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The Sierra Club has launched in interesting new website called Sierra Club Trails that aims to be the Wikipedia of hiking, with a comprehensive, online, user updated, database of the best places to hike in the U.S.

The site is designed to be a place where we can all share information about our favorite places to hike, and post information on trails that we've discovered. Because it is user-updatable, the trail information can be altered on the go as conditions change, new trails open up, and unique places are discovered. You can search for trails in your area or some place that you will be visiting, and there are even easy options for finding the newest trails added to the database, as well as the most popular and highest rated. The trails don't even have to be on dry land either, as the website will allow you to enter paddling trails too.

If that wasn't enough, the Sierra Club is building a community around the site allowing outdoor adventurers to create a profile, logon, and join in the discussions on gear, trail food, and more. There is also an official blog for the website as well as news on upcoming events, and a "how to" section as well.

At the moment, the site isn't very well but it is technically still in beta, with many hikes missing. But the wiki just launched last week and I'm sure things will fill in very soon. Checking for my location here in Texas, i find only 11 trails so far, so there are plenty to add. But the ones that are there have some good information, including descriptions of the what to expect, including photos, and an indication of how challenging the trail is as well.

So, if you have a favorite trail, maybe you should head over to Sierra Club Trails and start sharing your thoughts. I'm sure your contribution will be appreciated by others, and you may find a few new trails for yourself while you're at it. This wiki looks very promising, and we can all use a few ideas on where to head out on a new hike.

U.K. based online magazine Wide World has a cool "How To" article posted on their site giving some great tips on How To Trek the Jungle. The informative article offers up 11 things to keep in mind when undertaking an expedition in the jungle, courtesy of expert Dominic Hall who has more than ten years of experience planning such expeditions.

Some of the tips are fairly common sense, but as usual, they deserve to be mentioned none the less. For instance, Dominic reminds us to "Drink, drink, drink..." which holds true for any outdoor adventure, but hydration is even more important when the temps are in the 30's C (80's/90's F) and the humidity is off the charts. He also reminds us to not neglect the rest of our diet as well, as keeping your intake well balanced will be key as well.

Other suggestions are not so apparent to those making a jungle trek for the first time. Hall warns us, for instance, to not worry about the big animals we'll encounter, but instead take heed of the small ones. He says we should be mindful of insects in particular, and especially mosquitos, which typically carry diseases like malaria and yellow fever. He also recommends that we ditch the tent and just bring a hammock. They're light weight, can be strung up anywhere, and comfortably keep you off the ground.

There are plenty of other good things to be gleaned from the list, but perhaps the most important one comes in at #11 where Dominic reminds us to simply "Enjoy". Sometimes we forget that tip on our adventures, being too focused on reaching a goal, and forgetting to take time to enjoy the journey. Wise words!