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MICROADVENTURES

29/3/2015

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I recently read a New York Times article on the benefits and virtues of microadventures. Alastair Humphreys, the article's subject, won the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award not for his month or year long expeditions, but for his smaller bursts of adventure closer to home. He coined the hashtag #microadventure, and is promoting the idea of thinking about what short, fun, new adventures you can create for yourself close to home. 

For me, feeding my adventure hollow leg is essential to nurturing my soul and keeping me from drowning in the daily routines of life. The mundane cycle of going to work, repeating the same fitness routines, and dreaming of the next major adventure months away has become my normal way of life. 

About a year ago, before reading the NY Times article, my husband and I decided to drive 20 minutes down the road, cross country ski 90 minutes into a small, remote lake in late winter. We arrived at camp at 4pm, cooked dinner, slept overnight in our winter gear, and reversed the process the next morning. While just over 20 hours for the entire adventure, we returned home feeling mentally, spiritually, and physically refreshed and refuelled. This, I believe, is the spirit of the microadventure.

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Our first winter overnight microadventure campsite

After our winter camping experience, we have since done a few microadventures, all of which have been close to home, on a weekend, and easy to pack for. 

Winter Camping: A three hour drive took us into the eastern boundary of the Adirondack State Park of NY State.  On the eve of the winter solstice, we snowshoed 9km with full packs into a Adirondack Lean-to, and slept overnight in winter conditions. The next morning we quickly ascended a 4000' peak, and reversed the process back to our cars, leaving less than 24 hours after we started. Costs associated with this trip: gas money.

Canoe-Camping: A 2 hour drive took us to a large canoe-camping lake. There, after a 2 hour paddle in, we found a free campsite and set up for the night. We took a small hike from the campsite to reach a lookout, swam in the lake, and had long campfire at night. Canoe camping without portaging requires less preparation as you can dump as much gear as you want into the canoe including a sealable cooler! Costs: gas money.

Yurt: My most recent microadventure involved renting a yurt with 2 friends about a 90 minute drive and 6km cross country ski from my house. The yurt, supplied with a woodstove (wood included), propane stove, bunk beds, and a outhouse WITH toilet paper! Trails were easy to navigate and could be skiied with the use of a headlamp if arriving after dark. Check-out time was 11am, so no reason to rush out the next day. Costs: $150/night divided by 4 people for the yurt, and gas.
Microadventure criteria in my mind needs to be one of two things: Either trying a completely new activity or trying an old activity in a new place. The excitement of the new adventure is what feeds and replenishes the soul, breaking up the dreaded work week. Refuelling the soul has many positive effects many of which come from disconnecting from technology and immersing yourself in a natural environment. I am already thinking of new microadventures closeby: dogsledding, sea kayak camping, and bike touring. Alastair has also come out with a book on microadventures which I plan to read in the coming months to hopefully gain even more microadventure ideas: 'Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes'. 
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WINTER BACKCOUNTRY SURVIVAL GEAR

20/3/2015

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Heading out to the backcountry for the day? Most people think of bringing food, water, and an extra layer in their packs. What most people overlook could be the difference between life and death in the backcountry. As an outdoor education teacher, Wilderness First Responder, and Red Cross First Aid and CPR instructor, the game of "What if..." is constantly being played in my mind. So what if you had to stay out overnight? What if someone in your group got injured and had to wait for help. Would you have the gear to make sure you survive? As women, we often don't want any extra weight in our packs so the gear I've included below is the lightest weight on the market. Here's what I carry in my pack:

1) An emergency bivy sac: Basic version: 2 extra-large orange garbage bags and emergency blanket, Better version: Adventure Medical Kits Emergency Bivy bag 3.8oz, Best for winter: Sierra Designs Baffin Bivy bag 17oz. In winter I carry the Sierra Designs version, but in the summer months I can get away with the lighter options.

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2) Insulating Pad-Bring some sort of pad layer to insulate you from the cold ground. I bring a rectangular piece of blue foam that fits perfectly in the back of my pack or a full length piece if I am going out for a long tour. I use it to sit on for lunches and have it for emergencies as well. 

3) Extra Base Layer, thick toque and mitts, and an extra pair of socks.

4) Down booties-Any brand will do. They are worth their weight in gold.

