Author Archives: kaylene

Introduction to Mountaineering

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Taking Your First Steps Toward Stepping Up High While we all love being outdoors, some of us have a little more hunger, a little more drive to seek more of a test, a deeper sense of accomplishment, and a little more of the edge. This primal call comes from the alpine, the land of wind and rock that shuns both trees and human alike. But even for those of us with a confident mastery of backpacking skills, the jump to mountaineering can certainly be intimidating, if not outright daunting. The following suggested course of action takes you from looking up … Continue reading →

Cornering a Bike

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The Falcon’s drop down the mountainside was both terrifying and magnificent. It was a chilly day high in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy during the Giro d’Italia stage race. Italian rider Paulo Salvodelli arrived at the top of the Passo Sella climb nearly two minutes behind the race leaders. Only 20 kilometers remained before the finish in the village of Selva Val Gardena in the valley far below. Although the race was already far down the road, a motorcycle cameraman had hung behind; he knew that the real action was about to unfold. Nicknamed “Il Falco,” or “The Falcon,” … Continue reading →

Bike Maintenance

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I’m rolling along a benign country road, just me, my bike and the cows out to pasture. And then the farmer unloads his double-barreled shotgun in my direction. Or at least it sounds like that. They call it a shock for a reason. Just like an unexpected gunshot will send a hearty jolt of adrenaline up your spine and out your scalp quicker than the time it takes a squirrel to U-turn in front of your wheel, so too will the crack of an exploding bicycle tire. I’ve got a gaping hole in my rear tire, the product of a … Continue reading →

Canoe Camping

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Take a week to paddle along a pristine coastline or down the natural highway of a river. Experience the satisfaction of self-sufficiency and the pleasure of being able to fish a remote lake at first light. Introduce your children to their first real wilderness experience. These are some of the reasons many of us want to be paddlers. This article provides some guidance and tips on how to be a knowledgeable and environmentally responsible canoe camper. From planning an itinerary to becoming a low-impact wilderness user, we hope your overnight trips will be some of the best times you’ll ever … Continue reading →

Getting Started with Rafting

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Rafting Trips Do-it-yourself rafting trips were once the domain of grizzled experts and knuckleheaded teens whose idea of safety was packing a Styrofoam beer cooler that doubled as emergency flotation. But recently, ordinary folks have been showing up at outfitters looking to rent their own boats, not just paddle one on a guide’s command. Fueling the trend, manufacturers are rolling out smaller, more maneuverable, less expensive craft. “It’s no longer the lunatic fringe trying out a high-risk adventure sport,” says Mark Singleton, executive director of Asheville, North Carolina-based American Whitewater. “It’s families and individuals on vacation discovering they have the … Continue reading →

Challenge of Orienteering

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Competitive Orienteering Welcome to the confounding and addictive world of competitive orienteering. After 10 minutes of thrashing through the pucker brush around a small granite outcrop, I’ve suddenly spotted the well-hidden Control No. 7. This orange and white nylon box, about the size of a 12-pack, is the seventh checkpoint on my course at a local orienteering meet. I dash over to the control and find the hole-punch that’s dangling from a short string. Marking my scorecard with this unique punch will prove I’ve been to No. 7. Then I check my map for Control No. 8, about a quarter-mile … Continue reading →

Hiking Boot Fitting Guide

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When your footwear arrives, try it on as soon as possible. Be sure to wear the right socks. For the first try-on (especially with boots), take the time to remove the laces entirely and re-lace, making sure to snug the laces through each eyelet. When your boots are laced completely there should be no slack in the laces near the toe area. Be careful not to over-tighten! Once the shoes or boots are laced properly, take a short jaunt around your living room. (Don’t go outside yet!) Here are some things to keep in mind about fit: Evening is best … Continue reading →

Lucky but Unlikely Things Every Backpacker Should Pack

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What to Pack for Hitchhiking Rain, hail or shine there are a few essential things that every backpacker should make sure they have thrown in their bag before leaving. There’s something different and exciting and unique about backpacking. It’s a certain kind of travelling; for the brave, for the free-spirited, and, I’m afraid to say, – for the ones with substantial less dignity than other travelers. It’s not always glamorous, it’s often unhygienic, and sometimes you really have to question just how far you’ll go to survive for as long and as cheaply as possible. It is very important to … Continue reading →

Backpacking Gear Guide: Best Eco-Friendly Outdoor Brands

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Buzzwords like “sustainable,” “eco-friendly” and “green” have all been trending for the last few years, and with good reason. Have you seen recent reports on climate change? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or avid news-reader to feel the change in weather, from record-breaking temperatures to devastating tropical storms. But we’re not here to bring you down; in fact, we want to do just the opposite. Here’s how you can have fun outdoors while decreasing your carbon footprint, just by buying your gear from eco-friendly outdoor brands. What makes a brand eco-friendly? Remember those buzzwords we mentioned? Often … Continue reading →

