Most hikers don't think about plague before they head out. But according to the National Park Service, if you're hiking in the southern Rocky Mountains, Arizona, New Mexico, or parts of California, maybe you should.

Bubonic plague is still alive and well around the world, including in the U.S. Although only 10 to 15 people die of it per year in the U.S., according to the CDC, there's always a danger to hikers in an infected area. Plague is caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis. The bacteria are carried by fleas that bite rodents, cats, and humans. You can get bubonic plague if you're bitten by an infected animal, or, more rarely, if you breathe little drops of water infected with the bacteria.

Symptoms of bubonic plague start to show 2 to 6 days after infection. They can include fever, weakness or dizziness, chills, and swollen and painful lymph nodes. Called buboes, these can blacken as the disease progresses, explaining the name Black Plague and bubonic plague. Some people get pneumonia as a first symptom. The infection quickly spreads to the rest of the body. If an infected person isn't promptly treated with antibiotics, he can die.

You can avoid getting the plague by following a few tips. First, if a small animal like a prairie dog or a rabbit or bunny approaches you, don't pet it or go near it. Next, don't pick up dead animals. If you must move an animal's corpse, wear long sleeves and gloves and wash both your hands and the gloves with an anti-bacterial cleanser. Keep your campsite free of attractions to plague-carrying animals, such as piles of brush or rocks they could nest in, or left-over food or other garbage they could eat. Don't take your dog or cat with you, as they can become infected much more easily than you. If you must bring them along, check them for fleas frequently. Wear insect repellent yourself. Wear long pants or jeans to protect yourself, and high sturdy hiking boots to avoid animal bites.

(Sources: http://www.nps.gov/archive/waca/pphtml/subenvironmentalfactors10.html, http://www.nps.gov/wica/naturescience/resource-ramblings-july-2008.htm, http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/yoursafety.htm,http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/index.htm, http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/plague.htm )

Long before the series focused more on style than substance, Sylvester Stallone gave one of the best performances of his career in "First Blood," the story of a Vietnam Vet who had serious difficulty returning to civilian life.

Stallone plays John J. Rambo, a decorated war hero trying to reconnect with some members of his squad. Unfortunately, after traveling to a small town, he learns that one of his Green Beret buddies has died from long-term exposure to the chemicals used during the Vietnam conflict. Of all the soldiers in his squad, he literally is the last man standing.

The frustrated Rambo simply wants to get something to eat and leave town, but the narrow-minded local sheriff (Brian Dennehy) doesn't like the way he looks and drives him to the city limits. When Rambo returns to town, the sheriff promptly arrests him, abusing him with a high-pressure hose and a straight razor. The mental and physical torture reawakens Rambo's guerilla warfare skills and he escapes into the woods. With only a survival knife and his military training, the former soldier wages his own personal war against both the town and the memories that still haunt him from Vietnam.

The best scenes in "First Blood" take place in the wilderness, where John J. Rambo goes into hiding and lives off the land. As his former commander tells the police, Rambo has been trained to eat things that "would make a billy goat puke." He also has an incredible tolerance for pain, especially during one outdoor sequence where he has to sew up his own wounded arm.

A soldier such as John Rambo can survive with just a knife, but most people who enjoy camping really can use a good duffel bag like the Expedition made by Mountain Hardware. When you need to haul a lot of gear into rough terrain, the Expedition is roomy enough to hold everything you need.

Though the later "Rambo" movies focused more on special effects than characters, "First Blood" remains one of the best outdoor movies ever made.

Yellowstone National Park continues to attract millions of avid hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts each year. If you're one of the many hiker paying respects Old Faithful this season, make sure you're well-prepared for the adventure.

Here are a few essentials for making it through your Yellowstone trail like a pro:

Layer it up
Wearing layers is essential when hiking or camping in Yellowstone's temperate climate. Many areas of the park experience rain showers and chilly winds, especially during the autumn and winter seasons. Make sure you're well prepared for inclement weather with wool socks, moisture-wicking pants and shirts, an insulated vest, a wool beanie and a lightweight puffy jacket for any evening excursions on the itinerary.

Don't get Stuck in the mud
The trails are usually very wet and muddy at the beginning of the year; make sure you're wearing comfortable hiking boots that provide plenty of ankle support and will prevent your toes from getting wet. You may need trekking poles to make it across some of the bogs and marshes on the more challenging trails, so map out your route and factor in weather conditions well beforehand.

