A Word in the Woods

On January 15, 2011, I had the distinct pleasure of spending the day with Pinock Smith, a master builder, known for his traditional canoe-building methods.

I first heard of Pinock in the second season of Ray Mears’ Bushcraft, where he and Ray built an authentic birchbark canoe in a week. They worked on screen again in Northern Wilderness, to build a set of snowshoes. They are both great shows, but nothing can come close to meeting and talking with someone with that knowledge in person, and being able to ask the questions that are important to you.

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Tags: algonquin, building, Canoe, first nations, native, pinock smith, ray mears, traditional
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Of course, if your true need is for firestarting, the old dead-tree book might serve you better for dry tinder. The resource that an ebook reader such as the Kindle can give you access to, however, has such potential. I impulse-bought one last week, and have been loading up with guides and references. Some of these deal with the skills and references you may need in the wild, but some will help to pass time (although I never seem to have enough free time between enjoyable chores to get bored) on lazy afternoons or rainy days.

The battery life is great, and it’s now cheap enough (~$150) to put you more at ease about getting it smoky and dirty, and perhaps wet. I still wouldn’t want to smash it on a rock, but I’d drop that sucker faster than my iPhone.

I haven’t camped with it yet, but I plan to. The weight of it, and the amount of reference I can carry will surely change the resources I normally carry. No more worrying how heavy that “Hiking Light” hardcover book is.

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I never quite have enough of the clear liquid when I’m on a backcountry trip, but I’m usually a bit more active, of course. It’s made me a bit more conscious of my hydration in my day-to-day life, however, and I know what it means when my hands have that mottled look under their skin, and I get a headache for no reason. Keeping hydrated is important, but do we need to be fanatical about it?

Here’s an interesting article on the facts about water intake, and how much of it can be taken care of in your food alone.

I try to drink often in my travels, and to replenish a good day of canoeing and portaging, I’ve taken to making my first night involve a good hearty pot of well-simmered soup. I used to mix a boatload of gatoraide with water that didn’t taste so good, but I’ve found my filter does a decent job, as long as I choose my water sources well. I could do without the sugar crash, and if I make sure I have my tea and hot chocolate in the afternoon and evenings, soup and noodles and oatmeal and veggies, I’m doing just fine when in camp.

What habits do you have that help you keep dehydration at bay?

Tags: dehydration, h2o, hydration, nutrition
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Ok, I know it’s just wrong, and I’ve got tons of pictures and stories to tell from the great fall colour changes, but for now, I’m off to have a beer, since I’ve been working too much.

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According to Moose Survey Research in Algonquin Provincial Park:

“Moose antlers are the fastest type of growing bone known on the planet. A Moose may grow a set of antlers weighing up to 25 kilograms in just five months!”

Tags: facts, Moose
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It’s becoming rare to find a bit of common sense when dealing with businesses, these days. For some reason, it seems as though doing things by-the-book trumps keeping customers happy and feeling respected.

A refreshing attitude is worth more to me than saving a few bucks…

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I’ve been working on another site that’s coming along nicely, GeeksInTraining. It’s been taking up a fair amount of my time, but I’ll get a good balance happening. I’m excited to share my experiences with my new canoe pack from Cooke Custom Sewing, as well as the buying experience. Expect to see it soon, with lots of pictures.

Tags: geeksintraining.com, update
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