May 29th, 2008 | by Pam | published in BWCAW, Camping
So, did your Boundary Waters camping experiences become limited at best after having kids? Do you feel like you need everyone potty-trained before you set your sights on a jack pine again? If you have borderline feelings about hefting the canoe while chasing the two year old for 160 rods, let us assure you: [...]
May 28th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping
No packing list will ever be complete now, without one of these S’more 101 t-shirts. Gotta get me one o’ them…
May 28th, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Canoeing
Saturday, rescue teams had to bail out two separate parties of canoers –– ten people in all –– from the rapids off of Fall Lake in Ely.
A sure reminder that even in the otherwise serene and placid Boundary Waters, be sure you know what you’re getting into, before you get into it. End of lecture.
May 22nd, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Canoeing
Think you’ve had a few grueling portages worth bragging about (or whining about)? Before you do either, meet Jim Kurz. The 63-year old resident of Ladysmith, WI is toting his aluminum canoe and 320 lbs of gear, on a very long portage to the BWCA. Seeing as how he’s not been there since his days [...]
May 21st, 2008 | by Andy | published in Outdoor Living
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 2007 was a record-setting year for contraction of tick-borne diseases, Lyme disease being only one of them. In a recent report, they blame the rise on too few precautions being taken.
And of course you know what that means, don’t you? Yep, time to tuck your jeans into your [...]
May 19th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Fishing
Seeing all the fly-fishermen in the local rivers got you feeling the tug to try it yourself? Maybe, like me, you don’t want to look like a weenie and ask your buddies to teach you because you’ve forgotten all you learned years ago?
Takemefishing.org has a handy collection of step-by-step tutorials on casting. And they’re not [...]
May 15th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Hiking, Outdoor Living
As Minnesota commemorates its Sesquicentennial, it’s great to see a number of the celebrations are in the best places our state has: the Outdoors.
On June 1st, for example, day admission to all state parks will be free, as they host the “Great Minnesota Picnic.” The aim is to encourage folks to bring their picnic lunch, [...]
May 14th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Wildlife
These photos made me smile. A family in Alaska had only assembled their backyard playset the night before they spied these bears breaking in the new equipment.
This is exactly why the idea of ‘fun-looking’ family tents like REI’s Hobitat 4, worries me just a tad. I’ll stick with plain and utilitarian, thank you.
via Treehugger.
May 13th, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW
The thirty acres of preserved landscape on Burntside Lake in Ely, was originally a personal retreat for Olson. He named the land Listening Point, “…because only when one comes to listen, only when one is aware and still, can things be seen and heard.” Though the revered author died in 1982, The Listening Point Foundation [...]
May 9th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Kayaking, Outdoor Living, Wildlife
Last Mother’s Day, I packed my wife in a boat and sent her down the river.
I didn’t buy any presents. There were no flowers or truffles, no pomegranate-clove scented facial scrubs in a gift bag with curlicue paper confetti; not this time. Instead, I launched her and her kayak into a half-day’s worth of solitude [...]
May 8th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear
We all have our favorite tents, whose designers have that first-hand knowledge of what makes a good tent. But who’s better-suited to make these temporary housing structures: Outdoorsy gear-designers, or disciplined architects?
We found an interesting discussion here, on where architecture does and doesn’t, should and shouldn’t, cross over into the design of tents and [...]
May 7th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Survival Skills
Here’s a good technique for splitting wood if all you have is a knife. Still, I wouldn’t try it with a Leatherman…
via Uncooped.
May 7th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Winter Sports
Researchers are studying the uncanny metabolism of Iditarod sled dogs, whose endurance among other creatures on Earth is almost unparalleled. In learning how the dogs can alter their own metabolism to “switch off” fatigue, the scientists hope to find a similar way for humans to better their endurance as well.
Me, if I had to [...]
May 7th, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW
Probation to nine months’ jailtime for three of the BWCA shooters: Long enough? Not likely.
Three-year period in which they’re banned from entering the BWCA: Long enough? Thirty would be too short.
May 5th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear, Hiking
An upcoming weekend of hiking the Superior Hiking Trail has me prepping my gameplan for footwear. And how to deal with blisters, if and when I get them. Typically, we’ve found that the moleskin remedy does pretty well. Today though, I came across Band-Aid’s Blister Block stick, which is applied over blisters. Judging from the [...]