Happy Holidays! The season of gift giving is upon us, and for so many of us this is a complicated event. Some families have spending limits, some have no-gift policies, some have a "secret santa/buddy/angel" and only buy gifts for one person in the group, and some have no regulations whatsoever.
However you celebrate this holiday season here are a few ideas for gifts (either to give or put on your wish list)
1) Are you going on an Adventures in Good Company trip this year? Get our packing list early and put a couple items that you need on your gift wish list. Or help out someone else with their equipment for a trip. Outdoor gear can be expensive, so help with this is always appreciated. A new sleeping bag, synthetic or wool long underwear, zip-off pants, a nice fleece jacket or rain gear are all useful items. Don't know what would be someone's style? A gift card to REI or your local outdoor store is a useful alternative.
2) Magazine subscriptions. There are plenty of outdoor magazines (Backpacker, Paddling, Outside) or travel magazines (National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel and Leisure) that the adventurer in your life (or you) can spend hours pouring over and dreaming of future trips. Magazines also help the doldrums of working out on cardio machines at the gym. Recycle it at the gym - leave it for others to read.
3) Donations. Instead of gifting each other - why not give a donation in the name of someone to help others? Pick an organization that matches the gift receivers interests (or pick a couple for yourself and let others know you want donations made to them). Do you have a real foodie in the family? Donate to Second Harvest, a hunger relief agency. An outdoor enthusiast? Try Sierra Club or World Wildlife Fund. Or, for every gift you buy for someone offset the carbon emmissions with a donation (see carboncatalog.org for more detailed information).
I am sure there are many more eco-friendly and helpful suggestions for gift giving and celebrating the holiday season. These are just a few to get you started. Think outside the box this holiday season.
Deb
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
insulated mug
On the trips that we require everyone to bring her own dishes, we often list to bring a "cup or mug". But I highly recommend to everyone to bring an insulated mug.
Plastic camping cups are small, and I have seen women who love tea or coffee fill and refill these cups many times to get an adequate amount of beverage. Plus they do not keep hot drinks hot for very long. And when you make hot cocoa or tea an entire packet/bag makes it too strong.
Metal camping cups are often a little bigger, but when you put a hot beverage in it, the metal typically gets really hot and then you are in danger of burning your lips. Again, when it is cold out, the metal cup does not keep your drinks warm. Though it does a nice job of keeping cold drinks cold.
An insulated mug is the perfect choice, even for lightweight backpackers. It may not be as small as some of the camping cups, but it doesn't take up much more space or weight (except maybe compared to the origami cups). If you get a mug with a handle you can even carabiner it to the outside of your backpack.
An insulated mug keeps hot drinks hot - really great for cooler weather camping. It keeps colder drinks cold. A whole packet of hot chocolate is perfect for your mug of cocoa - thus avoiding the refolding/saving of the packet for future use. If you are dittering about camp throughout the morning you can set your mug down with the lid on, and then come back from time to time and still drink a hot beverage, one without any extra sticks or bugs in it.
They are definitely not expensive, and I am sure we all have a couple of them in the kitchen cupboard. So, next time you go camping throw the insualted mug in with the dishes.
--Deb
Plastic camping cups are small, and I have seen women who love tea or coffee fill and refill these cups many times to get an adequate amount of beverage. Plus they do not keep hot drinks hot for very long. And when you make hot cocoa or tea an entire packet/bag makes it too strong.
Metal camping cups are often a little bigger, but when you put a hot beverage in it, the metal typically gets really hot and then you are in danger of burning your lips. Again, when it is cold out, the metal cup does not keep your drinks warm. Though it does a nice job of keeping cold drinks cold.
An insulated mug is the perfect choice, even for lightweight backpackers. It may not be as small as some of the camping cups, but it doesn't take up much more space or weight (except maybe compared to the origami cups). If you get a mug with a handle you can even carabiner it to the outside of your backpack.
An insulated mug keeps hot drinks hot - really great for cooler weather camping. It keeps colder drinks cold. A whole packet of hot chocolate is perfect for your mug of cocoa - thus avoiding the refolding/saving of the packet for future use. If you are dittering about camp throughout the morning you can set your mug down with the lid on, and then come back from time to time and still drink a hot beverage, one without any extra sticks or bugs in it.
They are definitely not expensive, and I am sure we all have a couple of them in the kitchen cupboard. So, next time you go camping throw the insualted mug in with the dishes.
--Deb
Friday, October 26, 2007
Sleeping warm
Even though the weather is getting cooler, it doesn't mean we want to stop camping. Here are a few of my favorite tips for sleeping warm:
1) Change your socks. Our feet sweat a lot, even around camp, so try and put a dry pair of socks on before bed.
2) Wear a hat. We lose a lot of heat out of the top of our head, even while asleep.
3) Have a sleeping set of long underwear. Same idea as #1
4) Use a sleeping pad. Much of our heat is lost through convection. Insulating yourself from the cold ground (head to toe) will help.
