Mallorca: trails above the beaches
Why go there?
Does Mallorca bring to mind only sunshine, beaches and built-up coastlines? That would be a very limited picture. Mountains overlooking the sea, turquoise coves, beautiful towns and villages, works by 20th-century and contemporary artists: there is plenty to do!
It is also a lovely hiking destination in autumn and spring. The beautiful Serra Tramuntana range rises to only 1,400 m, but starting at sea level still makes for substantial climbs.
The island suits a mixed holiday: half hiking, half sightseeing and wandering. You can largely avoid the overcrowded, built-up coastlines. We divided our time between hiking in the Sierra Tramuntana, visiting Palma and exploring the north.
The food is good too: fish, seafood, tapas, plenty of choice. Mallorcan wine is rather powerful, but tastes differ…
How to adjust your hiking backpack in 7 steps?
Adjusting your backpack correctly for comfortable hiking
Just bought a new backpack from Deuter, Osprey or another brand?
To enjoy hiking fully, carrying your backpack must not cause discomfort. So how do you avoid back pain with a backpack? By adjusting it properly!
A correctly adjusted backpack should carry most of its weight on your hips. It should not pull on or hurt your shoulders.
There are generally 4 adjustment points: shoulder harness height (not always), hip belt, shoulder straps and load-lifter straps above the shoulders.
How do you put on a backpack correctly? Follow several steps:
1- Adjust the shoulder harness height
Most large backpacks have adjustable shoulder harness height: a visual scale lets you position it according to your height, often with hook-and-loop fastenings. This is not the case on smaller backpacks or suspended-mesh models. So how do you set the backpack height?
- Simply position the shoulder straps at shoulder-blade height so they follow the curve of your shoulders.
The best insulated trekking mats
Why does a mat insulate against cold ground rather than warm you up?
Even an insulated hiking mat does not generate warmth. It creates a thermal barrier between your warm body and the cold ground.
The aim is twofold:
- Limit body heat loss
- Limit the cold felt through contact with the ground
Manufacturers use several techniques to achieve this insulation: compartmentalised construction, Primaloft-type fill and reflective aluminised films.
Fortunately, manufacturers use a common measure to simplify comparison of hiking mat insulation: R-value.
Feel free to reread our article on the subject.
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