Outdoor Readiness

TweetWhy do we need shovels when snow camping? A snow scoop shovel can be a light weight package for high volume snow moving and snow construction. They are frequently carried on backcountry sleds and occasionally carried up mountains. Shovels are necessary equipment if you want to avoid the inconvenience and expense of using towing services to escape backcountry parking (never conveniently available). When you travel to snow country, snow finds you. Bring shovels. I carry a full size snow scoop…

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TweetA short field test of the Marmot Rockaway 0 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Multi-purpose inexpensive gear selections squeeze more enjoyment and more readiness from outdoor dollars. The Marmot Rockaway 0 is a good value for conditions where a few more ounces and cubic inches won’t weigh you down. My Rockaway 0 Long weighed-in at six pounds, six ounces, including the orange compression bag, after hanging indoors to dry for 24 hours following my return from the UP, not bad for…

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TweetSomehow, our forefathers settled wild North America and probed the far corners of seven continents equipped with little more than animal skins, oil cloth and fulled wool. The Age of Exploration mostly preceded internal combustion engines and the fabulous array of high tech outdoor gear we fuss over today. I like to touch base with historical travel and camping methods from time to time to regain perspective. These entries, made in June and December of 1772 and early in January…

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