Sunday, August 12, 2012
Juan De Fuca Marine Trail Mini Guide
The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail on Vancouver Island begins at the other end of the town of Port Renfrew from the West Coast Trail, effectively continuing it for another 47 kilometers, going from Botanical Beach to China Beach. The Juan de Fuca trail is directly across the Juan de Fuca Strait from the Olympic Mountains in the U.S. state of Washington. It is not as long as the West Coast Trail, but does have its own challenges. And of course, the terrain and climate are a bit different, giving the trail its own unique character. Access, the crowd hiking the trail, communication, travel difficulty, length, and the sights along the way are some of the main considerations for deciding to hike this trail.
ACCESS
The trail is accessible from either end and from several locations along the way. Highway 14 runs along the coast just above the trail, sometimes within a few hundred meters. The proximity of the highway makes this a very versatile hiking destination. Two main mid-locations are Sombrio Beach and Parkinson Creek. Sombrio Beach is a favorite surfing location for Victorians and others living in the southern part of Vancouver Island. They can often be seen arriving after 4:00 pm for an evening of surfing. There is also access from the highway connected to most campsites along the eastern end, although there is no specific parking available. Hikers are now paying $10 a night to camp at walk-in sites, and $3 per day to park in the lots.
THE CROWD
Many locals hike the trails regularly because they enjoy the park. Because it is so accessible, it is frequently used. Sombrio Beach and Bear Beach have regular surfers, with Sombrio getting quite crowded at times. The crowds are not just surfers and hikers. Sombrio especially attracts young people looking for a place to run amok. Long weekends are not the best time to go because of these crowds. Recent years have seen Sobrio crowds of over 500 people on long weekends. Unfortunately, the easy access creates the crowded, rowdy atmosphere that BC Parks is trying to reduce. Even the further afield sites can be quite crowded on long weekends, even though access is more difficult. Mostly, the more difficult access brings people who are more interested in the experience of nature than anything else. Many locals clean up Sombrio after the long weekends. These people are true heroes.
COMMUNICATION
Related to access, communication is a big issue in the wilderness. Cell phones work along the way, but usually only for emergencies. Some network access is possible from the eastern end, but usually through U.S. networks, which have a nice roaming charge attached. The town of Jordan River and Port Renfrew are at either end of the trail, or near, so phone access is relatively easy. Satellite phone access is easy from the beaches, but may be problematic in denser forested areas. VHF marine radio is also a possibility, although technically, for use on the water.
TRAVEL DIFFICULTY
When compared to the West Coast Trail, this trail is generally easier, although sections can be just as challenging as the most difficult sections of the West Coast Trail. The most difficult sections run from the China Beach Trailhead to Sombrio Beach. The 11 to 12 kilometers from Bear Beach (depending on your campsite) to Chin Beach are the most strenuous because of having to travel up and down over small stream outlet valleys. The trail is quite good, with little blow down and travel over large root system. The last kilometer approaching Sombrio Beach from the east is also quite strenuous because of the mud and terrain. West of Sombrio, the terrain is relatively flat and the hiking is fast, although there can be a lot of mud, depending on the time of year. Beyond its own beauty, the Juan de Fuca Trail can be a good training ground for doing the West Coast Trail or North Coast Trail.
LENGTH
One of the great features of the Juan de Fuca Trail is its versatility. Really good day hikes are possible here, as well as a committed, 5-day backpacking trip. Everything in between is also possible. A one or two night traverse can be made by leaving a car at one of the access points and taking a second car to a trail head, then hiking the trail between, for example, hiking from China Beach to Bear Beach, or Bear Beach to Chin Beach. The ability to hike out quickly to the highway makes this trail unique because hikers can get a good traverse hike in with minimal logistics. The access point also allow the trail to be broken up into several different sections and hiked separately.
SIGHTS
The climate and terrain of the Juan de Fuca Trail is different from the West or North Coast Trails. Along the Juan de Fuca, you get to commune with the eagles, river otters, and martens. There are often bears along the trail as well, but they should be avoided. The beaches are a mix of cobblestone and sand. Sea stacks, sea caves along the cliffs, rock shelves with tide pools at low tides, and stands of cedar and spruce are common. Cruise ships ply the waters of the Juan de Fuca Strait, with their lights passing in the night. The snow-capped, giants of the Olympic Mountains are visible to the east and south. The seclusion of the non-trailhead beaches gives a great wilderness experience while still being just a short hop away from a main highway.
The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is one of the major coastal hikes in BC. It is a traverse that compares to its sister trails, the West Coast Trail and the North Coast Trail, but with its own unique character. It is one of the most accessible trails on Vancouver Island, with many access points along its length, giving it tremendous versatility. With this versatility, the length can be tailored to fit one's needs and time frame. Hiking the Juan de Fuca Trail can be done in sections or all at one go as a good 5 day backpacking trip. All told, this is a great trail that should not be missed.
Gary Ward has been leading trips and teaching in wilderness areas for 20 years. Having traveled from desert to sea, he spends most of his time now in coastal areas, exploring the boundary between land and sea, land and sky, and sea and sky.
He can be found leading tours on the Juan de Fuca Trail, teaching, and writing for his business, Coastal Bliss Adventures.
The Benefits of a Women's History Trail - Fun AND Profit!
A True Story
My favorite example of the economic impact of a women's history trail happened during the summer of 2009 in Salem, Massachusetts. As the creator of the Salem Women's Heritage Trail, I was hired for the day to lead a tour group of women who were members of the Worcester (MA) Women's History Project. They rented a bus, paid me for my time, visited three ticketed attractions, had lunch, and shopped along the way.
By the time they were ready to leave, they knew they had only scratched the surface. Their bus happened to be parked in front of a Salem hotel and I said, "You'll have to come back next year, stay at the hotel, and see more sites!" And I'm sure they will.
The economic impact of a women's history trail on a community is real, and all kinds of organizations stand to benefit. Historic sites and museums sell tickets, attract members, and enjoy incremental business in their shops. Retail stores and restaurants welcome new customers. Bus companies, tour guides, parking accommodations, and modes of public transportation make money.
People who walk history trails also visit local attractions, eat, shop, and might even stay overnight at one of your local hotels. I've seen it - and not just in Salem, but in Boston where I served as the executive director of the Boston Women's Heritage Trail, on the South Shore of Massachusetts where I helped to develop a driving trail, and in Cambridge, Massachusetts where the Women's History Project website prompted guided tours and programs.
Markets
In my experience leading women's history tours, the majority of my audiences are women who range in age from 40 to 65. They are:
• well educated
• intellectually curious
• financially comfortable
Some work, some are retired.
Some of these female "cultural tourists" are residents, their friends, family, and guests, or those who work in town (local tourists). But more of them are part of the "drive market," visitors who travel to a destination for the day from a not-very-distant location.
Others are "frequent independent travelers," people who visit from other countries for two or more weeks at a time. These visitors are usually drawn to an area for a reason other than women's history, but they are itching to find new and interesting things to do during their lengthy stay - and women by far make the majority of travel decisions. Since exchange rates tend to work in their favor, these women are also prepared to spend money!
Women's History and Tourism
Tourism is such an important part of the U.S. economy that in 2008 President-elect Obama instructed his transition team to look hard at tourism in the United States, bring traditionally segmented parts of the industry together, and make recommendations to improve that would "help fuel America's economy."
In the National Travel Association's December 16, 2008 report, they offered the following statistics:
• For the U.S. economy, travel and tourism annually generate $1.7 trillion in revenue and approximately 17 million jobs.
• Spanning every state and congressional district, the economic benefits of travel and tourism generated more than $115 billion in tax revenue in 2007.
• Tourism is either the first, second or third largest employer in 29 states.
• International travel is America's fastest-growing travel segment, due to favorable exchange rates. Travel and tourism exports accounted for 7.5 percent of all U.S. exports of goods and services and 25 percent of service exports in 2007. That includes international passenger fares and international traveler spending in the U.S.
• Adding 10 million additional international visitors every year boosts the U.S. economy $12 billion per year. That is 151,000 new jobs and $2 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues.
• An increase of just 1 percent in international travel market share would produce $13.5 billion in additional revenue for the U.S. economy.
Given these impressive figures, it's more important than ever for women's history - and women's history trails - to become a more visible part of the national tourism picture.
But let's look at specifics. During the process of creating a women's history trail, when and where can you notice its economic impact?
Planning Phase and Early Marketing
Women's history trails are developed in different ways. Sometimes, a nonprofit organization is formed to create and promote a trail - like the Boston Women's Heritage Trail. Other times, leaders of historical, educational, and business organizations come together under one participant's "umbrella," which is what happened in Salem and Cambridge, Massachusetts. On the South Shore of Massachusetts, I worked with an enterprising newspaper reporter who created a driving trail because the historic sites were so spread out. It was published as a special supplement in her newspaper.
However you plan to develop a trail for your community, know that from the very beginning you are in the business of marketing. People need to know your trail is there! No one will derive any economic benefit unless you promote the trail throughout the development process and well after. And it will serve you well to budget for marketing from the project's inception.
Rule #1 in marketing is "know thy audience" and in the planning phase your primary audience is residents, especially adult women (including those with school-aged daughters). They can:
• give you information for the trail
• attend your fundraising events
• go on tours with you when the trail is complete
• recommend your trail to tourists
During the planning phase, you will want to hold well-publicized public meetings to present your ideas for the trail, solicit new information, and introduce the members of your planning committee who should represent your cultural and business communities, town, schools, and local college or university.
Right away, you are in a position to promote these committee members and the organizations and businesses they represent - meaning, your trail project is benefiting them economically from the start! You can encourage the people who attend your meetings to patronize your committee members' companies, and if they are smart, your committee members will use their involvement with the trail to self-promote, offer incentives, free passes, and so on.
You also want to involve your local Chamber of Commerce from the beginning. If you have a Main Streets program, engage them as well, or perhaps your community development office - wherever the intersection between business and tourism/marketing happens in your town. These business organizations understand that people who walk also shop and dine. If local businesses don't understand how your trail can benefit them, your Chamber of Commerce can help them "get it."
In Salem, Massachusetts, the Chamber believed so strongly in the economic benefit of having a women's heritage trail they hosted fundraisers, promoted the trail to their members, and helped plan the kick-off event.