Pack up that First Aid Kit
Whether you're putting together your own or picking up a pre-made kit, make sure you're well prepared to manage insect bites, cuts, bruises and small wounds. While you won't have many rocky boulders to conquer on the beginner's trails in Yellowstone, you might find yourself forging through forests, thermal springs and canyons. Wrap up those wounds and treat insect bites in a flash with basic supplies stocked in your first aid kit.

Cook Smart to Avoid Bear Attacks
When you're setting up camp in Bear Country, make sure you're doing everything you can to avoid a bear attack. Many hikers and campers encounter bears in Yellowstone because they're not prepared; leaving food unattended at the campsite or cooking and storing food in open areas will leave a scented trail that attracts bears day and night. Use an efficient cooking and food heating system for your meals to make that food prep and cleanup is a cinch.

Being prepared sometimes makes the difference between surviving and not surviving. "Saving for a rainy day," quite simply refers to being prepared for a bad situation when it occurs. Whether one is camping, biking, hiking or doing other outdoor sports, it is imperative that a survival gear kit go along with the athlete or weekend warrior.

If looking for a basic survival kit, a top recommendation is theAdventure Medical Kit with Paddlers. This is a very versatile bag, which includes basic survival items as well as some repair gear. Some of the essentials included in the Adventure Medical Kit with Paddlers include Nitrile gloves, infectious bag control, a two-person emergency blanket, wound irrigation system, storm waterproof matches, Aquaseal urethane adhesive, a guide to wilderness and travel medicine, an emergency pamphlet, wound cover strips, bandages, wound care medication, several oral medications, paddlers and more. The Adventure Medical Kit with Paddlers is a must have essential for the outdoor person including athletes adventurers. The kit of survival gear is a great buy at $54.

If you are looking for a smaller kit which contains survival gear an excellent choice is the Adventure Medical Kit with Ultralite Paddlers. This unique kit weighs only 10 ounces and is loaded with great survival gear including: Ibuprofen, Moleskin dressing, Antihistamine, Nitrile gloves, first aid and life threatening emergency instructions, a guide to the wilderness, bandages, gauze, adhesive fabric bandage butterfly clips, antibiotic ointment, Tincture of Benzoin Topical Solution, swabs, safety pins, survival gear for repairing things and much more. This is the ideal survival gear for a weekend getaway, a hike or to even keep in the trunk of a car in case of emergencies. The bag measures approximately 8.5" x 5.25" x 3.5" and weighs approximately 10 pounds. The Adventure Medical Kit with Ultralite Paddlers survival gear retails for approximately $38.

Owning survival gear is a part of being prepared in case of emergencies and increasing one's confidence by influencing coping skills as a benefit of preparedness.

This weekend, my friends and I, since we can't all be together on Thanksgiving, decided to have Thanksgiving dinner like none of us had ever tried before: Camping!

Although we knew we couldn't have it be completely like Mom's cooking around the dining room table, we got as close as we could get. On Saturday afternoon, my friend Rico put together a feast using only a fire, an our door steel grill and some pots and pans.

First, we cut up some onions, jalapeno's, carrots, celery and cilantro and wrapped them in aluminum foil with some butter, salt and pepper. In order to cook them properly, we set the little packages of tastiness nearly in the fire, just resting the on rocks in the fire pit. Then we boiled the potatoes in a pot over an open coal stove for about 30 minutes. I couldn't believe how easy it was to do this without a stove! We mashed the potatoes manually added butter and salt, and ta da, a just-like-Mom's mashed potatoes side dish didn't take more than an hour.

And, of course, we grilled some turkey! Cooking an entire bird was a little out of the question, so we grilled the next best thing. We marinated about 20 turkey breast pieces that were cut into small strips and grilled them over the coals. They were delicious, believe you me!

It made it all the more special that the friends that I love put so much work into this while I mainly just sat by the fire and watched! Thanksgiving indeed!

While hiking trips in the Rockies and overnight stays at nature trails in the Midwest offer plenty of opportunity to bond with the outdoors, the colder climate calls for padding up with layers and staying inside the tent for most of the trip.

Camping in an exotic rainforest offers a completely new experience for the avid nature lover: a chance to trek over rough terrain, catch a glimpse of indigenous species and take in a breath of very humid air. Rainforest camping survival is no easy affair, but you can make it through those hot and humid days with the right gear.

