Ever wonder what life is like in Antarctica? Wonder no longer.
Hailaeos Troy wants to show you, and the site southpoledudes.com is
loaded with great pictures about getting by way, WAY down there. There’s also a little historical photo section about
McMurdo and about current projects. Take a look at the party section. Guitar players, drinking…man, doesn’t
Antarctica look downright fun?
Who knew?
Just as I promised, here we are again with some early gift recommendations for your
favorite rugged outdoors person. For the guy (or gal) who’s looking for the newest innovations in camping gadgetry,
here’s a fancy new stove called the Jetboil. The stove got some props from
Outside Magazine as one of the fancy new devices of the year, and after whizzing around the site a bit and looking at
its features, I am tempted to go out and get myself. I have a couple of nice
Whisperlites that work just fine, and you can’t beat
their portability, but there are some features on this stove I
quite like.
What I like about the Jetboil, especially, is the insulated sleeve around the pot so you can hold it without using
those awful, awkward metal pan holders that I normally cart around. I also like the piezo lighter so you don’t have to
break out the lighter or matches (not that that was ever a big burden, but when it rains or is windy it is sometimes
hard to light a match to get a stove going). There’s a lot to like about the Jetboil, and if I get my hands on one,
I’ll try to do a full review. In the meantime, it may be a bit large for a stocking stuffer, but will no doubt fit
nicely under the Christmas tree.
Chris Duff has logged over 14,000 kayak paddling miles in was the first man to
circumnavigate Ireland in a sea kayak. The story of this journey,
On Celtic Tides, recounts his
three-month, 3,000-mile adventure through the seas, culture, people and history of Ireland. “A tender and
terrifying story. No one has written better of huge, cold seas in a very small boat, of self discovery in the face of
fear, and of gentle moments with Irish people.”
The book can be bought online, and is also out as a Palm Reader
Ebook, in case you’d like to take it on the go — like on
a kayaking trip!
[via Paddle Log]
It has never been done before. And what better challenge is there than that?
Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen, two
kayakers and explorers from Grand Marais, MN., are training to make a summer crossing of the Arctic Ocean starting
in May. The four-month paddle will begin at Cape Artichesky, Siberia, will take them over the geographic North Pole
and, assuming all is well, they will finish at Ellesmere Island, Canada. Whew.
The two, whose groups is called One World Expedition, say they
are undertaking the journey to bring attention to climate change. Global warming has been particularly noticable at the
poles, where some studies have shown up to 40 percent decrease in ice cover over the last four centuries. A
recent study showed that
global warming is heating the Arctic almost twice as fast as the rest of the planet and that the thaw threatens
millions of livelihoods and could wipe out polar bears by 2100.
So we say good for them! Of course, we also say the gesture will have little or no effect on our attitudes towards
climate change, and the only thing that will eventually wake us up is when the people of Las Vegas end up with
beach-front property. But you have to admit the trip sounds fun.
The Gould family is fond of putting their
adventures online, from hiking to snorkling. Their biggest
adventure to date is 16-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon with plenty of hiking and camping as a bonus. Along
the way, the get a a uninque and personal view of the canyon, very different from that of the legions of tourists who
peer over its rim each year. “Seeing it from the rim is like viewing the painting of a great master. Rafting it is like
painting it yourself.”
There are also hundreds of photos taken from the river, along the banks, and from hikes and campsites. With a page
for every day, including prep, the Goulds also share information about preparing food for the trip, gear, as well as
what they packed and how they used it. The river action gets started with
this entry, and they all make good reading.