Outdoors

For Christmas this year, our daughter’s asking for a backpacking stove. In her stocking, Santa would make her really happy if he found a jar of salve for climbing hands. She’s looking forward to a family ski into a...

Did you hear that it snowed in 49 of the 50 States one day recently?  It’s cold out.  When the temperature gets down into the single digits, frostbite occurs easily.  If you are participating in an activity, like skiing,...

A good topographic map can save your life – or at the very least your outdoor adventure – providing you can interpret what it has to say. Here are six things you should know about topographic maps:DateWhen you first open a topographic...

Tracks in the snow are an unavoidable sign of human presence in the middle of winter. Fortunately, they’ll disappear with the next snowfall, windstorm, or after a few day of hot sun.Energy bar wrappers and metal strips from wax...

I love it when I get a new piece of outdoor gear and it serves a variety of purposes. Like my favorite pair of leather telemark boots with inside booties that work as cabin slippers. Like my down jacket...

“A Certified Badass! Finally…”I read this Tweet last night and laughed out loud.It came from one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met: Warren Macdonald.I was writing a children’s magazine article about artificial limbs a few years ago and...

You might be reading the title of this post and wondering how the subjects relate to each other. They’re both part of an ongoing quest for outdoor adventure and knowledge.On Monday, we went to an evening talk on how...

Nobody plans to have an accident, but everyone should plan to carry a personal first aid kit when hiking, backpacking or backcountry skiing– because you just never know what might happen.Personal first aid kits should be small enough to...

Daytime temperatures might have soared to 92 F along the Rio Grande on my recent escape to Big Bend National Park, but desert nights are notorious for clear, cool skies. Having a warm sleeping bag wasn’t an option when...

I’m a “must-have” morning coffee person. Tea doesn’t cut it, nor does hot chocolate or anything herbal – it’s gotta be strong black java. Pretty particular, huh? Just try and mess with my morning ritual and see what happens.So...