5) Do some crunches in your bag. You keep your sleeping bag heated, it does not keep you warm, so you need to have some source of warmth. Exercising raises your body heat and if you do the crunches in your bag it will go directly into the space around you. Plus it keeps your abs toned!
6) Hot water bottle. Put hot water in a Nalgene bottle (make sure it is a heat resistant plastic and the lid is on tight!) and then place it in your sleeping bag (at your feet or between your legs is nice). This will create warmth to heat your bag, just as the excercise does. If you are worried about the Nalgene leaking, put the bottle inside a wool sock.
7) Use a liner. A silk, fleece or wool liner adds warmth to your bag.
8) Get up and pee. If you have to go, get up and go. It takes energy to keep holding our urine, plus it is uncomfortable. Once you get up and go, you can get back in your warm bag and sleep soundly again.
9) Sleep in a warmer bag. I sleep cold, so I have a bag rated 10-15 degrees warmer than what the air temperature is. For instance, when the weather is 20 F, I sleep in a 0 degree bag.
10) Zip up. Once you've created all this heat for your bag, you want to hold it in as much as possible. So, zip your sleeping bag up tight around your shoulders or even around your head (in a mummy bag).
I am sure there are many more tips, but these are just a few to get you on your way to year round camping in comfort!
--Deb
1) Change your socks. Our feet sweat a lot, even around camp, so try and put a dry pair of socks on before bed.
2) Wear a hat. We lose a lot of heat out of the top of our head, even while asleep.
3) Have a sleeping set of long underwear. Same idea as #1
4) Use a sleeping pad. Much of our heat is lost through convection. Insulating yourself from the cold ground (head to toe) will help.
5) Do some crunches in your bag. You keep your sleeping bag heated, it does not keep you warm, so you need to have some source of warmth. Exercising raises your body heat and if you do the crunches in your bag it will go directly into the space around you. Plus it keeps your abs toned!
6) Hot water bottle. Put hot water in a Nalgene bottle (make sure it is a heat resistant plastic and the lid is on tight!) and then place it in your sleeping bag (at your feet or between your legs is nice). This will create warmth to heat your bag, just as the excercise does. If you are worried about the Nalgene leaking, put the bottle inside a wool sock.
7) Use a liner. A silk, fleece or wool liner adds warmth to your bag.
8) Get up and pee. If you have to go, get up and go. It takes energy to keep holding our urine, plus it is uncomfortable. Once you get up and go, you can get back in your warm bag and sleep soundly again.
9) Sleep in a warmer bag. I sleep cold, so I have a bag rated 10-15 degrees warmer than what the air temperature is. For instance, when the weather is 20 F, I sleep in a 0 degree bag.
10) Zip up. Once you've created all this heat for your bag, you want to hold it in as much as possible. So, zip your sleeping bag up tight around your shoulders or even around your head (in a mummy bag).
I am sure there are many more tips, but these are just a few to get you on your way to year round camping in comfort!
--Deb
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Reading Lists
Whenever I travel to someplace new, I like to do research on the area before I go. I usually search the internet for a variety of information and it is a great resource. I also like to try and read books about the region as well. On our general information sheets we always have a suggested reading list. You can also Google/web search reading lists for where you are going as well. I try and read one historical book and one fictional book to provide both a factual and personal/creative perspective. For our recent Rafting the Grand Canyon trip, the group actually had emails going around recommending some favorites to read before arriving at the Canyon. I wanted to read the books and I wasn't even going on the trip. Add a dimension to your travels - books. -- Deb
Friday, October 5, 2007
"I love trash" Oscar the Grouch
Obviously when it comes to the wilderness (or even our backyard, neighborhood streets, or local parks) - we don't love trash. Trash is not only distasteful to our eyes, but can actually alter or destroy the ecosystem. We teach Leave no Trace principles on our trips to help reduce our impact on the areas we travel. One of those principles being - you pack it in/you pack it out. And I am not just talking about obvious items like an empty plastic water bottle, or your soda cup from Subway. It is also the small things that alter our natural world - an orange peel, a handful of dropped trail mix, toilet paper, etc.
Yes, even those things that "biodegrade" need to be packed out. The hardest one to understand, I think, is the apple core. There are good arguments for throwing it off in the woods: It's natural to most environments, it biodegrades relatively quickly, and if an animal ate it, it would not get terribly sick and it may find apples to eat in the area anyway. However, I have a different way of thinking about this: you may be just one of hundreds that visit that trail/park/campsite and if all hundred of you left your apple core, well, that would vastly alter not only how the area looked, but also the animals that may forage there. A few peanuts from your GORP may not seem a big deal, but when that chipmunk or squirrel starts relying on the hundreds of people that thought "no big deal" to leave a few peanuts, we have altered the system. Plus, those all too-friendly chipmunks, etc, are a real nuisance when you are trying to enjoy a picnic, or camp at a nice site.