Get a head start on the trail with a lightweight and versatile backpack. The CamelBak H.O.S.S. is an expandable pack that can hold several water bottles, a change of clothes, your food stash and other essentials for your trip. This pack is also designed with a reservoir that has an extra-large mouth opening; you can fill it up with that much-needed H2O and haul it along on that multi-hour trek across the rainforest.

In addition to packing extra water bottles and storing water in your pack, you'll need a cooling reservoir to replenish water levels after a day or two of chugging down your stock. The Katadyn Hiker Pro Microfilter lets you fill up on water fresh from the rainforest without worrying about your health; the lightweight filter can process up to 300 gallons of water and generate nearly a quart of fresh water per minute. Taking along a water filter is an absolute necessity for desert trekking and multi-day rainforest hikes, and most filters can adapt to all types of water bottles for easy refilling.

Getting a good night's sleep inside a sleeping bag seems like "Mission Impossible" when temperatures continue to stay around record-high levels after sunset. However, a lightweight sleeping pad can help you keep your cool during those hot and muggy, air-conditioning-free nights. The Big Agnes Air Core pad is a lightweight pad that can be inflated within minutes. The pad provides a layer of comfort and relaxation after a hard day of trekking.

Heading off on a rainforest oasis trail can be an exciting adventure, but you need to take along the basic survival gear to get through that tropical climate like a pro.

A backwoods adventure is usually a family tradition, a typical camping trip for those who live in the upper Midwest and mountainous regions of the U.S., but for the first-time visitor who ventures into mountain territory, the trip can be more like a test of survival. If you're not used to subzero temperatures while camping and facing mountain lions and deer on your hiking trail, the smell of pine trees and fresh mountain air will be the last thing on your mind on your backwoods adventure.

Whether you're camping near the alpine lakes or hiking through miles of mountain trails, you'll need to be well-prepared for the trip into enchanting backwoods territory with some basic survival gear. Here are a few must-haves for your alpine excursion:

A well-insulated tent is a top priority for that chilly climate, and you'll need something that will keep nature at bay on those long and cold nights. The North Face Trailhead tent is a roomy and comfortable tent designed with water-resistant materials and an easy pitching process; it's a six-person tent that will keep bugs and small animals out of your living quarters and allow you to enjoy a restful night's sleep.

A medical kit is an absolute must on any camping or hiking adventure, and the backwoods are even more of an accident-prone venue. You run the risk of running into semi-poisonous plants, bugs and even small animals lurking around the forests. You'll need to protect yourself with bandages, antiseptic and splinter removal tools to get through the adventure safely and in good health.

If you're heading out on a fall or winter day, you might not make it to the campsite by sundown. Gearing up with a headlamp will help you stay on course and get to your final destination with ease. Look forward to a hands-free hike across your trail with an adjustable headlamp that delivers high-beam lighting right where you need it.

If you're a first timer on the backwoods trail, partner up with a local camping service provider or instructor to get some survival training before you head out on your own. Many backwoods survival adventure providers offer training in remote areas, and will even provide transport and rental camping accessory for your excursion. Still, you'll need to load up on some essential gear to enjoy a safe and exciting trip into backwoods territory; pack up these essentials to navigate your way through that trail and make the most of the experience.

Looking for one of the most beautiful places on earth? Want to see amazing scenery? Like to work out every muscle in your body, and then relax on a gorgeous beach when you're finished? Then look no further. The Kalalau Hiking Trail is definitely for you. Sure, hiking trails are supposed to be relaxing, fun and easy, right? Well, this one isn't. The Kalalau Trail will give you a major workout, and as it's an 11 mile long trail, you'll be working out for a while. But, part way through the trail, you'll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the ocean and a sandy beach second to none.

The Kalalau Trail is on the Hawaiian island of Kauai and is also known as the paradise trail. This 11-mile trail starts out with a pretty, winding and strenuous, hike upwards until, at the top, you'll be confronted with a narrow hiking path that overlooks an incredible ocean view. The trail then continues on, up and down, up and down, and finally descends until it ends up at Hanakapiai Beach. Hanakapiai Beach is around two miles up the trail, but because of the narrowness of the trail and the incline, it will still take you several hours to get there.

Hanakapiai Beach is a small sandy beach, which is lovely. The only warning here is please don't swim in the ocean. The currents are very strong and even a strong swimmer could be pulled out to sea very quickly, so keep your water emersion to no more than a quick wading.

