Blog on a Log
Friday, January 6, 2012
Manitoba Reinstates Park Fees For 2012
Manitobans will be getting a bit of a shock this year at provincial parks. After three years of free entry, park fees are being reinstated across the province starting May 1st.
The waived park fees in past years were meant to encourage Manitobans to get out in province. “We want more people to have the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and experience the beauty of our provincial parks,” Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie said in a 2011 press release. “The province will continue to offer free park entry to provide affordable options for tourism and recreation at home and encourage Manitobans to explore their own backyard.”
Unfortunately 2012 brings a return to fee-based park entry. Though not large, the fees may well affect some people's travel plans--a shame, as Manitoba's 50+ provincial parks are areas worth exploring!
Park permits are sold per vehicle at a price of $4/day, $8/3 consecutive days, or $30/year. For more information on provincial park fees you can visit the Manitoba Parks website.
How will the fee reinstatement affect your 2012 plans? Will you do less when faced with paying a fee to enter provincial parks? Join us on Facebook or Twitter and let us know!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
No Cold and No Snow -- How to Have Fun This Non-Winter
I know I'm not the only one frustrated by much of Canada's weather this year. Highs above 0 degrees?
No snow for
Christmas?? For many of us this winter has barely felt like one at all, and with many traditional winter sports DOA, it can be hard to figure out how to get outside and stay active. The Free Press is posting articles about
what to do when winter finally comes, but until it does (or in case it doesn't!) I figured it was time to face the facts: this winter may not look like the kind we're used to, but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy it.
Some activities are out (toboggans don't run well on rocks) however this is no sign you should hole up indoors and wait for the coming spring. There are lots of ways to get out and still enjoy this winter (such as it is).
Winter Walking - Though we loose a bit this year in the traditional quiet, snow-softened surroundings, we gain a lot hiking ease. Above-average temperatures mean easy access to trails that might normally require some slogging or heavy-duty footwear. Enjoy the chance to pile on less layers, and go for a walk. Winnipeggers can meander through Fort Whyte, Assinaboine Forest or Bird's Hill Park. Those in Thunder Bay can check out Centennial Park or hook up with the Thunder Bay Hiking Association. See what unique animals and sights you can spot under these equally unique weather conditions.
Winter Running - For those looking to get their heart rates a little more elevated the clear pavement is a blessing. Current temperatures are perfect for running--cool enough to prevent overheating, while warm enough that runners can do away with most of the cumbersome gear of cold-temperature jogs. Enjoy the significant extension of our running season by hitting the pavement.
Skating Rinks - Though a skate down the river isn't in the cards unless things get a whole lot colder, there are still lots of opportunities to get out on the ice this winter. In fact, it might be one of the only typical winter activities available, so you might as well make the most of it! Indoor and outdoor rinks throughout Winnipeg and Thunder Bay are open for public skating, often with equipment rentals available. There might not be snow on the ground, but at least you can pretend winter actually arrived.
Find the Powder - Ok, it's been a bad year for snow, but it's an exaggeration to say there's none whatsoever. Thunder Bay is making the rest of us jealous with its share of the white stuff, and even pining Winnipeggers can get out and skate ski on the built up trails in Bird's Hill Park. For those absolutely jonesing for traditional winter activity, it's the best available under current pseudo-spring circumstances.
How are you staying active in these balmy winter conditions? Visit Wilderness Supply on facebook or twitter and let us know!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Stocking Stuffers for Outdoor Adventurers - 10 gifts under $10
We're now firmly in December, and Christmas is only two and a half weeks away! If you need a little something for the outdoor enthusiast on your list, check out our collection of 10 stocking stuffers all under $10! Just the thing to put a smile on the face of the paddler, camper, or hiker on your list.
Just Hanging Around - Ornaments aren't just for Christmas trees - they can be used to decorate your house, cabin or car once January rolls around. Just think how cool your car will look with a kayaking Santa swinging from the rearview mirror all summer!