The other idea I like to promote is collecting trash when possible. It is great when we collect the big, very messy things. But again, thing about the small items. I try to make a point of picking up 3 pieces of trash on my hiking trail. Typically they are small wrappers that probably fell out of someone's pocket or the twist-tie from lunch. I make the tiny extra effort to bend down and pick them up and carry them out with me. If we go back to the idea of hundreds of people visiting a trail - if each one of those people picked up 3 pieces of trash - we'd have a lot less trash in the wilderness.
We have to remember we aren't the only ones out there. Let's collect the trash like Oscar the Grouch and keep it in our garbage cans. -- Deb
Yes, even those things that "biodegrade" need to be packed out. The hardest one to understand, I think, is the apple core. There are good arguments for throwing it off in the woods: It's natural to most environments, it biodegrades relatively quickly, and if an animal ate it, it would not get terribly sick and it may find apples to eat in the area anyway. However, I have a different way of thinking about this: you may be just one of hundreds that visit that trail/park/campsite and if all hundred of you left your apple core, well, that would vastly alter not only how the area looked, but also the animals that may forage there. A few peanuts from your GORP may not seem a big deal, but when that chipmunk or squirrel starts relying on the hundreds of people that thought "no big deal" to leave a few peanuts, we have altered the system. Plus, those all too-friendly chipmunks, etc, are a real nuisance when you are trying to enjoy a picnic, or camp at a nice site.
The other idea I like to promote is collecting trash when possible. It is great when we collect the big, very messy things. But again, thing about the small items. I try to make a point of picking up 3 pieces of trash on my hiking trail. Typically they are small wrappers that probably fell out of someone's pocket or the twist-tie from lunch. I make the tiny extra effort to bend down and pick them up and carry them out with me. If we go back to the idea of hundreds of people visiting a trail - if each one of those people picked up 3 pieces of trash - we'd have a lot less trash in the wilderness.
We have to remember we aren't the only ones out there. Let's collect the trash like Oscar the Grouch and keep it in our garbage cans. -- Deb
Thursday, September 20, 2007
International Car Free Day
September 22nd is International Car Free Day, a relatively new holiday which raises awareness about environnmental hazards of car use, and encourages people to bike, walk, take public transportation, or use other sustainable methods. Car Free Day started in Paris in 1998 as "In Town Without My Car!" day. Now over one thousand cities worldwide are celebrating Car Free Days. Some cities offer free public transporation on these days, or free/cheap bike rentals. Won't you participate in your city? -- Deb
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Filter vs. iodine
I am beginning the pack out for Autumn Boundary Waters canoe trip and find myself pondering water purifying methods. Typically I bring a water filter. I like the water filter because it is an efficient way to get drinking water immediately, especially in the BWCA where water is abundant. I love my Pur [now Katadyn] Scout - it is easy to use, pretty quick to fill a quart water bottle, and the water tastes like, well...water.
The problem with most filters, however, is that they so often get clogged or something doesn't work with the mechanics. And then you are out of luck. In the BWCA, in particular, there is a fine sediment that clogs filters even when the lake looks incredibly clean. Eventually the pumping action is not so easy, nor fast. We always carry a replacement filter, but these are expensive and never last as long as you think they should, especially with a big group.
A decent alternative is iodine. I haven't actually used iodine as my dominant source of water purification in years, mostly because you need to let your water set for 20-30 minutes before it is potable and because it tastes, well...like iodine. In addition some people are allergic to iodine. Some people aren't bothered by the taste, and adding Gatorade or lemonade powder really helps (though you have to wait the 20-30 minutes before adding this). It certainly is an inexpensive option as well.
As I sit here and add up the cost of the replacement filters, and the anxiety if a filter breaks, as well as a few other factors, I am beginning to think that iodine is not such a bad group solution to purifying water. The answer will be that i will bring both. But what would you choose if you had the option? -- Deb
The problem with most filters, however, is that they so often get clogged or something doesn't work with the mechanics. And then you are out of luck. In the BWCA, in particular, there is a fine sediment that clogs filters even when the lake looks incredibly clean. Eventually the pumping action is not so easy, nor fast. We always carry a replacement filter, but these are expensive and never last as long as you think they should, especially with a big group.
A decent alternative is iodine. I haven't actually used iodine as my dominant source of water purification in years, mostly because you need to let your water set for 20-30 minutes before it is potable and because it tastes, well...like iodine. In addition some people are allergic to iodine. Some people aren't bothered by the taste, and adding Gatorade or lemonade powder really helps (though you have to wait the 20-30 minutes before adding this). It certainly is an inexpensive option as well.
As I sit here and add up the cost of the replacement filters, and the anxiety if a filter breaks, as well as a few other factors, I am beginning to think that iodine is not such a bad group solution to purifying water. The answer will be that i will bring both. But what would you choose if you had the option? -- Deb
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