Watch An Episode Now with Hosts Bob Simek and Bill Rogers Each week American Outdoors hits the trail for new adventures: Fishing, Hunting, Backpacking, Hiking, Climbing and Camping. We also have comprhensive new gear reviews plus tips from the masters and we also have a great deal of fun. Click on the picture to the left to view one of the many different segments streamed on the American Outdoors website. The great American Outdoors is America's #1 past time. According to the latest statistics, 34 million sportsmen in the United States and 22 million sportsmen in Canada spent more than $96 billion last year, supporting 2.1 million jobs in North America. All of these outdoor activities require planning, preparation, an eye towards safety and a heart for adventure. One of the areas not to be overlooked includes that of lgiht-weight, easy to cary food that is is packed with nutrition and packed with flavor. We found all of that wrapped up in a light weight packet of food from Mountain House. Mountain House, the #1 brand of freeze dried backpacking foods has been the choice of backpackers, hikers, campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts for over 30 years. We like it on American Outdoors because when it comes to long term food storage packed with flavor, it is perfect for camping, hiking, backpacking and hunting. It is convenient, easy to prepare, has a long shelf life and is better tasting than anything else we've taken on the trail. How to Survive a Winter Storm Part One
by: Meteorologist Bill Rogers Exploring the wilderness in winter is a wonderful experience. Far from the crowded city, in a silent tranquil world of winter white. Whether gliding through a glade of maple trees on cross-country skis, hiking up a ridge on snowshoes, or ice climbing, winter can be a spectacular time of year. At the same time you must realize that this environment can be extremely dangerous. It takes proper trip planning, experience, and the right equipment to travel safely in the winter environment. If you aren't aware of the hazards you can be at great risk. The greatest dangers in the winter environment are hypothermia and frostbite. On American Outdoors, Bob and I have encountered sideways rain in the northeast, dangerous winter blizzards in the Great Lakes, pea soup fog on the West Coast and the powerful Chinook winds of the Rocky Mountains. Thus began our association with volatile weather. But being caught out in the elements can be a life or death situation. How can one prepare? Keep In Mind - Head To Toe Head - because the head has a very high surface to volume ratio and the head is heavily vascularized, you can lose a great deal of heat (up to 70%) from the head. Therefore, hats are essential in winter camping. The adage - if your toes are cold, put on a hat - is true. A balaclava is particularly effective and versatile. A facemask may be required if there are high wind conditions due to the susceptibility of the face to frostbite. At the recent Outdoor Retailer we discovered the ultimate outdoor survival geat to shield you against the elements, head to to. It's called the JakPak (click on the segment above to view now). Keep Hydrated Everything between the top of your head to the tips of your toes stays warmer and does so better if you remain hydrated. If you try to melt snow in your mouth you will be inviting disaster. Keep a canteen or a flask filled with water. Let any snow melting take place in your container to avoid any danger. It's always best to purify any water you encounter on your trip. Check out the Hydro Flask which we discovered at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City. Hands - mittens are warmer that gloves because you don't contend with the curvature problem described above. Also the fingers tend to keep each other warm, rather than being isolated as in gloves. It is useful to have an inner mitten with an outer shell to give you layering capabilities. Also "idiot strings" are important to keep you from losing mittens in the snow. However, gloves are always essential as well in winter because of the need for dexterity in various operations. Feet - finding the right footgear depends a great deal on the activity you are involved in as well as temperature and environment. The two general modes of travel are skiing or snowshoeing (in areas with only a few inches of snow you can hike in just boots). Survey the land, terrain can both intensify or deflect severe weather, analyze local topography before heading out to choose the most protected routes. For every 1,000-foot gain in elevation, the temperature generally drops by 5°F. At night, however, the cold air will drain into the valley areas. In Part Two of our series we'll discuss how to: Keep Warm, Keep Hydrated and Keeping with the plan. |