Stream Walking

One of my personal favourites within the many options for free range naturism, and also of naked hiking, is what I call Stream Walking.  As you might expect this involves hiking naked within or beside the course of a stream -- more often within than beside.  Within New Brunswick there are a lot of options for this and I have a few favourite places of my own which, for obvious reasons, I’m not going to blab all over the internet.

The idea of stream walking is to use watercourses that are narrow enough, and shallow enough, that you need not worry about meeting powered watercraft bearing down on you at a great rate of knots.  Should you encounter canoeists, kayakers or fishermen along the way such folks are likely to be more friendly toward, and perhaps more accepting of, naked hiking.

There are advantages to stream walking over naked hiking on dry land.  The first of these is that you seldom have to watch for road traffic.  Another advantage is that, if you happen to be surprised by someone else just around the bend in the stream, the water gives you both an excuse for being naked and an instantly available cover-up that doesn’t involve balancing on one foot at a time.

Another advantage of stream walking is that if the day gets too hot relief is just a few feet away.  Any actual swimming hole that you might find enroute is a genuine bonus.  Use it well and wisely.

A word about safety!  Be cautious of water that is too deep to wade at knee level, currents that are too fast to ford with safety, and the dangers of foot entrapment.

Where to go?

Haul out the maps of your area and supplement them with topographical maps and a good reconnaissance using Google Earth.  Time spent on planning helps provide a much better experience on the hike itself.  Besides, it gives you something to do on rainy evenings.

Look for streams that are not immediately adjacent to roads, that do not crawl through muddy bogs, and that do not have their banks dotted with summer cottages.  Ideally you should find streams that have a solid bottom of sand, gravel or bedrock.

Plan your trip keeping in mind that your progress through the water will be much slower than it would be if you were walking on dry land.

 When to go?

You can go any time between the start of warm weather and the start of hunting season.  If you are stream walking within a provincial or national park, or within a game refuge, hunting season might not be as much of a problem but still, you have to be realistic and stay safe.

Avoid the first day or two following any major rainfall as small streams can rise quickly and become unworkable for walking in the increased current and water made opaque by silt or flood debris.

What to do?

Just walking is nice but you can bring your camera for wildlife and scenery pix, or a fishing rod either for fishing or as part of your cover story.  If you are carrying a fishing rod you had better be carrying a fishing licence as well.  Remember, the purpose of going fishing is not necessarily to catch fish.  Often it is just an excuse to sit quietly and enjoy nature.

What to bring?

Footwear – this is the item of first importance.  Wear a pair of solid shoes on your feet, something that can stand being wet and will dry out to be used again.  This is where your favourite old, beat up running shoes come into their own once more.  Wear them laced up and securely double tied.  Remember, you can’t always see the stream bottom and you don’t want to cut your feet on anything.

Walking staff – this is the second most important item you should bring.  When I say walking staff I do not mean one of those skinny collapsible aluminum walking poles that you often see people dragging behind them.  There is a reason that collapsible poles are called collapsible – they collapse, usually when you are leaning on them.  They are worse than useless; they are dangerous.  No, I mean a real staff, something longer than you are tall, stronger than you are heavy, and lightweight too.  I recommend (whole, unsplit) bamboo, something about 25mm (one inch) or so in diameter.  You can probably buy a good bamboo pole at most decent garden supply stores – I swiped mine from a ski hill. (It was July;  nobody was using it.)  Use your staff to probe the bottom before you walk forward and to balance yourself against the current while you walk.

Head wear – bring a hat, even if only a baseball cap, to prevent sunburn and give your eyes the immediate shade they need to peer into the water.

Eye wear – sunglasses go with the hat and for the same reason.  Polarized lenses are best for seeking through water.

Butt wear – this is part of your “cover story.”  I usually carry a hiking kilt or a pair of river shorts clipped to one of the shoulder straps of my day pack for quick access.

Day pack – you’ll need this to carry your shirt, towel, sun block, bug spray, drinking water, lunch, etcetera.  I always carry a map of the area as well as a small first aid kit and the usual outdoor survival items: compass, space blanket, knife, lighter, small flashlight.  A cell phone is a good idea too but for goodness sake turn the damned thing OFF.  Pack everything in zip-lock plastic bags in case you take an unscheduled dip.  Pack everything out with you at the end of the day.

What else can I say?  Have a great day!  When you find a good stream share it with your naturist friends.