Bonus Tab-Clearing Post: Bears, Bear Spray, and Pistols

A look at the actual data at The Truth About Guns

TLDR: Use what you have at hand.  They both work, and the differences are statistically meaningless.  Use one.  Use both.  Use whatever's legal.  Use whatever you've got.

Tick Tick Tick – but no Tock

Short and sweet, How to Remove a Tick Safely and Avoid Lyme Disease at Outside magazine.

It's very short so read the whole thing.  However, just in case, here's a refresher:

• Get it off ASAP, preferably with tweezers grabbing the head.  Don't delay for a trip to the ER!
• SNAP A PICTURE of it.  Hadn't thought of this one, but it'll help if follow-up treatment is needed.
• Wash the bite with soap & water, hand sanitizer, or similar.  Whatever you've got.

There are a few more twists and turns at the article, so go read that, but those are the basics.  I'll add two more:

• Always carry suitable tick tweezers when in the outdoors.  Way better than fingers, but if that's all you've got, get the bug off ASAP with your fingers.
• Take some form of B vitamin before heading into the woods.  Pill or a B-heavy energy drink will do.  Ticks, along with many other bugs, don't seem to like the smell.

Sorry, no pictures here.  That may come as some minor relief.

Tent Trauma(s)

As mentioned previously, Friday evening at the Santos Fat Tire Fest had an intense storm that resulted in a wet tent interior.  I'd more or less shrugged and mentally planned on a new tent – it's 25 years old after all, and I'd just Nikwaxed it a couple of years ago and had only used it once in the meantime, and here it was leaking again.  Then two things happened.

First up, while taking the tent down, I noticed a trash line on the outside of the fly.  A little closer examination (see inset) and it appeared that the source of the wet tent was rising rather than falling water.

Even so, I was still open to buying a new tent.  Twenty five years is a good run for any piece of camping gear.  Straight-up replacement, incoming!  Then I went looking for a shiny new Eureka Apex 2XT or something comparable and... wait, Eureka's gone?  Whisky Tango?  I mean, they're one of those great companies that... No, gone, just gone.  More on this in a minute.

So I set the tent up in the back yard and hit it with a hose, and you know what?  Pretty damn watertight.  Oh, I've got the older straight-zipper rainfly model, that zipper's always leaked a little, but it's clear that the water problem wasn't the tent's fault, it's where I pitched it (and that astonishing deluge).  The tent was already up and wetted down for testing, so I just gave it another coating of Nikwax and called it a day.

Now back to the demise of Eureka Tents.  Reading between the lines on what happened, it seems that their 2023 Q3 revenues were way down compared to Q3 2022, and so as an underperforming division of Johnson Outdoor products, it had to go.  Never mind that everybody and his brother had taken up car camping during the covid-19 scare and that of course sales of durable items like tents would be down for a few years after a big boost like what happened in 2020-2022, and that this whole cycle was completely foreseeable and could have been ridden out.  Nope, burn down Yet Another great brand, move on.  For what it's worth, the same thing is happening all over the bike industry as well, and I'm sure it's happening with many other "pandemic safe" outdoor equipment manufacturers as well.  Freekin' bean counters.  For a fairly gentle take on what was going on inside Johnson Outdoors, read this short article about Eureka's demise.

Now, as for the rest of Johnson Outdoor's lines, Wikipedia has the complete brand roll; that makes for a handy no-buy list.  I just have no patience for bean counters anymore.

Anyway, I've still got several good tents – a 9x9 funhouse, the 2XT discussed here, and a dinky 1-man Spitfire, and no good reason now to replace any of them.  Good, because I just had to replace a water heater and my mountain bike shoes.  Things were stacking up a little around here.

