Five Steps for Maintaining a Safe Campfire

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

It’s not until you see how quickly a fire can spread that you really start to respect the power that fire can have. When a fire grows, it becomes harder to approach it due to the heat. The best way to avoid campfire mishaps is simple: prevention. Preventing any problems from campfires will help you to avoid having to call in the fire department. Here are five steps for maintaining a safe campfire.

Step #1: Dig a proper fire pit. There’s a reason the fire pit is so popular – it works. Digging a fire pit is like installing your own stove in the woods. If you dig a fire pit, you are able to separate the fire from other areas, not to mention keeping the fire at a lower level, which means that you’ll be able to use items to cook over the fire more easily. Make sure that you leave enough room for a little bit of air to flow through the area.

Step #3: Don’t add too much wood at once. If you’ve ever been near a fire that has a lot of dry wood to consume, you’ve seen exactly how fast that kind of fire can expand. If you add firewood that expands the fire, it’s common sense that the fire will grow. Sure, there’s a possibility that this will burn down safe and sound later on, but prevention is all about avoiding those dangerous risks.

Step #4: Don’t feed the wood fuel that is bigger than the fire pit. The fire pit is a certain size for a reason. You can build a large fire if you want, but it has to be controlled. If you add large wooden objects that exceed the size fire pit, you’ll see how quickly the original fire pit becomes moot. Don’t do that. Instead, make sure your fire is contained in the area of the fire pit, with a little bit of room in the pit to spare.

Step #5: Keep effective fire-stoppers handy. It’s a good idea to keep a bucket of water and other means of stopping the fire handy, even if you don’t think the fire will get out of control. In case it does, you’ll want to be prepared. Make sure you’re aware of the best ways to put out a fire, and remember that fires need air to survive.

Photo Credits: rudis

Swatting Bugs: How to Get Rid of Insects at Your Campsite

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Let’s face it. When you head outdoors, you’re likely going to come across one or two unfamiliar creatures that you don’t need pestering you. While some of these creatures can be dangerous, most insects and animals don’t pose an immediate threat. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t pestering you. So how do you minimize the impact of mosquitoes and other insects at your campsite so you can have the best camping experience possible? Let’s take a look.

The first insect on anyone’s mind when they start putting together the campfire is the ever-popular mosquito. The mosquito can be such a pest that even its very name conjures up images of annoyance and discomfort. Summers in the north will particularly see a lot of mosquitoes; so how do you get rid of these pests? Insect repellent on your skin will make a significant difference, but you’ll also want to light some strategically-placed insect repelling candles around your camp area. Make sure they’re in fire-safe areas. Once you have these in place, light your fire; that should be enough to keep a majority of mosquitoes away.

When it comes to larger critters, including everything from chipmunks to snakes, you’ll want to take an alternate route: instead of removing them, you’ll want to keep your distance. You don’t know if a mammal is carrying a disease, and you can’t be sure which snakes are poisonous. It’s better to take the safe route and avoid as many of them as possible. Try to clear out your camp area so that you can tell if anything larger than an insect is around you; this will help you to spot these critters. If necessary, be sure to leave your boots upside down and inspect your sleeping bags before you go to bed.

Sometimes, keeping pests out of your way can be an issue of common sense; simply try to evaluate your situation and come up with a solution that gets rid of the pests most frequently bothering you.

Photo Credits: Mike Burns

The Hiker’s Guide to Finding a Good View of the Stars

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

If you’re not just hiking, but camping, then at some point, you’re going to find yourself looking up at a dark night sky. That is, if you can even get out of the wilderness for a little bit to find a good view of the stars. If you’re an astronomy nut and want to bring your telescope out to a location far away from the city so you can finally get a great, unobstructed view of all the stars up there, you’re not alone. But you’ll need a few tips to help you avoid some of those trees that might be hiding a few constellations.

