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Mosquito Defense

So I imagine we've all had agitating experiences with mosquitoes. Most of the time you may not even know they're around until you're scratching at a bite or two that is just driving you mad! While these pestering pests can be a complete downer to any outdoor activity, they are also potentially dangerous.
Here are some interesting, or rather, terrifying facts:
10% of the 2000 species live in North America (why were any additional number of species of mosquitoes is quite beyond my comprehension) and they breed and reproduce in humid, damp environments where any stagnant body of water becomes a breeding ground for them. Mosquitoes even have a common range of one to three miles but have been documented to range up to seven miles and beyond! Forget redbull red blood gives these suckers (no pun intended) wings for sure! Generally they come out around dawn and dusk and depending on their location they can carry several diseases.
Diseases:
West Nile Virus (North America)
Malaria (around the world primarily in Central and South America, Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the South Pacific)
Dengue Fever (the tropics)
Yellow Fever (South America and Africa)
Heartworm (affects household pets)
OK so after all that information I'm pretty psyched about terminating or just avoiding the blood suckers altogether! Talk about True Blood (no I don't watch the show I joke I joke I kid I kid)! Well luckily there are different preventive measures that may be taken to mosquito bites. For one and I've always heard this is to wear long sleeve clothing that will cover most of your body's surface. I know, not your typical choice in hot and humid weather where the point is to wear short sleeves because your so hot and uncomfortable already and this is the type of weather they exist in the first place! So for me that negates that option in most situations where i'm likely to encounter mosquitoes. So what else can you do you may ask? Well that can also depend on what outdoor activity you are partaking and where.
If at home in your yard, the first thing is to keep the area clear of mosquito breeding grounds. Make sure to clean and dump anything that may contain stagnant water build up from rain or that garden hose. Dump any water that may reside in buckets, toys or other objects. If you have any small ponds or fountains you may consider using mosquito eating fish such as Koi. There are also pricier mosquitor traps that prevent up to an acer (although be advised these will cost up to several hundred dollars).
My personal opinion on the best deterrent, whether at home or on the trail is mosquito or insect repellant. Now let it be said that this is my opinion and not all insect/mosquito repellants perfom as desired. After much research and experience I have come to find that the best repellants contain 50% or more of a very strong chemical oil. It was developed by the United States Army following the experience of campaigns in jungle warfare during World War II. Now this chemical should be used with care as it is strong enough to melt plastic (so keep any plastic items away when applying to the body). As with a lot of chemicals and medicine there are always some cases of illness so if you have allergies or sensitive skin I would recommend consulting a physician before use. I personally use the 95% deet Off brand spray (as shown below) but any repellent containing deet will do the trick.
There is also a large variety of mosquito netting that one can use to keep the annoying insects off your back while in the backwoods as I've provided some pictures below for your viewing pleasure. So be safe and protect yourself from sickness as well as irritating bites and discomfort.

What do you do if stalked by a Catamount

I just finished reading a short article from Backpacker Magazine regarding being stalked by a cougar. Well the first thing mentioned is that there is not much you can do to be proactive against an attack. Very comforting. This, however, is because mountain lions attack by surprise. They stalk, sneak up and pounce on unsuspecting prey. And unless you have superhuman senses you most likely will not see a mountain lion that is stalking you until it is too late. Now if you do happen to see a cougar, rare but sightings do occur, give the animal space, do not run. If you do see cubs in the area move as slowly as possible to give as much distance between you and the animals, mother cougars will attack a full grown grizzly bear to protect their young, I've even seen videos of mountain lions chasing away grown grizzlies when cougar cubs are present. Now, at this point the information may just seem more and more grim and haven't the slightest chance of surviving an encounter with a mountain lion, this is not so. Biologist Rick Hopkins states "If cougars saw people as food, there'd be hundreds of attacks a year instead of one or two. Don't act like prey and you won't be a victim." Basically man has lived in mountain lion territory for eons and as Rick Hopkins says don't act like prey and you won't be a victim. Act brave and fight back if necessary. I read a few months back how a young and possible sickly mountain lion came in to a camp grounds area in Texas and attacked a six year old boy, the father was able to save his child by fighting it off with a pocket knife, not a crocodile Dundee knife. Bear spray or sticks can also do the trick. Also waving your arms, appearing large and fearless, throwing sticks and stones may also detur a mountain lion as they are not usually agressive and are mostly looking for easy prey. Now I live in NY so not much chance of me needing this info around here (however, a few months ago a mountain lion was killed in Conneticut, not far from NYC), I do plan on exploring the Mid West, Southern desert States and the West Coast so I will take note. Enjoy and be safe!!!

