The PBS Program “Across Indiana” (produced by WFYI, Indianapolis) came out at the end of August to shoot some footage of the park where I work and live (well, the Park end of it. the other end, Brookville Lake, is 16,000 acres with 5,000 of that in water). We spent 8 hours out on the…
I got my REI dividend today and used it to purchase a bear canister (I got the Counter Assault Bear Keg). After the coupon and the divend they still owed me a little bit of money, so I also ordered a semi-rectangular synthetic bag that can be unzipped and used as a comforter. I have…
Over the weekend I saw some folks with no-sew fleece blankets for their dog crates at shows. Knowing Beau likes fluffy things, I thought this would be a good way to pad his crate. The pad I describe here fits well in Beau’s crate and I think it’ll work as a travel bed for him as…
First Aid Kit I have tailored this to fit my needs since I usually hike either completely alone or with just a dog. I don’t carry things like splints because I haven’t had the need for one, even after badly spraining my ankle while hiking or even after breaking my leg not on the trail….
These are a couple of files I created when I was still planning to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2004. Since I never did that trip they’ve been sitting on my laptop’s hard drive ever since. I believe they would be useful for many types of trips, not just hiking. For instance, a cross-country bicycle…
Knitting needle and crochet hook charts with printable PDFs.
What’s the best breed for hiking and packing? As with any activity, there is no best breed. Some breeds tend to be poorly suited for hiking and carrying a load- long backed breeds such as Bassets and Dachshunds for instance. Some have coats that pick up burrs and debris, or coats so thick they can’t…
You can make your own ditty bags and stuff sacks from leftover nylon pieces from other gear for a fraction of the store prices. As a plus they are an EXACT fit for your gear. You can make them out of anything you want- nylon packcloth, poly fleece (good for sleeping bags as it will…
A small request: The patterns are free, but if you’d like to see more, please support this site by visiting the Online Store or click the “Make a Donation” button at the top right of every page. More patterns are coming soon! The Patterns have been used to outfit dogs, hikers, assistance/therapy dogs, SAR teams,…
If you are looking to help the NYC/WTC SAR dogs, click here. I put up this for traildogs in general… though if you want to use it for other dogs that’s great too. It’s been up since some time in April 2001. Uses for booties: -Icy trail conditions. -Protect feet from road chemicals and salt….