Development Phase and More Marketing
While the trail is being developed, publicize your progress. Send press releases and email blasts, use the "social media" of Facebook and Twitter - and be sure you are always promoting the participating historic sites and businesses. By doing this, you will send customers their way AND build momentum for your grand opening.
You will also need to raise money for your "product," whatever it might be - a brochure, book, or website. Hold fundraisers at your hotel, historic site, or a local business. You will be providing a perfect opportunity for participating sites and businesses to promote themselves. You can set up information tables where they can display products and interact with new customers.
You might also want to call special attention to woman-owned businesses! An exciting (and potentially lasting) byproduct of the development phase is collaboration and networking between nonprofits and for-profits. In Salem, one of my greatest joys was introducing historic site representatives and local business people to each other during fundraising events. More often than not, they had never met. Store owners picked up new customers and promised to make a greater effort to direct visitors to their new friend's historic site. Frequently, these new business relationships led to future win-win collaborations.
In Salem, we held an evening fundraiser at The House of the Seven Gables while the museum was closed. I overheard many residents admit they had never been to The Gables before. Seizing the opportunity, the director provided free passes for daytime visits and easily secured new customers and new members - and the gratitude of the community.
Opening Phase and Even More Marketing
When the trail is complete and you're ready to "open," all kinds of opportunities await! In Salem, we rented two trolleys and gave "driving tours." Later, we offered walking tours. We invited reporters to go along, and they wrote terrific stories that inspired people to visit Salem for a new reason.
Businesses along the route hung our posters and sold our book. Some offered refreshments, others gave a flower to each woman customer. Historic sites offered new women's history-focused tours and created special displays from their collections.
All of these places - for-profit and nonprofit - made money!
Once your trail exists make sure it's featured in your community's visitor information, including materials distributed by your Chamber of Commerce, Main Streets program, local and state tourism offices. You do NOT need to handle all of the marketing yourself at this point, nor should you. That is what tourism professionals do, and why they are valuable partners. Meet with them, provide information, and follow their recommendations.
Having said that, you probably know more about women's history than most tourism people do so you should do some of your own research. Which women's history websites do potential visitors to your community peruse? Which publications? Where should your trail be listed or linked? A good example is the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites website and book. There is a section on walking trails in the book, and an online section with links to trails and historic sites all over the U.S.
Another example is Discover New England, the tourism marketing organization that promotes New England as a destination for international travelers. In 2010, they are launching a new page on women's history trails and historic sites!
Think about offering special tours for affinity groups (Girl Scouts, women's clubs or organizations, women's studies students at your local college) and for local students. If you reach the students, you reach the parents, and they are the ones with the money to spend. And plan your walks to include time for food and shopping!
Assuming you created a PowerPoint presentation for your fundraising events, you can now present an updated version to local groups (Rotary, senior center). Some people will never walk the trail, but they will visit specific sites and shops. Again, steer them toward your collaborators!
Moving Forward
In the years after your trail is open, the biggest challenge will be to sustain its visibility. Some communities are able to paint a line or install plaques, but most cannot. You do need to keep your brochure or book in print, your website updated, and send out messages from time to time via email blasts, an online newsletter, or Facebook to keep the buzz going.
History isn't static. Even after your trail is complete, people will find new information about historical women in your community. Today's women will open new businesses. Through your trail, you can "own" your local women's history. Make announcements, report news, and celebrate achievements.
In Salem, to perpetuate the link between business and history, I recently transformed the trail website into the Salem Women's History and Business Community. Through the website and social media, I promote women business owners in Salem and make announcements about historical and contemporary women.
The month of March, National Women's History Month, provides an annual opportunity to promote your trail. For several years in Salem, the "trail" hosted a series of talks in March on historical women and women's history sites people could visit. As a virtual organization, the "trail" partnered with the Salem Maritime National Historic Site (National Park Service), which hosted the events.
You can continue to lead tours as well. For the Boston Women's Heritage Trail (BWHT), I always combined a walking tour with a visit to the host historic site and lunch at a neighborhood restaurant. Like Salem's trail, BWHT had no official office. Every program had to involve collaborating with a historic site - and they benefited!
Men Can Become an Important Audience as Well
I have given plenty of tours that included men - husbands who reluctantly attended with their wives who told me afterward, "I had no idea I would actually enjoy this!" and fathers who brought their daughters because they wanted them to be inspired by women's achievements. These kinds of men are a very important audience, and they can become some of your fiercest allies!
Final Thoughts
The story I told at the beginning of this article is just one example of how a women's history trail can benefit a community economically. Imagine adding more and more women's history trails to walkable downtowns or to driveable regions in states all across the country.
Imagine if the National Travel Association gave special acknowledgment to women's history trails (and women's history in general!) as the fastest-growing tourism segment in an upcoming report?
If you think about it, historic sites are already "there." No one will be adding sites to Boston's Freedom Trail, for example, any time soon. Those places are, literally, set in stone.
Women's history trails, on the other hand, are a new history "product" that can be created and marketed to generate income for hundreds of nonprofits and local businesses. That's heady stuff to contemplate, and you can make it happen!
You can create a women's history trail for your community!
Helpful Links
• Salem Women's History and Business Community
• Boston Women's Heritage Trail
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the Salem Chamber of Commerce for their support of the Salem Women's Heritage Trail, specifically, former executive director Ellen DiGeronimo and former president Joseph Correnti. I am also grateful to the Boston Women's Heritage Trail, especially Mary Howland Smoyer and Polly Welts Kaufman, for encouraging me to be creative with women's history in Boston many years ago.
Bonnie Hurd Smith is an unusual combination of historian and marketer. Her work as a historian has focused largely on women's history, especially the eighteenth-century essayist Judith Sargent Murray and women's history trails, but she has also managed a historical society, served as the president of a historic house museum, and planned and implemented dozens of history-based events and projects through her business, History Smiths (formerly Hurd Smith Communications). On the business side, Bonnie has not only planned highly successful large- and small-scale community events, she excels in public relations, marketing, fundraising, project management, writing and graphic design. She is a popular speaker, tour guide, and writer on historical subjects. Her passion is to boost the visibility of women's history throughout the United States as a source of inspiration for girls and boys, women and men, and to tell a more balanced story of American history.
The Top 5 Bike Trails North and Northwest of Chicago
The Chicagoland area is known for great bike trails and you've just found a summary of the best bike trails in the Chicagoland area (north and northwest).
With so many great bike trails to choose from, there will, of course, be different opinions, depending on your personal riding style and preferences and what is most important to you. The top 5 bike trails selected have quite a bit to offer to a wide variety of riders.
Our top 5 bike trails choices include nicely paved trails as well as crushed stone trails and trails with access to more rugged mountain biking areas. Most of our top 5 trails connect other trails which will allow you to vary or extend your rides as you choose. You can select the best sections of the trails for short or medium distance rides or extend your rides to 100 miles or more on a some of these trails!
The Top 5 Bike Trails - Chicago North and Northwest
Fox River Bike Trail - The Fox River Trail (FRT) is the nicest paved bike trail in the Chicagoland area. The FRT has beautiful wooded areas along the river, cool winding paths through the woods and scenic views from the trail and from the many bridges that the FRT crosses.
The FRT starts in Aurora, Illinois on its southern end and runs north to Algonquin where it connects to the McHenry County Prairie Trail. Although the Prairie Trail can be taken all the way to the Wisconsin border, it becomes crushed stone and more rugged as you go north. You can also connect to the Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) (also crushed stone in many sections) at three different locations, for some very nice rides that branch out east on the beautiful IPP.
You can easily ride over 100 miles on the FRT and it's connecting trails or you can select your favorite areas along the Fox River and enjoy a relaxing ride in the wooded areas along the riverside. This bike trail does get a little crowded on hot summer weekends and on holidays so if you prefer less people, I would suggest a weekday or off time.
Des Plaines River Trail - The Des Plaines River Trail (DPRT) is a nice crushed stone trail with some wooded and shaded areas mixed with sunny prairie sections. Traffic on the trail is a little lighter than many of the other bike trails in this area (probably due to the crushed stone surface). Most of the highway intersections are bridge underpasses so you can do quite a distance, non stop without having to deal with highway crossings.
The northern section of the DPRT is the nicest crushed stone bike trail in the area. The northern part of the DPRT starts in Lincolnshire (Half Day) and can be taken all the way to the Wisconsin border. One of the nicest features of this trail is that most of it is well shaded on hot summer days. You may want to avoid this trail in extremely wet weather. The underpasses can be closed when the river is high and when there has been flooding.
Green Bay Bike Trail - The Green Bay Trail (GBT) is a crushed stone path that winds it's way through the wooded north shore suburbs not far from the shores of Lake Michigan. The main 18 mile stretch of the GBT avoids most of the north shore business areas but there are many nice places that are easily accessible for an interesting break from the trail. Some parts of the GBT actually lead you through some residential streets of the affluent north shore suburbs and you can also visit Ravina Music Festival and some of the beautiful beaches on Lake Michigan.
The GBT starts in Wilmette, Illinois at the southern end and goes north to Lake Bluff when it turns into the Robert McClory Bike Path. There is some disputes regarding the exact path names but for this article I am referring to the GBT between Wilmette and Lake Bluff. The GBT does get a little crowded at peak times so if you prefer more solitude, I would suggest planning your ride around the potential busy times.
Great Western Bike Trail -The Great Western Trail (GWT) is one of the many Rails to Trails bike trails and rolls through the Illinois prairies and countryside from St. Charles, Illinois to Sycamore. The trail is crushed stone, has a few easy rolling hills and very light bike traffic. What I really like is the rural atmosphere, prairies and open farmland.
The eastern end of the GWT is mostly shaded while the tree cover on the western part of the trail opens up and it can be quite sunny. The trail ends in a quite community park in Sycamore. I'd suggest this trail if you would like to get away from the rush of the city and enjoy a quiet rural bike ride where you can hear your own thoughts.
Busse Woods Bike Trail - The Busse Woods Trail (BWT) is a paved bike trail that loops through the Busse Woods Forest Preserve in Elk Grove, Illinois. There's quite a variety of scenery in this 12 mile bike trail. At the northeastern part of the trail there is an actual Elk heard (in a large fenced off area). Once you head south from the elk herd you'll ride past a number of forest preserve entrances with lots of activity on busy summer days and weekends. You will pass over the Salt Creek and some small lakes and will ride through some scenic wooded areas.
