Helmets can significantly reduce the risk of a head injury from sledding (photo by Adam Baker)
Heavy winter storms have been blanketing mountains in the west this Christmas, leaving several feet of fresh snow. Unfortunately, fresh snow combined with steep mountain terrain has proven deadly for three people already, with two more still unaccounted for, as of Christmas night.
Energizer will debut a portable AA and AAA solar charger at CES. (GoodCleanTech)
Energizer® Solar Charger
If you are still using alkaline batteries in your outdoor gadgets, Energizer has a new product that should help you make the switch to rechargeables. GoodCleanTech offered a sneak peak of this new battery charger that Energizer will debut at CES in January. It can charge AA and AAA size NiMH rechargeable batteries via AC power, or its integrated solar panel. The charger also has an integrated USB port, for charging products with internal batteries.
Numerous state parks across the country face closure
From Washington to Florida and New York to Idaho, state budgets are reeling from a combination of reduced property and sales tax revenue. Numerous state parks are already on the chopping block, in an effort to reduce budgets with minimal impact to union jobs and social services.
Goat Meadow Snow Play Area is located on the southern border of Yosemite National Park, 1 mile off of Highway 41. The 1 mile road is not plowed, so chains or 4-wheel drive is required.
It doesn’t matter whether you are in snowy New Hampshire or rainy California, winter weather can put a serious crimp in your outdoor family activities. Having never lived in the northern climates, I’ve always had romantic notions of how much better snow must be, than the (relatively) cold and rainy locations that I’ve spent my life in. There’s not much that you can do in the rain, except wait for it to stop and, even then, most outdoor activities are still a messy affair.
Husky Hiker - A journey of weight loss through the woods...
Jim Bradley at Husky Hiker has an interesting post about a process called Ion Mask which is used to waterproof all kinds of different products, from outdoor wear to electronics. Also be sure to check out Jim’s seven-part series on geocaching. If you ever wondered what the sport of geocaching was all about, this will explain everything.
danbauer.net - cooking, camping, cars and cinema
I was going to post a list of “last minute stocking-stuffers for campers” today, but when I saw Dan’s post about some new gear he picked-up on Amazon, I thought why reinvent the wheel? He’s got a great list of last-minute gift ideas, including Les Stroud’s book, “Survive!,” Jack Bauer’s (heh) Brunton pocket scope and, one of those great gifts that every outdoor person can use – a beanie!
Twilight Earth - Environmental Issues, Green World Wide News and Shared Discussion
Adam Shake posted about the plight of Gray Wolves in Michigan. On the comeback from near extinction, the wolves are being illegally hunted in order to protect whitetail deer and local livestock. The environmental news wasn’t all bad this week, though. Adam also posted about 1,000 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong and there are some great pictures in his post.
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