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Canadian Wilderness Offer Wildlife And Isolation

February 25th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Backpacking into the Canadian wilderness can be a lesson in solitude as there are thousands of square miles of untamed land waiting to be explored. However, it is highly recommended that a person never travel into the Canadian wilderness alone, as there are places as well as dangers from which one person may not be able to return. The natural habitat and wildlife offers challenges that only an experienced person should undertake.

There are many isolated outposts within the Canadian wilderness that invite people into their area for hunting and fishing trips, claiming some of the most natural surroundings and game found anywhere on the planet. For some of the Canadian wilderness areas, access is only available by chartering a small plane, as the ground routes are too grueling for even the most athletic hikers. Distances to the sites may be hundreds of miles, accessible only by air, but the end results are worth the trip.

Not everyone can feel comfortable in the Canadian wilderness as once dropped off, it may be days before contacting another human being. Telephone or radio service will be spotty at best, although usually not available and those on the trip must be prepared to handle any emergency until they are picked up at the appointed time and place.

Living Conditions Barely Better Than Roughing It

While many of the camping site for hunting and fishing in the Canadian wilderness have cabins in which to live during the stay, heat and air condition are probably not going to be available. Although, fireplaces can provide heat during the harsh winter months, other than wood burning stoves for heat and cooking, there will usually be no other amenities similar to the campers’ home.

Although the typical Canadian wilderness campground will be friendly for visitors, it is no place for the weak of heart. The tedious nature of camping in the wild means that all chores have to be shared by all members of the camping party. Consequently, the members of the party should all be able to get along. There is no place when camping in the Canadian wilderness for infighting amongst the group.

The isolation of being left alone in the Canadian wilderness to fend for themselves is a dream come true for many who choose to participate in a wilderness experience. The first-timers may be a little overwhelmed by the solitude, but the experience of having no one to depend on can be enlightening.

Twitchers Go For Bird Walking

February 23rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Bird watching is a very popular and addictive hobby not just in America, but all over the world.  The official name for bird watchers is “twitchers”.  One of the perks of being a twitcher is that the hobby is not very expensive and can be done anywhere.  The price of equipment is minimal or as maximum as you want.  One of the relaxing and pleasant ways to get to know Mother Nature is to go on a bird walk around where you live or where you vacation.

Equipment Needed

Most of this equipment is optional for bird walking.  You might not care about identifying every little brown bird you see – you might find that just looking at them is reward enough.  But if you are curious, bird identification guides are a good investment.  Only get the field guides of birds in the areas you do your bird walking.  Field guides for the birds of the world are not only fabulously expensive, but weigh a ton.

You do need good footwear for bird watching.  The shoes or boots need to be sturdy, comfortable and with a minimum of heel.  Depending on where you might walk to follow a bird, you might get into some (literally) sticky situations, so don’t wear you best shoes. Some people prefer to walk in shoe-boots, some in Wellington boots.  If you are only going around your neighborhood or to tourist bird walking tours, then a pair of sneakers is all right.

Binoculars are also optional, but recommended, especially if you are nearsighted.  They needn’t be a huge expensive pair – they could even be pair of tiny opera glasses.  This way you can watch the birds without startling them by getting too close for their comfort.  Binoculars can take a little getting used to, so practice first before going bird walking.

Twitching Vacations

There are vacation packages catered just for those who love bird walking.  You can find them online or ask your favorite travel agent.  You could also take vacations close to nature parks or preserves and do your bird walking then.  You can choose from staying at a hotel, a vacation rental home or camping out.  Before you go, pack for any kind of weather.  Also pack your sense of humor.  Nature rarely performs on schedule.

If you think it might be sunny, be sure to wear a hat or at least use sunscreen.  You will also need bottles of water, tissues and hard candy or jellybeans to stave off the worst hunger pangs.  You could pack a picnic with you, but you might just get caught up in the moment and stay out past your usual dinnertime and need something to get you back home.

Camping trailers, popup? teardrop? cargo conversion?

October 16th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you’re new to camping it can be a daunting task to pick the right camping trailer for the type of camping you want to do. We’ll go over a few of the major types of trailers and some pros and cons to each.

The Teardrop Camping Trailer

The teardrop camping style trailer is one of the smallest trailers on the market. It consists of a bed for you to sleep in and usually a pop out kitchen in the back. They can be quite fun if you’re going camping by yourself or with your wife or girlfriend. They keep you warm at night and are a breeze to pull with any car with a hitch, I’ve even seen some being towed by a motorcycle. These are getting harder and harder to find. Most of these are classics from the 50’s. If you look you can find plans for these on the internet and get a local craftsman to build you one. Prices are hit or miss, They can be found for between $500.00 and $10,000.00, it all depends on the condition its in and what area of the country you are in.

Motorcycle Camping Trailer (pop up)

This motorcycle camping trailer isn’t so much a trailer as it is a really nice tent in box. A motorcycle camping trailer opens up and a pop up tent extends out of it turning into what amounts to a small apartment. They usually give you two or three rooms, a sleeping area, dining area and some storage. They don’t come with air conditioning but thats because its more of a tent than an trailer. The going rate for a motorcycle camping trailer is about what it is for a teardrop camping trailer. They are still being produced so you can pick them up new for between $1,000 and $10,000 depending on what options you get and if it matches you’re bike’s color scheme.