There are also plenty of other side attractions such as lots of boaters, fishers, major kite flyers and a Remote Controlled airplane field in one of the groves. It can be a lot of fun to watch the flyers do their aerobatics... The one drawback to this trail is that it can get quite crowded on busy weekends and at peak times. If you don't want to deal with the crowds you will want to visit this trail at an off time.
Please keep in mind that there have been quite a few "runner ups" for this top 5 bike trail category, and there are many more great bike trails out there in the Chicagoland area. There may also be some changes in this top 5 listing as time goes on, but for now, this should give you some real good opportunities to get out and enjoy the ride!
If you would like more information on the top 5 bike trails listed here, or detailed description and photos of other great Chicago area bike trails, check out the About-Bicycles Bike Trails pages.
Rob Chapman, http://www.about-bicycles.com.
Adventures in Peru - The Trail To Nevado Firura
I was planning on starting my second exploratory hike looking for the trail to Nevado Firura on a Friday morning, but this time decided to take the combi to Alca instead of driving there. The combis are supposed to leave the plaza every hour on the hour but there wasn't any combi in sight when I was up there at 8:00 am to buy bread. I was hoping to catch the 9:00 combi but I wasn't ready to leave my house until 9:10. This was no problem as the combi has to pass by my house on the way to Alca and it hadn't done that yet. My only concern was that by the time it reached my house it would be full. Rather than sit and wait for it, I decided to start walking and flag down the first vehicle that came by. At 9:30 the combi finally came, there was plenty of room; I got on and we reached Alca at 10:25, a slower than normal trip due to the road construction.
On my previous attempt, I had started at Alca and went up through Ayahuasi, following directions from various people who told me that was the correct way. I reached the high plain but was a long ways from Nevado Firura. This time I was going up a different quebrada, or canyon, which according to the map and my friend Max, was a better route. There are many smaller canyons branching off from the Cotahuasi Canyon, making about five potential routes. If I were walking the whole way, they would all be about the same distance from Cotahuasi, but by taking a combi part way at the start, it is possible to save some walking time. There are no roads and no combis up on the high plain in the area of Firura.
This time I went up through Cahuana, a small village on the other side of the canyon from Ayahuasi. Both are steep climbs up, but the trail to Cahuana is in better condition, recently rebuilt with stone steps that the Incas would be proud of. In 40 minutes I was up on the plain on which Cahuana is located at 9698 feet, 676 feet above Alca. From there I took a small shortcut trail through some fields and a few houses up to the main trail between Cahuana and Ayahuasi, at 10,450 feet, arriving there at 1:00 pm. Here the trail crossed the river on the first of three bridges, and then was supposed to follow the river the rest of the way up. I had quite a surprise on the last steep climb when I had stepped to the side of the trail for a bathroom break and noticed that there was no ground there, it was just bushes hanging over the edge of the canyon with a drop of at least 500 feet! I was also surprised to see a large wheeled construction air compressor, on a point way up above me. I found out later that they were working on a canal, digging a tunnel through rock with jack hammers, and had pulled and pushed it up there by hand.
The sign at the entrance to Cahuana showed a hot springs somewhere above the village, and when I asked about it, I was told that it was on the same trail I was going up. I arrived there at 2:15 (10,755') and spent an hour and a half alternating soaking in the 107° water, and cooling off in the very cold river, right alongside of the pool. I talked with a man who was working in the fields near there and when he found out where I was going, he told me that there was a house about two and a half hours up the trail where I could sleep. I set that as my goal, even though I had my tent with me and had planned on sleeping in that. He also confirmed that there was one more bridge upstream that I had to cross, and that from the house it would be a short hike up to Firura.
About five minutes above the hot springs I saw a third bridge, a very rustic one of three logs covered with branches and rocks. I followed the trail to the other side of the river and from there it became harder to follow as it was going through a wide rocky wash. I reached a rock wall and there was no sign of the trail on the other side of the wall, only what looked like an animal trail going up the hill to the left on my side of the wall. The field on the other side had recently been dug up for planting and there were no tracks visible in it, so I followed the trail up the hill, which looked like it would go up and around a cliff. It didn't seem right, but I kept going hoping that I would soon get high enough to see if I was on the right trail, and if not, to see where the correct trail was. I finally reached a ridge where I could see up canyon and I could see a trail way down below me, along the river. It was obvious that I was not on that trail, so I went back down to look for it.
I bushwhacked along the river and through fields and finally reached the trail but was still puzzled because I had been told that there was a "good" trail all the way up. In just a few minutes I found the reason for my confusion. I reached a fourth bridge and from there the trail got much better. I don't know if the third bridge was a new one or what, but I had crossed the river too soon, and in the process wasted over an hour on the wrong trail. This wouldn't have been a big problem but now it was 5:10 and it would be dark by 6:30, maybe earlier in the canyon, and I knew that I wouldn't reach the house by that time. By now the trail was steeper as well so I was going slower. To make matters worse, the ground was rough and rocky and the trail was not always easy to follow, so I decided to find a good campsite before dark and sleep in my tent.
By 6:15 it was dark enough that it was hard to follow the trail and I still hadn't found a campsite. I turned on my headlamp and kept going, praying that I would be able to stay on the trail and find a site soon. For the next hour I stumbled along in the dark, sometimes on the trail but often losing it and just bushwhacking up along the river. There were many crisscrossing animal trails, rocky gullies, cactus and low hanging tree branches, making for a very difficult time. Sometimes I couldn't follow close to the river because of steep cliffs, but always could hear it off to my right. I knew as long as I was near the river I was at least going in the right direction.
Having done a lot of hiking in the U.S., including from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail, I was used to an occasional trail sign to help stay on the correct trail. Some trails are "blazed", with marks on the trees to show the trail. Here in Peru I had never seen a blazed trail, and in four years of hiking, could probably count the trail signs on the fingers of one hand. The locals know where the trails go and don't see any need for signs. One of the few signs that was marking the trail to a local tourist attraction, was torn down by vandals. However, I had noticed a few yellow blazes on the rocks on this trail after the fourth bridge, not many but just enough to reassure you once in a while. To my great delight as I was following a trail in the dark, my light shone on a yellow blaze on a rock! At least for a few minutes I knew I was on the right trail.
At about 7:20 the trail crossed a small stream, and as I looked around, there was a grassy area between that and the main river. There was one flat dry spot, just a few feet from the very noisy river, between a large rock and a wet low area. Thanking God for the answer to my prayers, I set up my tent and had my dinner, and then a good night's sleep. It was 35° in my tent when I went to sleep, and as I was at 12,900 feet, I knew it would be below freezing in the morning. After I woke up, I lazily dozed in the tent until the sun came up and it quickly warmed up. Once outside I could see that I was on the only flat dry spot I had seen in a couple of hours, and the small stream was flowing from a spring just 100 feet from my tent. That was very welcome as the whole area is used for grazing and there was lots of cow manure, and I needed water.
I left there at 9:15 am, and the trail was much easier to follow in the daylight, but I didn't arrive at the house until 11:05, which was at 14,006 feet. I was so thankful that I didn't have to go that far to find a place to sleep. I could see the source of the river up above; there was one large waterfall off to the right and four more straight ahead. These four were cascading over a high cliff, three of them were frozen and one was flowing, but lots of ice where it hit. There was another cliff above them but no water there, I later found out that there were springs in the flat area between the two cliffs. The river was still running fast and deep, but not too wide, I found a couple of large rocks to cross on and went to check out the house on the other side. Actually there were two of them, one with a corrugated roof; the other had a thatched roof. They were both in poor condition, with the wind blowing through holes in the roofs and walls, and were very dirty inside as the cattle were able to enter due to open doorways.
From here there wasn't any one good trail but the obvious route was up a long ridge that went most of the way up to the high plain, over 2,000 feet above me. This was again crisscrossed with various animal trails, as well as a trail that went over the ridge to a bowl on the other side. At 1:15 I reached the crest of the ridge, where I had seen three tall "ducks" from down below, which were at 15,350 feet, and stopped for lunch. From here the trail went down into the bowl, which was the source of the other waterfall, but I couldn't see if it turned and went up to the high plain. The ridge went up to the base of the cliff but it looked like the best route was to go up diagonally off to the right where a boulder and scree slope led to the high plain.
I knew it would be hard climbing, and that I wouldn't have time to attempt to climb Nevado Firura and get back to Cotahuasi the next day (as I had promised my friends), so I decided to leave my pack and make a quick trip up the rim and see how far away it still was to the base of the mountain. It was a miserable climb up with no solid trail to follow, but in 55 minutes I had reached the rim at 16,207 feet, thankful that I had left my pack behind. However I was puzzled and disappointed that I couldn't see Firura. I also could not see Nevado Coropuna, but could see Solimana. After checking my hand traced map (my topos are all on my walls), I realized that I was looking at Firura, just from a different angle than I had seen it before, and there was no snow on it now. I hiked up to a slightly higher point and could see the lakes near the base of Firura, and reluctantly turned around at 3:00 pm to head back to my pack, arriving there in 45 minutes.
I got back to my previous night's campsite at 5:15 and decided to stop there again, rather than risking another hike in the dark trying to find a suitable campsite.
After a good, long night's sleep, I was back on the trail at 8:15 in the morning. Fifteen minutes later I saw the thatched roofs of what looked like some old houses on the other side of the river. Crossing another small log bridge I went over to investigate them. Two of them looked liked they were used occasionally, probably by those coming up to tend to their livestock. An hour and a half later I was again at the hot springs, easily following the trail after crossing the 3rd bridge and being on the correct side of the river.
I spent a couple of hours at the hot springs, talking some with a few girls who were about Jr. high age, who had hiked up from Cahuana to wash clothes, as well as enjoy the hot springs. The cost of this privilege for them was a 2½-hour round trip hike. I was back down at Alca in just under two hours, and immediately was able to catch a combi going back to Cotahuasi.
Now I know what looks like the best route up to Nevado Firura. Next time I will either have to get earlier starts in the mornings to make it in three days, or take four days to make it a leisurely hike. However with the rainy season starting before I have the opportunity to do it again, it could be five or six months before my next attempt.
Vic Hanson is the founder of Adventure Cotahuasi Tours, which offers pre-planned and custom adventure travel tours in Cotahuasi Canyon and other areas of Peru.
