New Year’s Resolutions for the BackCountryWritten by Chuck Fitzgerald
The New Year has begun and you probably have a few New Year’s Resolutions under way. You’ll lose weight, lose a bad habit, add a good habit or even mend an old fence. But do you have any resolutions for backcountry? Are you ready to make this year your best backcountry year? I’m ready. Here are a few of my backcountry New Year’s Resolutions; please adopt a couple of these for yourself. If you do, 2005 will be your best outdoor year yet.First off, I resolve to spend more time in backcountry. No matter how much time I spend hiking or camping, it never seems to be enough. So this year I will try to get my fill of outdoors. Of course, I said this last year too but failed to get enough. Next I resolve to upgrade my critical gear. Some things are more comfortable longer you own them, but this isn’t good practice for critical backcountry gear. For example, it’s been a few years since I upgraded my first-aid kit or my hiking boots or my sunglasses. These items become a liability if they are not properly maintained. I’ve let that slip. I’ll also take a long look at my binoculars and my camping kitchen, especially my stove. Taking care of your gear will ensure its ability to take care of you when you need it most. While we’re discussing gear, let’s keep going with another resolution. I resolve to learn how to use all of my gear. I’ve been carrying a magnesium stick for fire starting for about 5 years. I don’t think I know how to use it. I’m going to learn. I need to understand more about my GPS receiver (Garmin eTrex Vista). I use about five percent of its capabilities and this is only because I haven’t taken time to learn. That changes this year.
| | 3 Easy Steps to Becoming a BackCountry HeroWritten by Chuck Fitzgerald
Have you thought about helping to protect wildlife or wild flowers, but you don’t know how? Or maybe you want to protect your favorite camping site or that cool little stream nobody else knows about? Making a difference in backcountry is easy for anyone – you don’t have to be Ted Turner. Not every one can fly to Amazon delta to move bird nests or trek off to Aleutian Islands to remove crude oil from a pristine beach. But everyone can help right where they are. Follow these 3 easy steps, and you’ll be on your way to giving back to your backcountry and you’ll have a ball doing it.First step is to take inventory of your backcountry interests. What is your favorite outdoor activity? Is it fishing, rock climbing, bird watching, hiking, camping, canoeing, hunting, skiing, classifying plants, kayaking, horseback riding or something else? Take a few minutes to really understand what excites you about being off pavement and in backcountry. Once you have pictured yourself engaging in your favorite outdoor recreation, you’re ready for step two. The second step towards becoming a backcountry hero is to do a little research. If you love to hike, perhaps spending some time researching American Hiking Society and some of its projects make sense to you. If bird watching is your thing, BirdLife International may be worth looking into. The easiest way for many to do research is on internet. But don’t forget about book stores, libraries or sport specific organizations like ones just mentioned. A more comprehensive list can be found on-line in our Education Center at www.backcountrytoys.com.
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