Yes, I am so excited for you and your decision to get active. Right now I am looking out of a window and the leaves just turned different colors. The air was nice and cool and that simply lets me know that Fall is here. That gets me excited because it is my personal favorite time to get outside and hike! It is something that really just hits me in my soul and that is the joy of being outside in nature. I love the peace that comes from simply being out in nature's natural cycle. I know that sounds weird but be able to simply blend in and enjoy nature as if you are a part of it can be a wonderful experience. Also, the joy of seeing something that very few people have or maybe even no one is an incredible experience. So what is even better is being able to do all of these things with a stoma. I was at first really worried that I would never be able to enjoy the great outdoors again once I got a stoma, but I was certainly wrong and I have never been happier about being wrong. So let's go over a few things you may need to get into hiking with a stoma.
My first requirement has to come along with me is extra ostomy gear. Also water, well water comes first and is probably the most important part of hiking. Being safe and hydrated run hand in hand. So being able to carry all this equipment and life-saving liquid is important and have a good backpack is key.
Finding a good backpack is a truly personal experience. That is because we all have stomas in different locations and we also have different torsos to go along with it. I prefer to use the right backpack for the right hike and that depends on how far I am going to go and for how long. If you tell me you are going on a couple of hour hike at a local park, I may not even bring a backpack, but I probably will be me. I usually will have a smaller bag maybe even 15 liters in size. My favorite size backpack is 20-25 liters because I can get my gear, water, food, and an extra layer of clothing in it. I am able to do a full day hike in that size backpack.
Now that you know the size you have to make sure the actual size of the backpack fits your body. There are many companies that will fit the bag to you and to let you know how long your torso is and what type of backpack will work for you. REI is one of these companies and can help fit it to you. Be careful though, because you have a stoma and ostomy bag. Duh. But you may not be able to use a backpack that has a hip belt because it may simply cover your stoma. That is a easy no go for me. I have to have a bag that fits me safely in the hip area or I won't get a bag with a hip belt. You may not want a hip belt due to your stoma or just due to the fact that you are a lightweight hiker. But for heavy loads, it is nice to be able to transfer the weight to your hips instead of it all being on your upper body. Just be careful but know that either kind of backpack can work for you.
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