YOU SAVED US! Or, How Not to Stay Lost!
This is from Caitlin Looney, a wilderness therapist in Colorado. Caitlin was guiding a group of teenagers and turned a “lost experience” into a confidence-building, inspirational event. Caitlin did everything exactly right. Follow along on the map as you read her story. Note that her choices reflect an in-depth understanding of backcountry navigation. Cliff —————————————————— […]
TOP TEN CAMPING ITEMS
Newcomers to camping are often put off by the all the things they “think they need” to have a good time. Frankly, you can get by with very little, especially if you are an expert and know what you’re doing. Witness the tales of mountain men like Jim Bridger and Kit Carson who traveled desolate […]
HOW TO SHARPEN A KNIFE
Quick! You’re going on a wilderness trip. What tool do you value most? If you said “a good sharp knife”, you’re in agreement with the experts. Most people use a mechanical device of some sort to sharpen their knives. This is fine as long as “moderately sharp” is good enough and you have space to […]
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, […]