Lots o’ blogging happening over the weekend. The highlights:

Scoutmaster, who posted an worthy defense of Scouting in the comments here last week, links to an article by the author of “Last Child in the Woods.” (For those who missed it, Winter Warlock wrote on about the book awhile back, too.) Even more on this topic at the WTA blog (scroll down, it’s the second item).

Feral Hiker reports on canyon hiking in Utah. Short version: wading through canyons is more slippery than you might expect.

As the Crow Flies has two detailed posts on backpacking food: one on basic sundries, and another on energy bars.

Oregon Outdoor Journal blasts Outdoor Life magazine, and describes snowshoeing at Fish Lake Interpretive Site. Another snowshoe link: Rumble Strip gets his new pair out for the second time this year.

Andy Howell has posted ever more words and pictures about hiking the Pyrenees.

Bastish has even more excellent Japanese mountain pictures posted.

Freezerbag Cooking points to a nifty spoon for getting the goodies out of your freezer bag, and has an interesting introduction to “self-arrest” (which does not mean turning yourself into the cops for all those crimes you got away with during your misspent youth).

Rocky at The Goat points to a gadget that turns pee into battery power (who says there are no miracles anymore?), and, speaking of bodily fluids, links to a comparison of water-purification methods.

SportsGeezer links to stories about chaos training (which I interpret as the freedom not to count reps anymore); and how manly men are going to boot camps

to get in shape (I’m there, but only if I get to shoot somebody).

Gadling laments the declining clarity at Lake Tahoe, which is now down to a mere 74 feet.

Outdoorzy Blog notes that the state of Kentucky has recently discovered there is wilderness within its boundaries that might be good for something besides coal mines.

Rick at Best Hike reports on a European hiking site and adds the Grey Owl Trail in Saskatchewan to the list of go-to trails.