CrossFit Fever/ CC FLICKR

I have noticed lately that most things in the outdoor and fitness world have seemingly been turned into some sort of competition of the fittest, strongest, and fastest (Hence Outside Magazine turned into Men’s health magazine featuring shirtless fit dudes).

I think I started drawing the line about a year ago when I first heard about competition yoga, which only in the West can we turn something like yoga into a competition. Why can’t you just want to be healthy, fit, outdoorsy, or athletic? The real reason is because it just isn’t that flattering or entertaining for us to care about being average. When was the last time you heard someone of just doing something because it was a good idea to do, like being healthy or fit? Of course you’re going to have those out there with the whole gig of “I’m training to climb Everest blindfolded after my marathon that is preceded by my triathlon swimming in shark infested freezing water.” Yeah, yeah, we got ya. You’re a bad…you know. (This is a family blog)

So all while the craze of watching bulked up women in the crossfit challenge might be some great t.v. entrainment on a Saturday; I find I am ok by defining myself by that dreaded word…average. I think some folks may shy away from being active because of the fear of not living up to our modern standards of “super crazy fit”. I think this has somewhat been due to the fact that we have all heard from the media  for the past  10 or so years that Americans are just lazy and fat. Once that notion was stuck in everyone’s mind, the whole “super fit” movement rushed in by protesting with marathons and veggie burgers for everyone! Yay!

Ok, so I am being a bit facetious but you get the picture. It’s time that we get our wits back and just enjoy nature for nature sake and live in the moment! I am not downing on anyone that wants to challenge their bodies, but only to re-think our perceptions of what real fitness is and how we can enjoy the natural world around us without the added pressure of competition.

andreaplanet/flikr

  This original article was written by Rena Sherwood on Yahoo Pets

It was five in the morning. My British mongrel dog, Pony, knew I was awake and couldn’t get back to sleep. I knew she knew because she had her head on my pillow and was exhaling into my right ear. She needed a run. She was on a diet and I was on a diet. I did not want to leave my warm bed, but got up, ate a small breakfast and took Pony out. We got to see the sun rise. I would not have seen that if I hadn’t gone out with Pony.

Dogs make exercising more fun. They are so filled with joy at being in the moment that it inspires you to keep moving. But if you want to begin jogging, power-walking, or running with your dog, here are 10 tips to keep in mind.

Can Your Dog Keep Up With You?

Most toy breeds cannot keep up with people, especially the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Pekingese – unless you only mean to sprint for ten seconds. Herding breeds, guarding breeds, hunting breeds and healthy Jack Russells are excellent running companions. (Jack Russells can only run a couple of miles at a stretch, though.)

Can Your Dog Stay and Heel?

If your dog takes off like a rocket after every scrap of paper that blows by and ignores your calls, this dog cannot be used as a jogging partner. You need to brush up on your training, especially for the commands stay and heel.

Leash or No Leash?

You need to swing your hands in rhythm in order to your strides. Holding a leash will jerk the dog about. If your dog responds to voice commands reliably, then you can run in an off-leash park. If not, then the lead needs to attach to your waist or belt.

Carry Water and Poop Bags

There are commercially available “saddlebags” for dogs to carry their own water, collapsible water bowls and poop bags. If your dog objects to being a pack animal, you will need to wear a backpack or bum bag with these items.

Find Soft Spots for Paths

Do not begin jogging with your dog on pavement. Dogs need time to toughen up the pads on their feet, similar to the way guitarists’ fingers need time to toughen up against the strings. Run on dirt, grass or athletic tracks at first. Always check your dog’s pads for cuts, swellings or injuries after a work out.

Start Off Slow

Don’t just put on sneakers, hook a leash to your belt and take off for three miles. But on the lead and backpack or other equipment and walk briskly. See how the dog reacts. This is another good time to teach your dog to heel.

Add A Brief Jog

If the dog obeys commands and does not go mental at a brisk walk, then the next day add a brief jog of one or two blocks to your daily walk. This helps the dog get the idea. Pony is a strong puller but in the past year has stuck to me during a jog, even with squirrels nearby.

Gradually Lengthen The Run

Start slowly and build up your dog’s stamina. A quarter mile is a good start, especially if the dog still needs to get the idea of jogging with you instead of running around in circles around you. A week later, keep adding a quarter mile as the weather permits.

Stop Running if the Dog Shows Signs of Exhaustion

Pony has no respect for heat or humidity. When she was a pup, I learned that she would pace or trot until she drops. Then she needs immediate shade and tepid water. Stop and rest your dog if the dog begins panting harder than usual; drools or slobbers; starts diarrhea or vomiting after panting.

Warm Up and Cool Down

Don’t just run flat out all of the time – even if your dog is like Pony and bolts out of the house every morning. You need to walk briskly in order to warm up and then jog. A few blocks from home, get back down to a walk. Pony now stretches when she sees me go for her chest harness and leash. I often forget to and pay for it later.

