Take a Hike. (EBook)

Here is a sneak peak of what you'll find inside this 9 page, downloadable document.

Diabetes: Take a Hike
Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Backpacking with Diabetes

We all know that regular exercise is one of the best tools we have for managing our diabetes. At Connected in Motion (CIM), we are big fans of physical activity, especially when it happens outside in wild places with wonderful people. Hiking is one of our favourite activities. There is something extremely satisfying and soul-nourishing about getting yourself from Point A to Point B on your own steam. But taking diabetes for a hike comes with its fair share of challenges—diabetes can be unpredictable. Balancing food, exercise, insulin adjustments, daily commitments, activities and schedules can be challenging at the best of times. Add hiking 10 to 25km a day, limited space for carrying diabetes supplies, no pharmacies, no nurse educators, inclement weather, temperature fluctuations, the potential for an animal to come along and eat your food supply at any moment and we Type 1s have got some real challenges on our hands.

Hiking a mountain pass can be breathtaking, both literally and figuratively! But the thought of packing up and heading into remote wilderness areas with diabetes can be daunting—enough to make some leave their backpacks in dusty, dark corners of the closet or garage and set up shop on the couch. But not you…that’s not the Slipstreamer attitude.

At CIM, our philosophy is to take on each and every challenge that diabetes throws at us, use all of our knowledge and past experiences to figure out solutions, devise plans and pack our backpacks accordingly. Every piece of knowledge you acquire about diabetes—how your body reacts to different foods, activities, stresses and situations—is a tool that you can keep with you at all times. We store every experience, situation and problem solved for future use in our ‘diabetes backpacks’. That knowledge, combined with your glucometer, test strips, insulin, syringes, pump supplies or pen, allows us the freedom to explore and to overcome any challenge we come up against—on the trail or otherwise.

Though challenging, the rewards of being active and outside far outweigh the extra work we need to put in to experience wild places as adults with diabetes. In 2010, the CIM crew hiked oceanside cliffs in Nova Scotia, portage trails in Ontario, wildflower-strewn mountain passes in Alberta and alongside glacier-fed alpine lakes in British Columbia. If you have what you need in your backpack (both figuratively and literally), there ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough…you get the idea.

At CIM, we get emails every week from Type 1s across the country asking detailed questions about getting active outside. We’ve put our heads together to compile a list of the Top 5 Tips and Tricks CIMers use when getting ready to take diabetes for a hike. Each tip originates from a CIMer’s personal experience as a Type 1 in the backcountry.

Have fun and happy hiking!

The CIM Team

Please contact info@connectedinmotion.ca with questions.