Palisades Hike to Cliffdale Manor Ruins

Today I was able to take my family on a short hiking trip on the Palisades right outside of the city. It was a beautiful day and a bit warm but the summer foliage was able to keep the heat of the sun off of our backs.
First we parked at the Alpine Lookout Parking area:

The trail that we took starts just north of the lookout and the lot:

Opening up into a nice wooded area and trail. Remember to bear left (or just keep straight) as the right side trail leads to a dead end, at least in the summer.

There are a few good look out points along the trail but other than those there are not many views to take in other than woodlands until, as we were pleasantly surprised, you reach the Cliffdale Manor ruins.

This was actually a pretty cool find. We were stumped as to what we had stumbled upon, thinking they may be some old military fort and barracks with perhaps a prison. We found more subterranean passages below the actual basement line (I found out later researching online) which my pictures mostly show.
As it turns out the ruins were a mansion built in 1911, just over a hundred years now. It was the summer home of one of Bergen County's wealthiest,  George Zabriskie. You can find out more about the mansion and it's history on this gentleman's blog (which is were I found my info) http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=3708

In it's hay day the Cliffdale Manor looked like this:

We ended the hike after finding a little trail that ran off the main trail leading to the cliffs of the Palisades here:

We then hiked back another mile to the Alpine lookout taking in some more trail sites.

Happy trails everyone~!!! And remember it's the weekend, get outside!

Hiking & Camping Alone

This is an activity often frowned upon. People generally say that it is just too unnecessarily risky. To an extent they may be right. But let's remember man (and woman) have been braving the wild alone since the beginning of time. This is also something that I love to do. It thrills me and just gives me a tremendous peace and allows me to appreciate God's beautiful world on a different level. It gives me alone time and allows me to reflect and think. Don't get me wrong at times it can be a little nerve racking and even scary (nothing like sleeping alone in the deep woods at night and hearing the animals move around you and not know what they are). However, nothing gives me a feeling of pride and self achievement than exploring the wild alone....and surviving of course. I'm not the only one who feels this way. Many people feel the same way and part take in exploring alone. But please understand, there is a right and safe way to do everything. Always remember to let someone know where you are going. I don't know if anyone else saw 127 hours but if I'm not convincing enough that movie may just dissuade you from hiking alone altogether, and for some people that may be a good thing. Be prepared, make sure you have appropriate gear and are in relatively good shape comparative to the type of trail you will be taking. Below is a link to a good article on hiking and camping alone. If seriously desiring to do this, I recommend that you read this article.

http://suite101.com/article/solo-backpacking-and-hiking-on-long-trails-a102177

Do you like exploring alone?

Bear Cans, Boxes & Bags

When camping we all should take bears and protecting ourselves from them. The best way to do that is by storing them in a bear can or as some parks may have a bear box which is like a locker in the woods for your food. However, when hiking a bear can can be heavy and bulky. Bear bags are light but a bear can always chew right through it. Personally I don't see why you can't just string the bag up high between two trees at least 100 ft feom your camp. Either way garbage and food needs to be secured where a bear can't reach it and far enough from your camp. Keep in mind that neither the bear bag, can nor the box are odorless despite any advertisement to the contrary. See this website below on the subject for more information.

http://www.ultralightbackpacker.com/bear-cans.html

The North Face Pheonix 3

Great ultra light tent that fits up to 3 adults. No rain fly and still waterproof. Check out the full review at Backpacker Magazine's website below:


http://www.backpacker.com/may-2012-gear-review-the-north-face-phoenix-3-tent/gear/16642

Esee Knives

So early this week I won a contest through twitter for an Esee Candiru knife, and today I just received it in the mail which made me pretty happy. Esee knives are very professional and I will definitely be purchasing some cutlery from them in the near future. They also have a training school so definitely check out their website.To tell you a little about the knife it is small with a full length of 5.14" and a blade edge at 2". It seems very durable and to be a well crafted knife using high carbon 1095 steel, one if the best for cutlery. My knife is desert tan and it came with a cordura sheath. The name Candiru is after a fish native to the Amazon River, also known as the vampire fish. It is a kind of tiny catfish known for an alleged tendency to invade the human urethra (wikipeia). A picture of the fish is actually engraved in the knife as you can see below. All in all it is a great knife and I can't wait to take it camping this weekend!

http://www.eseeknives.com/

Awesome Sleeping bag!

