REVIEW: Weatherwool Neck-Gaiter and NRS OSO PFD
Weatherwool’s new Neck-Gaiter is among a handful of outdoor products I’ve reviewed that are done “just right”. Knit in America (!) from fine (lace weight) luxuriously soft, pure merino wool, it excels in warmth, comfort, utility and elegance. Here’s what makes this neck-gaiter special: Size: It’s about 30 percent longer and twice as thick as […]
CANOEING MISTAKES THAT CAN KILL YOU!
NOT SCOUTING A FAMILIAR RAPID Round the bend you see the dancing horsetails of a familiar rapid. Pangs of conscience tell you to check the pitch from shore before you proceed, but you arrogantly dismiss the warning and plunge confidently ahead. Then you see it—a storm-downed sapling that blocks the way. The canoe spins sideways […]
HOW TO DIE ON A CANOE TRIP!
Ask folks what they fear most about canoeing a wild river where help is an airplane ride away and you’ll probably get these answers–in roughly this order: FEAR #1: Bears! They’re afraid they’ll get eaten alive by one! Or, a bear will get their food! FEAR #2: They fear they will paddle over a falls […]
GOOD COP, BAD COPS, GREAT LAWYER!
An abbreviated version of this article was originally published in the 2010 Canoe & Kayak Magazine’s Dealer-marketing Guide (long gone). Given the concerns in law enforcement today, I thought a second look might be enlightening. ————————————————————————————————————– Gates of Ladore, Green River, Utah It began at one of Rutabaga’s famed “Canoecopia” events. I stopped to chat […]
THIS MESSAGE WILL MAKE YOU SMILE
Dear Cliff: I hope you will forgive the length of this email, but I must write to tell you what an impact you have made on the life of me and my family this past month. Since I’m a teacher myself and know how fun it is to hear that I’ve made a lasting mark […]
JUSTIN CODY: CAN WE HEAR YOU NOW?
Yes, we can, Justin! Thanks to the recording talent of Saige Spinney – a professional voice-over artist – your story, Justin Cody’s Race to Survival, a high adventure tale and a wilderness skills book all in one, is now available in audio form. It’s written for teens, but adults love it too! Just click HERE […]
KAYAK OR CANOE–WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU?
Kayaks now outnumber canoes on almost every waterway. Why are they so popular? Some years ago, I guided a group of teens on a canoe trip in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. As we rounded a point, a yellow kayak darted toward us. The paddler—a young woman in her twenties—flashed a smile, then poured on the coal. […]
DO YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO USE A MAP AND COMPASS?
In the 1980s, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources became concerned about the large number of deer hunters who became lost every year. They asked the rescued hunters a battery of questions: Question: “Did you have a compass with you when you got lost?” Answer: About eighty percent said “YES!” Question: “Then why didn’t you […]
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON A CAMPING TRIP IS ??
Kopka River, Ontario. Cliff prepares steam fried pizza – 10 min. prep/2 min. cook Quick! Name the most important thing on a camping trip. If you said “food,” you’re partly correct. If you said GOOD food, you are dead right! I’ve been on many canoe trips where the rapids were intimidating, the portages bad, and […]
Fire making – Learn How To Make A One-Match Campfire!
I recently returned from a trip in the Boundary Waters, and as usual, it was a good time. But one of the things that gnawed at me, was the trash I found on one of the campsites. The fire grate was choked with the green branches of living spruce trees. Parts of branches were barely […]