The Ultimate Hiking Quiz

More than 20 million people visit our national parks each year to enjoy a hike.

Hiking is not really for beginners; make sure you can handle a four to five mile walk before taking on a hike.

Once you've trained yourself to handle five-mile walks, train yourself to handle hilly terrain, because hiking involves tackling a lot of hills.

As you hike your body temperature will rise and fall. Having several layers allows you to adjust without too much difficulty.

Hiking at a normal pace burns approximately 300 calories an hour. It's a great form of exercise!

Never go on a serious hike without a first aid kit. Accidents happen, and on a hike you can easily end up miles from the nearest town.

You may be tempted to bring everything but the kitchen sink with you on a hike, but research has shown that carrying more than 25 pounds is bad for your shoulders, back, and knees.

Just because water is clear doesn't mean it's clean; it could be full of bacteria, or even parasites too small to see with the naked eye.

At the very least, boil any water you intend to drink; this should kill off the bacteria. You're much better off, however, bringing bottled water.

You don't have to boil the water for too long -- one minute or so will do the trick.

The outdoors are full of poisonous plants, and too avoid contracting something like poison oak you should keep your body well protected.

Covering you body and wearing boots will prevent you from getting poison ivy while you're hiking, but if you're not careful when you take off your boots you might get it anyway.

Ticks often carry Lyme disease, which is why you should do everything in your power to avoid getting a tick bite.

Ticks will hang on to their host for as long as they can. If the tick remains for over 24 hours, there is a serious risk of Lyme disease.

Tick bites usually swell, but if they also develop a bull's-eye shaped rash then you should see a doctor right away.

It is important that you save a tick that has bitten you, so that you can have it analyzed by a doctor if need be.

Place the tick in alcohol to preserve it. If signs of an infection develop, you should take it to a doctor or lab right away.

The smell of food often attracts animals. To keep your food safe, string it up high between to trees.

Many hiking trails cross hunting grounds, and the risks are obvious, so wear something bright that contrasts with the colors of the hunting grounds.

The must common color people wear for safety in hunting areas is orange. Even most hunters wear bright orange vests.