Bottoms Up! - There's nothing quite like a nice glass of vino at the end of a hard day's paddle. These BPA-free plastic glasses a a great way to raise your glass in style while out on trail. Durable and rugged, the neck nests into the glass for easy storage and space saving.
Aces High - Every adventurer knows you can't beat a deck of cards for reliable multi-person, multi-game trailside fun. Required packing for any hiking, camping or paddle trip, these poker-sized cards are plastic coated for water resistance so they'll retain their shape if splashed in the canoe, drizzled with rain, or spilled on by picnic table wine (If this is a scenario of particular concern, you may want to check out the surprisingly stable GSI stemless wineglass)
Grog on the Go - Keep you water bottle from rolling around in the bottom of the boat while you paddle. The Can-panion is one of those simple-but-simply-genius products. It attaches nearly anywhere - to your boat, your camp chair, your ATV and more - so you can always have your beverage handy while keeping your hands free. Get two--try it once and you're not going to want to give this thing away!
Shine a Little Light -This pipsqueak lantern delivers big, illuminating everything in a 2m diameter at a weight less than 1 oz. Perfect for hanging up in your tent. In fact, it's so small and light, you can even leave it hanging inside when you pack up your tent so it will always be ready to go as soon as you set up.
Feel Flat -Space and weight are at a premium on trail, and there's no more effective way to save both than ThinkFLAT products. The folding cup is virtually unbreakable, absurdly light, and features a non-stick, odor free, easy clean surface (BPA free). Folds out into a slim plastic disk for packing, and up into a cup when you reach your campsite.
The Fastest Drink in the West - GSI claims the Quickstraw is the fastest auto-deploying, self-stowing straw for wide-mouth water bottles. We've never done heavy-duty testing, but experience suggests no competition for this water bottle accessory. Collapses with a simple turn of the lid and auto-deploys in the blink of an eye for easy drinking at any time. Perfect for those prone to spill out of their wide-mouth water bottles!
Like Botox For Wines - Extend the life of your wines by eliminating oxygen exposure with a PlatyPreserve. Drink a glass now, and then another in a week - the wine will still taste fresh! Also a great way to transport wine with ease in a lightweight, collapsible container that eliminates bottle breakage issues.
Channel Your Inner Thoreau - When you need to be able to write absolutely anywhere, these waterproof notebooks are the ticket. Both the covers and the pages resist water so your notebook stays legible even in the dampest conditions, and the soft cover bends to fit into any available pocket or pack. Perfect for those who want to take notes or jot down musings while in the great outdoors.
A Sip On Your Hip - A leakproof, durable flask for transporting your beverages on trail. Holds 12 oz, with a 1 oz shot-sized cap. BPA free and safe to drink from, with no plastic taste or odor.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Wild Adventure of the Month - "Border Follies"
Every month, Wilderness Supply features one of our customers who's had a wild adventure, and passes on some free gear to help them through their next undertaking. Whether on the road, trail, or water, the most difficult experiences always make the best stories...and the most enjoyable vicarious living! December's story "Border Follies" comes to us from Steve from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
As my Suunto Vector (purchased at Wilderness Supply) flipped to 10:00am, I knew we were running out of time. My girlfriend Anna and I had just made the decision to delay our Route 40 bus ride to Southern Patagonia in favor of some world class white water rafting in Futalafu, Chile. The odds of getting there were impossible as we had to catch 3 back-to-back buses including a cross-border minibus that would get us into the rafting town just after dark. Off-season and unseasonably cold, the town was bound to be dark and deserted. We boarded the first bus, and with a stroke of luck we made our second bus further in the mountains... and then the third which took us to the disputed Patagonia border region between Chile and Argentina. The border guard reviewed our passports, stamped us in with an heir of superiority like no other border crossing we'd experienced.
