Be Prepared

Winter is here and with that, many outdoor activities have begun. Today we'll talk about the sport of snowmobiling and what you'll need to have in the event of a breakdown.

1. GPS/Phone -Obviously, to know where you are and navigate to a road or point, however if you were able to use a phone or at the least send a text for help you can give you coordinates.

2. Portable Phone Charger -they sell for about $20

3. Compass-$5.00

4. Whistle-Much better than screaming with little effort, in the middle of the woods a whistle is distinct -  $3.00

5. Fire Starter- Lighter, water proof matches and small fire starter blocks. The blocks are 2 inches by 2 inches and can burn for 30 minutes, they are $5 a piece and are amazing for starting a fire (dry twigs may be hard to find if there is snow on the ground.) Another fire starting idea is you can disconnect your gas line and use a small amount of gas to start a fire.

6. Small Multi Tool-with knife, pliers etc....$10.00 

7. Water Bottle- preferably a metal one which can be used for multiple purposes.

8. Optional but worth it, I use SPOT, its a Satellite emergency beacon. SPOT has GPS responder built in, in case of emergency you hit the button, it notifies search and rescue and 5 pre-determined friends with your GPS longitude and latitude coordinates. It sells for $149.00 and the first years service is included  If needed its priceless.

9. Solar Sleeping Bag-$7.00, the size is about 6 inches by 4 inches and will save your life, reflects 90% body heat, you will not be toasty warm but you will live!

10. Snacks- things that last, don't really freeze and can be easily rationed and are in small portions- beef jerky, nuts, cashews, grain bars.

11. Map- topo map of the area you are exploring.

12. Two Way Radio- Cost about $30, for the five to 10 mile range, if people are looking for you, you maybe able to catch them on a channel.

13. Tow Strap-$15

14. First Aid Kit-$10.00 Small kit, either you or a buddy could get hurt and any of the items might make a difference.

15. Flashlights -$20.00 A head lamp, being hands free key. A small handheld will be good also, preferably the wind up kind or shakeable with no batteries needed.

16. Sharpie Marker to write on any surface, a few sheets of paper in a ziploc bag.

17. Gas Tank - a portable 2 gallon gas tank will save the day.

 Have a fun and safe season...brrrrrrp!

Winter Preparation

I know, I know, it's the middle of summer and your talking about winter? Tis the season for some of us, as we prepare for our winter fuel source.....wood. Mid summer is when a lot of folks start splitting wood so the wood will be seasoned for the up and coming winter. As I was splitting mine, I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips when splitting wood the old fashioned way, with a splitting maul;

First, make sure that the splitting maul is in good condition. I prefer the synthetic handle. In the past I have splintered the wood handles making them unsafe.

Make sure that you have good footing so when your swinging the maul you stay balanced.

Your legs should be positioned wider than your shoulders. One thing is certain when splitting wood by hand and that is, you will have splitting maul deflections that could cause serious injuries. I wide stance will help prevent those.

When positioning a larger log piece to split, start on the edge of the log. The easiest way to split a log is on angles, so by creating a flat edge with your first split, the following splits will create triangle pieces. Also, if you can make your first split with the grain that will make your job a lot easier.

Many times you will run into a log piece that just won't split with a splitting maul. In this case, use an iron wedge to pound in, to force a split.

If you are splitting your wood and haven't got around to storing it under shelter, pile the wood in a pyramid fashion. This allows for air to penetrate the stack which will accelerate the drying process.

If anything else splitting wood by hand is a great workout. Stay hydrated and be safe.

We're Good Spenders

As I noted in the previous post, fishing season is here and so was my trip to my local outdoor shop. I went to get some new lures and other miscellaneous items and when I checked out it provoked me to think;

If I just spent $80 on my stuff just for fishing, I wonder what outdoor enthusiast's spend on an annual basis?

