REVIEW: BEST SOCKS IN THE WORLD!
If you haven’t tried FITS socks, you’re missing something special. I’ve been wearing them (exclusively) since I discovered them three years ago. They are quite amazing. Here’s the story: The Crescent Sock Company has been knitting fine socks in the sleepy little town of Niota, TN since 1902. They are the oldest operating hosiery mill […]
REVIEW: A SYNTHETIC BASE-LAYER THAT WORKS!
At the outset, I should make it perfectly clear that I’m a “wool” man, and it would take an act of congress or a seriously enlightening experience to get me to swap my beloved merino wool base layers for synthetics. This said, there are synthetics that work well. One, that has been around for years, […]
COMPASS OR GPS?
At the outset I should make it clear that I love my GPS. I bring it on every canoe trip. This said, I ALWAYS carry a compass—two of them, in fact. Both are Orienteering models; one (a Suunto MC-2) has a declination device and a balanced needle that remains level anywhere in the world; the […]
COFFEE TALK WITH CLIFF JACOBSON
Cliff Jacobson has been a great mentor to me for years. I first saw Cliff speak at Canoecopia in the early ’80s. Cliff is a master storyteller, so even though I was a fairly young, Cliff’s presentation really kept my attention. When my dad later picked up a copy of Cliff’s book, Canoeing Wild Rivers, […]
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CAMPING?
Camping out has changed considerably since the good old days of pine bough beds, bonfires and fresh-cut trail shelters. Camps stoves have taken over where fires once ruled, and a deluge of new fabrics–nylon, polypropylene, fleece and Gore-Tex, have challenged traditional fibers. Packsacks, tents, hiking boots and raingear have all become lighter and more compact. […]
REVIEW: Gransfors Mini Belt Hatchet
ABOVE: Gransfors Axes: Top to Bottom: Small Forest Ax, Wildlife Hatchet, Mini Belt Hatchet. BOTTOM: Lennart Petterson making a Mini Belt Hatchet It’s small and light and perfectly balanced. It can sharpen a pencil to a piercing point, slice a tomato paper thin, and shave the print right off this page. It will frizz fuzz […]
FRESH FOOD TRICKS
I like to eat well on canoe trips. Pre-packaged, freeze-dried meals, like the ones you buy at camping shops don’t cut it. My food comes exclusively from grocery stores and where possible, it is organic. I dehydrate hamburger, chili beans and salsa then vacuum-seal them for the long haul. I carry fresh vegetables—onions, peppers, celery, […]
COMMON SENSE
Everyone who canoes the Boundary Waters knows that the maximum group size is nine people and four watercraft. The rule further states that “…you may not exceed either limit at any time or at any place in the BWCA, including portages, campsites or waterways.” Prior to 1995, a crew of ten were allowed. The new […]
ARE BIG KNIVES BEST FOR BUSH CAMPING?
Above Knives: (Top/left to right): Grohmann #1 flat-ground carbon steel “Camper”, Gerber Shorty, Victorinox large Swiss Army Knife, Forschner #40614, Carbon steel Mora Kniv, Inexpensive carbon steel paring knife, Idaho Knife Works “Cliff Knife”. All are good bush knives. Many articles that have attempted to define the perfect “bush knife”—that is, the best one to […]
REVIEW: Chota HYRB-800 Rubber-Soled Boots
The subject of canoeing footwear has been largely beat to death by canoeing writers, including me. There’s no agreement as to what works best, probably because paddle-sport is affected by so many variables. Camp shoes are another matter; they are seldom discussed in guide books other than a comment that when the day is done […]