Today we are going to take a look at a couple of products made by Blizzard Survival. I have not used these products; however I can give you my opinion based off of my research and other user testimonials.

The Blizzard Survival Sleeping Bag and Blankets are designed be used in either an emergency medical situation or a survival situation. The sleeping bag seems most effective as it is designed to surround the entire body trapping in more heat and providing more protection.

The engineering and design of these products seem to show how Blizzard addresses the issues surrounding body thermo-regulation and thermodynamics.  An example of this is the triple layer reflexcell cellular construction which creates a dead air space that traps warm air. The silver surface that lines the product reflects heat back on to the body for extra warmth.

 Overall I think this product is definitely worth having as an emergency preparedness item in the home, car, and on outdoor trips. If you have a comprehensive medical kit, I believe it would also be worth the weight and space in a large kit. The overall design and construction seem to show exceptional quality and the fact that it is durable, lightweight, and waterproof gets the job done.

I do have a few suggestions in regards to some areas that could be improved upon such as the noisiness of the material being a bit of an annoyance, but as with a lot of lightweight materials this can hardly be avoided. The packaged size of the materials is a bit large for me, but too me seems a lot better than lugging around large heavy blankets.

These products are a step above those cheap plastic reflective “survival” blankets that you get in most outdoor stores and have a reputation to prove it. They are used by elite military and civilian organizations around the world, so I believe it will be just fine for me out in the field. To be a bit more specific about the medical applications, Blizzard makes specific bags for medical situations that help to prevent shock and raise core body temperature of an injured patient. You can find more info on the Persys website listed below.

 Product Manufacturer Info:

Blizzard Protection Systems which manufactures the Blizzard Survival Bag is based out of the UK and is widely used by elite military and civilian SAR organizations worldwide. It is the winner of many awards for their products for innovation and design. PerSys Medical is their U.S. distributing partner which specializes in offering a wide variety of emergency medical products and services for use in both civilian and military applications.

orcmid/flikr

So the new year is here and there’s a lot to look forward to in the year 2012. We at Mountain Hideaway are always looking forward and gearing up for your next upcoming adventure. Whether you’re a missionary going overseas to spread the good news or you’re a local fly fisherman; we have the gear to make your outing something memorable. We of course cannot do what we do without you and for that we want to start the new year thanking our customers for 20 years of patronage to the Hideaway.

That being said this is a great time of year to rummage through your gear and see what needs to be repaired or replaced. You can even start planning your early spring outings in hopes of catching that great fish or seeing some Elk high atop the ridges of the Rockies. See this year as a time in which you can spend more time making memories in the outdoors with those you love. This can be a chance for your kids and the rest of the family to experience something spectacular as there is something always to behold when in nature’s ambiance.

In order to live a life of adventure you first must let go and realize that every day we are called to something better and greater than ourselves. Living an outdoor life is meant to harness that inner calling that beckons us to long trails, trout streams, mountain tops, and cliff edges to challenge our minds and bodies for a renewal in our daily lives. Our ancestors lived in a state of nature constantly reminding them of life’s delicate balance and wonder. You too can find this state of nature in our state and national parks systems.

All of us at Mountain Hideaway wish our dear friends a happy New Year and a great start to the adventures that lie beyond in 2012.

 Before the days of Gore-Tex and super technologically advanced garments, layering was and still is essential to survival in extreme cold temperatures. The only difference between now and then is that now we have more options in terms of choosing specific layering systems and we have lighter weight and more breathable fabrics.

1^st Layer: Base layer or “Next-to-Skin” layer

This layer can be made of a wool fiber or synthetic material that conforms to your body and lays close to the skin to wick moisture away from your body. Moisture wicking fabric allows moisture to escape the body, so as to avoid overheating during physical strenuous activities. The is layer is not usually made to be an insulative layer; however there are some baselayers like the Capilene 4 (expedition weight) that is considered to have insultive properties.

 2^nd Layer: Mid Layer or “Insulative Layer”

This layer is added for extra warmth and insulation. Materials such as fleece, down, or synthetics such as Primaloft are usually used for this layer. Fleece is a great lightweight insulator but it can be bulky and it does not retain heat in windy or wet weather. Goose Down is lightweight and is the most effective layer for warmth in dry cold weather; however in wet conditions down will lose its ability to retain heat. Synthetic materials bridge the gap between down and fleece and offer excellent warmth in a wide variety of conditions; it is often times heavier than down.

3^rd Layer: Outer-Layer or “Shell Layer”

 The outer layer’s primarily used to keep moisture and elements such as ice and snow away from the body. These layers need to be 100% waterproof, but may also vary on how breathable or durable the garment is. The Gore-Tex brand of material is outdoor industry standard for being most waterproof, breathable, and durable.