Let's take a look at how the outdoor enthusiast helps our economy:

• We contribute $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy
• We support nearly 6.5 million jobs across the U.S.
• We generate $88 billion in annual state and national tax revenue
• We provide sustainable growth in rural communities
• We generate $289 billion annually in retail sales and services across the U.S.
• Our recreation touches over 8 percent of America’s personal consumption expenditures—
more than 1 in every 12 dollars circulating in the economy

Wow! That's impressive. Check out the jobs that are created by the following outdoor activities:

Bicycling  - 1,135,000
Camping - 2,334,000
Fishing - 587,000
Hunting - 323,000
Paddling - 308,000
Snow Sports - 567,000
Trail -716,000 
Wildlife Viewing - 467,000



 
Indeed, the outdoor enthusiast's passion for the outdoors helps in more ways than one!





 

Childhood Impressions

Look back, and really try to remember your most memorable times as a kid. I'll bet a great percentage of these times were associated with the outdoors. Family trips, days at the beach, jumping in leaf piles... birthday parties. Makes you smile, right? No more words, let the pictures stir your memories of the outdoors and your past;

Your Majesty.....The Mountain That Is.

What is so inspiring about mountains? They have been written about, lyrics of songs have focused on mountains and movies have been based on mountains. Is it the shear beauty? Or is it the dominant presence of a mountain? I suppose there are many answers, different to each that is describing them.

I have a place in  the Adirondack Mountains. The oldest mountains in North America. If you ride up Rte. 87 you will see a sign "America's Most Scenic Highway". Beauty unmatched in the Fall with the changing colors of the trees. The Adirondacks are majestic, yet different then let's say, the Rockies out west.

The impressive peaks, jagged edges and snow capped mountains are equally as beautiful. I think of the Rockies as rugged, filled with golden aspens and endless spruce trees. If you have ever hiked or hunted in the Rockies you will relate to this. I would be standing on a ridge looking out to another point on the far side of the valley and say to myself, "No problem, that won't take long to get over there". Silly me, 3-4 hours later I'm there.The vastness of the Rockies is unmatched.

I can hear my buddy saying, you haven't seen mountains until you have seen the Alps! Another says, wait until you see the Northern Rockies in Vancouver sloping down into the Pacific Ocean. Both views, I'm sure are equally majestic.

However you spend your time on the mountains, hiking, hunting, fishing, camping and enjoying all that it has to give, take a minute and thank Your Majesty.... the Mountain That Is.

Outdoor Enthusiasts By The Numbers

Ever wonder how many people actually participate in the great outdoors? When you hear the phrase "outdoor enthusiast" or "great outdoors", what does that make you think of? Participating in the outdoors covers so many activities that I wanted to share some interesting numbers with you. The Outdoor Industry Association gives us these numbers for measuring activities of outdoor participants.

First, let's take a look at how many people venture into the great outdoors. 137.9 million of us participate in one activity or another outside. What's staggering is we have 10.1 billion outings per year....10.1 Billion, holy cow! I for one never thought the number was that great.

The most popular activities -  
1. Running, jogging, trail running  
2. Freshwater, saltwater and fly fishing.
3. Road biking, mountain biking, BMX 
4. Camping 
5. Hiking.

 What area of the country has the most participation. Here I was a little disappointed seeing the Northeast last in this category, let's go people get outside and enjoy!

1. Mountain
2. North Central
3. Upper MidWest
4. New England
5. West Coast.

Camping is a great family activity. Great for bonding and forgetting the everyday hassles and being able to slowdown and unwind. 45 million other Americans agree with me. Americans spend about 12 days per year out camping, and whats astounding, 88% of that is the hardy way...in a tent! Haha, we still like to be rugged and one with nature.

Most importantly, introducing children to the great outdoors will benefit ourselves in too many ways to list. If you have a chance to take a young one out and participate in an activity, please do! We may not know it but we're helping to preserve our environment while having a ton of fun!.

OutdoorMash.com

Welcome to OutdoorMash. The premier outdoor destination for adventurers just like you! Explore, meet, earn, place your business and more! Check us out!. OutdoorMash connects all outdoor enthusiasts from the Atlantic to the Pacific and beyond. Our site is user and family friendly, that offers the outdoor enthusiast a way to network, socialize, share ideas, photos and videos. OutdoorMash is also a place for individuals to buy, sell or trade outdoor items. Our Travel Tools allows you to create your own map of your favorite outdoor location, fishing spot, or your favorite trail. Topo maps for land and water, wind indicator, snow depth, forecasts and more will prepare you for the next adventure! OutdoorMash is the place to be!

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