1. Survivorman - A Review
June 13, 2006


Survivorman is a television program about wilderness survival. It can be seen on the Discovery Channel (and others?). It's all about one man against the elements, and the man in this case is Les Stroud. He is put in various environments to survive for seven days while filming himself. Having no camera crew may be the most novel idea in the show. You are sure the danger is real - there won't be a cameraman slipping food or water to Les when the camera is off. Stroud is alone, and really does get into trouble at times. His challenges are made tougher by the fact that he has to lug around ca... (read more)

Author: Steve Gillman | Article Views: 832

2. Overnight Summer Camps: A Wonderful American Tradition!
May 04, 2006


There are lots of wonderful summer experiences for kids and teens to partake in. Sending your kid to overnight camp is one of the most popular choices. For many, including myself as a kid, spending time each summer away at camp created a fun and exciting adventure away from home. Camp, especially longer program stays of 3 weeks or more, provides a true bonding experience among campers, counselors, directors and staff. Returning each summer reunites kids with some great friends and creates the opportunity to have fun learning new sports and activities. More than that, overnight camps have ... (read more)

Author: Nicole Martins | Article Views: 546

3. Michigan Outdoors - Hidden Places
March 25, 2006


In Michigan, being outdoors can mean relaxing on a sandy beach or getting lost in the wilderness. One of the hidden places described below will let you do both. Here are three places that you haven't seen in magazine articles and guide books. Michigan Outdoors - Rivers You can float the Manistee River from Baxter Bridge (the next crossing down from Hwy 131) north of Cadillac, all day without seeing a house or a road. The majority of the route is in the Manistee National Forest, where you can camp without permits. The Manistee isn't a river full of exciting rapids (at least not on thi... (read more)

Author: Steve Gillman | Article Views: 627

4. The Cheapest Hiking Clothes
March 19, 2006


Hiking clothes and backpacking clothes need to function to a higher standard than everyday clothes. That's why they're often more expensive. Shop all the sales you want, and you will save money, but that extremely expensive waterproof/breathable coat will only be marked down to "very expensive." Time for some more radical ways to find cheap hiking clothes. Consider what you really need for the trips you have planned. If you'll be scaling peaks in Patagonia for a month, you may have to stick with the best sales you can find on the high-quality stuff. If, on the other hand, your trips are f... (read more)

Author: Steve Gillman | Article Views: 713

5. A Backpack With Wheels?
March 13, 2006


I wouldn't have thought a backpack with wheels would actually work for backpacking, but when I saw the web site for the "Wheelpacker"(TM), I was impressed. You wear a frame that attaches you to a wheeled pack. It can even go over logs and rocks. It started me thinking about what other backpacking innovations are just waiting to be marketed. Here are a few of the things I came up with. Steal these ideas, please. Inflatable Frame Backpack With frame-less backpacks we often put folded sleeping pads in the pack for cushioning against our backs and some support for the load. Why not just ... (read more)

Author: Steve Gillman | Article Views: 1550