A travel writer extols the virtues of hiking in Switzerland, where the locals thoughtfully killed off all the fanged predators hundreds of years ago. The only signs along Swiss hiking trails are quaint yellow signposts that provide not only the…
Blogs
Unicyclist’s outdoor adventures
by tmangan • April 3, 2007 • 0 Comments
Happened across a neat blog the other day: a guy who unicycles and juggles on backcountry trails (no word on if he has Barnum blood in his genes). He’s in the midst of writing up his recent epic journey across…
Photography
Highlight reels
by tmangan • April 3, 2007 • 0 Comments
Seems like a day for video links: The Tampa Trib’s outdoors reporter talks about thru-hiking the Florida trail. This is a polished, well-produced piece, which seems odd for a newspaper guy, and offers a fascinating glimpse at the sights along…
Backpacking
For Bay Area backpackers
by tmangan • April 2, 2007 • 1 Comment
Steve Sergeant sent me a note the other day that the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club is planning its season kick-off meeting from 7 to 8:30pm April 9 at Sports Basement, 1177 Kern Ave, Sunnyvale. The meeting includes…
Blogs
Monday links
by tmangan • April 2, 2007 • 1 Comment
Let’s see what the kids’ve been up to: Feral Hiker tells how he learned for himself that you can get hypothermic without feeling cold. “I was alone, if I had fallen, easy to do on the wet, tangled wood I…
Pinnacles National Monument
Pinnacles revisited
by tmangan • April 1, 2007 • 2 Comments
OK, back to nature. Last weekend I went along with the FOMFOK hiking group on its annual Pinnacles National Monument trek, which is always great fun amid good people (or good fun among great people, depending on how muddy the…
Gear
Moosejaw magic
by tmangan • March 30, 2007 • 3 Comments
So Moosejaw.com has been around since, like, forever in Internet time, but the Detroit Free Press just found out about it a couple weeks back. The Madison Heights-based outdoor retailer offers advice to lovelorn customers every day. Moosejaw also wants…
Hikes of the world
Trekking in Laos
by tmangan • March 30, 2007 • 0 Comments
A travel piece in the Arizona Star describes hiking through the wild forests of Southeast Asia between the Mekong River and the Chinese border The afternoon reveals the real splendor of Nam Ha as we forge our way into the…
Gear
Line up for Squishy Bowls
by tmangan • March 30, 2007 • 0 Comments
I saw this post at gadling.com talking up these bowls made of “food-grade silicone” that can be pressed flat but pop back into their original shape. Great for backpacking, the post notes, but forgets the Question Which Must Be Answered…