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Grand Canyon: Bright Angel Trail Versus South Kaibab Trail
Wy wife Wendy and I have been hiking in the Grand Canyon for close to 25 years. We have hiked both the Bright Angel and the South Kaibab Trails hundreds of times each. At the writing of this article we have completed just under (40) Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim's. We presently reside in the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim and hike below the Rim 3-4 times a week. Quite often, we are asked "Which is the better trail to hike?" This is a difficult question to answer without personal knowledge of the hiker. Therefore, here is an outline of the trail characteristics so that you may choose for yourself.
PERMITS
You do not need a permit to "day hike" on any trail in the Grand Canyon. You also do not need a permit if you have a reservation and are a guest at Phantom Ranch. However, you will need a backcountry permit if you plan on camping below the rim. The Backcountry Information Center's phone number is: 928-638-7875.
TRAIL ACCESS
The Bright Angel Trail has the better access as it is located in the Grand Canyon Village. You may walk west along the mezzanine from Bright Angel Lodge past Kolb Studio, veer towards the Rim and you're on the BA Trail. You may also access the trail from behind the mule corral above the Hermit's Rest shuttle station.
You cannot park at the South Kaibab Trail, it is accessed by the shuttle bus system or by parking at one of the view parking areas on Highway 64 or by a small parking lot just east of the turnoff to Yaki Point, (approx 1/2 mile walk). Parking at the South Kaibab Trail parking area will result in a fine as the Park Rangers patrol the parking lot daily. However, the shuttle bus does arrive every fifteen minutes and is a pleasant stress free method of commuting out to the South Kaibab Trail. Shuttle bus's depart early morning and into the evening hours, there is even a Kaibab Express shuttle that departs from several lodges. Check The Guide (GCNP newspaper) for seasonal departure times.
Many day hikers, backpackers and Rim 2 Rimmers choose to start their hike on the South Kaibab and finish on the Bright Angel. In that manner they do not have to wait for a shuttle bus after they're finished hiking on the South Kaibab. As the Bright Angel Trail has the easiest access, it is naturally more crowded. However, the BA Trail does offer convenience for a hiker that simply wants to walk a few hundred yards below the Rim.
TRAIL AMENITIES
The Bright Angel Trail has numerous shelters, water stations and rest rooms along it's corridor. This is due to the fact the that Grand Canyon Water Pipeline meanders back and forth along the trail. (The water for the South Rim is actually piped from Roaring Springs near the North Rim). There is shelter, water and restrooms (no flush) at the 1.5 mile, 3 mile and Indian Gardens along with restroom only (no flush) at Pipe Creek Beach, with a shelter a couple hundred yards up the trail. In addition, Pipe Creek itself offers opportunities for water, but it is NOT recommended and it must be filtered as mules pass through the creek daily. The BA Trail also offers more opportunities for shade from the searing Arizona sun. The trail itself follows the lower portion of Pipe Creek into Indian Gardens with shade coming naturally from the steep canyon walls and Cottonwood trees.
The South Kaibab Trail does not have any water stations or shelters on the trail. There is a water station located at the trail head on the South Rim, so make sure you carry a full ration of water with you on departure. There are restrooms (no flush) located at Cedar Ridge and near the junction of the Tonto Trail at "The Tipoff". Shade on the South Kaibab Trail is a commodity - there are no shade trees along the trail. Occasionally you will find shade along the numerous switchbacks, but be prepared for full sun any time of year.
TRAIL CONDITIONS
By far the South Kaibab is in much better shape than Bright Angel. As of the writing of this article (Fall 2011), the GCNP and several volunteer groups have spent countless hours grooming the trail. The main two causes of trail degradation is weather, (from monsoon washouts and snow) and mule traffic. Mules carrying guests and supplies back and forth to Phantom Ranch cause extensive damage to the trail. Generally, the result is large scooped "buckets" where the mules step over "water bars" (diversions running perpendicular to the trail). The result for the hiker is stepping to the side or over these "buckets", which are frequently filled with mule urine. It is in a word - disgusting. The Bright Angel Trail has hundreds of these "buckets" which make negotiating the trail awkward. The fact that a few hundred mule riders each month cause most of the damage to the trail system is a subject of debate for folks that frequently hike the Bright Angel or South Kaibab corridor trails. Recently, the GCNP has cancelled mule day rides to Plateau Point on BA trail to reduce the degradation.
STEEPNESS
Either trail requires a hiker to be in good physical condition in order to hike these trails. Too often hikers are lulled into a sense of security while descending and then discovering their limitations while ascending. Rescue calls during the late spring, summer and early fall months on either trail is common. This is a high altitude desert environment with steep trails. The combination can be fatal, usually resulting in heat stroke or a cardiac event for those that overestimate their abilities, are improperly clothed or have not carried enough water. The common phrase is "Hydrate or Die".
The Bright Angel Trail is 7.6 miles to the Colorado River. This trail is less steep at the bottom and gets steeper near the Rim. From the river, one meanders along Pipe Creek, negotiates a handful of switchbacks and enters the Devil's Corkscrew, a beautiful moderately steep section of the trail which resembles a huge 3/4 mile spiral staircase. Once clear of the Devil's Corkscrew it is a light uphill riparian hike with several creek crossings to Indian Gardens. Most hikers take a break at Indian Gardens before the one mile slightly uphill hike to Jacob's Ladder. This is where the strenuous hiking begins. It is approximately 3.5 miles from the start of Jacob's Ladder to the South Rim. There are very few flat sections on the trail, it is relentless. Many hikers breeze from the Colorado River to Indian Gardens in a couple of hours, only to find their pace slowed to less than 1 mile an hour from Jacob's Ladder to the Rim. When hiking the BA trail from the River up, remember to conserve your energy for the final 3.5 miles!!
The South Kaibab Trail is approximately 6 miles to the Colorado River. This trail is much steeper at the bottom than at the top. Given the fact that the South Kaibab Trail is shorter, means that the trail is steeper overall. It is also approximately 200' higher at the Rim than the BA Trail. Remember - there is no water stations or running water along the South Kaibab Trail, you must carry ample water. After emerging from the Black Bridge Tunnel at the Colorado River the hiker immediately engages a series of steep switchbacks which during the summer months can be devastating. There is a nice break with a fairly uphill hike after The Tipoff and then once again there is another set of extremely steep switchbacks that are usually in full sun to Skeleton Point. Skeleton Point is approximately halfway to the South Rim. The trail is moderately uphill, but still full sun to Cedar Ridge. The trail becomes steep again to Ooo-Aaah Point, levels off and the final climb out through the Chimney is short, but steep. Basically the South Kaibab Trail has three steep sections with moderate to easy breaks in between. Given that it is shorter than the BA Trail, it is a common choice for Park Rangers, Phantom Ranch employees and locals when the temperatures are moderate.
SEASONS
The Grand Canyon has four seasons and they frequently happen all in one day!! Advanced knowledge of the temperature, amount of snow and position of the sun will aid the hiker greatly in trail choices and outerwear. As a general rule of thumb, whatever the high temperature in Phoenix for the day will likely, within a few degrees, be the high temperature at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Sometimes during winter storms, this is not the case, but generally this guideline is pretty accurate. During the summer one can expect temperatures in excess of 130 degrees in full sun at the Colorado River/Phantom Ranch. The temperatures may only be in the 80's on the South Rim. (A dry and quite comfortable environment.) Conversely, during the winter months you may leave the South Rim at 10 degrees, only to find yourself in shorts and a short sleeve shirt just a few hours later basking in 60/70 degree temps. At any time of the year, on either the Bright Angel or South Kaibab Trails the hiker must be cognizant of the extreme change in temperatures, carry the appropriate amount of water and during the winter be ready to "layer" up or down with outerwear.
Even though the South Rim of the Grand Canyon appears to be a high desert, we still get snow. A snow covered Rim is an exceptional sight and the hiker should not be discouraged by reports of 8-18" of snow along the South Rim. During snowy conditions it is best to descend on the Bright Angel Trail after 8AM in the morning. The reasoning is simple, the mule riders leave the South Rim on the BA Trail usually around 8AM...allow them to break the trail for you. The hiker must be extremely cautious on the descent, the snow usually covers 2-3" of solid ice on the trail. It is a NECESSITY to have Yak-Traks and a pair of hiking poles with snow baskets. Once the day moves forward, the mule riders will ascend the South Kaibab Trail from Phantom Ranch usually after 12 noon. A reasonable decent of the South Kaibab will now be considerably easier along with Yak-Tracks and poles. Typically, if there is little or no snow on the trail, (ice is almost always present during winter months), the South Kaibab is the best choice since it receives more direct sun higher toward the South Rim during the winter.
One of the most important considerations when hiking in the Grand Canyon on either the Bright Angel or South Kaibab is the time of year and how it relates to the angle of the sun in the sky. Keep in mind the 22nd or 23rd of June is the summer solstice when the sun is at it's highest point. Obviously the sun and it's reflective capabilities against the rock walls of the Canyon is at it's strongest during this time. For example, hiking in mid-May is considerably hotter than hiking in mid-October. The further in the year beyond the summer solstice, the lower the sun is in the sky from the South. This will cast deep shadows into the Canyon from the South Rim itself. Both trails are effected by this phenomenon, however the Bright Angel Trail is effected more so since it runs it's course up the very southern edge of the BA Canyon. You can expect most of the steep part of Bright Angel Trail to be in the shadows and covered with ice during the winter. During the summer, Bright Angel also offers more shade, especially after 3pm in the afternoon. Therefore, the best choice for winter hiking is the South Kaibab Trail, you will likely have warm sun throughout the day. During the summer, the South Kaibab Trail is akin to an oven. We generally rarely hike the South Kaibab Trail beyond Cedar Ridge during June, July and August.
This article is meant to provide the South Rim hiker with a general idea of the characteristics between the Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trails. Anytime a hiker enters the Canyon for more than a 1.5 miles, (1.5 mile Resthouse on BA or Cedar Ridge on SK), they should check with Grand Canyon National Park personnel for daily trail conditions.
Eric Krueger
Grand Canyon, Arizona
http://www.AlpineNutriosoRealEstate.com
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Where to Shop for Discount Camping Gear
As you probably know camping get be very expensive, this is why it's very important when planning your camping excursion to create a budget. Most people turn to camping because they can't afford other type of vacations like cruises, driving across country, hotels, restaurant etc... But the fact is camping can be expensive too. If you are new to camping just go to your camping gear store, you will see what I mean.
