Wading and Fishing Boots

by Jamie Rhein on

When I was wading in the creek with my son, 40 or so other kids, and their parents, I met one of the photographer/journalists for the Suburban News Publications in Columbus, Ohio. As he waded with the rest of us, he was taking photographs for an article on Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. The whole time he was snapping away he was steady even though the creek bed was rocky. I noticed his boots. So did one of the park rangers who asked about them.

I thought, “Post idea,” and listened in. Here’s most of the scoop on the boots. The wearer said the boots were L.L. Bean and great for such expeditions. He uses them for fishing also and mentioned their felt insoles. He said they also hold the terrain well so he doesn’t slip. On this particular creek wading excursion, several kids, including my son’s friend ended up unexpectedly swimming.

I went to the L.L. Bean Web site sure I could find them. Man, L.L. Bean sells a lot of boots! Here is the one that comes closest to what I remember his looking like. The Emerger Wading Boot is listed as being the best value on the market, although the ones he had looked like they were a lighter color.

Here’s a link to more L.L. Bean options. I’ve ordered clothes and a duffle bag from L.L. Bean and my uncle swears by this company. If you’re in the market for boots, look here for men’s and here for women’s. There are several choices and prices to fit a variety of needs and budgets. I went wading in an old pair of running shoes that worked fine. For a more fashionable look, the Keen Venice Sandals sure look sweet.

Creek Wading: Simple Summer Fun

by Jamie Rhein on

Take some time to go wading in a creek this summer. Last Friday was perfect for it. (The whole weekend was actually sublime.) Water glinting in the sun, minnows darting between rocks, crayfish crawling along the bottom of the creek bed, and sneaker clad feet splashing amongst them made for a wonderful hour and a half of being outdoors.

I took my son and a friend of his to Battelle Darby Creek MetroPark for an organized activity for kids, ages 3 to 5. This park is the largest in the Columbus MetroParks system and well out of the city where farmland starts to take over the vistas. This creek wading activity caught my attention when I was browsing MetroPark programs for something to do. Creek wading brought back memories of when I was a kid visiting my grandparents in southeastern Kentucky. Once when I was nine, my parents, my brother, my mom’s brother and his family took a picnic lunch and headed off into Troublesome Creek that wound back in the hollars in the Appalachians. (Hollars are the narrow valleys between the mountains.) We still recount that day since it was the rare occassion that the adults all had time for such a leisurely pace.

So when I saw the Darby Creek activity I saw a promise of learning and fun. The promise delivered. About 40 kids joined forces with park provided nets and buckets to catch a variety of creek critters. Afterwards, we learned details about each of them before all were returned to the creek. The water penny, for example, starts out looking like a small brown disk smaller than the tip of your pinky, but eventually turns into a beetle. There were also a variety of little crawly things that look a bit like flecks of moss until they move. These turn into dragonfly looking creatures. There were a number of other assorted water critters that make creek life mighty interesting up close. Usually, I don’t spend the time to look so carefully, so this was sheer pleasure. And my son is at the age where he loves to touch everything. There was plenty of touching allowed.

It was so simple to slip on close-toe shoes that could get wet and head off into a creek and it didn’t cost a dime. I hope you have time to find a creek near you to do the same. Look for later posts today on wading safety tips and wading footwear.

Cold Drinks on the Trail

by Neil Woodburn on

There is nothing quite like an icy cold drink while huffing it up the side of a mountain in the summertime with a 40 pound pack.

Unfortunately, most backpack-worthy mountain tops don’t have a 7-11 to serve you some cold goodness.

One of the tricks I’ve learned is to freeze a bottle of Gatorade the night before and it will slowly melt along the trail the next day, giving you a wonderful, slushy headache every time you sip. The only problem is controlling the melt rate and the separation of flavors that occurs as a result.

So, here is an alternative idea I just came across. The PolarPak is your typical Camel Bak hydration unit that sits on your back and is easily accessible by sucking on an attached tube. The big difference, however, is that the PolarPak is insulated with a “non-toxic freezer gel” that can be frozen the night before. The gel will then keep fluids cold without diluting them. Pretty cool! And, as an extra added bonus, the website promises that it also, “makes a great icepack for trailside emergencies.”

I’m very curious how long the gel will stay frozen, however. Of course, it depends on the weather, but if it can last for more than five hours, this would most definitely be a worthy investment.

70oz: $29.95 | 100oz: $30.95

Spend a Day–At Least–Immersed in the Rockies

by Martha Edwards on

There are few destinations as breathtaking as the Rocky Mountains. I’ve lived near them all my life, and while there are many things about my home city that I loathe, the Rockies always make coming home exciting. No summer of mine is complete without a few days spent in the mountains, breathing in the pine-y air and taking in the amazing views.

If you’re headed to the Alberta Rockies area and you’re moderately in shape, a hike in the Rockies is a must. We’re not talking 10-day back country excursions — a day hike on a popular trail will allow you to immerse yourself in nature without having to worry about bears. Need some suggestions? Here’s a list of some popular hiking trails in Alberta’s Rockies that you can conquer in a few hours. My personal favourite is Johnston Canyon. Bring a picnic, some comfy shoes and your camera — You won’t regret it.

LP Vids

by Erik Olsen on

With the explosion in video on the Internet, it has always seemed a no-brainer to me that travel would be a hot sector. I mean, cameras are so cheap these days and they are easy to carry with you (we might even have “watch” cameras one of these days). Editing tools can be found for free download, assuming you don’t already have imovie of Final Cut Pro. And the young traveler types who are most likely to have the time and freedom to explore the media-saturated world are also likely to have the skills to put together something and put it up online.

And so it goes.

Now, that said, there’s one company out there for which having a travel-related video Web site also seems a no-brainer. The travel guidebook company Lonely Planet. Well, if you haven’t seen the LP video site urge you to click on over and check it out. Like YouTube and so many other Web 2.0 sites, they allow users to upload video from their travels, some of which are good and some of which are, well, rather awful. This one from Thailand, for example, is, well, pretty horrible. But then there are the vids from the Bluelist series that are rather good. Take this one from Antarctica. I mean, if that doesn’t make you want to go, I don’t know what will.

If you have a camera and a way to digitize the footage, you can easy contribute to the Lonely Planet website. It’s very Web 2.0/YouTube in that way. And while they don’t have the vast number of vids like YouTube, there are plenty there to keep you entertained and to inspire you to plan your next trip. And if they pick your video for the LP “pick” seems they’ll even send you $50. Sweet!