 The Soft Shell:

Soft shell’s have been somewhat of an oddity in the layering system, mainly because of it’s flexible construction and the wide variety of conditions it can be used in. The soft shell’s main purpose is to create a layer that allows the body to move freely without restriction. Most if not all soft shells have some ability to stretch all while providing some protection from the elements. Soft shell’s early on were not made to be water proof; however some have evolved into a sophisticated garment with full waterproof protection.

marmot - Gaffake Photographyv2.8 - Flikr

No, we have decided against giving away little furry Marmot critters this season, in light of potential hazards such as customers being mauled or bitten. We do however offer only the best outdoor gear from the coveted Marmot brand. However you decide to pronounce it, (mar-mot) (marrh-mot), or (mar-mote). Marmot is simply named after those ferocious, fuzzy creatures that live in the colder regions of the world.

 
Introducing the most intense jacket I have ever seen, the Marmot Men’s Spire:

Mamrot Spire Jacket

 You need to calm yourself when you see the Marmot Womens Hyper Jacket:

Marmot Womens Hyper Jacket

Here’s to a Jacket lighter than a feather, the Marmot Super Mica Jacket:

Marmot Mens Super Mica Jacket

Working in the Western Ranges of Montana? Get the Marmot Basic Work Glove:

Marmot Basic Work Glove

Image: Jerod Foster

Modern digital camera technology has allowed most of us the capacity to shoot clearer and better images and at the same time has allowed outdoor photography to be one of the most underrated artistry professions. The difference between someone who is good with a camera and a photographer, is that a photographer is a storyteller of images. They can literally change your thoughts and mood, by way of mastering the manipulation of light and photographic perspective. The skillful art of photography is to capture the essence of an object and reflect it back to you. It is an artistry of light that requires not only a keen eye and technical precision, but an open mind and heart to see the value in a shot.

The stories told in outdoor photography often tell of people, places, and the history of events that have intertwined the two. Photo’s have a very real place in our lives to preserve the cultural heritage and signifigance of us a people. Our own brains are  engineered to think in relation to images; like images sliding on a reel in a moment in time, and thus we have the ability to remember, create, and imagine. Photographers like West Texas local Jerod Foster are more than just photographers, they are storytellers. They offer us stories that are captured through a lens of a camera and the beauty of our world is displayed as an expression of light in space and time.

Take the time to reflect on the stories told through images as you’ll soon find that your own story will come to life in a very real way. The eyes are the window to the soul, inasmuch as a camera lens is a window into the soul of our world and the greatness of the stories told about the people who inhabit it.

These are just a few recommended artist that all stem from a genre of folk music, some of which has blended into a newer genre called Americana which shares multiple “American” genres of music like bluegrass, folk, country, and blues.

Gregory Alan Isakov
Railroad Earth
John Denver
Doug Smith
Hank Williams
Doug Sahm
Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys
Lead Belly
Songs From the Mountain: Dirk Powell, Tim O’brien, John Herrman
Old Crow Medicine Show Known as OCMS
Hot Buttered Rum
Townes Van Zandt
Woody Guthrie
Dirty River Boys
The Arbuckle Boys
Yonder Mountain String Band
Calexico
Blue Mountain
Chris Knight
Great Lake Swimmers
The Avett Brothers
Nickel Creek
The SteelDrivers
The Tallest Man On Earth
Fleet Foxes
Bon Iver
Cold Mountain Soundtrack
O’Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack
Allison Krauss
Songcatcher II

Lacke Mountain - JohnOnolan Flickr

After 6 years of being somewhat of a self taught outdoorsman and a backpacker, I still define myself as somewhat of an amateur when it comes to my outdoor skills. Some of this has to do with not being able to get out as much as I would like to, however over the years I have stumbled over some very interesting information. 

 I have talked to many  professional outdoorsmen over the years that have been in the field for a long time and have led people on many expeditions. I always try to pick their brain and try to learn about how they came to know what they know so I can learn from their experiences.

When I ask these professional’s how they have developed their outdoor skills and knowledge, most of them say something like… “Just wing it man, it’s the only way you really learn what to do”. After I heard this I was like whaaaaa? “You mean you lead groups of people out in the wilderness and you just wing it?” I thought they would say something like, “well I was in special ops in the military” or “I worked in a SAR team”.

 The first time I heard this I was talking to a guy who is boasted in the outdoor community as a professional mountaineer and has led many people to mountain summit’s across the world. He then followed up by saying that there are many professional self taught outdoorsman who learned by just winging it and over time you get better. Some guys even admitted there were potentially dangerous situations where, “you just have to try to make the right calls, because no one really knows exactly how to get out of everything.” (Even if you are Bear Grylls)

 Sure there are professional courses one can take like NOLS or Outward Bound that teach great outdoor skills, but some of these schools are very expensive. So if you just want to gain better outdoor skills, just get out there and do it. Sometimes being self taught can mean some very hard lessons, but also makes for some great stories for the grand-kids.

Great Horned Owl - Juan Pons

From now until October 13^th for every pair of Patagonia footwear you purchase on our website or in our shop; Patagonia will donate $10.00 to the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

 The South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a local non-profit organization who is dedicated to the preservation of the native species of wildlife on the South Plains of Texas. The wildlife they help to protect is accepted without regard to species, sizes, or popularity with the human race.