After hundreds of laps on Prairie Mountain, I wanted to write a short article on the do’s and don’ts and tips and tricks for folks who might be headed to this small peak for the first time. This is called a “dummies guide” rather than a “beginners guide” for a reason. As an endless user of the mountain and various of its trails, I have some advice for those who might not realize they are behaving in ways that degrade the experience of myself and the hundreds of other hikers who come after them. The advice all comes down to one thing. Please. Don’t be a dummy.
There’s a lot to be said on the topic of backcountry gear after 25 years of tripping. I want to stress that these are all just my opinions and my personal experiences – yours will be different and only you can decide where you chose to follow a similar path to mine or forge something that looks quite a bit different. I also have to mention that if you are new to the backcountry it’s better to pack a little bit of extra gear rather than get into trouble with too little. Experience has to be earned, there are no shortcuts for that. In the end we’re all just trying to get away from the stresses of everyday life and into the calm of the wild. However you choose to do that must suit you and must satisfy the very reasons you’re out there in the first place.
I’ve been asked many times for some tips & tricks regarding photography and digital photography gear and while I’ve written about this topic a few times, the articles were getting a bit dated in this fast-moving world and I’ve decided to simply start from scratch with a new one.
I have done more than a few wilderness canoe (and hiking) trips over the past 20 years and my experience has given me some insight that could benefit other aspiring explorers or even a later version of myself.
I promised Eric Coulthard I would tell him how to make his own panoramic wall prints, so I thought I’d share my printing secrets with the world. Arts & Crafts time on explor8ion.com folks!
Invest now in good, light gear for the future and you will be able to use the same equipment for many adventures while saving your body for even more trips in the future.
I have a bit of a thing for meteors for some reason, and I’ve tried capturing photos of them before. The last time I made any real effort was a bit of a bust. I lugged camping gear to the top of Vent’s Ridge back in May of 2014 to attempt to capture a purported 1,000 meteors per hour from the rare Camelopardalid meteor shower.
