•3 Easy Steps to Becoming a BackCountry Hero
3 Easy Steps to Becoming a BackCountry Hero by Chuck FitzgeraldHave 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 the backcountry is easy for anyone – you don’t have to be Ted Turner. Not every one can fly to the Amazon delta to move bird nests or trek off to the Aleutian Islands to remove crude oil from a pristine beach....
•5 Easy Steps to Giving the Perfect BackCountry Gift
5 Easy Steps to Giving the Perfect BackCountry Gift
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
Does the thought of buying a gift for a friend or relative make you smile or does it stress you out? Is there a hiker or camper on your gift giving list? What can you give to the someone who already has everything? The secret of gift giving is not always the “what.” Many times the “why, when and how” make an ordinary gift the Perfect Gift. Continue reading to discover 5 sure-fire steps to giving the perfect gift to...
•5 Tips for Successful Bird Watching
5 Tips for Successful Bird Watching
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
Can you name the number one spectator sport in North America? It’s not baseball, figure skating or racing. It’s bird watching. That’s right, more people are watching birds than football and hockey combined. With so many people hoping to see a bird they’ve never seen before, it’s not surprising to see a clamoring for the latest tips and tools to get the job done. Here are my top five tips for getting the most out of your birding...
•5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your BackCountry Gear
5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your BackCountry Gear
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
Time out of doors is a precious commodity to the outdoor enthusiast - but are we getting the most out of this time. One way to ensure maximum backcountry enjoyment is to get the most possible value from the gear you acquire and use. Here are 5 ways to get the most out of your backcountry gear – and your backcountry experience.
- Purchase the best gear you can possibly afford. If you are going to spend a year...
•Best Tips for Enjoying the BackCountry in the Rain
Best Tips for Enjoying the BackCountry in the Rain
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
If you spend any amount of time in the backcountry at all, it will rain on you. Remember this - rain is a good thing; without it there wouldn’t be much backcountry to enjoy. How you prepare for rain and how you handle yourself and gear in the rain, makes the difference between a great experience and a horrible one. Here are some great ideas for ensuring your backcountry enjoyment when mother nature rains down on you....
•Camping Makes the Weekend Perfect
Camping Makes the Weekend Perfect by Chuck FitzgeraldDo you have a weekend without anything to do or a weekend when you don’t want to do anything? I know what I’d do. I would pack up the truck and head for the woods. Sitting by a camp fire with your favorite people solves many problems, so you shouldn’t wait too long between fires. My favorite thing to do on a weekend is to camp. Are you looking for an easy way to camp? How about car camping? I love it! First of all, let’s define car...
•Five Life Skills for BackCountry Enjoyment
Five Life Skills for BackCountry Enjoyment
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
As outdoor enthusiasts spend more and more time in our backcountry, a handful of skills become more and more essential. All of these skills are easy to learn and add considerably to the overall enjoyment of spending time out-of-doors. The key word here is enjoyment. In order to enjoy ourselves, we must be comfortable with ourselves and our surroundings. This is especially true in the backcountry. So let’s talk about life...
•Geocaching: A Great Way To Get Outdoors
Geocaching: A Great Way To Get Outdoors
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
If you’re tired of hiking the same trail or picnicking at the same park, then Geocaching may be exactly what you’re looking for. Geocaching, pronounced gee-o-cashing, is the high tech version of a treasure hunt. Armed with nothing but a handheld GPS unit and a thirst for excitement, you’re off for new adventures and the likelihood of finding a hidden cache.
Here’s how it works. Geocachers seek out hidden treasures utilizing GPS...
•Is First Aid Different in the BackCountry?
Is First Aid Different in the BackCountry? by Chuck FitzgeraldFirst aid is first aid is first aid – right? At first glance, providing first aid in the backcountry appears to be much like it is anywhere else. But if you look a little closer and you’ll find it is quite different. When you have finished this article, you will understand how it differs and how you, as an outdoor enthusiast, must think about it differently.Let’s start with the definition of first aid, followed by a little advice....
•Keys to Responsible Recreation in the BackCountry
Keys to Responsible Recreation in the BackCountry
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
Having a good time is pretty high on everyone’s to do list, especially when surrounded by awesome views and super-awesome friends. We hike, bike, climb, camp, raft, fish, hunt, four-wheel, sleep and eat – among other things – in the backcountry. If not done properly, that’s a lot of wear and tear on our natural resources. Responsible recreation ensures future outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors as...
•New Year’s Resolutions for the BackCountry
New Year’s Resolutions for the BackCountry by Chuck FitzgeraldThe 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 the 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...
•Night Vision Devices -- The Ultimate in BackCountry Toys
Night Vision Devices -- The Ultimate in BackCountry Toys
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
Many nights in the backcountry are far from dark. A bright moon and a sky full of stars can throw off enough light to allow for reading a book, but add cloud cover, mountains or trees and it gets dark awfully fast. When you need to see in the dark, you have two choices - you either turn on a light, or use one of the many available night vision devices (NVD). The NVD could be the ultimate backcountry toy.
Like...
•Top Tips for Successful BackCountry Navigation
Top Tips for Successful BackCountry Navigation
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
As an outdoor enthusiast you will at some point make a decision to learn how to navigate in the backcountry. Whether you use a map, compass, GPS receiver or all three, there are several things you should know about successful navigation. Your safety and the safety of your companions depend upon it.
Backcountry activities such as hiking, orienteering, hunting, climbing, geocaching, fishing, four-wheeling and camping are...
•What To Know When Buying Binoculars
What To Know When Buying Binoculars
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
We are asked nearly every day: "What are your best binoculars?" And every day we answer: "How do you plan on using them?" We are not trying to be evasive with our answer, but the truth of the matter is – the best binoculars for one purpose may be the worse binoculars for another. We want you to Get It Right The First Time.
Understanding your application is paramount in determining the best fit – for you. Although there are many...
•What's In Your Hiking Pack?
What's In Your Hiking Pack?
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
Every time I leave the pavement, I take along my trusty hiking pack – even if I have no intention of hiking. Doing this has become a habit rather than a conscious decision. My pack goes with me when a hike, camp, hunt, fish, bird watch and even when I drive out of town. I’ve been a boy scout and a United States Marine so I suppose I have learned to be prepared for almost anything. My pack is full of items I hope I will never need.
What’s in...
•Why I Watch Birds
Why I Watch Birds
Chuck Fitzgerald C2005. All Rights Reserved.
I've been in-and-out of bird watching my whole life. I've just recently gotten back "in" the wonderful world of Bird Watching and have I ever missed it! There is something about birding that makes everything right in the world. OK, that may be a bit of exaggeration, but when I'm birding everything is right in MY world. If you are a fellow bird watcher you understand what I'm talking about. If you haven't given it a...
•Why Range Finders are Perfect for the BackCountry
Why Range Finders are Perfect for the BackCountry
by: Chuck Fitzgerald
Outdoor enthusiasts love to guess about all sorts of things. We guess how many stars are in the Milky Way, we guess how fast a deer runs or we might even guess about how long it will be until that big, dark cloud dumps rain us. But there are times when guessing in the backcountry just doesn’t get the job done. Specialty gear is available to help us determine how far we’ve hiked - and in what direction - and other...
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