I don't know about anyone else but I get very hot in my sleeping bag especially my feet! My feet need to breathe and most sleeping bags seem built for extremely cold weather which is not always the case. This is the first time (and I may be late and never seen such a bag before) that I have seen such a bag that let's parts of the leg and feet breathe through ventilating zips ( I made that vernacular up). Check out this bag on the link below I know I could definitely use one!

http://gocampingaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/zippered-vents-sleeping-bag-is-gadget.html?m=1

Survival Kit by Rocky Mountain Survival

Below you'll find a link to a site which offers a selection of great survival kits. These kits are compact and bear the essentials for any survival situation, covering the basic needs water, shelter food, fire and first aid. So wether you're out for a simple day hike or fishing trip, hunting or camping never leave home without one and you'll always be prepared! Rocky Mountain Survival also has knives and other gear, a blog and useful survival preparedness information. Check them out here:

http://www.rockymountainsurvival.com/survival-kits/

Dealing with Wild Animals while Camping

This is a good article about avoiding certain animals that you may worry about when camping:
http://www.helium.com/items/1357079-dealing-with-bears-coyotes-and-other-uninvited-guests-while-camping

Mt. Marcy, Adirondack hike

So I'm thinking of planning a trip to hike up Mt. Marcy which is the highest mountain in NY State. The mountain is 5,344 feet above sea level and you can see the summits of 43 peaks throughout the Adirondacks! The trail is called the Van Hoevenberg Trail and is 7.4 miles. What I want to do is hike up there and camp over night before reaching the summit. In the morning i'd complete the hike to the summit and start back down. Has any of my readers done this hike? Let me know your thoughts on it or advice. Here is some info about the hike:

http://www.adirondack.net/keene-valley/van-hoevenberg-trail.cfm

Albuquerque: Gila Loop | Hiking in New Mexico

This sounds like an awesome hike in New Mexico curtesy of Backpackers Magazine
http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripId=26197

Important Survival First Aid Steps

One of the most important parts of survival is knowledge of first aid. How to respond to a situation. How to help yourself and others. First aid can be the difference to survival outdoors so click below to read another great article from backpacker magazine:

http://www.backpacker.com/september-2011-5-steps-to-saving-lives/survival/15812

How to Make Cowboy Coffee

If you're anything like me you love and need you're coffee. Especially out on the trail early in the morning over a camp fire. There's nothing like it. It soothes, refreshes and prepares you for the upcoming day of camp chores or hiking/exploring. Personally I brew my coffee at home with a perculator, however, on the trail I try to limit the weight of my gear and will not bring a camping perculator with me. So as opposed to instant coffee as I am at home, on the trail I make an exception and bring some instant coffee and a pack of hot chocolate. Now the hot chocolate serves as my creamer and sugar in one. I usually will only add a half pack to a camping tin full of coffee. It does the job and it limits the amount of gear I need to carry. I have often read about making "cowboy coffee" but I have yet ventured to try it out. There are several ways to make a pot of cowboy coffee and from my own research and books that I've read about the old west, the original cowboys loved their coffee strong and thick as mud. As much as I love strong coffee the consitency as compared to mud doesn't really make my mouth water (as with a cup of that coffee there will be barely any water left). Brought to you by Backpacker Magazine's website (a really great an informative magazine I might add) here is a video instructing how to make a good pot of cowboy coffee. Next time i'm on the trail I may just try this with some real coffee grinds instead of the instant coffee. Click below and enjoy! Let me know if any one has tried this method or a similar one or just tell us how you make you're outdoor cup of joe!

Weekend Getaway

I was looking for a secluded trail where I could go hiking and camping with my brother without going too far from NYC and finally stumbled upon the link below. It sounds like what I want so I'll check it out. This trail is in Harriman State Park in NY by Bear Mountain. If anyone knows about another trail that's secluded please comment and let me know. Thanks!
http://www.discoveroutdoors.com/index.php/trips/sub/Buck_Mountain11/

Horseshoe Lake Trail

Click here to read about this beautiful trail with a mountain top lake in the Pecos Wilderness, New Mexico:

http://www.backpacker.com/rip-go-may-2012-horseshoe-lake-pecos-wilderness/destinations/16476

How to Plan a Camping Trip

Here's a decent article on planning a "primitive" camping trip. My personal thought is the use of the word primitive. The article defines it as "Primitive camping takes the luxury Of a prepared campsite out of the equation, leaving campers in solitude with nature." I don't know about anybody else but any other kind of camping than that, is just not camping! But click here and check out the article:


http://www.campingroadtrip.com/tips-and-articles/how-to-prepare-for-a-primitive-camping-trip

National Get Outdoors Day!

