Things I'm stoked about: Japanese anime, flip-flops, homemade popsicles, water-slides, sailing, climbing, and tele skiing.
Things I could live without: apples that are mushy inside, hair in public bathrooms, and mossy teeth.
It's safe to go back in the water (pool sharks only come in human form).
When things get a bit dull or a bit injury-focused in your fitness world, it’s good to get a change of pace. And what better than an infusion of refreshing wetness (swimming, that is)? The good news is that you don’t have to know how to execute a crisp flip-turn or a perfect butterfly stroke to make swimming part of your workout routine. Read More …
Common sense can be surprisingly hard to follow in the backcountry. It’s easy to get overly stoked and forget gear, miscalculate the gear that you did bring, ignore the weather, and end up in a bad situation. Check out the following five illustrations and helpful tips. Read More …
If you make the mistake of inviting your newly single, emotionally frail bear friend to go camping with you, don’t argue about anything with him, especially if he’s had some campin’ brew. While humans might say things they regret in the morning or possibly throw a punch, a drunken bear will swat your head off.
Don’t discuss anything that might trigger an emotional response. You’ll be swimming in hairy tears.
Grizzly bears will also usually move along if they sense a human nearby. Try to make your presence known as often as possible when you travel through grizzly territory. Human noises work best, so try to keep a conversation going, or shout “Hey, bear! Coming through!” if you see signs of a bear in your vicinity.
When surprised, grizzlies attack more often than black bears, but the same “threat” mentality applies. Back away, speaking in a strong but soothing voice, showing the bear that you mean it no harm. Read More …
Make noise while you hike. Most mountain lions will leave if they hear people coming.
If you see a mountain lion, do not run. Running will stimulate the “chase and attack” instinct, and four powerful legs outrun two human ones.
Do not approach the lion. Give it a way to escape. Most mountain lions will avoid confrontation (unless they have cubs with them or are very hungry).
Maintain eye contact and face the mountain lion. Make yourself appear larger by raising your arms, opening your jacket, or holding your backpack over your head.
Keep your distance from the snake – most rattlers will leave you alone.
Go around the snake at a safe distance if the terrain allows. At best, rattlesnakes can strike a distance of two-thirds their total body length (this means a three-foot-long snake can snarf a bit of your leg within two feet of where they lie). Play it safe and give them a wide berth.
If you can’t go around, throw a few small pebbles around the snake from a safe distance (this is not a squash-the-snake game, you’re just trying to get the snake to move).
Most black bears will high-tail it when they hear or smell a human. While being loud and ripe with B.O. is a social no-no in the human world, it’s a good idea in bear country.
If you surprise a bear on the trail, back away while speaking calmly and choose a new route or wait for the bear to leave the area.
Avoid eye contact. This is perceived as a challenge to bears and may change their attitudes from “What’s that weirdo doing?” to “What the hell are you staring at? I’ll rip you apart, smartass!” Read More …
Happy Solstice, everyone. Now that warm weather is officially here, we implore you to be careful out there. Because along with heat of summer comes something else: deadly animal attacks!
To kick off the summer season, we’ve compiled some tips (and some shockingly realistic videos) on how to handle animal encounters. Over the next few days, keep an eye out for the advice and the video that just might save your life. Read More …
A year or two ago, there was a lot of chatter about BPA (deadly? slightly harmful? no big deal?). Then SARS, anthrax, lead paint on toys, and most recently, H1N1, stole the spotlight, and BPA was unceremoniously shoved to the sidelines.
Perhaps that was for the best, since sometimes you have to give these issues time, let the studies themselves get more specific, and then reassess. So what’s the latest?
Since our first report on BPA, things have changed. The FDA just put out an updated report this past January (2010), and yes, the agency is concerned. So is the EPA. Read on, and spread the word. Read More …
What’s the big deal about sun-protection clothing? You’ve never gotten a sunburn through your clothes, so why should you wear stuff with UPF ratings? As summer approaches, and the number of alarmingly red noses, ears, and shoulders increases, it’s good to know about your skin-saving options. Read More …
Sleeping bags and standardized tests. Hmmm … the thought of standardized tests conjures up bad memories of SATs and that time you accidentally answered question 2 on the question 3 line, and subsequently answered the next thousand questions on the wrong lines as well.
In some cases, though, a standardized test can really come in handy. Say your old sleeping bag bites the dust. You get a new bag with the same temperature rating but made by a different brand. Then you go camping and spend all night shivering in your tent. It wasn’t any colder out this time, so what’s with the goose-bumps?
Your old and new bags might both be rated at -15F, but since the companies didn’t use the same test to rate the bags, your new bag might comparatively be more of a 0-degree. WTF, right? Read More …
Happy Solstice, everyone. Now that warm weather is officially here, we implore you to be careful out there. Because along with heat of summer comes something else: deadly animal attacks!
A year or two ago, there was a lot of chatter about BPA (deadly? slightly harmful? no big deal?). Then SARS, anthrax, lead paint on toys, and most recently, H1N1, stole the spotlight, and BPA was unceremoniously shoved to the sidelines.
Sleeping bags and standardized tests. Hmmm … the thought of standardized tests conjures up bad memories of SATs and that time you accidentally answered question 2 on the question 3 line, and subsequently answered the next thousand questions on the wrong lines as well.