Off Road Camping Trailers (pop up)

An off road camping trailer is usually composed of a sturdy frame that can take some real punishment getting from the highway to an out of the way camping spot. They are similar to the motorcycle camping trailers in the sense that they are more of a tent than they are a real building. They have to be though, they need to be small and tough to take the beating it takes to get to some of the remote camping places. These off road camping trailers are a little more pricey on average than the other types because the have to be built to a higher standard. They can be custom made or converted from the a motorcycle camping trailer. One of these will set you back around $7,000.The price isn’t bad once you consider how much abuse these will take.

These three type of camping trailers can be considered on the small scale of camping trailers, most of them would be considered lightweight. This makes them ideal for one to two people. These camping trailers can get cramped if you try to add children to the mix. They also don’t offer much in the way of power. Some will come with a 110-220v AC system but almost none of them come with generators. You may be able to find one that has an LP system for cooking, its worth the extra cost if you can get it.

Hiking Gone Bad, If real life is like B videos.

October 8th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

If real life hiking trips were like movies no one would go. Ever. We’ve all scene movies about a family or boyfriend and girlfriend who go out into the woods for a nice hike, never to be seen from again. It starts with someone being brave or doing something stupid.

Most of the times in these videos they go hiking without a guide, If you’re going to go hiking in a new place that you are not familiar with for the love of God get a guide. It can save your life.

Lets talk about hiking gear for just a second. You may think you are billy bad ass with your cheap hiking boots and your metal hiking staff but lets get one thing clear, no matter if your wearing cheap hiking boots or charles van gorkum custom hiking boots the monster around the next corner, yea, he is going to eat you. Period.

Lets not forget about the awesome idea you had to bring a video camera into the woods, its only going to end up on “Hiking gone bad” a strait to video release, that is if they find your camera.

Oh I almost forgot, you are going to need radios for hiking. Don’t get the cheapest radio you can find, get a good quality 2 way radio. This could save your life when the National Guard is looking for you.

Remember people, we just need to use a little common sense in the wilderness. Its not something to be afraid of, just respected.

Eureka Solo Solitaire Tent - Great single person hiking tent

October 3rd, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Eureka Solo Solitaire Tent

Price: $51.43 USD

The Eureka Solitaire is one of the lightest hiking tents on the market today. It features a compact three season design. It has a large mesh roof that makes it very well ventilated and allows you to look up at the stars on clear nights. The two hoop design allows it to be one of the most compact tents on the market. One nice feature is that in nice weather you can open the top to use it as an extra entrance or exit. The fly hood can be retraced in seconds for easy storage as well. Other notable features include three storm guyouts on the fly, two storage pockets, one flashlight loop and nylon pole sleeves.

• Area: 21.33 square feet
• Floor size: 2 feet, 8 inches by 8 feet
• Center height: 2 feet, 4 inches
• Wall fabrics: 40D no-see-um mesh
• Floor fabrics: 70D nylon taffeta
• Fly fabrics: 70D nylon taffeta
• Pack size: 4 by 17.5 inches
• Weight: 2 pounds, 9 ounces

 

Hanging Rock State Park – family hiking and rock climbing

October 3rd, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Hiking.

Hanging Rock State park has some of the best hiking in all of North Carolina. Its more than 18 miles of trails form fantastic wooded passageways that make up a total of 12 trails. There are several ways to enjoy these trails even if you or someone in your family is disabled and can’t go on long hikes.

If you or your someone in your family is disabled they can still explore hanging rock state park. There is a wheelchair friendly trail that will take you to a beautiful rock outcrop. This makes a fantastic place for you and your family to enjoy a nice picnic and enjoy the views.

The rest of the hiking trails offer great views. You can see anything from picturesque cascades and waterfalls, fantastic views of the rolling Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains and high rock cliffs. There is a great mountain cave that is great to explore with your family while your out hiking.

Rock Climbing.

If your looking for something a little more adventuress you can taking your family rock climbing. Hanging Rock State Park offers two areas for climbing Cook’s Wall and Moore’s Wall. They offer a series of cliffs up to 400 feet, they also extend about two miles. These two walls can offer your family a great climb for everyone as they have beginner areas as well. A special note that these are the only two areas where rock climbing and repelling is permitted in Hanging Rock State Park.

To be able to climb and repel in Hanging Rock State Park visitors must have a permit. The permit can be be had from the park office for no fee. There are a few notes about the permit.

• The permit must be had before you climb.
• A copy of the permit must be left in the registration box or given to a park ranger.
• A copy must be kept on your person while your climbing.

When you climb you need to remember that you are responsible for your equipment and safety. This means please make sure you know what your doing or hire a guide to help you.

These are the Hanging Rock State Park climbing regulations. Please keep in mind that these do apply at all times.

• Climbers are climbing are their own risk. You are responsible for getting the proper training and equipment.
• You are required to register with the Hanging Rock State Park staff and keep a copy of your rock climbing permit on you.
• Hanging Rock State Park does not maintain or install fixed anchors or climbing routes. Please do not try to create new routes.
• You are climbing on your own risk. Hanging Rock State Park does not take any responsibility.
• Any and all accidents or injuries must be reported immediately to park staff.

 Maps

Here are some maps of Hanging Rock State Park to help you plan your hiking trails and family activities.

Hanging Rock State Park Map PDF

Hanging Rock State Park Map JPG

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