It was dark when we arrived in Futalafu. One light in one window in the pitch-black town led us to a restaurant/hotel for some much needed deep-fried local delicacies and a place to crash. The restaurant owner noted that the water conditions were furious with high water and that rafting at this time of year could be more dangerous than usual; and the next morning's forecast was for rain and high winds to top it off.
We pulled on our icy cold wetsuits in the rain and wind at the shores of the Futalafu, unaware that this river is one of the world's most famous runs as ranked by National Geographic, unaware that its nearly all class 5 rapids or higher, and fully aware that this was our first time rafting. The first class 5 rapid went alright, if it wasn't for the slight headache I had after bouncing my head off the front of the raft when we hit a rock. The subsequent twenty class 5 rapids were pure adrenaline as we found our groove and learned the ropes. When we pulled up on shore at the end of the run and near the top of a precarious waterfall, we were gloriously satisfied, bodies tingling.
But you didn't think that was where the adventure started did you?
We arrived back at the rafting shop. Our American rafting guide sat in his chair in the rustic cottage-like office, lit a cigarette and asked "Where are you guys going after this?". We replied that we were heading back into Argentina to catch a Route 40 bus south to Southern Patagonia. "Impossible", he said, "there's no way out of this town at this time of year. Public transport is shut down and because of that border situation and private cars can't drive you. I am crossing the border, I can drop you off before the border and try to pick you up afterwards. We need to be careful as the Argentinians are really sticky about this private-car thing. If I can't pick you up after, its a 40km hike to the next town."
What choice did we have?
As we approach the border station on foot, we see his van at the border stop. The formalities looked typically uncomfortable. He zooms off as we approach on foot. The Argentinians look confused, and not-overly fooled by our arrival. They know what's going on. We get our passports stamped. The guard asks us how we are getting to the next town, we ask him for a ride and he refuses and asks us if we are going with that American guy to which we respond "no". His face marked with an expression suggesting he didn't accept that as the right answer.
Heart rates slightly elevated we walk out of the border office and walk down the gravel road. "Will he wait for us?" "We have no food for the 40km journey, are there any towns near by?" We rounded a corner with our full packs, I looked back at the idyllic mountain border post and saw the border guard standing on the front steps watching. We round another quarter, out of sight... maybe out of mind. Perfect. Another corner. The van, the American guide, waving at us to hurry up. We sprint with our 20kg packs towards the van. I hear a roar behind me.
Two border patrol trucks approaching quickly, lights flashing. "We have nothing to do with that guy, pretend its a coincidence" I tell Anna.
We approach the van, the guide and the officers. Heated discussions in two languages are ensuing, all I can hear is "I was just stopped to take a piss!". Perfectly logical it seemed to me as we dipped our heads and trekked by the situation. We were nearly 500 meters past where he had stopped and around another switchback when we heard vehicles approach. The van, speeding, whipped by us spitting up dust as this area must have avoided the prior day's rains. A border truck, slowly, followed with one man in the back with binoculars watching us and the van intermittently.
"Well, this sucks. I guess we're walking."
Thirty minutes pass, all expectations of finding our guide were gone. We were trying to figure out when to set up camp and how to gather food. We had tents and stoves and water, but no food. We trudged on. Nearly dark, I looked up and saw a faint object on the road.
"The van!" We ran, 20kg packs swinging. The guide was waving and yelling. We ran. Our packs flew into the jeep as did we. Heart pounding, stomachs in our throats. The guide was noticeably urgent in his mannerisms. Shift into gear, go. We peeled around switchbacks, no one spoke. We were trying to make our escape. Anna asked me if it was going to be ok, I really had no idea. It was getting dark. Tension continued to build as we were still only 10 kms from the border. We passed a car, and a truck in the near darkness without incident.
SCREECH! The brakes were applied full force. The van slid sideways as the brakes locked. My head bounced off the guide's headrest. All loose cans of beer and red bull on the bottom of the van rattled around. What a piece of crap this van was, I had randomly noticed in that instant.
