Choosing gear is like choosing a spouse—there’s no best, only what’s most suitable. Hiking in sneakers up a snow mountain means you’re taking on greater risks.
Although outdoor sports are often branded as “pushing limits” or “challenging oneself,” you should know that there is a limit to these “limits.”
Word of Experience One:
Golden Rules for Preventing Sports Injuries
People who love the outdoors inevitably suffer from various types of sports injuries. How to enjoy the fun of outdoor trips while reducing the risk of injury? Tiger has summed up a set of golden rules.
Outdoor activities can bring a lot of joy—from weekend leisure trips to life-changing challenges—but don’t forget that under special circumstances, outdoor sports can also cause harm to the body. The key to reducing sports injuries is prevention, and remembering the following rules will be helpful.
One: Exercise in Moderation—Avoid Frequently Participating in Activities That Exceed Your Physical Limits
Although outdoor sports are often associated with “pushing limits” and “challenging oneself,” you should understand that limits do exist and “challenges” come at a cost. Doing so occasionally is fine, but constantly pushing yourself too hard is not advisable. Regular high-intensity exercise is a direct cause of chronic injuries, which may start developing without you noticing, and by the time you feel discomfort, it may be too late—you’ll just be left watching the clouds with a walking stick.
Two: Progress Gradually and Choose an Exercise Style That Suits You
Fast runners may not be good at carrying heavy loads, those who can carry loads might not be able to climb, and climbers might not be fast runners. Everyone has their own strengths in sports, and conversely, things they are not suited for. If wearing red underwear makes you feel like an invincible superhero, then injuries—or worse—are not far off.
Three: Compare Carefully and Choose the Right Gear
Choosing gear is like choosing a spouse—there’s no best, only what’s most suitable. A pair of hiking boots costing thousands may not perform well during regular activities, and hiking in sneakers up a snow mountain also means taking on greater risks. Proper gear isn’t just about having the right tools—it also involves your understanding and ability to use them. For Rambo, a jungle knife might solve many problems, but for you, it might take two huge backpacks of gear to get by.
Four: Study Diligently and Master Scientific Sports Knowledge and Skills
Many people are willing to spend tens of thousands on gear but hesitate to spend ten yuan on a lecture. The direct cause of your injury might be a fall, but the indirect cause could be a lack of wilderness knowledge and sports skills. Especially when one’s ambition and enthusiasm grow, insufficient experience and skills might push you into danger.
Five: Prepare Thoroughly and Pay Attention to Warm-up Exercises Before Sports
Many people overlook warming up before outdoor activities. As soon as the team leader gives the command, everyone starts moving. If you encounter difficult terrain like coastal areas, steep slopes, or rubble hills right from the start, injuries are likely. Warming up increases blood flow and oxygen uptake, improves nerve conduction and reactivity, enhances circulation and oxygen supply, and reduces joint stiffness and increases flexibility. Therefore, before starting any outdoor activity, consider doing a warm-up routine or some simple stretching exercises.
Six: Maintain Rhythm and Take Appropriate Rests and Nutritional Supplements
During outdoor sports, rest reasonably—at least 5–10 minutes of static rest after every hour of activity. After intense exercise, engage in gentler movements to help your cardiovascular system recover, remove metabolic waste from muscles, and gradually ease your body into a resting state. Nutritional supplements mainly include water and electrolytes. A body that is overly fatigued or undernourished is prone to both acute and chronic injuries. However, overeating or drinking excessively not only doesn’t help with nutrition but may have the opposite effect.
Word of Experience Two:
The “RICE” Principle After an Injury Occurs
If, unfortunately, despite all preparations, an injury still occurs and someone is lying on the ground in pain, crying won’t solve the problem. The sports injury “RICE (Rice)” principle is something we must remember:
(1) R = Rest (Rest):You should immediately stop using the injured area to avoid aggravating the injury due to continued bleeding and swelling.
(2) I = Ice (Ice Compress):The injured area should be iced within 48 hours, and massage, rubbing, and heat application are strictly prohibited. Ice should be applied every two to three hours for 15-20 minutes each time. Icing can reduce bleeding, pain, and swelling, as well as relax the muscles.
(3) C = Compression (Pressure):Apply pressure to the injured area as soon as possible to stop further bleeding. You can use an elastic bandage to wrap the area, applying moderate pressure. If the extremities turn purple or feel numb, it means the bandage is too tight and should be loosened.
(4) E = Elevation (Lifting):The injured area should be elevated to minimize continued bleeding. If the injury is on an upper limb, raise the affected side above heart level; if it's on a lower limb, it’s best to keep it higher than the pelvis.
Word of Experience Three:
The secret to taking photos in the mountains is pressing the shutter properly
How to take good photos in the mountains and thus leave beautiful memories of your outdoor trip is a common question among many travelers. In Tiger’s opinion, photography isn’t really that profound — with the naturally stunning beauty of snow-capped mountains, even a yak could take good photos as long as you can carry a camera up the mountain. The secret lies in how well you press the shutter.
The first priority in taking good photos is achieving a mental victory. Many experts on "success studies" and "motivation methods" have already talked extensively about this. You can also learn from the Japanese, who shout “I must take good photos!” fifty times a day. Just don’t draw out the end of the shout too long, or you might trigger altitude sickness.
From an operational standpoint, pressing the shutter is almost the ultimate test of a mountaineer’s skill and physical fitness. Figuring out how to free up a hand to press the shutter on an ice wall is clearly a technical challenge. Even if you’re not on a treacherous ice wall, the slightest pause while moving is enough to get you bumped from behind by your teammates. Therefore, photographers must master the skill of a cowboy in a Western movie drawing their gun — from pulling out the camera to pressing the shutter, it must be completed in an instant, all while maintaining solid footing and core strength like in Chinese martial arts. Ideally, you’d train to the point where you don’t even need to look through the viewfinder — to reach the state of “grasping with the spirit rather than the eyes, the body still while the spirit moves,” and then good photos are just around the corner.
Finally, Tiger admits that the real skill in mountain photography lies entirely outside the act of taking pictures. You just need to develop six-pack abs, master the two-finger handstand technique, build stamina to drag oxen and tigers, acquire the power to smash bricks and crack stone tablets, and then carry more gear, run faster, sleep later, and wake up earlier than others — if you manage all that and still aren’t a photography master, it must be because you haven’t climbed high enough.