If you don't want your camping expedition to be as expensive as any other vacation type, you should try to shop for discount camping gear. Nowadays more and more people are doing this. In the end camping is about roughing and it should not cost as much as traditional vacation. A lot of family goes camping to have a good time but also to save money. So if this is your case then shopping for discount camping gear is probably the way to go.
Army Surplus Store: A Great Place for Discount Camping Gear.
You probably already know this but if you are looking for discount camping gear, your local Army surplus store is one of the best places to shop. The carry a wide range of camping items:
- Tents
- Sleeping Bags
- Camping stoves
- And more
Anything camping item you can think of can usually be found in an army surplus store and on top of that there is a very good chance you will get it at a cheaper price than at your local camping store.
Buying Your Discount Camping Gears Online
There are many places where you can buy discount camping gears online, places like:
- Ebay
- Community listings
- Online Camping Store
- And more..
You only need to do some research on your favourite search engine and within a couple of minutes you can get your hands on high quality camping gears at discount prices.
Camping is all about leaving your stressful life behind and getting away with the family to have fun without spending too much money. If you are new to camping do yourself a favour and this year leave on a camping expedition. Go shop for discount camping gear and live a great outdoor experience with your family.
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Looking For Great Camping Gear?
Camping is one of the best activities you can come up with to get away from the stress and the noise of the urban life. You also get to enjoy the beauty of nature. The only thing you need to make sure you do right before going on a camping trip is to plan your equipment correctly. Planning badly can turn your camping trip into a nightmare and ruin the whole idea of spending time outdoors. The secret to do that is to get yourself great camping gear to keep you comfortable during your trip. In this article I will go over some of the most common piece of equipment so that you know what you need to have fun while being comfortable.
#1 Sleeping Bags
Probably one of the most important items you need in your camping gear is a sleeping bag. Whether you are sleeping under the star or in a tent having the right type of sleeping bag is very important if you want to be comfortable and warm during the night. If you are new to camping it can be easy to purchase the wrong type of sleeping bag. Keep in mind that a sleeping bag that is comfortable in summertime can be awful in winter.
The first thing to consider when buying a sleeping bag is the temperature under which you will be using it. One common rule to follow is to consider the average temperature under which you will be and chose a sleeping bag for about 10 to 20 degrees colder. If you are planning to go camping under winter condition you will need to purchase a sleeping bag designed for this type of temperature.
#2 Tents
If you are looking to be very comfortable during your camping trip, a tent is certainly a great camping gear to have. Keep in mind tent are pretty much like sleeping bags, they need to be chosen depending on the temperature. On top of that they are other factor to consider such as the weight of the tent. If you are planning to go hiking, you should consider buying a small tent that will be easy to carry other wise you can go for a big and more comfortable tent. The size is also very important. The sizes of the tent are not always representative of the reality. A 2-man tent is quite enough if you are camping alone, more than that you will be cramped for sure. Keep that in mind.
You Need Camping Stoves
Of course cooking over an open fire is fun and is a big part of camping. On the other hand sometimes you need to prepare better meals. That's where camp stoves are such a great addition to your camping gears. However you need to make sure you choose your camp stove wisely, the same goes for your sleeping bags or tent. Choosing the wrong ones can ruin your camping trip. There are mostly two common types of camping stoves the ones that run off butane and the ones that run off propane. I would strongly advise to choose the ones running with propane as the other tends to perform badly in cold whether. The size is also important. If you are using large pots and your stove is too small, the burner will heat unevenly.
Buying Great camping gear is the thing that is going to make sure you have a great camping trip but you need to make sure you are buying the right camping gear that is appropriate for the time of the season you are planning to go camping. Keep that in mind and you will find it pretty easy to shop for great camping gear.
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Camping Gear - Being Prepared For the Outdoors
Each summer you look forward to your big camping trips. You love being out in the woods, enjoying the scenery and beautiful weather, listening to the wildlife. Part of the fun of camping is not just being there, it is getting ready for the trip. And that means buying all the necessary camping gear that will make your trip a pleasurable one.
Camping gear can vary depending on what you will need it for. Each camping trip or outdoor excursion is different. What you choose to take along with you while camping will depend on how you will be transporting everything, what the weather is, the terrain, and a score of other factors. In general, camping gear needs to be highly portable and will need to suit the nature of your trip.
Here is some more advice that will help you select the best camping gear for your needs.
What do you need it for?
A lot of camping gear serves a general purpose. For example, no matter where you camp, you will need to purchase lightweight and portable dishware and cooking items. You can use the same camping gear to cook with no matter if you are mountaineering, kayaking, or just spending a leisurely few days in a structured campground setting.
It is the specialized camping gear that you need to spend the most time thinking about. Each outdoor sport has its own unique set of needs. And with that comes the fact that you will need to take specialized camping gear with you. This is an especially important thing to keep in mind if you are doing something like taking a mountaineering exhibition up a mountain like Mt. Rainier. However, if you hired a guide service, check with them to see what you would really need. They may provide some of the camping gear for you.
Check on prices.
Another important thing to do is to check on prices. But when it comes to camping gear, simply going for the least expensive item is not always a good idea. Sometimes, having the right equipment can mean the difference between whether or not you survive under adverse conditions. Why take that chance on shoddy camping gear?
Look for something that will not only suit your purpose but also be high quality. High quality camping gear is built to last. You want something that is durable and high quality. What would happen if you were stranded and you needed to boil water to kill any bacteria or organisms, but your stove were to break? This could be a life threatening and scary situation. Be smart about what you buy and don't let price concerns and budget affect the camping gear you choose if you can help it.
See what's out there.
In general, you want to understand the different kinds of camping gear options that are out there before you make a purchase decision. Make sure that the products you are thinking of purchasing will suit your needs. Plan for the worst case scenario and make sure you have enough supplies to handle that.
However, it can always be a touch decision. On the one hand, you want to be prepared. On the other, you don't want to bog yourself down with too much camping gear. Do your own research. Talk to people who have a lot of experience. Also, go on a lot of camping excursions and take a lot of practice runs. The more you do it, the more you will understand what camping gear you will really need.
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Camping Gear - Choosing the Right Camping Gear
Choosing camping gear is not about buying the latest, most popular or even the most expensive equipment. Camping equipment should be affordable and suitable for your needs.
The key to choosing the right gear is to know what you will encounter on your camping trip. How long you will be camping also influences what camping gear you would need.
Consider which gear is essential based on the terrain and weather conditions. You can still have many choices of gear which are still practical and functional even if you are on a tight budget.
It's easy to get distracted by all the gear you see in camping stores but you need to focus on the camping gear that you will definitely need and would later prove useful to your needs.
You also wouldn't want to carry too much gear and equipment if you can. The rule of thumb is to carry not more than a third of your body weight.
The strongest camping and hiking gear may be too heavy or lack the features you need so evaluate the conditions of the terrain and decide if you really need gear that may be overkill. Contact the local tourist office to find out about weather conditions and terrain before you start buying new equipment or before you pack what you have already.
Sometimes you will go through a variety of conditions and terrain in the same camping trip so make sure you take this into account when choosing camping gear. For example if you go on a mountain hike, the conditions and terrain would be different at the top of the climb than at the beginning.
If the weather is unpredictable bring rain gear and pack your gear in a waterproof enclosure so that it remains dry.
Making Your Own Camping Checklist
A camping checklist is something that evolves as you gain more experience camping. It not only makes sure that you carry everything that you might need but it also can be used to make sure that you don't carry too much camping equipment.
To make a dynamic camping checklist that you be useful for different occasions make a note of which camping gear you did or did not use and alter you list accordingly.
The camping list may change from each camping trip as you encounter different conditions. This is the trial and error method for choosing the right camping equipment for you.
As you take notes on which equipment works best for different situations and which gear you wish you had or how much of the camping supplies you had used up in your camping trip your list will become better, more useful and more customized to your individual needs.
Making your backpack lighter
While the camping gear checklist can possibly make your backpack lighter by reducing the number of camping, it may take a few camping trips to get it right.
With new technology camping equipment are increasingly lighter and smaller with new designs and materials. Choosing a lighter alternative to the same piece of gear can significantly reduce your overall load. It is not necessary to sacrifice certain essentials just to make your backpack lighter.
A lighter backpack will help you travel more quickly and cover more distances in a day and put less stress on your knees, shoulders, neck and back.
These 5 tips will help you reduce the weight of your backpack.
o Get rid excess - Don't bring extra changes of clothing more than one. Don't bring more than one cooking pot.
o If you are hiking in a group or someone else try to share some of the camping gear that can be conveniently shared like camping tent, camping stove, insect repellent etc.
o Replace camping equipments with lighter versions of it. Lightweight components and simple designs can almost maximize function while minimizing weight.
o Use camping gear that can perform different functions.
o Use travel size versions for consumables like soap and toothpaste and try to reduce packaging.
Traveling with a big load on your back is not fun and most times unnecessary. If that's what you've been doing you'll appreciate how easy it is to travel with a lighter load. Keeping your body in shape can help you carry your load better still.
Jonsky is an expert in camping gear and hiking equipment with over 20 years of experience hiking around the world. Especially loves hiking in the mountains.
How to Find the Perfect Camping Gear
Camping is never fun without a camping gear. The camping equipment can make a big difference in any camping trip. So if you and your family are planning to go on camp, you need to have the proper camping equipment gear outdoors first.
Internet Shopping
The best way to find the unique camping gear that you need is to shop online. Internet shopping makes it easier for you to select the camping equipment that you need for your trip. It also allows you to choose the gear that suits you.
All you need is to make the necessary preparations so as to get a hold of the right camping outdoors gear. Firstly, you need to consider what are the things that you need to bring when you are away from the campsite. Of course, you will need a tent, a sleeping bag, a flashlight, food, water, etc.
After deliberating on the things that you will bring, you also need to consider your budget. It is not all the time that you can buy anything that you need. For this reason, you must think of other options on how you can lay hands on the suitable outdoor camping gear and equipment.
Online Auctions
There are several ways to get discount quality camping gear. The first step is to find online auctions. Auction sites offer affordable items that meet your requirements. You can also opt for used camping gear. But be careful when buying used items. Check if there are some marks or scrapes on the gear before buying them. Remember it is your safety that is at risk here. Also make sure that you are buying the cheap camping gear from a reputable seller. It is important that there is a guarantee on their quality. Do not buy the item if there is no guarantee.