5) Down Pants-The Mont Bell Ultralight Down Pants 5.1oz are very lightweight. I carry the Western Mountaineering Flash Down Pants 6.5oz

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6) Down Jacket- I carry a down jacket with a hood. I carry OR Incandescent Hoody 800+ down thick jacket in the winter (14.4oz), and a light down jacket in the other seasons. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer light down jacket is my 'go-to' light jacket at 7.2oz.

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7) First Aid kit-Basic items-Triangular bandage, Tensor wrap, Athletic Tape, Pain Meds, etc

8) Survival kit items: Swiss Army Knife with saw, lighter and matches, Tinder-quik fire tabs (tinder), Hot Paws hand/toe warmers, extra food, emergency blanket, water purification tablets, whistle, headlamp, extra batteries for the headlamp and GPS, map and compass (know how to use it!), GPS (ie.Garmin Map 60CSX), cellphone and/or personal locator beacon (PLB)/SPOT. 

9) Compressible Drysac to carry it all in! I like the Outdoor Research Ultralight Compression Sacks.

**N.B. if heading into avalanche country, you will also need to carry a beacon, probe and shovel. Please make sure you take an avalanche course to ensure you know how to use this gear!**

A fantastic resource to get you thinking about backcountry survival is the new book entitled "Survive!" by Les Stroud (host of the show Survivorman).

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GLUTEN-FREE BACKPACKING

20/3/2015

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Whether it's for health or personal reasons, going gluten-free is a trend that is catching on. For some it's a medical necessity, for others it can be an intolerance or personal choice. Various studies have shown that our digestive systems are rejecting gluten based products for reasons that include: pesticides used on the crops, FODMAP sugar content, or the genetic modification of the wheat. Whatever the reason, many people are seeing the benefits of living life without wheat. Modifying your diet is a big change and requires a lot of effort and money, but if the physical and mental benefits outweigh the hassle then it's worth it. I am afflicted by the common triad of intolerances: gluten, dairy and egg, therefore my suggestions will be based on those restrictions.

Gluten-free living at home is a challenge no question but gluten-free multi-day backpacking is even more difficult. The 'go-to' backcountry menu options you used to pack are now no longer an option. What do you bring? Here are some lightweight options for your next extended backpacking trip:

Breakfast: 
Gluten free Oatmeal
Gluten free Granola
Alpine Aire Hash Browns and Reds/Greens
Greenbelly Meal Replacement Bars
Glutino Gluten-Free Pop Tarts
Lunch:
Gluten-free sandwiches- Bagels, breads and sandwich rolls
Flatbread Crackers with spreads like nut butters, hummus, jams.
Gluten-free loaf breads (banana or lemon poppyseed) or muffins
Snacks like: Nuts, G-Free Beef Jerky,G-Free Pepperettes, Candy, Fruit Leather, Trail Mix, Dehydrated Fruit, Rice crackers, Dark Chocolate
Dehydrated Miso soup
Greenbelly Meal Replacement Bars

Energy Bars: There are many G-Free bars on the market. Here are some of the options I've found. Prices are normally cheaper if bought in bulk. Individual prices vary so quoted prices below are approximate*.  I aim to find bars that cost around $1.00 CDN. Look out for sales! My handsdown favourite is the Kronobar Coconut Cherry. Taste is superb and doesn't freeze in the winter! The regular Clif Bars aren't labelled "Gluten Free" but because of the high organic content I have found I don't have any problems with them.
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1. All But Gluten - Chocolate Chip Granola Bar: 110 Calories, $1.10
2. Bakery on Main - Extreme Trail Mix Granola Bar: 120 Calories, $1.10
3. Clif Mojo Bar - Coconut Almond Peanut: 200 Calories, 40g, $1.69
4. Nakd - Cashew Chewie: 140 Calories, 35g, $1.39
5. Go Macro - Cashew Caramel: 260 Calories, 60g, $3.60 
6. Kind - Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan: 200 calories, 40g, $1.99
7. Kronobar - Coconut Cherry: 180 Calories, 50g, $3
8. LaraBar - CocoCoconutChew: 250 Calories, 51g, $1.99
9. Pro Bar - Whole Berry Blast: 360 Calories, 85g, $3.30
10. Sezme - Sesame Snaps: 180 Calories, 22.5g, $0.59
11. Solo - Chocolate Charger: 190 Calories, 50g, $1.69
12. SunRype Fruitsource - Mango Mangosteen: 120 calories, 37g, $1.07
13. Taste of Nature - Quebec Cranberry Carnival: 180 Calories, 40g, $1.55
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Dinner:
When backpacking, weight and size are crucial so I will only be discussing dehydrated, pre-packed meals, especially if you need to squeeze 10 days worth of food into a bear barrel. The majority of the selections are from two companies: Backpacker's Pantry and Alpine Aire. Here are my favourites:

Backpacker's Pantry: Pad Thai
Backpacker's Pantry: Kathmandu Curry
Backpacker's Pantry: Chicken Vindaloo
Backpacker's Pantry: Thai Style Coconut Curry with Beef

Others:
Alpine Aire Pepper Steak with Rice
Alpine Aire Mountain Chili
Alpine Vegetarian Burrito Bowl
Alpine Air Mesquite BBQ Seasoned Chicken With Beans and Rice
Alpine Air Black Bart Chili with Beef and Beans
Alpine Air Chicken Gumbo
Alpine Aire Corn Chowder

I would love to hear your suggestions if you have any to share! Contact me under the contact link above! Look for a Gluten-Free Canoe Tripping blog post in the near future!

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SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR THE BEST DEAL ON GEAR

7/3/2015

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Searching the internet for gear is one of my favourite pastimes. Here are my tips to finding the best deal on what you want and FAST:

First of all, you need to have decided on what you want to buy. The research process takes time, and you need to evaluate all your options. Make sure to read the reviews and be an informed consumer.

The first place I go to when wanting to buy is a website called The Find. The Find enables you to enter in any item and get a comprehensive list of all the web retailers and their prices. I sort the results by price, lowest to highest. Note: this website gives you the listing price of the gear you're looking for and gives you an idea of what you're going to have to pay. The results DON'T take into account deals on the site when prices are reduced with 'discount codes'. Many times I find legit deals through 'The Find' searches. This search process takes two seconds whereas visiting all the sites to compare prices takes eons. I normally now link over to the sites I want to investigate prices on.

If it's a new item, 'The Find' will point you in the right direction. The sites I most frequent from 'The Find' searches are: 
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.backcountry.com
http://www.moosejaw.com 
http://www.altrec.com
http://www.rockcreek.com
http://www.rei.com
http://www.ems.com
http://www.backcountryedge.com
http://www.backcountrygear.com
http://www.sierratradingpost.com
http://www.campsaver.com
http://www.shop.alpenglowgear.com

If you're looking for a past season item, you may need to also explore the 'outlet' sections of many of the websites above, Ebay, or discount sites like Steep and Cheap,  The Clymb or Gear X. Used gear can be found on Gear Trade, Gear X, or on various outdoor forums.

Canadian Customers:
Online gear shopping from Canada takes on a whole different level. The biggest factors involved in this decision making are: Shipping costs including duty charges, and currency conversion rates. Let's start with shipping. If you need to ship from the States to Canada, finding a U.S. address is the best route as many sites will ship for free within the U.S. Shipping to a UPS store near the border is also an option but you'll have to make the trip to collect your package. If you must ship directly to your home, it is way cheaper through USPS (US Postal System) rather than courier services like UPS or FedEX. Sites that offer USPS shipping to Canada are Moosejaw, Backcountry, EMS, and Campsaver. Duties will be added on as the package passes through the border (normally add HST). Sometimes the deals (think Black Friday) are so good it will still be cheaper with shipping and duties. Not all brands are allowed to be internationally shipped from these companies which can be frustrating!

 As I write this, the currency rate is so pitiful that I am not shopping on U.S. sites at all right now. For Canadian prices, I do a Google.ca search and then click on the spoke wheel in the top right hand corner. I click on 'Advanced Search', and click on 'Region' and scroll down to 'Canada'. Then I click on 'Advanced Search'. The results pinpoint the major Canadian retailers which include:

http://www.amazon.ca
http://www.mec.ca
http://www.lacordee.com
http://www.altitude-sports.com
http://www.vpo.ca
http://www.escaperoute.ca
http://www.sail.ca
http://www.liveoutthere.com
http://en.atmosphere.ca

Discount sites also exist in Canada. Sites like The Last Hunt sells discounted gear and Live Out There have great end of season deals and weekly specials. Used gear can be found on Ebay, Kijiji, and MEC gear swap sites.

Happy Shopping!
Krista
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    Canadian gal hooked on pursuing outdoor adventures, testing, outdoor gear, and a passion for outdoor education.

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