Remember that preparation is the key. If you’re hiking in the woods and decide to come back to your camp area where there isn’t a great view of the night sky, you probably didn’t do a whole lot of preparing. Instead, take a few hiking trips where you enjoy hiking, and do this during the daytime. Try to find a view that exposes a lot of the sky: take a look around the horizon and imagine that it’s night time. If you notice a lot of trees blocking the views around the sky, just make a note of that location and see if you can find something better.

Next, remember that it’s not a good idea to go exploring at night. If you want a good view of the stars at night, it should be where your camp site is, or at least somewhere where you can easily navigate to and from. Do all of your exploring in the day time, and don’t venture too far off the beaten path.

If you live in the city during the week and can’t do any exploring, then check out web sites that show you the positions of the stars given your time of the year and location. This will help you to identify the stars you do see when you’re looking at a more clear sky; you’ll also find this even helps you navigate – though you shouldn’t need the stars to navigate while hiking!

Photo Credits: VinceHuang

5 Ways to Get Your Feet Ready for a Hiking Trip

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

If you plan on going on a hiking trip, you’ve probably made some of the preparations: you have an idea of where you’re going and how long you’ll be there. But when it comes to the “crunch time” of really packing up and being totally prepared to head out, many people find that they’ve put off too much until the last minute.

That’s why you’ll want to start getting your feet ready today. With these five tips, you’ll build up both foot muscle and skin strength so that you can enjoy the hiking trip for the fresh air and views without thinking about your feet.

1. Walk barefoot as much as possible going into the trip.

Many of us walk around with socks and sandals, even around the house, and while this makes us more comfortable, it doesn’t exactly put a lot of stress on the feet. Why is this a bad thing? You want to put a little stress on them to get them stronger and work them up to a toughness that you’ll need once you finally hit the outdoors.

2. Trim your nails and check for possible ingrown nails.

Toenails grow slowly, so it’s sometimes tempting to ignore them. But before you go hiking, trimming your nails will help you to avoid jamming them and breaking them. Check for ingrown nails as well – if your toes look clear and are pain-free, chances are you don’t have any. Get your toenails round and short.

3. Exercise with your feet.

Even a little bit of walking every day will help you get your feet used to activity. For the more ambitious, you could try small hikes and jogs, but as long as you’re working out and using those feet muscles, you should be pretty good.

4. Wear comfortable, thick socks.

This can go without saying, but it’s worth the reminder: socks are crucial to keeping your feet comfortable. Test out a few before going and make sure they don’t hole up easily. You might even test them by going outside and using them – just make sure to wash them again!

5. Make sure your shoes are comfortable.

This will depend on your feet type and the type of terrain you plan on tackling, but if you have a pair of shoes or boots that you’ve taken hiking before and don’t put unnecessary strain on your feet, you’re off to a good start. Don’t bring a brand new pair of shoes on your hiking trip, as these sometimes need “breaking in” time and can give your feet blisters.

Photo Credits: David Plotzki

Keeping Away the Creepy Crawlers While Camping

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

If there’s one thing that can quickly turn a nice camping trip into a miserable one, it’s an overabundance of bugs. Yeah, bugs – you know the ones I’m talking about – those creepy-crawly, overly-juicy, quick-footed insects that can get inside your tent or even your sleeping bag and cause a lot of ruckus with just a little bit of presence.

Part of you knows that heading into the great outdoors is the reason you should expect to see bugs. But you can minimize the experience you have with them if you follow just a few simple tips and tricks.

Create a home base in your tent. If you want a refuge from your bugs, you’re going to need a good home base, where everything is sealed off from nature – except the air, of course. Take some time to put up your tent before a camping trip to make sure that it’s clean, dry, and doesn’t have any holes in it – for now, you can plug up holes with some duct tape in order to seal out bugs. Make sure to clean out the tent to get rid of any already-existing bugs, and always make sure that you close your door right after you use it, so nothing crawls in with you.