Outlet Stores
There are many different camping gear outlet stores where you can buy discount camping gear and equipment. Some outlets even offer branded items at discounted rates. These stores usually offer camping equipment at affordable prices.
Remember that buying a discount camping gear is only a preliminary part to an enjoyable experience. Preparation is still the key to the overall success of your camping excursion.
Be careful when making a purchase of your camping and hiking gear. This is important to make sure that your money is worth it. See to it that the tent is waterproof. It is also more convenient if your sleeping bag is waterproof and comfy. An ideal sleeping bag is the one that can be stored easily.
If you want to know more about choosing the correct outdoor camping gear, you can acquire more information on the Internet. You can also ask some advice from your friends who have been in a camping excursion before. After that, you can come up with a checklist of the things to bring to the trip and what activities to do to have a more enjoyable experience. Equipped with the best camping gear, you are now all set to start off your family camping adventure.
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How to Find the Perfect Camping Gear
Camping is never fun without a camping gear. The camping equipment can make a big difference in any camping trip. So if you and your family are planning to go on camp, you need to have the proper camping equipment gear outdoors first.
Internet Shopping
The best way to find the unique camping gear that you need is to shop online. Internet shopping makes it easier for you to select the camping equipment that you need for your trip. It also allows you to choose the gear that suits you.
All you need is to make the necessary preparations so as to get a hold of the right camping outdoors gear. Firstly, you need to consider what are the things that you need to bring when you are away from the campsite. Of course, you will need a tent, a sleeping bag, a flashlight, food, water, etc.
After deliberating on the things that you will bring, you also need to consider your budget. It is not all the time that you can buy anything that you need. For this reason, you must think of other options on how you can lay hands on the suitable outdoor camping gear and equipment.
Online Auctions
There are several ways to get discount quality camping gear. The first step is to find online auctions. Auction sites offer affordable items that meet your requirements. You can also opt for used camping gear. But be careful when buying used items. Check if there are some marks or scrapes on the gear before buying them. Remember it is your safety that is at risk here. Also make sure that you are buying the cheap camping gear from a reputable seller. It is important that there is a guarantee on their quality. Do not buy the item if there is no guarantee.
Outlet Stores
There are many different camping gear outlet stores where you can buy discount camping gear and equipment. Some outlets even offer branded items at discounted rates. These stores usually offer camping equipment at affordable prices.
Remember that buying a discount camping gear is only a preliminary part to an enjoyable experience. Preparation is still the key to the overall success of your camping excursion.
Be careful when making a purchase of your camping and hiking gear. This is important to make sure that your money is worth it. See to it that the tent is waterproof. It is also more convenient if your sleeping bag is waterproof and comfy. An ideal sleeping bag is the one that can be stored easily.
If you want to know more about choosing the correct outdoor camping gear, you can acquire more information on the Internet. You can also ask some advice from your friends who have been in a camping excursion before. After that, you can come up with a checklist of the things to bring to the trip and what activities to do to have a more enjoyable experience. Equipped with the best camping gear, you are now all set to start off your family camping adventure.
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Sunday, May 13, 2012
The 5 Best Survival Knives In The World
The Ultimate Survival Knife Shootout
The debate on which are the best survival knifes are both ongoing and extremely heated. When searching for the best survival knives there are just so many choices out there that it's mind-boggling. I have searched long and hard, read hundreds of reviews and tested survival knives over and over and have come up with my elite list of the best 5 survival knives on the planet. Why five? The truth is just as each knife is different, each person is different and what survival knife is the best for you may not be the best for someone else. By the end of this review you should have an idea on which survival knives suit you best.
The 3 Most Important Things To Look For In A Survival Knife
Before we look at the top 5 it's important to see why I selected what I did. Survival Knives are not your standard chefs knife and must be made to withstand whatever you can throw at them without even the inkling of breaking or failing, lets face it, survival knives are made for handling a potential life and death situation. Here are the top 3 things all survival knives MUST have.
1. Fixed Blade - With recent technological improvements, folding knives have come a long way, but in the end they will NEVER be as strong or durable as a tried and true fixed blade knives. Fixed blade survival knives have a full tang that extends all the way down to the butt of the handle, and every one of my top 5 pics is a full tang, full fixed blade survival knife.
2. Top Notch Steel - This could very well be the most important thing to look for in a survival knife and is certainly one of the most debated topics when it comes to survival knives. While there are literally hundreds of types of steel out there, my top 5 pics are either stainless steel, carbon steel or a mix of the two which is my personal preference.
3. Thick Blade and/or Heat Treatment - Lets face it, survival knives aren't made to slice tomatoes for your next catering party, these knives are meant to hack, slash, chop, skin and save your life! We need a knife that will not fail you when failure means death. This is why we look for at least a 1/8″ blade thickness combined with a reputable company that will give the knife a proper heat treatment for maximum strength.
The Top 5 Survival Knives In the World For 2012
Whoa, pretty big claim there right? Well, first let me give you a little disclaimer. I know some of you will read this and say, "No way, X/Y/Z makes a $500 knife that is way better!" The truth is you might be right, but I don't know about you but I don't like spending $500 on a knife. This list is the top 5 survival knives FOR THE MONEY! Each of these knives will give you the ultimate bang for your buck, and each of them will typically blow away any $500 survival knife. I should also preface this by saying that these survival knives are in no particular order and I have not been paid by any of the manufactures listed here to favor any of these survival knives, this is just a list from my personal use and experience with these survival knives. Enough talk, lets get to it!
1. KA-BAR 7″ Fighting/Utility Knife- You can't search anywhere for quality survival knives without coming across KA-BAR. These knives are tried and true and have so much history and field experience that many won't even consider going with another brand. KA-BAR uses a 1095 Cro-Van Steel which is a stainless/carbon mix that is extremely tough and very durable, and yet just soft enough to hold a razor sharp edge. There are many types of KA-BAR survival knives but the one I like most is the 7″ blade with the Kraton G Handle, they do make a leather handle but I found Kraton G to be much better for grip and MUCH more weather-proof. Also, make sure to buy it with Kydex sheath, Kydex beats the crap out of leather hands down, don't worry about the few extra dollars, just get it! This knife can literally do it all and has been used by the USMC for years as their standard issue knife, and for good reason, this knife is simply amazing.
2. Becker BK2 Campanion Survival Knife- Ethan Becker broke the mold when he created this bad boy, with a blade thickness of 1/4″ this thing could withstand a nuclear attack! With a true full tang design where the handle is literally 2 pieces of Givory stuck around raw steel this honestly has to be the most rugged knife out of all my top 5. The Becker BK2 is tough as nails, I have seen videos of people putting hundreds and hundreds of pounds of weight on the knife without it so much as flinching, combine that with a beautiful drop point design and one of the best designed sheaths in the business and you have yourself a knife that will out cut and out handle most $400 survival knives at a fraction of the price! My only issue with these survival knifes are that the blade might be a tad short for batoning wood, that said when I tested this knife I actually found it the easiest to baton with due to its super thick blade. Its bigger brother the Becker BK7 has a 7″ blade opposed to the BK2′s 5″ blade but it is a bit thinner and comes with a nylon sheath instead of kydex, very disappointing. This is why I choose the BK2 over the BK7, but honestly you can't go wrong with either.
3. Gerber LMF II Infantry Knife- I was never a big fan of Gerber blades as most are outsourced these days, however I'm not a big fan of Chevy cars...but Chevy does make the Corvette, which I adore, and this survival knife, my friends, is the Gerber's Corvette of survival knives. In my opinion it's Gerber's last redeeming quality. Made in Portland, OR of super tough 12C27 stainless steel, this knife requires very little maintenance, if any. This super thick, razor sharp blade can make short work of any survival task. Survival knives come and go these days, but this one is a tried and true legend in the armed forces and sees heavy use in wartime. Theses survival knives have a tough steel butt-cap that can be used as a striking weapon or a hammer and its sheath is one of the best designs I have ever seen. These survival knives are simply amazing, and for a cheap price you are getting a bomb proof, essential survival tool.
4. Cold Steel SRK (Survival Rescue Knife)- If you have ever seen Cold Steel's marketing you have either been terrified or grossed out, personally while I feel its slightly gimmicky it proves a point, Cold Steel make some of the worlds BEST survival knives, if it can cut through a whole cow it will probably do the trick. All joking aside, Cold Steel makes many types of survival knives, some cheap, some insanely expensive. For the money the Cold Steel SRK is one of the best designed and best made survival knives in the world. It is made of AUS8 Steel, which happens to be my overall favorite type of steel for edge retention and durability, it has a super tough, super comfortable Kraton handle (think super tough rubber). While the blade length is on the small side, it is very thick (3/16″) and very durable. It has a great Kydex sheath which man survival knives don't have these days. I love the drop point style blade design, I have always felt drop point blades make the best survival knives. Cold Steel make amazing knives and this is their best one for the money, hands down!
5. Buck 119 Special- What can you say about the Buck 119 special. This knife's reputation is a strong as KA-BAR's. Many outdoors-man swear by this knife and with good reason, its design has withstood the test of time. Buck's philosophy is, "If it aint broke, don't fix it" and who can argue that? This knife is super strong, razor sharp, easy to clean, no maintenance, no hassle and would you look how beautiful this bad boy is? 420HC stainless steel is used on the blade for super durability and if it ever breaks or fails, Buck has a 100% lifetime guarantee on it, a class act! My only complaint would be the sheath, which is leather, so make sure the blade is dry when storing it, or dont store it inside the case. The handle may get a tad slick if wet but I feel this knife has great ergonomics and fits tightly in the hand so it wont slip out, all in all a survival knife among survival knives!
Survival knives are so important in a survival situation, that if you were only able to bring one item with you, you would be foolish not to pick a good quality survival knife. While survival knives come in many shapes and sizes, this list of the top 5 survival knives in the world will narrow that list down for you quite a bit. Each one discussed above you could trust with your life and believe me many have. Survival knives can also be used for family camping and many other uses around the house making them invaluable tools for everyday use.
Don't leave your life to chance! Make sure you own one of these great survival knives, your life my depend on it!
If disaster struck as you were reading this sentence, would you be ready?
Do you have survival food? Click the link and get prepared!