The Kalalau Trail begins at Ke'e Beach and ends up in the Kalalau Valley. The whole trail normally takes a couple of days to do, even for experienced hikers, so make sure you have your camping equipment with you if you want to hike the whole trail. Be warned that a camping permit is required for people who want to go further than Hanakapiai Beach as the state park is strict about access to this part of the trail and beyond.

For a great workout with an unbelievable view, you can't beat the Kalalau Trail. Hawaii has gorgeous scenery and this trail will show you some of the best.

If you enjoy the wind in your hair and the sound of water lapping against the sides of a canoe, there is no better place to find your perfect vacation than Michigan's upper peninsula. Beautiful regardless of the season, but most striking in late spring and early fall, the Sylvania Wilderness encompasses nearly 20,000 acres of old-growth forest and upwards of 30 beautiful lakes.

As most enthusiasts know, canoeing is just as much about the scenery as it is about the activity itself. You can jump in a canoe in just about any body of water in America, but surrounding yourself with gorgeous foliage and countless vistas is an experience you will never forget. The Sylvania Wilderness is true wilderness, preternaturally quiet with a degree of seclusion that you will find in few other places in the U.S.

There are few signs in the Sylvania Wilderness, according to their web site, which means that you must always bring a map and compass with you on day or overnight excursions. Boats with motors are not allowed in the lakes or portages, so canoeing is the best way to get around. It is also advisable to travel with someone who is experienced in wilderness travel if you have never done it before.

It is also important to realize that in Sylvania Wilderness you will encounter all forms of wildlife, some more pleasant than others. There are laws that protect certain species, such as the loons who live on the islands, which means that you need to familiarize yourself with the rules before you take a trip. Black bears are also common in these woods, so protect yourself from an unfortunate visit by keeping your campsite as clean as possible.

If you enjoy the idea of Sylvania Wilderness but aren't wild about the idea of getting lost in the woods, your best bet is to enjoy a day trip and to plan your itinerary carefully. Next to Sylvania is a recreation area, which is closer to civilization and includes public beaches and modern amenities. From there, you can visit any number of lakes and portages for canoeing pleasure, safely rejoining civilization when you are ready.

As my family and I sit here planning our next camping trip, all I can do is laugh, remembering our first camping experience years ago. We were so unprepared. What happened is pretty hilarious now, but at the time it wasn't all that funny.

You see, we really had no clue what we would need, but we sure thought we did. It's a good thing our accompanying friends had a few things we were lacking. Unfortunately, we did have to leave the campsite for the rest of the items, which would not have been as simple if we hadn't had friends with us or if we had chosen a more remote location. It's obvious that a tent is needed for camping, unless a cabin or camper is being used. However, what wasn't so obvious to us during our first camping trip was to bring extra stakes and tie downs.

Sometimes what comes with the tent just won't cut it, as we found out when one section of our tent sagged no matter what we did. Borrowing a friend's extra stake and tie down solved the problem.

Another item we mistakenly left out was sunscreen. At the time, we were not very good at wearing sunscreen to begin with, so it's no surprise we forgot that, but on a camping trip sunscreen is essential. Being outdoors all day without protection from the sun is not good for the skin at all. I've even heard that putting it in the hair can help prevent sun streaks and split ends. Luckily, our friends had some extra sunscreen we could use.

Thicker, longer socks was something we hadn't considered at all for our camping trip list. This was one of the items we had to leave the camp site for. Since we were camping in an area that could have contained ticks, we really should have had better socks on, as well as packed additional ones. Thankfully we were not too far outside of town, so it was fairly easy to pick up some appropriate socks.

In addition to the items above, there were several more items we forgot during that trip. Because of that experience, we now know exactly what to bring, so I guess it was good for a lesson. Some of the items on our main camping trip supply list are: tent and extra stakes and tie downs, tarp, hammer, pillow/sleeping bag/extra blanket/air mattress/sheets for each person, air pump, air mattress repair kit, compass and map for each person, folding chair for each person, folding table, fishing poles/bait/line/bucket, lots of water (some for drinking, some for cleaning), cooking source, cookware, utensils, knives, food, fire source, trash bags, plastic tablecloth, dish soap, foil, tissue, paper towels, dishes and silverware, plastic bin for dish-washing, personal care items, clothing for all weather types, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and various other items, depending on the camping trip.