Tomorrow is the 1st Annual National Get Outdoors day! Which encourages all of us to go out and do something fun with nature. Whether it's, camping, hiking, fishing, bycicle riding, ect. take your family and do something. To support the event entry to all National Parks will be free! There are more than 130 National Parks accross the country. Also, take pictures and post them here or comment and let us know what you will be doing.

Here is a list of the National Get Outdoors Day locations so no excuse!

http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org/locations/

LA Hiker

This is a great site if you're looking to hike and see nature's beauty in LA. Filled with podcasts this site is a video guide to great LA hikes. Check it out watch a video and plan your next hike or outdoor getaway!
http://lahiker.com/

Burroughs Range Trail Catskills, NY

A great 10 mile hike in the Catskills, NY. A favorite of mine. I have previously posted a video about a trip I took last year hiking and camping over night. While it can be physically challenging it is rewarding. Check out a further detailed description below. Enjoy!
http://www.summitpost.org/burroughs-range-trail/166590

Tarp Poncho

This is a really great utilitarian camping poncho/tarp made by the Pathfinder Store and Dave Canterbury from "Dual Survivor". Check out the youtube review done by Dave Canterbury himself. Definitely a great buy!!
http://stores.thepathfinderschoolllc.com/-strse-318/The-Pathfinder-Tarp--fdsh-/Detail.bok

Get Outdoors this Saturday and you won't have recreation fees on National Forests! http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2012/releases/06/outdoors.shtml (photo: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, WA)

 

Check here if you're looking for a National Forest in NY like myself.

 

http://activities.wildernet.com/pages/recguide.cfm?areaname=New%20York%20National%20Forests%20%26%20Parks&areaID=NYNFP&CU_ID=1

Tarp Camping

Here is some interesting information on camping with a tarp instead of a tent.  There are various advantages to both. Read about it here and let us know what you prefer. Do you choose tent or tarp camping?

http://halbertri.tripod.com/tarps.htm

White mountains, New Hampshire

Check out this beautiful park that was almost destroyed by the logging industry and has since been restored. Planning a hiking or camping trip? Want to go swimming or just see the beauty of this park? Check it out here and read the story of it's restoration:
http://whitemountainsinfo.com/walt/sites-by-theme-2/recreation

Tent Camping Advice

Check out this info with some tent camping advice
http://www.campnut.com/tent-camping-advice/

Desert Survival Game

Check out this desert survival game:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/desert-survival-972041/

Bear Safety Tips

The biggest one to me is how you care for your food! We should all know this by now and if you don't you seriously shouldn't be camping! Food should be kept in air tight baggage hung from 2 trees at least 4 meters from the ground and 1 meter from the trees. Don't cook where you sleep and don't keep food in your tent! This could save your life. Check out other bear safety tips here:

http://usscouts.org/safety/safe-bear.asp

National Geographic Best Trips 2012

Check out these great outdoor trips across the world and see some beautiful pics:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-2012/

Great PA Hike

Check out this cool article on exploring Ricketts Glen State Park in PA

http://pocketranger.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/on-the-ground-exploring-ricketts-glen-state-park-pa/

Isurvivalskills blog

Check out this important blog regarding the necessity of developing your survival skills:

http://isurvivalskills.blogspot.com/2011/07/survival-preparedness-survival-skills.html?m=1

Low Impact Stealth Camping Education

Listen up outdoorsmen and women! For those that love to hike and camp off the grid and not use those pre-made fire rings or RV sites, like myself, but also hate seeing ugly impacted camp sites and trash left by campers that don't care this article is a must read. Education is the remedy! Please help spread the word by reading and sharing this article.
http://sectionhiker.com/series-on-low-impact-stealth-camping/

Survival Paracord Bracelette

Check out this awesome survival paracord bracelett with tinder and flint and firesteel! Watch the video on how to use it to start fires. It's a survival kit for your wrist. Thank you pepper products and the paracordist!