Damp Camp

Jurassic Duck Mk III & PRC-26

From that last post, you could probably tell that I've been up to something.  Following up on last month's Three Days In The Woods, it was painfully clear that we needed serious radio power in a backpack-able format.  Some discussion of updating the old AN/PRC-25/77 radio concept was batted around.  Starting with the Jurassic Duck Mk II as a prototype antenna and building up a backpack frame with a TYT-9000D 2m radio and a 20 AH LiFePO4 batt, we took the original DoD realization from 42 pounds and 2 watts for $5000 (inflation adjusted) to a much improved 14 pounds and 60 watts for $300.  Of course, that's 60 watts on 2m, which for the typical 40 MHz used with the PRC-25/77 series, has about the same punch as 5 watts at that frequency.  OK, so a third the weight and two and a half times the power for a sixteenth the cost.  Wrap it up, I'll take it.  Also, this being 2026, we dubbed it the "PRC-26."  Picture on the right.

Of course, any project such as this one will naturally bring in a few refinements and construction notes.  Here they are for this iteration:

• We used a cam-lock lever to allow the antenna pole to pivot over to half-size for storage and transport.  This has caused all kinds of havoc, and I don't recommend it.  First, it necessitated bringing the coax out through the side of the PVC pipe above the pivot, which makes slipping things in and out during adjustment a bear.  Also, it necessitates a longer lower segment, which makes the whole thing wobbly.
• Recommended for next iteration: Two glue-on male threaded adapters with a female threaded coupler to join them.  Note, the UHF plug connector can slip through all of these and come out through the bottom of the lower pipe.  Much simpler, more rugged, and easier to construct.
• Be damned sure to get thin-walled PVC!  Bring a section of 450 ohm window line to the hardware store with you and try slip-fitting it in.  It'll be snug, but make sure it fits fairly easily.
• Revised lengths for the j-pole internals: 
• main radiator = 38" with an inch or so of loop-over (cut it a little long and tune down 1/4" at a time)
• 450 ohm segment = 17" total length, remembering to leave enough to solder the bottom legs together and an extension on the hot side for the main radiator wire attachment
• tap 1.75" from the bottom of the window line

And that's it!  I'll be building up my own personal copy of this revised version in the near future.

Hiking Over 60: The Talk

I reviewed Philip Werner's book Hiking After 60 last April (link).  Now he's on a New England-area library speaking tour.  If that's too far for you to walk, here's a video of a recent talk he gave.  About 50 minutes, so pour another cup of coffee and settle in.

Good talk, good information, good presentation.

Now if we can just get the daily high temperatures down into the mid-70's, we'll be all set.

A Pretty Good Idea

Fishing shirts for hiking, over at Section Hiker.  Kind of obvious, but I needed this pointed out.  Well, day before yesterday was the summer solstice, so I guess that I have a good three months to spray mine down with permethrin.  Really is a good idea though.

Book Mention: Hiking Over 60

Full title: Hiking Over 60: A Modern Guide to Hiking Gear and Techniques for Active Adults

Philip Werner from over at Section Hiker has put together a comprehensive guide to day hiking, which despite the 'over 60' in the title, applies to most anyone interested in taking up day hiking.  Furthermore, those day hikes can be a foundation and springboard into full-on multi-day backpacking trips.  It seems to only be available in kindle format, so here's the link.  Here's the review I left over at Amazon (so please excuse the possible change in type face; as a former printer, these things still bug me); 4 out of 5 stars:

pro: Good intro section to hiking, mostly pertaining to day trips.  Lots of up-to-date recommendations on gear.

con: Doesn't delve into the 'why' of lightweight gear.  No mention of two-way radios in either of the communication sections.  Really could use an outro chapter to cap the end of the book.

If you're hiking or even thinking of taking up hiking, you should probably buy this book.  It's divided into two major sections, the first on general hiking advice and how-tos, the second on specific gear selection.  It makes for a good mix of "why do this" and "now go do this" to get anyone started, including both those under and over 60.  It's packed with honest, no bull wisdom and gear advice from an experienced hiker.

