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Dilbert on the outdoors
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recommended survival gear – 2 oz. AeroVestâ„¢
Larry Smith of AeroVestâ„¢ asked me to test their ultralight, air inflated survival vest.
It works exactly as advertised. I highly recommend this product. And it’s very inexpensive at $15.
I tested it in the Tombstone mountains in the Yukon, not far from the Arctic Circle, inflating the vest in the evening and then sleeping in it all night. (This is me the following morning.)
As you can see, I survived.
AeroVest Survival Vest
The 2 oz. AeroVestâ„¢ is compact, lightweight and inexpensive insurance against emergencies. It packs up smaller than a deck of cards yet inflates into a full sized emergency vest that shields you from wind and rain. The silver lining refects radiated heat back to you while the 18 air pokets insulate you from the cold. …
* 18 air pockets help keep heat in, cold out.
* Your 98.6 degree breath provides instant warmth
* Bright Yellow/Orange exterior for increased visibility in an emergency
* AeroVestâ„¢ comes in a single size that can fit teens and adults up to XL (men’s 46 jacket)
It’s not necessarily something you need to add to your basic hiking kit — but the AeroVest would be ideal for a hiker to keep in the trunk of a vehicle, in a boat or at the cabin. Any place in fact where hypothermia is a risk.
hiking coast-to-coast across Corsica
Say that you’re planning to walk across Corsica and many assume that you’re heading for the GR20, a challenging 110-mile trail that bisects the mountainous island from north to south. As a relative beginner, I opted instead for the 50-mile Mare a Mare Sud, a gentler path that winds from Propriano in the south-west to Porto Vecchio in the south-east.
Where to stay:
Walker’s hostels called gites d’étappe provide basic but clean accommodation and decent food for about €35 per night.
In early May the hostels were half-empty and advance booking wasn’t necessary, but from June to August they can fill up quickly and reservation is recommended. Some of the hostels close from October to April. There are also some guest houses along the route, which need to be booked in advance as they may close without notice if business drops off. Each of the stop-off points has a campsite, but camping outside these areas is not allowed.
When to go:
Late spring and early autumn are the best times for walking. The route is passable for most of the year but is more difficult in the winter, when snow covers the higher stretches. In July and August the route is busy despite the heat.
more information – Corsica.forhikers.com
two hiking events I WISH I could attend
Great Southeastern Hiking Festival Conference (fee)
May 3 – 6, 2007
Montreat, North Carolinaand
FREE Public Festival
Saturday May 5
From 9 AM – 7 PM
In Downtown Black Mountain, NCAmerican Hiking Society: Alliance: Southern Appalachians Initiative
(Thanks Sandra. Florida Hikes)
Appalachian Trail Days
May 18-19-20 2007
Damascus, VirginiaTrail Days celebrates the Appalachian Trail and the hikers, former hikers and aspiring hikers who converge there each year.
Tongariro Northern Circuit in 10.5hrs
Craig Stanton from New Zealand is preparing to start the Pacific Crest Trail in April. He’s got a great website — PCT2007.org — and looks very organized.
Looks like Craig will be ready for the PCT. He blazed through one of our top 10 hikes.
Yesterday I completed the challenge I was unable to finish last week.
Under perfect skies I hiked, and at some points ran, the Tongariro Northern Circuit in one day.
Less than 10.5 hours actually, and I’m pretty pleased with that because usually it is billed as 3-4 days … (read more)
photos – Multnomah Falls, Oregon
It’s difficult to capture spectacular Multnomah Falls in one photo.
original – flickr – SqueakyMarmot
original – flickr – by righto…. 2005
more photos on flickr.
Multnomah Falls – Wikipedia
leaving comments on blog posts
Bloggers greatly appreciate feedback, positive or negative.
And leaving a comment tells search engines like Google that the post was worthy of your attention, positive or negative.
We got some feedback by email, response form and by comment on a recent post:
the top 10 treks in the world – 5 months?
That discussion (cost, time, difficulty level) will be kept in the comment section of that post.
In fact, we were even inspired to add a new feature. You can now “subscribe” to any comment you leave on this blog. More dialogue is a good thing.
Note that we do not use a CAPTCHA on our commenting system. No need. This blog is 100% protected by amazing anti-spam service called Akismet.
Roraima, Venezuela
Originally uploaded by txago.
One day …
You too should climb to the Lost World, Roraima on the border of Venezuela, Brazil & Guyana.
It’s the highest “tepui” (flat-topped, cliff-edged mountain) at 2810m (9219ft). Recommended 6-day, 5-night round trip trek to the summit.
information page – besthike.com
climbing Aconcagua independently
What does it take to climb the highest peak outside Asia independently?
It took the Pfluegl brothers 2 years of passion, dedication and commitment.
It cost them about US$5000 each.
But how did they feel on summit day?
Pfluegl brothers Dec. 27th, 2006
To “climb” Aconcagua they trekked 22 days, 70km (43mi) return with pack weights of up to 42kg (92lbs)!
For details positively Teutonic, check the trip report by Manfred Pfluegl.
More information on trekking (not climbing) Aconcagua. – besthike.com
heli-hiking Berg / Robson in Canada
One of the best hikes in the Canadian Rockies is Berg Lake / Mt. Robson.
Of many highlights, getting a shower under majestic Emperor Falls is special. I’d actually never heard of these Falls before I hiked Mt. Robson. The are the most impressive Falls in Western Canada.
Heli-hiking is the best way to do Robson. A chopper is available twice a week to deliver you to Berg Lake. From there you want 3 days to explore the high alpine and another day to walk out.
Olivier George – Berg Lake from the Mumm Basin trail – Wikipedia
besthike.com 