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Why Should You Bring CBD Backpacking?
Many athletes are beginning to come out about their use of CBD products to help with their post-work out recovery. But you don’t have to be an athlete to take advantage of the benefits of CBD. You could be the type of person that just enjoys going hard during backpacking season, but may have not trained for it throughout the rest of the year. If that's the case then certain CBD products could help you recover more quickly after a long hike to reach camp. However, not all CBD products work in the same way with every person’s body. You should take the time to learn the basics before taking up precious pack space with loads of CBD products.
How Can CBD Help Your Hike?
CBD can work in a variety of ways with your body to produce potentially beneficial effects. There are plenty of anecdotal testimonies that claim CBD has helped relieve symptoms related to anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, digestive issues, sore muscles, skin irritation, and so much more. When it comes to the body, CBD can interact in ways that can promote further healing naturally. However, it is important to discern the ways that CBD works with your body, depending on how it is delivered.
When CBD is taken orally, it is digested and then processed by your liver, to be distributed throughout your bloodstream. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is then thought to interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the endocannabinoid system within your body. These receptors manage a variety of functions in the body, and the introduction of CBD can affect the way they normally communicate, potentially for the better. This interaction of CBD and your body can lead to relief of symptoms related to anxiety or mood, or ease any inflammation in the body causing chronic pain or discomfort. Much more research is needed in order to determine how CBD works with the body and what other potential benefits or drawbacks it might provide though. You should also refer to your medical provider before adding CBD to your regular routine.
When CBD is applied topically to the body though, it offers a different set of potential effects. When applied on the skin, the CBD molecules only sink in skin-deep and interact with cannabinoid receptors in this area of the body. That means that the CBD will not enter your bloodstream, and will work on the surface level to relieve inflammation or irritation. CBD is thought to be an anti-inflammatory and can work to relieve symptoms related to inflammatory skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, eczema, scrapes, or burns. CBD topicals are being adopted by many as an all-natural staple in their medicine kit, since it can work to relieve a variety of skin-level irritations.
CBD Products Best For Backpacking
After finding out more about what CBD is, and after taking into consideration the two different ways that CBD can interact with your body, you can decide which type of CBD will meet your backpacking needs. You will also want to consider what types of CBD products are easiest and lightest to pack, since every ounce counts when backpacking. You will probably want to stray away from smoking CBD herb though, since this will have a heavy effect on your lungs. If you’re an avid hiker you probably prefer to inhale 100 percent fresh mountain air instead. Also, the supplies it takes to smoke herb can add up, including a grinder which will take up more space in your pack. Instead, you can opt for these lung-friendly options that are light to add to your load.
CBD Topicals
A CBD topical can provide relief for sore, inflamed muscles after a long hike. It can also potentially help promote healing for any scrapes from brush you gained along the trails. It might be best to carry a CBD salve over any other form of topical, since it is normally compact and offers concentrated CBD in limited ingredients. However, if you want to spread a CBD topical across your entire leg for sore muscle relief, then adding a CBD body oil to your pack may work better for you. Body oil has a thinner consistency than a salve and is easier to spread across your skin. Neither should take up too much space in your pack, especially if you only use the topicals when you really need the relief.
CBD Edibles and Capsules
If you are seeking the effects that come from CBD when it is ingested, then you might want to pack a CBD edible instead. CBD edibles come in a variety of forms and doses that can cater to almost all dietary needs. Manufacturers now offer all natural CBD honey sticks or infused trail mix as a healthy alternative tostereotypically sweet treats. However, a handle of gummies or chocolate can be a great way to consume CBD after a full day of hiking. If you want to save even more space and weight in your pack though and are counting your caloric intake carefully, then the benefits of CBD capsules is not something to pass by. Capsules can even be made at home with some CBD oil, empty capsules, and a steady hand. Then you can create capsules with the specific dose of CBD you know you need at the end of a long hike.
CBD Tinctures
Most regular CBD users choose to drop tinctures under their tongue instead of taking edibles every day. This is mainly due to the fact that tinctures have limited other ingredients and a high concentration of CBD per bottle. You can get these tinctures from Sunmed CBD. However, packing a glass tincture bottle might seem like a bad idea to those who have tossed a pack around in the woods before.
Thankfully, there are some manufacturers who now bottle up tinctures in convenient spray bottles, so that you can spritz CBD under your tongue easily. These bottles tend to be a bit more sturdy and offer a whole lot of ease for dosing CBD while you are out in nature. It can be the perfect thing to help you ease your sore body into your sleeping bag after a long day of backpacking.
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