga strengthens joints and increasing stability. Not only will you benefit structurally, but will also be rewarded with increased stamina and circulation, weight loss and stress reduction. How could you go wrong with those yoga center statistics!

The Sun Salutation, Downward Dog, and Childs Pose are just a few of the physical positions that coordinate breath with movement to stretch different parts of the body. Yoga is the perfect complement to practiced and played sports. Such as running, cycling, and even golf. Various poses work and stretch muscle groups in your back, neck, shoulders, abdomen, hips, ankles, and feet. If your body is strong and centered you are far less likely to suffer repetition injuries and muscle sprains.

Golfers tend to be dominant on one side of there body. This is usually seen on their swing side with uneven muscle tone or growth. Yoga will strengthen the weaker areas while evening out tension and tone. The evened core that will develop over time will also increase balance and stability in ones golf the swing and stance.

When it comes to cycling posture and back problems usually arise. Such as stiffness and tension due to being bent over the handlebars for long periods of time. This can be remedied with simple yoga stretching to prevent curvature in the spine and develop supporting muscles.

No matter what sport you participate in or adventurous feat your training for yoga can aid in all areas of play. Yoga helps keep your body and mind in check while centering your thoughts as well as your muscular tone.

In the end you might feel a little silly standing on one leg with your arms out like a windmill, but it is all worth it when your strong in body and mind standing with success!

As an outdoors adventure girl I am very earth conscious, always doing my bit to reduce, reuse, and recycle — from recycling the paper and plastic products that come in the mail, to using less energy.

In doing so, I try to not buy bottled water, and instead use a hard plastic bottle like some made by Nalgene.

But, there are questions about bisphenol-a, or BPA, an ingredient in the most popular type of Nalgene bottle.

BPA, found in polycarbonate plastics, mimics the human hormone estrogen. Polycarbonates are used to make a variety of products, including water bottles. BPA could be harmful to our bodies. Canada plans to ban it’s use in children’s products, such as baby bottles.

Should we be concerned? The answer is, maybe. To me, the findings are unclear. In fact, the findings are so unclear that I am going to keep living on the wild side and use my trusty Nalgene until the FDA tells me not to.

But, if living risky is not for you, a way to tell if your water bottle contains BPA is by looking on the bottom. If you see a recycling number 7, it most likely contains BPA. Most hard, clear plastics also contain BPA.

But don’t throw your hands up yet. Several companies make a range of products made of softer, just-as-durable plastics that are BPA free. And if you want to steer away from plastics, the new trend in water bottles is aluminum. Aluminum bottles come in a variety of trendy colors, and are lightweight and packable.

You still can have your water in an earth-friendly fashion and feel safe doing so. With that said, I am going to go have a fresh drink of water from my wild, BPA-containing bottle.

Girl vs. Wild,

Jacquelyn Farris
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This past Saturday I put my brave face on and conquered a fear. A big fear. This past August I destroyed my shoulder, and lucky me had to have it reconstructed. Basically, there was nothing holding it in socket. Yes, sounds fun doesn’t it? It has been six months of rehab, 3 days week and being so cautious. Well my version of cautious, which I am sure for most people is border line danger. But with an overwhelming amount of fear I went climbing at Rocktown in downtown OKC.

My first route scared the life out of me. Each pull and grab I did shaking with fear of pulling my shoulder out and heading back to my home away from home, McBride Bone and Joint. I know I have a problem when the staff and I are on first name basis. Hey, when you visit as often as I have they become family.

But I did it. A friend said I had the look my eye. The lines were talking to me. Begging me to attack and I did. I loved it. I made those lines mine. It was such a great feeling, pain and all. My little paws are scabbed and bloody, but ready for more. I am off the injured list and am eager to climb!

Girl vs. Wild,

Jacquelyn Farris

CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM MY ADVENTURES

Life can be messy. Mine is that. My family is made of patches and love. We formed as a group out of fractions which grew into new formations. Leaving behind others to form a stronger unit. This is how I got my Mimi. She was a woman of constant thought, and some might call it worry. Always caring for those around her and loving on those who were hurting. Of course she was hurting herself, and she let others love on her in her time of need, but was always there to offer kind words.

She was my Mimi. My grandmother by marriage. My truest realest grandmother I have ever had. Sure I had real birth grandmothers, but never seeing them made them distant thoughts, and she was real to me.

When I was younger she drove me crazy. Driving far too slow in her 19 God knows what tan Chevy Caprice. It was a close relative to a military humvee, and I was sure she got it off a local air base. She was also known for documenting, or at least attempting to document every single blessed event with a picture. I have decided over the years that she had about a 30 to 70 % chance to actually get the camera to fire. But God knows we all had to smile and say cheese each time.

These days I have moments when I would trade 500 misfires for five minutes with her. Just a few seconds to spill my guts out so she could tell me it will all be ok. In her final weeks I lived for what became coined Mondays with my Mimi. I would sit with her in various hospitals and care centers and lie to her, and myself saying it will all be ok. I knew better than that, but sometimes lies can bandage the soul.

I remember when my Dad told me she was sick. Everything was rushed, and panic set in fast for my family. I was strangely calm though, and immediately had resolve. I remember the first thought I had was “oh she’s dead.” For some reason I had her in the ground before she even got there. Looking back on it though I think that was my way to cope. Be matter of fact, and scientific about it. Some might say I was just being pessimistic, but I think I was just being real. She was going to die. There was no bargaining with God in this matter. He had already claimed her to visit him soon.

Everything went really fast. Like an honest blur mixed with false positives about the future ahead. She moved here as soon as she was stable and we began the process to the end. It was similar to riding a roller coaster at Disney, except for it was in hell. As a family we all walked on egg shells with each other pretending the elephant of death wasn’t in the room. We got really good at it too. Almost so that we thought she would live. Be fine. I even had myself nearly convinced.

My Mondays with Mimi became a daily event straight to the end. Robotic almost, but loved through and through. Go to work, go run, go see Mimi. Go to work, go run, go see Mimi. Daily, for weeks this went on from hospital to care center, and back to the hospital again. For weeks that was all we knew. Friends became vague thoughts of my past. Time was broken down into shifts and stays. I don’t even know why we ever unpacked her. She was like a Supertramp of hospital stays. Always on the road.

I remember her last day traveling on the earth with us. She fought strong and hard to go with God. She wanted it to be over.The journey to end. She was tired of traveling, to weak to go on. I knew that night when I left the hospital there would be no Mondays. No more more kind words and comfort. It was to end simply then and there as we gave her back to God. She was not be ours on this earth any longer.

It’s almost like she set me free in her passing that night. Asking me to travel for her. Carry her pack and find adventures she only dreamed of. She put me on the path to explore this world with no ties holding me back. No need to second guess each move.

Maybe she is what lit the fire in me to travel, explore, and seek my own adventures on the road. Just maybe, she led me to be Girl vs. Wild?

Girl vs. Wild,

Jacquelyn Farris

CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM MY ADVENTURES