https://sites.google.com/site/paracordist/announcements/withthebsbparacordistputssurvivalintothesurvivalbracelet

Oregon Hunting Scout Trip

This is a cool article on this guys camping trip in Oregon for the purpose of scouting out an area and leaving cameras in preparation for Elk hunting season. One important part focuses on this gentleman's fitness. Your health and fitness can be a much overlooked part of any camping, hunting or hiking trip. Poor fitness can result in injury or death so please remember to prepare the body for your trip and not just your gear.
Check out the article here brought to you by Heavy Hitters Outdoors
http://heavyhittersoutdoors.wordpress.com/author/heavyhittersoutdoors/

Backwoodsman Magazine

A great magazine for the rough frontiersman (or woman) in you. Love to pick up and learn new skills? This magazine is definitely a must subscribe. Check it out and order your subscription here:

http://backwoodsmanmag.com/

Grand Canyon Hike!

Check out this great clip of this Grand Canyon hike. Who's ready?
http://www.gogumption.com/blog/video-last-of-the-great-unknown-trailer/

National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Who would love to be camping/hiking here in Yellowstone national Park right now? I know I would! Like thos photo if you would to, and check out and like other great photos!

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2012/entries/132030/view/

Discount Outdoor Sports Gear!!!

Looking for up to 75% off of great outdoor gear for climbing, kayaking, camping and more? Check out this site:

http://www.theclymb.com/invite-from/Nirizarry35

Mountain Men on Survival Skills

Watch the men from the History Channel's "Mountain Men" series talk about survival in the wilderness:

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Mountain Men advice

Listen to what the men from the History Channel's new show, "Mountain Men" have to say about living off the land:

http://www.history.com/shows/mountain-men/videos/mountain-men-advice#mountain-men-advice

Mountain Men on History Channel

This show looks promising. Move over Bear Grylls! Lol. Definitely looking forward to the premier tonight:
http://www.history.com/shows/mountain-men

Crkt children's knife beginner's kit

Check out this really cool knife kit to teach your children how to handle knives from the brilliant people at CRKT:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DkPOE2paRBi4&v=kPOE2paRBi4&gl=US

Out door day dreams

I often sit at my desk at work and think about being out in the mountains scrambling up rock cliffs, blazing switch back trails, in the shade of the birch wood. Smelling the wood smoke of a campfire listening to the awakening sounds of nightfall while watching the sun set over the mountains. Then I come back to reality and stare at an email. Thank God for the weekends when I can finally sit under the stars.

Check out this great trail in NJ

http://alltrails.com/trail/us/new-jersey/ramapo-reservation-trail

What did you do this weekend?

Share stories, pics or vids with us.

Surviving a charging Grizzly Bear

It would apply to any bear so I'm sure we'd all be interested in this article while out hiking or camping:

Backpacker Magazine - Grizzly Attack http://www.backpacker.com/2012-january-reader-survival-grizzly-attack/survival/16227

Knife survivalist expert knife of choice

Check out survivalist expert Tony Nester's preferred tool for bushcraft:

Backpacker Magazine - Survival: In the Wild With...Only a Knife backpacker.com/survival-only-…

Backpacker Magazine

So I just subscribed to a year of Backpacker magazine. Check the out they have a lot of great info on gear, articles, info on skills, events, trails, destinations and more! See their 2011 Editor's choice for gear:

Backpacker Magazine - Editors' Choice 2011: Videos and Articles backpacker.com/gear-zone-edit…

Survivorman

Wow the next SurvivorMan season Les Stroud is upping the ante to 10 survival days alone. That dude is no joke. I'm waiting to get a 10 day weekend myself and then I will attempt to do the same. Would any of you try that?

Alltrails.com

If you are looking for a site that suggests good hiking trails and supporting info (maps, locations, difficulty ect.) then check out
http://alltrails.com/ they even have cool apps for the iphone and android users

Weekend Hike

Looking for a great weekend hike in the tri-state are? Here's one. The Mt. Minsi trail in Pennsylvania's Delaware water gap region:

http://alltrails.com/trail/us/pennsylvania/mount-minsi?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AllTrails+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_content=featured+trail+title

In September of 2011 I went on a 10 mile hike on the Burroughs Range Trail in the Catskill Mountains. Alone, I hiked up to the Highest Mountain in the Catskills and camped over night. Here is a video I made of my hike on my iphone. More trips to come.

Cat Skills