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 It's an easy mistake to make. You're tired from the trail, you have dinner, sit around the fire and hang your food bag before heading off to bed. Your pack is covered, your gear protected and you sleep soundly as the temperatures dip below freezing. Then you wake up in the morning ready to make breakfast and fill your water container for the hike of the day and discovered that your water filter is frozen because it was left out from the night before.
I did this for the second time recently on a hike through the Wallawas in Oregon. My thermometer said it was 20 degrees when we got up after the first night (see the picture of frost on one of our tents). This time the water pump was not only frozen but when the water froze, it expanded and broke the connector to the hose.
 Not sure what to do, we tried holding the hose tightly against the water filter while we pump. See this picture.
Needless to say, this was not an effective or an efficient way to pump water.
Fortunately, and somewhat unbelievably, one of guys on our trip had a tiny tube of super glue with him. We were able to glue the tiny piece of plastic back to the pump and the hose fit like a charm. We dodged a bullet.
I should say that we had a backup - I brought some Aqua Mira which works pretty well but still has some taste and slows down the process when you are in camp because it takes about 20 minutes for the water to be ready to drink. And, of course, we could have boiled water.
The question is, will it happen again? Probably, but I bet it won't happen next year while the memory is still fresh! |
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| Published by rwhitney in cooking, hints | Comments (2) |
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Given the option I would usually have a cold breakfast on the trail. I usually wake up hungry and don't really want the hassle of dealing with the stove - even if it is as simple boiling water for oatmeal.
 Last year, I bought a bulk container of this Mountain House meal called "Granola with milk and blueberries." This stuff is great but not all that cheap. The bulk size retails for about $34 and has 27 servings. That, of course, is a serving size for a mouse. Most people including myself will have two servings. A two serving helping will cost you about $2.50 if you buy it in bulk (a little cheaper if you buy it online like here) and will cost you about $4 if you buy a single serving package.
This stuff is not rocket science. I'm not a creative guy in the kitchen but I can figure this out. Today I went down to the store and picked up the necessary ingredients. All I got was dried blueberries, bulk granola and dry milk. A little experimentation in the kitchen and I have a recipe that I like better than Mountain House.
 I chose the freeze dried blueberries called "Just Blueberries". They almost instantly take on the water and end up soft and tasty.
Next, I got the standard Carnation powdered milk
 Finally, I got some bulk granola. I chose one that had some strawberry flavor in it but you could do just about anything you want.
Here are the portions I found worked for me:
- 1/3 cup powdered milk (enough for 8 oz of milk)
- 2/3 cup granola (could go to a cup here if you want)
- 1/3 cup of dried blueberries (you could go less to make them last)
This is enough for 1 breakfast. I package each breakfast in a sandwich bag.
On the trail, dump contents into your bowl and add 8 ounces of fresh, cold water. Stir. Enjoy!
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| Published by rwhitney in cooking | Comments (5) |
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| Zack is a big dog (100 lbs) with a lot of energy. He's also an inside dog - call me crazy. During the week he gets cabin fever unless I can find some way to help him burn off the extra energy. A simple walk around the block generally doesn't do it. My favorite way to wear him out is to take him down to the river behind the house and play fetch. The water is deep, the current is swift but there are plenty of good places for him to swim to shore and get out.
During Labor Day weekend I had family out from the east coast and they watched me throw sticks for Zack. He would leap through the air from the bank, plunge into the water and swim vigorously to retrieve the stick. While doing this I came up with the idea of trying to photograph him from below while jumping through the air.
With help from another stick thrower, I stood in the water and took a couple of shots. Here is what I came up with..
If you look closely you can see the stick flying through the air in front of him. Here is another shot of him launching off of the bank...
I was hoping to get him from below against the sky but I like the results. It definitely gives you a feeling of the absolute reckless abondon of my dog Zack.
What's funny is that he used to be afraid of water when he was about 4 months old! |
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| Published by rwhitney in dogs | Comments (1) |
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On Monday I posted a story about the Spot Satellite Messenger device and I got a comment from Kevin Stoltz from PLB Rentals. He helped differentiate the category of PLBs from other messenging devices by saying the PLBs have more transmitting power - therefore they are a better safety device. He also mentioned to me to check out another device called TracMe.
 So I did. Here is a shot of the TracMe and here's what the TracMe website lists as the unique features of their device:
Voice beacon - can be monitored by anyone on the existing radio emergency channel.
Does not automatically instigate a search and rescue - about 98% of distress alerts detected from inadvertently activated beacons are false.
Extremely small and light weight.
Low cost - less than half the cost of existing beacons.
Very low cost for the Search and Rescue (SAR) crews.
A search can be performed with a single aircraft and one ground crew of 2 to 3 people.
Will operate continuously for about 7 days - this gives the rescuers ample time to locate the beacon.
Single use - once the unit has been activated, it can be deactivated but not reused.
Shelf or storage life should be up to 10 years.
The picture doesn't really do it justice because the device only weighs 1.6oz according to the user's manual!! However, if you read the manual there is this important disclaimer: "However, in some situations, you are required by law to carry a satellite PLB. For general activities not requiring a satellite PLB, the TracMe is a much better choice because it is affordable, lightweight, and avoids major problems if inadvertently activated. TracMe is not a satellite PLB."
The most interesting thing I found was this table from their website. All credits go to TracMe Beacons for this information.
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| Published by rwhitney in gear | Comments (3) |
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 I just discovered a very cool device called a Spot Satellite Messenger, Spot for short. This thing acts like a personal locator beacon but is lighter and more useful. If you're not familiar with a personal locator beacon it's a device that has one function - call for help. It uses satellites so it works almost anywhere. It transmits a signal that is received through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC). Some of these devices have built-in GPS units so the signal that is transmited includes information to locate you. Others just emit a signal that a rescue effort can triangulate once they get into the area.
I own one of the PLBs from ACR and carry it with me when I hike alone. It weighs almost a pound but it is nice for peace of mind. The model I have doesn't appear to be sold anymore and the newer models are lighter but they still weigh around 12oz.
Now a company has announced this thing called Spot which has the ability to signal for help but it also has the ability to send messages to the person of your choice saying that you are OK. The concerned person back at the ranch can look up your location on the Spot website, complete with a map, even when you are not in a desperate situation and Spot only weighs 7.4 oz!
According to the Spot website the device will be available in November and it will cost $149 (a bit better than the $300+ I spent on my PLB). The Spot device will also require a $99/year subscription - still not too bad. |
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| Published by rwhitney in gear | Comments (8) |
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| All about backpacking & hiking gear, ideas and techniques. |
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