Outdoors
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by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Binoculars are a birdwatcher's best friend. They allow you to get close-up views of distant objects without having to actually get close. Some birders use spotting scopes and others use cameras with telephoto lenses, but you may be hard-pressed to find a serious birder without a pair of binoculars at the
by Christopher Witt · Posted
Now that the March of the Planets is winding down, I’d bet you’re wondering what astronomical wonders await us in the back half of the year. Well, wonder no more! The Perseid Meteor Shower is coming, and it’s the biggest shower of the year, hitting its peak on the night of August 12-13, 2018.
Before we get too far, let’s take a step back and talk about what a meteor shower is. Showers occur when the earth passes
by Morgan Lyle · Posted
Fresh air scented with pine needles, evenings around a campfire, and a night sky full of stars: for a great many people, camping is the ultimate getaway. More than 22 million Americans enjoyed some kind of camping in 2014, reports the Outdoor Industry Association. Some like it active and adventurous, others lazy and restful, but all find it restorative for body and spirit. As George Washington Sears wrote under the pen name Nessmuk, in 1891, “We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it.”
A camping trip is
by Morgan Lyle · Posted
Hopefully, you’ll only sleep outdoors because you want to, not because you have to. But having some kind of emergency shelter at the ready can make a big difference in your comfort and well-being, should circumstances force you to spend some time living outside.
The best and most obvious option for an emergency shelter is a tent, whether a lightweight backpacking model or the family car-camping kind. Tents are compact and lightweight enough to store in
by Christopher Witt · Posted
We’re spoiled these days—there’s no denying it. With so many of us outfitted with dedicated driving GPS units in our cars and smartphones in our pockets, getting lost is a fleeting occurrence that is, at worst, a minor annoyance. The trouble with relying on all that technology is that in the event of an emergency or natural disaster, cell towers may not work and you might not be able to recharge the electronics that you’re using to navigate. It’s for this reason that having basic land-navigation knowledge and reliable tools such as maps and a
by Morgan Lyle · Posted
How to hike: Extend a foot (either one.) Now put the other foot in front of the first. Repeat. As outdoor activities go, hiking couldn’t be much simpler, yet millions of people find it profoundly rewarding. Whether it’s an hour-long ramble in the nearest state park or a five-month trek over all 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, walking through a natural setting seems to have universal appeal.
There are many great reasons to lace up your hiking shoes and join the more than 34 million people who hike each year. It’s very good exercise. It
by Joseph Albanese · Posted
Java. Joe. Go Juice. Morning Jolt. Cupped Lightning. However you refer to coffee, the odds are pretty good it’s an integral part of your morning routine. Maybe even lunch, too. And let’s not forget the afternoon. Out on the trail or in the woods, you can’t just rely on your local barista to provide you with your favorite brew. All is not lost though, because there are many ways to prepare your favorite beverage in the great outdoors so you can get your fix—no matter how far from civilization you are.
Cowboy Coffee
This was the method preferred
by Joseph Albanese · Posted
Muggles. You have probably heard that term before, in reference to J.K. Rowling’s now iconic Harry Potter series. In those books, and subsequent films, “Muggles” refers to people who aren’t magical; those who are not in the know about such fantastical things. Another group of people has taken to using this term, although they do not use it to allude to any mystical powers. They do, however, use an invisible force to guide them in their quest.
In the Skies above Us
"Suddenly, people almost anywhere in the world could pinpoint their position to
by michael sukhotin · Posted
One of the most common and tragic mistakes amateur outdoor enthusiasts make is to underestimate the importance of proper hydration and backcountry water purification when planning their outdoor activities. Water is the Number Two most important ingredient after air for sustaining life and maintaining normal metabolism. For example, an average person needs about two liters of water per day under normal conditions. However, in hot weather, up to one liter of water per hour may be required. Many people underestimate this requirement and do
by Christopher Witt · Posted
Having light, literally, at our fingertips in the modern world has made it so ubiquitous that when preparing and packing for a camping trip, it’s often one the most-often overlooked things.
Typically, most camping newbies grab that plastic convenience-store flashlight that lives in the kitchen junk drawer. And the batteries haven’t been changed since that last big storm when the power went out and the batteries were dead. They’ll flick it on, shake it a couple times and after it sputters to life they consider “Camp Light” checked off their
by Joseph Albanese · Posted
Everyone has their favorite piece of equipment; the one item that they won’t leave home without. Sometimes that item invokes some nostalgia, other times it’s just because of how utilitarian it is, or maybe even just a tiny piece of creature comfort. Recently, I took a moment to chat with a number of professionals who make their living out-of-doors. Through years of experience, they all have come to certain conclusions about what they absolutely need. They shared with me their favorites, and the reasons why their particular item has been at
by Joseph Albanese · Posted
I was traversing the alder thicket, to try to get to one of the many Bald Eagle nests we were monitoring. Despite having hacked a trail a few days earlier, visibility was exceptionally limited. If I could see more than a few feet ahead of me, it was a lot. As I turned a corner, my nose was overwhelmed by an unfamiliar scent.
It was then that I noticed the patch of black fur barely visible through the bramble. It would seem that I had stumbled upon a sleeping bruin that somehow managed to remain unconscious despite the ruckus I created by
by Joseph Albanese · Posted
Hollywood seems delighted to scare us with the doom and gloom of far-fetched disaster films. And we seem to enjoy them, if box office numbers are any indication. Films like Armageddon, which pitted Earth against a possible asteroid strike, Dante’s Peak, which dealt with a fictional volcano eruption, Twister, which detailed the misadventures of some made-up storm chasers in Tornado Alley, and San Andreas, which provided an imaginary account of a massive earthquake in California, have terrified and delighted millions of viewers all over the
by Christopher Witt · Posted
The most frequent response many people gave me when I told them I was going to learn to make fire was, “Why?” Followed closely with, “We have matches, and lighters, and ovens, and a hundred other ways to make fire quickly and easily.” And while it’s true that there are dozens of ways to make fire in our 21st-Century society, there are also dozens of reasons why one would want to know alternative methods. In my case, it was a practical decision: I typically go camping a few times a year, but it’s at a national park, with rudimentary cooking
by Joseph Albanese · Posted
Take only pictures, leave only footprints.” Over time, the origins of that quote have become muddy. Some attribute it to the Baltimore Grotto, a caving club whose members feared their activities would mar the landscapes they so enjoyed. Whatever the origins, it has come to stand for an ethos encouraged by many outdoor organizations that promote responsible recreational uses of our outdoor spaces. One activity that does not alter the scenery is photography. All you are doing is capturing the essence of an area—the blues, greens, reds, and