Come equipped with bug spray. Mosquitoes are among the worst “bugs” that can really irritate you during a camping trip. They don’t gross many people out, but they can wreak the most havoc on the good time you’re trying to have. So make sure you pack at least a full can of bug spray – you’ll really find that you need it when the sun drops in the sky and the mosquitoes start coming out.

Don’t let the fear of bugs get in the way of having a good time. Realize that many of the bugs you encounter will be harmless, unless you’re in an exotic location in which case you’ll want to do more research and seek more advice on how to beat them. If you do find a bug or two inside your tent, use some tissues and get rid of it. It’s that simple.

Photo Credits: Kevin Saff

Anchors Away! How to Drop Anchor in Your Boat

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

For the fancy yacht owner, dropping anchor can be an incredibly easy thing – some anchors will operate at the push of a button. For the rest of us in speed boats, pontoon boats, or fishing boats, dropping anchor is a little bit more work to say the least. So if you’re taking out a boat for the first time and decided you need to drop anchor, how do you make sure you do it without embarrassing yourself or doing some damage to the boat? Here is a quick guide to dropping anchor.

First, choose your spot. You’ll want to go somewhere where you have an idea of the water’s depth: this will help you know how far the anchor needs to go. It’s one thing to drop your anchor in shallows, it’s another to drop it deep. You can also choose a spot based on where the fishing is. You don’t necessarily need to know the water depth, but if you have a good idea, it helps.

Once you’ve prepared your boat and have slowed down, it’s time to get your anchor ready. Most anchors will be tied to ropes; make sure both ends are secure. The rope should be adequately attached to both your boat and your anchor. You’ll also want to check the rope itself: is it knotted? Is it attached to anything that might go overboard if the rope dragged it over? Make sure the rope is clear of these things before you drop anchor.

Next, hold the rope over the anchor over the side of the boat and begin gently sliding it into the water. Once you have a bunch of rope cleared, you’ll be able to let it slide faster. Don’t simply throw it over. Don’t let the rope slide over your hands – you don’t want to get rope burn.

Once you’ve dropped the anchor and you feel it hit the bottom, it’s up to you to decide how much give it gets. You can tie the rope around a safe notch in your boat – many boats have a place on the side where you can do this. Or you can throw the rest of the rope overboard and let the current take you a bit further.

Photo Credits: FourthFloor

Five Reasons to Make Hiking Your Next Hobby

Friday, October 9th, 2009

When someone asks you what you like to do in your free time, are you sick of having nothing to say? “Well, I watch a lot of TV” isn’t exactly a great conversation starter. If you’ve been feeling like a couch potato lately and want to spice up your life, guess what? I have a suggestion for you. Take up hiking! Hiking is a great hobby that means exercise, fresh air, and, of course, a little something to talk about. Here are five reasons to make hiking your next hobby.

Reason #1: Regular exercise. It seems like a strange thing – suggesting “exercise” as a reason to go out and, well, exercise, but hiking is a great form of exercise that includes challenge, variety, and great views. Many people dislike exercise because of the monotony it can mean. Hiking isn’t exactly logging miles on the treadmill. Hiking is about going out and experiencing the world and the variety it has to offer. You’ll feel like a million bucks after a good hike.

Reason #3: Challenge. Why does hiking feel more fulfilling than walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes? Because the treadmill can often be flat, dull, and boring. Hiking is a hobby with challenge. You’ll often be walking on an incline, which means more exercise, and you’ll encounter different terrain and views along the trail.

Reason #4: Pride. Staying at home and lounging around feels good in the moment, but you have to ask yourself at the end of every day if you’re glad about what you did that day. Many times, we look back on the times we’ve had and regret the days we spent seeking comfort rather than enjoying life to its fullest. You’ll feel proud of yourself when you finally get out of the house.

Reason #5: Meeting new people. When you go out hiking, it’s hard to miss other hikers out there – with a shared hobby, you’ll have something to break the ice!

Photo Credits: brewbooks