There must be another patrol coming! I can't believe we're getting caught, I thought. We need to get out. I look behind the van, I see nothing. I hear nothing unusual. I reach for the door to dive out and run when the guide turns his head and says, "I need to take a dump. Its a long way to the next town."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Cold Truth About Buying Warm Jackets
Canadians know winter. For half our year, we face snowfalls that would grind other countries to a halt, winds that would drive lesser lands to distraction. We brave daily temperatures that would render most people immobile with little more than a stereotypical "bit nippy out there today, eh?"
But we don't do it alone. Crazy Canuks we may be, but only the truly foolish brave our winters without some worthwhile gear. That said, there's gear, and there's gear. Even the best of us have been tempted by a random jacket seen in a big box store. You're there, it's there, things just seem easy. And it looks ok, right? How bad could it really be?
The word 'quality' gets bandied around quite a bit. But encased within it are a whole bunch of other important words - words like 'warmth,' 'longevity,' 'windproof' and--best of all--'lifetime guarantee'. When you're buying a jacket you're going to wear every day between November and March, a jacket that you want to last not a month or a season, but years, those words matter.
So why bother buying a brand name jacket? When you stick with a trusted brand--brands like The North Face, Patagonia, Outdoor Research, and Mountain Hardware--you're not just buying a name, you're buying a whole lot more
Materials - High quality winter jackets are made with down fill. Down is an exceptional natural insulator. Lightweight, warm and easily compressible, it'll keep you toasty warm on cold days, but packs down to a fraction of the size when you need to stuff it into a weekend bag. The higher quality the down, the better warmth-to-weight ratio--though not necessarily the warmer the jacket. A number of other factors influence a jacket's overall warmth.
Beyond the fill, both the lining and outer fabric of a jacket contribute to keeping you warm and toasty. Water resistant fabrics are great for snowy climates, where your own body heat can melt snow causing damp jackets that suck away vital warmth. Especially in our prairie provinces wind resistant materials are crucial, cutting down on the warmth-sucking windchill factor. The best winter jackets provide both wind and water protection, while still using breathable materials so you don't feel like you're wrapped in a piece of plastic. Cheap materials mean sub-standard warmth--plus a much higher likelihood your jacket's going to wear out before it should.
Sustainability - With a country this beautiful, it just makes sense to take care of it. When corners are cut it's the environment that suffers. At one time, manufacturers across the industry had little regard for the environmental and social impact of their products, but in the past few years outdoor brands have started to take notice of how their products are made. Our brands are committed to sustainable products at every level of the development process, from the materials down to the packaging you receive. Patagonia donates 1% of its profits to the '1% for the planet' initiative, and has its own nonprofit gear-trading program. Mountain Hardwear uses organic cotton and reclaimed wool in its products. The North Face actively works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at every level of production. The accountability of these manufacturers lets you rest easy, knowing the environmental impact of your purchase is being minimized.
Testing - Performance brands take their products seriously, and utilize teams of athletes to rigorously test them at multiple levels of development. Want something tried and proven? How does a parka that's been tested by climbers on Everest sound? The North Face did that, and we've got it. Canadian winters won't know what hit them.
Guarantees - Here's where trusted brands really blow things out of the water. You've got this jacket with all its great materials and features, and then the company steps in and says that if it stops being fantastic, they'll support you. In some cases, if you're simply dissatisfied with the product--for any reason--they'll work with you to fix it. North Face is famous for their lifetime guarantee of product performance. Patagonia offers a lifetime satisfaction guarantee that is unprecedented. When a company makes a good product, they aren't afraid to stand behind it. When a low-quality jacket flattens out a few months in, you end up cold, wet, and out of luck. So you go buy a new one. And then another. And then another...
Come in and break the cycle.
Photo 1: The North Face Himalayan Parka - our warmest jacket in store!
Photo 2: Warmth doesn't have to make you feel like the Michalen Man. This cute North Face Arctic Parka is a customer favourite, selling fast