16 Survival Strategies to Adopt If We Must Win the Battle
Everyone that aims at mastery must strive for it. There is always a price to pay or a cross to carry for a crown. To have a victory one must fight a battle. In this article I have provided 16 Survival Strategies that one can adopt to outlive the troubles of life.
1. Knowledge - To have knowledge is to be aware of something. When you understand that there is a great battle or war that is on for "the man that is born of a woman", you'll sure prepare or arm yourself for it. Your knowledge of the battle tells you that it is not a joke, but a battle of life or survival. For the believer and follower of Christ, the Child of God, the battle is two faced. One is the battle of life; the other is the battle to make it to heaven at last.
Every average human is on a sustained battle or struggle for life. Life itself is a struggle. The Word of God says that man is born unto "troubles" (Job 5:7; 14:1; Ecclesiastes 2:22-23). As a consequence or punishment for disobedience to God's Word, humanity through Adam was subjected to a life-long battle or struggle to eat or survive (Genesis 3:16-19). Man has to labour, struggle, exert energy and sweat for sustenance or survival on earth. The casting down of the devils to earth and their wicked activities joined to compound the things that man has to battle or weather through to survive. These last days have witnessed all intensification of the battle for the survival of man. Today, one has a lot to battle or struggle with to survive or continue to exist on earth - circumstances, fellow human beings and the unseen wicked forces (Ephesians 6:12).
It should be noted that many have been "slain" or "maimed" in this battle, both the battle of life and that of going to heaven. Without knowledge, every preparation of man for whatever battle is futile. A careful look at the way side of life will reveal to one either the carcasses of those slain in the battle or the "maimed" that are waiting for death. At the time of exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan land of promise, many could not make it. They could not contend with the various forces that confronted them on the way, including "unbelief', and so their carcasses littered in the wilderness. It is still so in our time. Many who could not contend with forces that confront them in life or on their way to heaven have had their carcasses littered either here on this earth or in hell.
2. The Battle Is Winnable - Notwithstanding the fierceness or intensity of the war or battle we are into, the truth we must know and believe is that it can be won. There have been people, who fought life battles when they were faced or confronted by same, and they won. They did not only survive, they "lived" or enjoyed life till their time was up. In the case of the battle to make it to heaven, there are those who fought it before us and made it to heaven and are there now enjoying the bliss of heaven and the presence and glory of the Lord (Cons. 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Hebrews 12:1-3; Luke 16:20,25). Many people, men and women, have fought and won the various things that confronted them in life. And if they did, we too can. It only takes developing the right mind, attitude and strategies.
3. Belief In And Determination For Victory - The beginning of survival or winning the battle of life is the belief that one can survive or make it no matter the situation, and the determination to do so at all costs. Apostle Paul's belief in the winning of the race to heaven made him to determine to do so at all costs (Philippians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 9:26-27). That belief and determination was his driving force to work hard and to endure all he had to race. And with that he could say, shortly before his death, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness..." (2 Timothy 4:6-8). He did not allow anything that confronted him to deter, hinder or move him, because he was determined to make it. Determination is the quality of being committed to doing or achieving something without any intention to fail. The statement or confession of the determined is always, "I must", "I can", "I will". The knowledge of the fact that somebody had won or survived the struggle or battle before helps to build "belief" and "determination" in a person to face the struggle or battle. If we can believe that we will survive or win the battle of life we will surely make it.
4. Faith In God - As we believe and determine that we can survive or win that battle of life, in the face of al the oppositions, we will need to have implicit faith or trust in God with whom "all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). We must believe or trust in Him and have Him always on our side or with us. This will mean that we must always do "those things that please Him" (John 8:29; 1 Peter. 3:10-13). And with God on our side, nothing shall be impossible to us - every battle must be won. Let us have faith in God to face or fight the battle before us.
5. Willingness And Readiness To Do Anything Legitimate - If we must survive in life, eat, have basic necessities of life and become what we should, we must be willing and ready to do anything legitimate. We must look for "Whatever our hands find to do" and get into doing it "With all our might". The wisdom of God says, "In all labor there is profit". There are too many profitable things we can get into doing with the intellect and strength God has blessed us with and which may require little or no money to begin. All it takes is our willingness and readiness. Some of those profitable things may appear common, mean or shameful to some people. This is where self crucifixion or mortification of pride and ego will come in. Those who are bent on survival in life are always "deaf" and "blind" to how people see them and what they say. But those who bother about such things never make it. If we must survive the battle of life, we must be willing and ready to remove shame or pride from our lives (Mark 8:38). With our God-given strength and intellect and any little amount of money we may have or can get from friends, etc., (where money is required), we can always start something. There are too many things people can do to survive or live that does not require a lot of money and yet can yield great dividends.
When we are willing and ready to do or engage into any legitimate thing, job, trade, etc., we must surely survive or live. God is always ready to bless and proper such, especially if there is faith in Him by those involved. But if any person will want to preserve his/her pride, shame, ego, personality or dignity while desiring or dreaming to survive or make it in life, let the one know that "The talk of the lips will only tend to penury" (Proverbs 14:23 ). One wonders the type of pride, ego or dignity a hungry, needy and poor person seeks to preserve that should not make him engage himself into a gainful business to live.
6. Diligence - Diligence is another thing that is very relevant to or necessary for our survival in this battle of life. It means no other thing than to "Do it with your might". Diligence is "steady effort or careful hard work". It is not enough to be willing and ready to do anything legitimate to live or survive; one must be diligent in that.
If people must patronize our goods or services, we must make such goods and services to be to their taste, attractive and satisfactory. We must see that such goods or services are ready when and where the people (customers) need them. And also we must be available in the place of work of business when the people need us. Most businessmen and women work towards killing their own businesses or work by not being diligent. When this happens, you see them pointing accusing fingers, blaming the devil, witches and wizards, their "uncles", etc., for the failure. They begin to run after 'prayer people' or market deliverers to stage a magic for their return back to business. But prayer without diligently working to succeed is equal to failure. We must know that there is time for everything. We must not sacrifice the time for a particular thing for another.
The Bible says that if you are diligent and careful about whatever you do, you will stand before kings and not ordinary people. No matter how small your 'labor", business or work is, there must be profit in it if only there is diligence - hard-work and carefulness. Whatever we feel or see that we can do to earn living or to survive, let us do it diligently, that is, with all our might, carefully and very well. Also, those in academics, Gospel ministry, etc., must apply diligence in whatever they do if they must succeed or make it. It should be noted that although it appears that our emphasis was on surviving in life or winning the battle of life, the strategies or principles adduced or suggested are equally relevant to the battle of making it to heaven.
7. Persistence - Injunctions and testimonies on importunity or persistence abound in the Holy Scriptures. If we must survive or make it in life or to heaven; we must not easily give up. We must be persistent people. In everything or battle one is engaged in, there must be challenges and intimidations, but with courage and persistence, victory or success is always sure: most people in Bible times would not have made it if they had given up hope. They made it because they persisted. There is always a trial moment or a 'dry season' in every business or thing one is into. But at the end of the trial or 'dry season' is always a testimony or 'rainy season'. But if one becomes intimidated, frightened or discouraged by the events of the trial or dry season and backs out, then the person will not get to the rainy season or have a testimony. All those who have made it to championship or victory in life or anything never had it easy at the beginning or early stage. There were challenges or intimidations, but they continued. They persisted and along the line they got to where they were going or got what they were looking for. Anything is possible with determination, faith in God; hardworking/carefulness (diligence) and persistence. Let us employ them, and we shall survive or make it in life.
8. Patience - Patience is another virtue, principle, attitude or strategy that is very necessary for those who must survive or make it both in life and to heaven. It is always those who are patient that obtain the promise of God. Patient people always scale through trial periods or dry seasons and get to victory or to the rainy season. It is the patient farmer that gets to the time of harvest and enjoys the fruits of his/her labour. It takes patience to be persistent. The reason is that it is not every labour or business we engage into that begins immediately to yield our desired dividends. We must then apply the virtue of patience and some endurance to be able to persist until we get to the "rainy season" or where the "rabbit" is. Many who lack patience have made "haste" in what they were into and could not get to the rainy season of their business. They jumped into another thing and continued to jump until they become "Jack of all trades and master of none"; "rolling stones that gather no moss". With that they become frustrated, discouraged and finally defeated or maimed in the battle of life. We need to be patient in whatever we do. Let us remember that patience is the ability to accept delay, suffering without complaining.
9. Contentment - Contentment is another virtue or strategy that will be of great help to us if we must live, survive or make it in life or to heaven. Contentment means to be or feel satisfied with what one has, not over-stretching or enlarging his/her desire or appetite beyond the ability or resources. Contentment means cutting your coat according to your size. It means to live within your means. The Lord seriously warned His people against covetousness but encouraged them to be content or contented with what they have. This will save them from "hurtful lusts" that can pierce the soul. If we must not steal, fall into some other temptations; we must learn to cut our coats according to our sizes. We must learn to live within and not above our means. We must learn how to manage the little we have to sustain ourselves and those with us. We must know that these are hard times and every person is struggling to survive. No one is finding it rosy, except those that are following or making it through the fast ways or cutting corners. The bottom line here is, let us adopt the virtue of contentment, living within our means and being happy and praising God in it while expecting a better tomorrow. Many have gone into sin, died before their times and gone to hell, because they lacked contentment.
10. Prudence - Prudence is an act of showing carefulness or thoughtfulness for the future. The simpler way to explain prudence is, being careful with what one has at present or at hand to take care of future or tomorrow. It means managing today's surplus for tomorrow's scarcity. When there was surplus harvest in Egypt, at the time Joseph was Prime Minister, the Egyptians stored part of the surplus food they had in times of plenty, to survive at the time of perceived future famine, and it helped them. The ant uses the summer or dry season when it has a clement weather, to prepare for the winter or rainy season, when it cannot freely crawl about, so as to still live or survive in the rainy season (Proverbs 6:6-8). And God says we should go to it (ant) and learn its diligence and prudence.
Many people waste their "rainy season", without storing some "rains" only to suffer and lament in dry season. In the time of plenty or surplus they forget future scarcity, consume everything and waste some, only to cry, lament or begin to look at people in time of scarcity. If we must survive, no matter what the times or seasons are, or what the times present, we must be prudent people. We must avoid wastage and extravagance in spending or eating. Let us be people who eat only when we are hungry and not as a law (it must be three times a day). Let us be people who buy things or do things that are absolutely necessary and not because others have or did it. God hates wastage or extravagance. Moses was very wroth with Israelites who gathered more manna than they could eat and left it overnight only for it to spoil and become wasted (Exodus 16:16-20). Remember, each time you waste money or food, it will affect tomorrow or someone somewhere and somehow. Let us be prudent in every area of our lives, it will help us and help others.
