Here you can find tips, including looking after equipment, identifying plants, and reducing the chances of a walking injury

Equipment - Water Bottles

If when you go walking you fill a bottle with water, rather than taking a bottle of mineral water, you may have found that sometimes the water tastes pretty disgusting. Here are some ways to help prevent this happening:

• Store the bottle with the lid off.

• The night before you go for a walk, leave some fresh water in the bottle overnight. In the morning, pour this out, swill the bottle round, and then add your drinking water.

• Don't put flavoured drinks, such as orange squash in the bottle. The flavour will remain in the bottle even if it is washed, and distaste the water next time.

• Don't use a lemon flavoured washing up liquid, for the same reason.

Health - Drinking Water

When you go for a walk on a hot day, make sure you take plenty of water. Drink regularly, don't let it reach the point when you feel thirsty, because you have already started to dehydrate by that point. It is also important what you drink:

You should not drink the following, as they dehydrate you:

• Alcoholic drinks

• Coffee (tea is ok)

• Fizzy drinks (except energy drinks)

• Drinks with lots of additives.

• Sea Water - high salt content dehydrates rapidly

The best drink you can have is water. Tea and energy drinks (i.e. lucozade) are also ok. Even if it is an emergency, do NOT drink urine or sea water, as they speed up dehydration, and could kill you. Do not drink from streams unless it is an emergency, or you are sure it is safe to do so.