How often do you trip and fall?

[FatHead64]

Nice pic FH64...beautiful!! Looks Cold!

I think it was low 20s if I remember correctly. It has been useful calibrating for hiking gear I would (or not) need on the trail, whenever I get the chance to thru.

But without thread drifting too much - that snow/sand mix is TREACHEROUS. I know yak trax would be worthless and I am not convinced mini spikes would help much, either. The spikes on my crampons are in the 3/4 to 1 inch range and I can hear them crunch ice. Probably on the heavy side for a thru though.

[Studlintsean]

Fell hard last fall while hopping from rock to rock up stream putting my filter away and was named "Creekfall" for the rest of the hike. I also fell hard this weekend on a day hike with my dogs but ill blame that on the foster dog pulling on a muddy downhill slope.

[Prime Time]

I stumble over a rock or a root 4 or 5 times a day, but I seldom go down. I'm 59 also, so I work on staying upright. A couple of things to consider:
1) If you start to trip repeatedly take a break and get off your feet. You're probably just getting a little tired. Then slow it down a little.
2) NEVER trust the tops of roots. They are often much more slippery than they look.
3) NEVER trust a rock that has moss or mud on it. Always look for the top of bare, well traveled over rocks.
4) When descending, always look for rocks that are canted back towards you, not slopping away downhill. This will help you "break" as you descend.
5) Also, when descending, Don't lock out your knee and "full stop" your step. inevitably your knee will buckle and give out and your momentum will resume and down you'll go in a heap. Keep a slight bend in you knee and keep moving.
6) Never cross over your trailing leg with your next step. You'll easily loose your balance.
7) If this is all too complicated sounding, drink heavily and you won't get hurt when you fall.

[keepinitsimple]

I stopped tripping after Jerry died.

[Malto]

Worst face plant I had was in Oregon. There was a very small stump sticking up on the trail that acted as a hook. It caught the fabric of my trail runners, ripped into them and I did a full slide down the hill. Had one trail running in NC, running shorts no shirt.... Big mistake. I ended up with a nice war wound from that one too. Poles have really helped me. I did find that I was tripping much more toward the end of my thru hike than the beginning. I think it is do to hiker efficiency, I was raising my feet up less later in the hike. That took a while to correct upon my return when I started trail running again.

[rocketsocks]

I stopped tripping after Jerry died.

Me to, but I still fall.

[Ewok11]

Hi everyone! This seemed like the perfect thread to make my first official (non-intro) post, since my husband has lovingly named me "Crash". It doesn't matter if I'm on a trail or carpet, I find things to trip over that are most often invisible. I am very often a hazard to myself. I'm not at all a graceful faller either but I have learned to tuck and roll. Good thing I'm married to a medic.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

This is the front side of the dune a few weeks ago - I was slip-slidin' on the back side - pretty much just as steep, but with briars and trees at the bottom. Note the sledders at the bottom.

Attachment 19995

Honestly, what would a good fall be without briars and trees at the bottom?

[rocketsocks]

Hi everyone! This seemed like the perfect thread to make my first official (non-intro) post, since my husband has lovingly named me "Crash". It doesn't matter if I'm on a trail or carpet, I find things to trip over that are most often invisible. I am very often a hazard to myself. I'm not at all a graceful faller either but I have learned to tuck and roll. Good thing I'm married to a medic.

I do a real good impression of Nadia Coma niche...to white blaze

[Deacon]

Did a headlong face plant coming down the steps to route 9 in Vermont last summer. Those steps aren't your normal 7 inch risers - more like 24 inch risers. Just plain lost my balance with my pack weight. Good thing those boughs were there, I would have broken my neck for sure.

[Red Hat]

I fall a lot, but not faceplants. I only did that once, in VA at Dripping Rocks, and I needed stitches. Most of the time, I fall backwards on my rear, then have to turtle to get up. I fell several times the first day. Then not so much after that, except in snowy places.

[Red Hat]

... New rule, if your eyes aren't watching the trail, you feet ought not be moving.

Warren Doyle says the reason people don't see more animals is because they are too busy watching their feet.

[ChinMusic]

Warren Doyle says the reason people don't see more animals is because they are too busy watching their feet.

And you'll see more stars if you don't.

[gizzy bear]

My boyfriend / hiking partner trips while walking on flat concrete.... He could easily be mistaken for a spider monkey in the woods as for me my hover round hasn't failed me yet...

[prain4u]

All of us trip. HOWEVER, I've noticed that I trip MORE OFTEN in the years since I've had bifocals and SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OFTEN since I started wearing progressive lenses (essentially line-less bifocals, trifocals, quadfocals etc).

I think eyeglasses (in general) and multi-focal eyeglasses (in particular) increase the amount of tripping and falling. What do the rest of you think?

[Papa D]

I trip all day long

Fall? not too often

[bfayer]

All of us trip. HOWEVER, I've noticed that I trip MORE OFTEN in the years since I've had bifocals and SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OFTEN since I started wearing progressive lenses (essentially line-less bifocals, trifocals, quadfocals etc)...

Oh yes, I have not met a curb I could not fall off since I got progressive lenses.

[johnnybgood]

Lots of close calls...or should I say close falls. Trekking poles definately help in staying upright during slips and trips. One pole is bent at a slight angle after falling on new fallen snow covering ice on a descent of Humpback Mt. a few years backs.

[rsmall]

On my thru in 2005 I probably fell over 100 times. None were serious enough to cause any delay in the hike, but I needed lots of bandages and took pain killers on a frequent basis. I blame it primarily on age (61 at the time), arthritis (lots of stiffness) and inattention. In spite of it all, I made it successfully to the end.

[The Ace]

I stumble over a rock or a root 4 or 5 times a day, but I seldom go down. I'm 59 also, so I work on staying upright. A couple of things to consider:
1) If you start to trip repeatedly take a break and get off your feet. You're probably just getting a little tired. Then slow it down a little.
2) NEVER trust the tops of roots. They are often much more slippery than they look.
3) NEVER trust a rock that has moss or mud on it. Always look for the top of bare, well traveled over rocks.
4) When descending, always look for rocks that are canted back towards you, not slopping away downhill. This will help you "break" as you descend.
5) Also, when descending, Don't lock out your knee and "full stop" your step. inevitably your knee will buckle and give out and your momentum will resume and down you'll go in a heap. Keep a slight bend in you knee and keep moving.
6) Never cross over your trailing leg with your next step. You'll easily loose your balance.
7) If this is all too complicated sounding, drink heavily and you won't get hurt when you fall.

For my very first solo overnighter – many, many years ago – I loaded up a brand new Gregory pack with enough stuff to bring a third world country into the modern era. Took off on a wilderness trail leading down into the Linville Gorge. I got no more than fifty yards when the trail went right and I tumbled over the edge on the left. My next trip was with trekking poles and the beginning of my base weight reduction down to a comfortable ten pounds. I also had to learn to not over trust trekking poles. Slipped a few times on wet rocks when I thought trekking poles made me invincible, and stuck them in places on the trail where I should not have and was violently pulled to the ground by the wrist straps. However, while occasionally stubbing my shoe on a rock or root, I can’t recall when I last fell to the ground while hiking. Trekking poles have saved me many times. They also hinder making the clumsy cross over step listed above in item 6). The excellent advice that Prime Time gives is what I have learned over time – some of it the hard way. I have also gotten somewhat used to my progressive lenses over the years, except maybe at dusk -- every single time without fail and always less than five minutes after I set up my tent, I trip over a tent stake line.