Archive for the ‘Questions’ Category

Advising new campers? Here’s some advice.

Author: Michael Zimmermann

“…but I’m not looking for anything hardcore, yet.”

I’m often asked for advice about outdoor trips, and every once in a while, the person ends the question with the above statement.  I find this interesting, especially the “yet” part. The inference is that there’s a hierarchy to the camping world; your first trips start with a trailer full of propane tanks and a chainsaw, then you go to a campsite just outside of the suburbs, then you drive a canoe out to a nice little lake, and so on, until eventually, you’re dropped out of a helicopter into some rapids in the middle of winter with a knife in your belt and a wool blanket, to emerge six weeks later wearing a three-piece birch bark suit.

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Got myself an iPhone

Author: Michael Zimmermann

So, lots of new things going on… I’ve got a new job and a new phone and probably a lot less time this year to go camping, but I’ll get a chance to check out the iPhone in the woods.

It has a gps, but I’m not sure how good it will be, since it relies heavily on being connected to the net. I don’t know if there’s any way yet to add local topographic maps for use offline.

One thing it will allow me to do is compose updates from remote areas. I know that I could just transcribe written notes, but let’s face it – if I were going to do that, I would have done it already.

One thing I’m looking forward to is trying out some solar cell chargers, since I like the idea of sustainable power. I don’t like throwing away batteries, but I also don’t trust rechargables enough to not bring alkaline spares.

A good solar system that would cover charging headlamp batteries, walkie-talkies, cell phones and cameras would be ideal.

Oh, and this is my first post using the iPhone!

flaskI originally used the term “Mickey” instead of flask, but it seems that it’s a bit more of a Canadian-specific drink-related term than I thought, like May Two Four (TwoFer), A cube (12-pack of bottled beer), and many others.

From Wiki:
“# Mickey, a term for a 375 ml bottle of alcohol in Western Canada and Ontario. In Eastern Canada a mickey is a single shot of alcohol, packaged in an individual bottle.”

Don’t confuse this with a Texas Mickey, also a Canadian term.

I’m thinking of something to just bring a standard few shots of whiskey with me every time I go on an overnight, no matter the trip. I don’t get drunk when I go camping, and I’m disgusted at finding broken beer bottles in the middle of the wilderness that I love, but I love a bit of Irish cream or whiskey in the evenings.

I missed it this time, and in the absence of cigars and apple cider, I found myself wanting a bit of a taste around the fire.

I don’t care how old this post is when you read it, if you’ve got a suggestion, please let me know.

Something slim, and not too much capacity, around the 200-300 ml range should do me fine.

Or should I just get a small drink canister, like a Nalgene-style or the fuel-bottle type ones?

Oh, speaking of which, there’s an interesting post I came across on the whole Nalgene/Lexan thing.

I think I’ll hang on to my old beat-up 1.8L bottle myself.