… Duct tape is probably the most versatile item you can carry when hiking. It can mend and repair almost anything from blisters to holes in air mattresses. …
Just before dawn …, Richard Code disappeared into the darkness and lit out for the Ontario wilderness, bringing little more than a few supplies and the skills he had learned from watching Survivorman, a reality show about subsisting in the bush. …
Richard Code with father, Mel Code.
… Code’s body was found in a marshy, snowed-in area just north of Huntsville.
Police say Code’s death is not considered suspicious at this time and his brother Stephen Code said OPP have informed him that the cause of death was hypothermia. …
Hiking is a better activity than most for our Planet. But I’m no treehugger myself.
I grew cynical after hearing an NPR audiocast citing a study where 1,017 of 1,018 products that made environmental claims were found guilty of deceptive advertising.
What really makes me suspicious of strident environmental evangelists (I’m looking at you David Suzuki) is Greenwashing:
… (green whitewash) is the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly …
If I see a product with a green label, I normally avoid it out of fear of being duped.
Also, any product with a green label has an inexplicable mark-up in price.
Some good news?
The NY Times reports that the American” Federal Trade Commission is expected to crack down on “greenwashing” when it updates its environmental marketing guidelines for the first time since 1998.”
I hope this helps.
… letters were recently sent to retailers like Hanes, Jockey and Target as well as REI, Sports Authority and Altrec.com. Even companies like Bamboo Eco Wear, Footprint Bamboo and Green Earth Bamboo were included in the list. …
The specs aren’t definitive. But I’ve seen cited on other blogs an approximate weight of 2lbs. At that I’d carry it as survival gear even on day hikes.
Available late Spring 2010. Guesstimated price, $250.
Living in Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountain range, the Raramuri Indians are some of the best long distance runners in the world, but how far can they run in the face of problems like environmental damage, loss of native lands, and the drug war? An American ultra marathon runner known as Caballo Blanco is fighting to help the Raramuri preserve their culture and tradition of long distance running. The Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon is the result.
A word of caution from Dr. Ross Tucker and Dr. Jonathan Dugas:
… I guarantee that the media are going to be all over this and they are going to tell you that you should be running barefoot or in Vibrams. You will hear how science has proven that being barefoot will prevent injuries, and that those of you who are injured should blame your shoes as you lob them into the garbage bin. …
If you wish to guarantee yourself an injury, then go out for a 2km run barefoot on a hard surface, and you will be asking your calf muscles and Achilles tendons to do work that for perhaps 30 years, they haven’t had to do. …
Disadvantages of Forefoot Striking Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear
* Thick-soled shoes are much more forgiving when running over glass, sharp objects, ice and so on.
* If you have been a heel striker, it takes some time and much work to train your body to forefoot or midfoot strike, especially because you need stronger feet and calf muscles. Runners may be at greater risk of developing Achilles tendonitis when they switch from heel striking to forefoot or midfoot striking …
Would you wear this jacket to summit the world’s highest peak?
That’s what climber Jamie Clarke from my town, Calgary, Canada plans to do this Spring. He’s working with Champion Athletic Wear on a new technology that has “the potential to change the entire outdoor apparel industry.”
A big boast.
Jamie has tested the apparel and outerwear on Mount Pumori in Nepal.
This spring, Expedition Hanesbrands heads to Mount Everest. With good weather, hard climbing — and nanotechnology on their backs — Clarke and his crew are counting on the Supersuit to help them make it to the top.
It’s super-insulating Zero-Loft Aerogel, more than 99 percent air, according to the company. The claim by Champion is that it’s four times as warm as goose down.
Details on Jamie’s Everest ascent is posted on ClimbeEverestWithUs – The Team
besthike.com 