I wish the author had put in a word for how lighter gear makes everything easier on older bodies.   However, that topic was amply covered a decade ago in Rick Allnutt's "A Wildly Successful 200-Mile Hike," so pick up a copy of that book when you finish this one.  This book is more about day hiking than multi-day backpacking, but the same weight reduction principles apply.  For all the discussion of communications, there was no mention of either FRS walkie-talkies or ham radio, both of which I find immensely useful in the woods.  Finally, a brief closing chapter to cap the book's main text would have been nice.  As it is, it simply ends and crashes into an appendix of retailer and manufacturer links.  A transition chapter to these links would have signaled the end of the main part and been smoother.

In brief, if you've read this far you should probably buy this book.  The next time a friend asks about hiking books, it's the one I'll recommend to pick up first.

Wilderness Missing Persons Cases Adequately (if imperfectly) Explained

There's a whole genre of books and podcasts centering around people going missing in wilderness areas, popularized by the "Missing 411" series of books and late-night paranormal radio interviews.  It's mildly (very mildly) worrying stuff for a person like me, who often goes hiking, backpacking, or mountain biking alone.  Deep down you know there's really nothing out of the ordinary going on, and yet late at night while listening to ghostly AM talk shows alone in a tent miles from anywhere and yet very near something called the "Bigfoot Trail" (real name, really), the mind does wander.  (graphic from Vecteezy)

I've never wanted to take the time for a thorough dive into what's going on with this, and fortunately now you and I don't have to, because Joe Scott does it for us over at his vlog: The Missing 411 Mystery Has a Solution.  You Won't Like It.  (just under 30 minutes, but you can skip parts)  TLDW:  There are a variety of reasons why people disappear in the wilderness.  Sometimes people go missing because they want to, or sometimes because other people want them to.  There are plenty of holes and rivers to fall into, never to be seen again.  Finally, when you're in nature, you just may involuntarily re-join the food chain.  All totaled, it's enough to explain nearly all of the documented cases.  Macabre, yes, but woo-woo, no.  And highly, highly unlikely to happen to you personally.  Knock on wood.

With All This Going-to-the-Woods...

... in this great fall weather, here's a fitting cartoon:

Time to re-watch The Blair Witch Project while sorting out camping gear.  It's so much more relaxing than dealing with the actual monsters that come to play in my neighborhood.

All-Up Weigh-In

It occurred to me that pack weight matters, so what the heck does that new Yaesu FT-891 (which has yet to see a trail, btw) actually weigh, and how does this compare with the FT-857d and FT-817nd?  After finding the single most important piece of backpacking gear (luggage scale), here are the results in pounds:

• 
  FT-891:     5.00
• FT-857d:   5.62
• FT-817nd: 2.72
• FT-60:       0.78

Note that all three HF rig weights include their respective Portable Zero roll cages and microphones.  The SOTAbeams speech compressor is included with the 817, because it's pretty much useless for voice without it.  The '60 hand-held is included because the 891 doesn't have VHF/UHF capability.  Add in its weight with the 891 if you want a more apples-to-apples comparison, but even that is a little off since the '60 carries a built-in battery, is only 5w, can be operated simultaneously with the HF rig, etc. etc.

In the end, the 891 is so close to the 857 in weight that it's all down to rounding errors.  And ps, in the end, the 817 and associated lightweight gear comes in at about 5 lbs, while either of the two QRO radios with their laptop & other gear will tip the scales in the neighborhood of 15 lbs.  Pick your back pain to power ratio.

The Upside-Down Seasons

 Backpacking season just started!  So why all the heavy maintenance over at Section Hiker?

Ah, life in the Deep South.  Fall is when it's actually pleasant to open the windows and venture outside again.

Radio Hiking Season Begins

 Oh, we've had a few cool days, but the real bug suppression won't start until later this week.  In the meantime, here are two from QRPer.com.

Anatomy of a Field Radio Kit Part 1: Basic components and Advantages of going QRP

Anatomy of a Field Radio Kit Part 2: Kit Types, Preparedness, and the Golden Rules

Time to dust off and recharge everything after this just-passed summer's estivation.  Also, probably wouldn't hurt to sit a the desk with the FT-817nd plugged into a dummy load and just practice for an evening.  Also, I really need to re-program the PSK-31 frequencies – it's changed for 17m.  Lots to do.