Survival Water Filter

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In times of emergency, one of the most necessary survival food is having clean drinking water for you and your family. Without it, your hopes of survival can deteriorate quickly. However, this does not have to be the case. A man-made water filter can produce clean drinking water for you. Making a survival water filter is not as daunting to make as you might believe. To be honest, it is quite simple. Contents of a Survival Water Filter To make a survival water filter system, there are very few ingredients. All that will be needed are: Sand Rocks A bucket … Continue reading →

Survival Radios

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What kind of family survival guide kit are you putting together? If you need a kit that can help you live for a few weeks while you are trapped in your home, the primary function of your radio would be to alert rescuers or to communicate with a community of survivors. If you need a survival kit because you are planning on traveling through dangerous or isolated areas, you need a survival radio designed to sustain the elements besides being able to signal your position. Start by making a list of the features you need for your radio. FRS or … Continue reading →

Get Out of Debt – 4 FASTEST Ways To Pay Off Debt

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When we think of disaster preparedness, getting out of debt is one that is never really thought about.  But a great many of us have some kind of debt. These debts may be house mortgages, car loans, personal loans, and credit card debt, just to name a few. If you find yourself in a disastrous situation, you are still responsible for that debt, nonetheless. Being in debt is not any fun. It can cause added stress to your life and ruin relationships. So when planning for any disasters it is a good idea to make yourself debt-free part of your … Continue reading →

Bug Out Bag Kit – Basic Prerequisite for Survival

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Are you a survival newbie? If so, you are probably just getting acquainted with the basics. A bug-out bag will be one of the prerequisites for survival under all kinds of emergency conditions. Learning what it is and how to use the bug out bag for survival will be essential. Bug Out Bag Contents Overview This portable and easy to carry kit contains all of the essentials for human survival over a period of 72 hours. The bug out bag is not designed to ensure long-term survival. It simply delivers the resources that will be needed for evacuation or until … Continue reading →

Homemade Survival Gear

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If you are planning on an outdoor adventure, you need to be prepared with survival gear. However, it is not necessary to buys all of the gears that you will need. Many of these items, can be homemade without spending a lot of your hard-earned money. Fire One of the basic survival skills is building a fire. Common is the homemade fire starters and kindling.  My preferred one is the Vaseline-covered cotton ball. These will burn extremely hot for about five minutes or so. Drier lint is also a good tinder but burns very quickly, so be sure to have … Continue reading →

Family Survival Kit

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Some people choose to stick their heads in the sand and pretend that there is no need to prepare for a disaster. Just ask the people on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana when Katrina hit, or those who survived the recent disaster on the East Coast if they wish they had been thoughtful enough to have some survival training or even survival skills ahead of time what they think. These people are sure to tell you that they would have been better off having a family survival guide to fall back on in the aftermath of these incredible weather crises. … Continue reading →

Family Survival System

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When you think of government collapse or impending terrorist threats, you will need to put your family survival system in place. There is a lot to do to be fully prepared to defend your family in times of crisis. The crisis begins. Few people would endanger their families by ignoring signs of problems. Your family survival system should include an important list of preparations to protect them. One of the issues of family disasters is theft. Looting happens any time there is a tragedy in an area. It will not mean much if you have a full larder of food … Continue reading →

Survival Supplies – What’s on Your List?

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The American Red Cross suggests that everyone should have disaster survival supplies on hand at all times. They recommend a minimum of three days’ worth of food and water be kept stored somewhere in the home at all times. While that may sound like enough to make it through a single blizzard in some parts, that amount will not make it very far if an earthquake, tornado, or even an ice storm left the power lines down and the roads are torn up. In those cases, many people would be looking forward to several more days, weeks, or even months … Continue reading →

Survival Knives – Everything you need to know

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The main purpose of a survival knife is to help a person survive when they are in the wilderness or in extreme situations. They are commonly used as a survival tool when a person does not have any other type of equipment with them. People from all walks of life carry these knives on their person in case they are ever in a survival scenario. Military pilots are often issued these types of knives for emergency purposes, and outdoor enthusiasts such as hunters and campers also carry knives for protection and survival. Survival knives can either be large and bulky … Continue reading →

Natural Disaster Survival

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Whether you are expecting a tornado or a man-made disaster like a bioterrorist attack, you should have a good idea about the risks, the biggest threats, and the emergency plan that will deliver the best results when natural disaster survival. Every good natural disaster survival guide will state that you should be prepared to deal with some of the most commonly occurring natural disasters. The chance of such catastrophes occurring is relatively high. Some of the disasters that US residents should be most concerned about are: Floods Tornadoes Wildfires Man-made These are the three most commonly occurring natural disasters in the … Continue reading →

So What is survival food?

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In today’s world where it is hard to know the future, it is important that we spend the time to stock up on food. Many experts say that in an emergency you should always prepare and have at least a three-day supply of food on hand. In the Mormon religion, many people stock up on food for six months. Others who are worried about changes in the world, the zombie apocalypse, or some major natural disaster stock up food for months, even years, to make sure they are ready when the end of the world comes. Many people wonder what … Continue reading →