What are the primary concerns for safety in hiking and backpacking?   Water is foremost, but so is heat. Down the list of hiker hazards are the plants and creatures, which aren’t as severe a risk, but they can be anywhere from irritating nuisances to harmful stings and bites. Learn ways to protect against these dangers, as well as what to do if you happen to become victim of one. Learn where, how, and when to hike, what to expect, and gain information on how to set up camp in the desert. The speakers will also share their preferences in hiking and camping equipment.

Bill Kemsley is the founder of Backpacker Magazine and co-founder of the American Hiking Society.  His nephew, Kenn Petsch, is his favorite hiking companion. They have hiked and backpacked together for more than 40 years.  They have hiked the entire length of the Grand Canyon in every month of the year, visiting some parts of the canyon never known to have been hiked by anyone before. Hikes through the southwest deserts are among their other desert adventures.