The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has been highlighting the importance of outdoor recreation in state and national economies.  The OIA reports that outdoor recreation in the United States generates: $646 billion in consumer spending 6.1 million direct jobs $49.9 billion in federal tax revenue $39.7 billion in state and local tax revenue. To put this […]

Map reading is a critical skill for adventurers.  It may seem like your Geographical Positioning System unit is a wonderful thing – and it is – until it dies without warning.  When that happens, you must have a map and compass with you and know how to use them.  I’ve been thinking about putting together […]

Pokémon Go is a new and free smart phone app (iOS and Android) that seems to be getting a lot of interest.   First I’ll explain a bit about what the app does, then I’ll get into why I am on the fence about it. About Pokémon Go Pokémon Go is a game.    The Pokémon […]

  If you want to go canoeing, but you live in the city and don’t have a vehicle,  your only choices were to get to the water and rent a canoe or just not go canoeing.  Now, Belgian inventor Otto Van De Steene has taken an idea he developed from a paper origami canoe and created a […]

I’ve highlighted some of the crazy things idiotic tourists do in my past writings.  Like loading a baby bison into the back of a car, backing up to a bison to take a selfie, painting strange pictures on the rocks at National Parks or whatever. Most of us wouldn’t think to do any of these things […]

One thing you will find among the serious explorers of the world is an ardent interest in identifying the things they come across in their adventures.  Among foragers,  identification of things they might ingest becomes of critical importance.  Whether you are an explorer, a forager or just someone with an interest in mushrooms,  you will […]

The mission of the non-profit U.S. National Whitewater Center is to build stronger communities by: Promoting healthy and active lifestyles Developing environmental stewardship Encouraging family and civic interaction The National Whitewater Center has a unique way of doing that.  It is located on 1,100 acres near Charlotte, North Carolina adjacent to the Catawba River and […]

  When I think of rooftop camping,  I think of these great tents that set up on top of your vehicle.  They get one off the ground and offer quick setup, a flat floor,  a comfortable mattress and heavy duty construction.  Because you are off the ground, you are farther from the little critters that can […]

We’ve mentioned conflicts between people and wildlife in these past posts: Animal Safety Lessons Learned from Death by Grizzly Bear Liability for Injuries Caused by Animals If the People Were Bears and the Bears Were People Yet,  done safely, watching wildlife can be a terrific reason to get out and explore.  In fact a program called […]

The Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service and the Healthy Community Design Initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention got together and produced a Parks, Trails and Health Workbook.  It is widely recognized that parks are critical to the health of communities and the people that live in them.  This […]