I may even have some Real Trail Action Pictures to show by this time next week.  In any case, here's a blast from the winter just past:

In which Dixie Finishes the Florida Trail

 Over at you-know where, the final episode.  Forty solid minutes of north Florida weirdness with a side order of yellow flies and ticks.  This is what you get when you skirt along the northern edge of a place named Tate's Hell Swamp in early springtime.

Yow.  It seems like it was all they could do to get from Sopchoppy to Defuniak without getting eaten alive.  Note to self: If I ever get the urge to do the FT, start NLT 31 January, and try to launch even earlier.  If any delays push completion into April, bail.

Yes, I've mentioned this series before, here, when they started the video series late April.  It seems that they began the through-hike in mid-late February, after recovering from covid.

ps: from today's Far Side.  Note the lack of yellow flies.

In which Dixie hikes the Florida Trail

Weekly vlog installments over at you-know-where.  Five so far, all in the 15 minute range.

They're maybe halfway through, and already the weather's hot and buggy and the alligators are starting to perk up.  Not me man, I'd be looking at depart-NLT-31Jan or push back to next year.  Not that I have any such plans.

Planning: Winter Field Day 2021

 Watchword for this year's WFD: Flexibility.  Haven't settled on an operating location, haven't really given things much thought.  And of course and as always, the weather has veto power on outdoor activities.  But, having tested and used the QRP radio last week, I do need to get the backpacking gear out and start scouting likely spots.  The possibilities abound, time to start weeding through them.  Just as soon as the rain stops.

 In case you're wondering, here's a link to the WFD site.

How to Pitch a Tent on a Deck

Neat-o aluminum anchors:


Sure, there are many ways to improvise something similar – a stick and some line, for example – that would serve just fine in a pinch too, but this is so much easier.  Price is pretty reasonable too.  Article at Section Hiker.

Book Review: Natural Born Heroes

It's a WWII mystery thriller about an against-all-odds clandestine operation.  It's an ultra-endurance intro.  It's all about low heart rate training.  Low-carb too.  Wild animals and parkour.  Shadowy sheep thieves, blood feuds, and on-the-fly nutrition in the original Land of The Gods and Heroes.  It's about being chased by 80,000 hell-bent Nazi troops when all you've got is a ragged pair of boots and and borrowed donkey.  And it's all over the place, ping-ponging between ancient Crete and modern desert hermit fitness gurus.  I don't know how it all holds together, but it does.

It's called Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall, the author of Born to Run.  If you've read that, and I highly recommend it, this one leaves it in the dust.  It's just one ripping adventure after another, and it points the way for your next adventure: reclaiming the fun in fitness.

As always, consult with your local cat-equiped book store for a copy.

And no, it's not a book about biking exactly, but in the overall scheme it fits so this gets the 'bike' tag, among several others.

In the News Today

The Outdoor Industry Association announces new backpack volume standard.

Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a unique view of Arrokoth (TAFKAUT).

That is all.

Human Magnetoreception

Seem it might be a thing.  Article at Pop Mech.

Lots of room for DIY experimentation here.  There will be bruises.

Would be mighty handy when out in the woods though.

Is Backpacking During the Pandemic a Good Idea?

See article over at Section Hiker on this.  Or I dunno, just apply Betteridge's Law and move on with a minimum of effort.

I ran into a similar conundrum last Sunday, and decided not to go mountain biking.  It's not that I'm concerned about picking up anything while on the trail, far from it.  It's just that I am concerned about landing in the ER, adding any tiny amount of strain to the local hospital's load, and having to gimp through the coming weeks when we all need to be at 100%.  So I just rode the seawall, as shown in Tuesday's post.  Looks like what I'll be doing for the foreseeable future.

But yeah, heading out on an extended backcountry hike, wondering about future supplies and transportation that may be needed?  Probably a really bad idea right now.