11. Temperance - Temperance is listed among the fruits of the Spirit of God in the life of His children and among the things we must add to our faith in order not to be barren or unfruitful (2 Peter 1:5,6). The question then is, what is temperance, and how does it affect survival in life? Temperance is the practice of controlling and restraining one's behavior. It is the same thing as being temperate, disciplined or self-controlled. In the Bible, Paul observed that "every man that strives for the mastery (championship) (to win or survive victoriously), is temperate in all things". He said that he himself employed temperance in his life and ministry in order to make it to heaven, and not to be a cast-away after he would have preached to others. He kept his body - his taste, appetite or fleshly urges under control. He did not give the body whatever it demanded for because he knew that it was not everything that his body desired or demanded that he could afford or that was lawful or expedient (1 Corinthians 6:12-13; 9:25-29; 10:23).
It takes temperance (self control/discipline) to survive or make it in life or to heaven in the times in which we are. The reason is that it is not everything that our bodies are attracted to/desired that we can afford. And it is not all such that are lawful, expedient or edifying. There are things we may be attracted to but which we cannot afford by our strength or resources. There are such that may be unlawful either before God or by the laws of the land. Some may even be lawful but may not be expedient or edifying. If we must then do without such things, temperance will become a necessity. With the increasing iniquity, moral decadence with the associated indecent dressing among women, wild display of wealth by some, etc., it will take temperance for one to stand, not falling into temptation to sin. When we prayerfully cultivate the virtue of temperance in our lives, it will help us a lot.
12. Caution - This is another strategy or principle that those who desire to survive or make it in life must have and practice. Many have gone to their grave earlier than schedule or failed to make it to heaven though they entered the race or road to the place, all because they lacked the virtue, practice or exercise of caution.
Caution is being careful to avoid danger or mistake. The times in which we are, are those foretold by the Scriptures as later/last days in which perilous things and people would abound (2 Timothy 3:1). Perilous is from the word, Peril (danger). Perilous means dangerous or troublesome. All around us are Perils, dangerous things, dangerous people and dangerous spirits. If any person desires and wants to survive or make it to heaven, the one must be a vigilant, watchful and careful person. We must not trust everything and every person. We must look before we leap. We may have to choose the longer route than to follow the shorter route that may end us up either in early grave or hell fire. It is better to take longer route and get to where one is going than to take a short-cut (route) and never reach.
The wise person will always choose the route that has fewer risks, especially spiritual risks. Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36-37). You may not be making it monetarily in the place where you are, but you may be making it spiritually - that is where God is with you (Emmanuel). To be cautious includes to be spiritually sensitive to be able to perceive the prompting or warning of God's Spirit who knows and sees more than we do and can guide us into safety and progress or against danger (Cons. Romans 8:14 and Acts 20:22-23). Once again, if we must survive or make it, we need Temperance and Caution.
13. Being Loveable - To survive or make it in life people must have need of another's help, support or assistance, one way or another. The scriptures recognize it and advised on it (Romans 15:1-3; Galatians 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Acts 20:35). The truth is that it takes "brotherly" or human love for people to help, assist or support those in need (1 John 3:16-17; James 2:15-16; John 15:12-13). Survival requires that people must be wiling and ready to help, assist or support one another, especially the less privileged, the handicapped; the weak; the poor; etc., and to do so, love is required.
Though love is required to do good, yet observation has shown or revealed that it is sometimes motivated. There are human beings that are easily loved by all. This makes people to be easily willing and ready to help, assist or support such. They readily attract people's sympathy, compassion and attention. When such lovable people are into trouble, danger, problems or need, almost everybody will be concerned and willing to help, assist or support (Acts 9:36-40; 14:19-20; Luke 7:2-5). On the other hand, we find the "unloveables", the "not-easy-to-be loved by people". These are people who others find difficult or struggle to love. This difficulty or struggle to love them affect people's willingness and readiness to help, assist or support such people in their times of danger, need or trouble. Their case may be obviously begging for help, support or assistance, yet help, assistance or support may not be forthcoming from people, because the love that moves people to act towards them is not easily manifesting. Examples of this abound and we are aware of it.
People's lifestyle, character, behavior, or attitudes can make them either lovable (easily loved) by others or "unlovable" - difficult or not easy to be loved. There are people whose characters, behaviors, lifestyles or attitudes endear them to people or attract them to people and there are those whose life style, characters, behaviors or attitudes put off or repel others. These are people that have bad testimonies or reports among the people with whom they live or stay. When people find it difficult to love a person they will also find it difficult to help, assist or support him/her in time of need or danger/trouble. In such situation, even though God commands and expects people to bear the burdens of such people, help, assist or support them as we have seen above, that commandment and expectation of God will become a difficult one to be obeyed towards such fellows.
This is not to be an excuse for anyone to hate any person or fail to help, assist or support them because of their life style, character, attitude, etc. I have only stated an existing fact to motivate all to avoid acts, characters, etc., that can make them "unlovable", or make others to struggle to love, help, assist and support them in times of need, such as we are. There are some of us that have relations, friends, etc., that could have been of great help, assistance or support to them in life, but their life styles, characters, behaviors or attitudes have put such people off from them.
14. Prayerfulness - If we employ all the survival or winning principles/strategies discussed in this series without being prayerful men, women, boys, girls, businessmen/women, we may still not survive or make it in life. If we must make it through God in life, we must add prayerfulness to all our strategies for survival (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Philippians 4:6; 1Peter 5:7). It is prayer that attracts God to us and our situations.
Faith in God is expressed through prayer, among other ways. Some of the virtue or principles discussed in this article are achievable only by the grace or enablement of God. And no matter how we labor in anything we lay our hands upon to survive, if God does not give the increase we only labor in vain. Similarly, no matter how cautious, vigilant, watchful and careful we may be if the Lord does not watch over us, it will all be in vain (Psalm 127:1).
No person who desires to survive or make it in life or to heaven, as a Child of God, can afford to be a prayerless person or be weak, casual or formal in prayer. We must be ready to, among other things, take up and wield the weapon and instrument of prayer (Ephesians 6:11-13, 18). Prayer will bring to us the grace, strength and intervention we need from God to face the challenges of life and going to heaven. So we must be willing and ready to pray always and that with FAITH, for a faithless prayer is as good as no prayer. Having heard or known all these things, happy will you be if you apply them (John 13:17).
15. Being And Remaining A Child Of God - Being and remaining God's child at all times, in all places and in every situation one finds himself or herself is what God demands. Through Adam or by creation we became God's Children (Luke 3:38; Malachi 2:10; Acts 17:28-29). Through sin we lost the identity and became Children or offspring of the devil (1 John 3:8; John 8:44). By repentance from sin and faith in Jesus as "the only begotten Son of God" and our Savior, we regain Sonship of God (John 1:12-13; I John 5:1).
However, remaining a child of God at all times, in all situations and in every place one finds himself or herself, is one of the ways to survive or escape the perils of the times, place and the world in which we find ourselves. The way to do so is stated in the scriptures (2 Timothy 2:19; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Isaiah 52:11). It is to touch no unclean thing; to avoid sin in all its ramifications; to remain God-fearing and God-loving; not joining the ungodly in their ungodly ways and practices, not depreciating in faith in Christ as the only Saviour and Lord, not depreciating in God's faithfulness and ability and not depreciating in God's Word. It is to remain zealous towards the things of God, including His service and support of His programmes, in times, places and situations we find ourselves. To remain God's child includes remaining trusting in Him and prayerful too. And it means to be a follower of "that which is good" (1 Peter. 3:13).
16. Your Work Being Acknowledged And Known By God - The Scriptures tell us that the Lord knows and cares for His own children always, even in famine or perilous times and places. In every place, time and situation He knows them that are His. His eyes are always upon them, no matter where they are and what is happening. He also knows how to deliver them from temptations or danger to protect them and provide for them their needs (Cons. 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Peter 3:12-13; 2 Peter 29; 2 Cor. 1:9-10).
The good work that you do helps to draw god's attention to you whenever you are in need. Elijah was a man who did not suffer lack in the time of famine in the land of Israel (1 Kings 17:1-16). His work before God distinguished him and helped to sustain him, even when others are crying for help. The time in which we live now are times of intense economic distress and time of various forms of perils (dangers), spiritually, physically, sociologically, etc. (Cons. 2 Timothy 3:1-5; I Timothy 4:1-2). The circumstances of our countries appear to be assuming a worse or alarming proportion. Example, the present global economic meltdown, harsh economic policies and measures of the government that are taking great tolls on the masses; the activities of armed robbers, terrorists, ritual killers, kidnappers, rapists and the like, which continue to send many to eternity earlier than divinely scheduled or ordained; series of sundry accidents on the roads, in the air, sea, homes and other places with scores of people left either dead or maimed. All these have made the times and places we find ourselves "Perilous"{dangerous). Yet our work for or before God, has the ability to offer us solution and distinguish us from the rest of the people.
When the Lord brought judgments upon the land and people of Egypt, He knew them that was His and found a way to protect and preserve them. No matter how perilous or difficult a time or place may be, the Lord knows His own and knows how to deliver, protect and provide for them. When it seems that there is no ways of escape or survival, the Lord suddenly provides an escape route, a solution or a way for His children. Nothing can happen to or harm His own child, except that which He allows (Lamentation 3:37; 1 Peter 3:13; Romans 8:31), and He knows how to make a difference between His children and others. Finally, seeing that the Lord knows them who are His, no matter the place, time or situation, and that He will always have a way to keep, protect, deliver and provide for them, the conclusion is that we should strive to remain His own at all times, in every place and any situation. With that, we need not to fear what is happening or not happening.
Vitus Ejiogu is a writer and publisher with the Fire-Brand Int'l Ministries, a media ministry that is based in Nigeria. He is the editor of FOUNDATION SATELLITE magazine also published by the ministry. He pastors a Church in Bauchi and is married with two children.
You can reach him at: firebrandhq@yahoo.com
or, 234 802 8181 829.
Website: http://www.firebrandhq.com
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