Outbound Dan's Outdoor Musings

In preparation for my big move (around the corner) I mounted my Thule rack back to my car.  It is much easier to move .while it is on a vehicle than in one.  I was going to take it off right after the move, but...the River looks so inviting.  My kayak is calling - it wants to play. Of course, because this has been one of the warmest winters on record, I could have kayaked all year around this year.  That said, for those of you that don't know - COLD WATER WILL KILL YOU!  The water doesn't even have to be that cold, to get a great shock.  I'll be wearing neoprene and my dry gear until June, just in case. I really don't want the Coast Guard to fish my body out of Lake Ontario.  Come to think of it, I don't want them to fish anyone's bodies out this year (and no, I'm not referring that we just leave them there).  I'm sure the CG would appreciate not doing body retrievals this year. So what can you do? First of all - WEAR A LIFE JACKET !!!!!!!...

After feeling a little sick for the last two weeks, I haven't been out hiking too much at all.  Finally though, I am feeling a little better and decided to hit up some of Western New York's gorges in the last couple days.  It felt good to return to the trails and experience the beauty of our region.  Friday, February 17th, Niagara Gorge : I jut needed a quick walk, something to get my blood pumping and feel the invigoration that the outdoors offers.  It wasn't going to be a long walk, maybe just a few miles - it was just what I needed. I parked at Whirlpool, grabbed my pack with " The Ten Essentials " and headed down the rim trail toward the stairs to the gorge.  It was overcast, nothing uncommon for winter in the Buffalo area. Albeit the temperatures, today around 33 degrees, have been all too warm this winter.  I can't remember a winter with this little snow.  The trails were a little icy though so I slipped my kahtoola microspikes on for tractio...

So, we are moving in a couple of weeks and I will have the most esteemed pleasure of mowing the lawn; it's been a few years since I had to mow a lawn.  Yes, though the banks and the realty companies tell you that homeowners have it made, it is the renter that smiles when his landlord is shoveling the driveway in a blizzard or mowing in a heat wave. Anyway, I have to buy a lawnmower... Of course, this is a small city lot, and I do have a machete.  Maybe if I ... nah, I  guess I have to get one. Am I now doomed to join the ranks of noisy lawn-destroying denizens that terrorize the peacefulness of the neighborhood? Of course, I could avoid those noisy contraptions, all the maintenance, and the yanking of my shoulder out of its socket.  Yep, I'm thinking about buying a reel mower.  And no, that is not a misspelling of "real." Now the last time I used a reel mower, I think I was 12 and the blades hadn't been sharpened since before the Korean War.  It w...

So with the success with my one article on How to Wash and Waterproof a Softshell Jacket I decided I should write another article on how to take care of hardshell rain garments too. I think I will title this one "How to waterproof a rain jacket."  I should throw something in there too about DWR too for those google results.  Anyway, it got me thinking today about how we maintain our gear. How many of us in the outdoors, especially those of us with copious amounts of gear, actually take care of everything the way we should?  A part of me expects to replace a pack every couple of years, though realistically if I took care of it better and took it to be sewn when ripped, I could get many more years out of it.  The eco-conscious person inside me knows that I should try to stretch equipment as much as I can to avoid the production of new materials.  Then again, as an avid outdoorsman that always has the latest and greatest, I really like getting a new pack ever...

Search and Rescue teams must be able to respond safely and effectively in cold weather search operations.  The following is a collection of resources for SAR teams responding to emergencies in winter environments.  If you have any resources that should be included on this list, leave a link in the comment section and I'll post it.  WINTER SAR RELATED LINKS: Carbon Country SAR winter gear list  US SAR Task Force Avalanche Safety  US SAR Task Force Cold Weather Injuries  US SAR Task Force Blizzards Firefighter Nation:  Preparation for Lengthy Rescue Ops in Cold Weather GENERAL WINTER RELATED LINKS:   Princeton Outdoor Hypothermia and Cold Weather Injuries  Princeton Outdoor Guide to Winter Camping  Military Medical Operations in Cold Environments  FM 3-97.61 Military Mountaineering  REI: How To Go Winter Camping and Backpacking WINTER ARTICLES FROM OUTBOUND DAN: "Winter Backpacking and Hiking Gear ...

Given Buffalo's general lack of snow this year, I was elated to wake up and see those outstanding white out conditions. Yes, today would be a great opportunity to test out my new Mountain Hardwear Victorio jacket. I never had a really high-end mountaineering shell before, so I am anxious to see how it performs. Though this isn't a formal gear review, more of a rambling actually, I'll be posting a in-depth review later for this jacket. I barely bundled up, but the high winds were perfect for frost bite on any exposed skin. Even just walking through my neighborhood and down to the river, I knew I'd have to "facemask up," grab my glasses, and don my gore-tex mitts. I ended up walking down my street, cutting across the tracks, and out to the walk way on the Niagara River. The untrodden walkway was thick with snow and ice, I was glad I brought my kahtoola microspikes with me for much needed traction. This is the closest place, along the river, nea...