Outdoor Podcast

Grilling the Perfect Burger

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:39:58 GMT

I love to grill hamburgers at least once a week during the spring, summer and fall months, and nothing spells warm weather like grilling hamburgers and eating out on the deck. To me there are several criteria for making the perfect burger: tasty meat, delicious seasoning, great grill marks, and your choice of condiments.

Below is a picture of some burgers that I grilled up this evening and to me they were the perfect burger.

Tasty Meat
The perfect hamburger starts with tasty meat. If you use pink slime infested, nasty meat, then you will never get the perfect burger, no matter how good your culinary skills are. To get the tasty meat you want to use a well marbled cuts of meat. Take 1 pound of flat brisket, 1 pound of chuck roast, 1.5 pounds of boneless short ribs, 1 pound of boneless rib-eye. Yep, I know, I know, this is not going to be a cheap burger; you are going to create the perfect burger. You want to grind it all up and make sure the different cuts of meat are distributed evenly in the mixture. You also want to cut off any large amounts of fat that you may find in the brisket flat, because this will be nasty if you grind it up with the meat. You may need to remove 1/2" or even an 1" of fat off the brisket. However, the rest of the meat you should be able to get away with leaving the fat in the meat and grind it up with it. The fat will provide juice and flavor to your burger.

Seasoning
I've experimented with lots of seasonings for burgers over the years and have even stuffed the burgers with feta cheese for extra flavor. However, I have 3 favorites that I repeatedly come back to over and over again.
The first is Lipton Onion Soup Mix, this is great and you can even find recipes to make a knock-off at home so you can bypass all the MSG and extra crap that is thrown in the mixture.
The second is Jamie Purviance's Weber's Real Grilling Cheeseburger of Champions recipe that is absolutely fabulous.
The third is Weber's Gourmet Burger Seasoning. A lot of home grillers like to make their own recipe's but for me I have no problem with using commercial mixtures if they are tasty. It's hard to go wrong with the Weber Gourmet Burger Seasoning Mixture. The only thing I like to change is to add 1 TB of Worcestershire Sauce and 1 tsp of Soy Sauce to the meat to give it some "moisture" which helps the burger to not fall apart during the cooking process.

Grill Marks
The secret to getting great grill marks is to make sure you preheat your grill so the grates are good and hot. For burgers, you want a high heat somewhere in the 500F range. Hamburger doesn't really have a lot of surface moisture like steaks, so there is no need to pat them dry before adding to your grill. Apply a very thin layer of olive oil to the burgers and this will prevent the meat from sticking--and I mean a very thin layer. Don't overdue it with the olive oil.

I generally like to grill my burgers for about 4-5 minutes per side when using 1/4 pound patties. Also, invest in a burger press and you'll have more consistent looking and cooking burger patties.

Condiments
When it comes to condiments, there are so many choices out there that you could literally write a volume of books on the subject. For me though, I generally like to keep it simple. First, leave off the ketchup. I know this may seem like heresy to a lot of you out there, but for the perfect burger, it needs something more than ketchup. Ever since I was about 10 years old, I have been leaving off the ketchup and substituting my favorite barbecue sauce. Either homemade or commercial sauces work for me. At any given time you will find a selection of 1 or possibly 2 homemade BBQ sauces and 2 bottles of commercial sauces in my refrigerator. My two favorite commercial sauces are Sweet Baby Ray's Original and Famous Dave's Sweet and Sassy sauce. My 2 favorite homemade sauces are No.5 sauce (google it) and a Carolina Honey sauce that I make (vinegar and tomato based).
The next sauce that I like to add is mustard. I rotate between cheap yellow mustard and brown spicy mustard. It just depends on the mood that I'm in. When it comes to mustard, the more you put on the better the burger. Just don't overdue it and have it drip on your clothes. LOL
Next you will need about 3-4 pickles on your burger. For me there is only one pickle worthy enough to be put on the perfect burger and that is my mother's homemade Bread and Butter pickles. However, you can feel free to substitute store bought B&B pickles for your burger.
For a lot of my burgers, this is all I do. However, I also like to add romaine lettuce about 50% of the time. Once again, it just depends on the mood that I'm in.

For me the condiments shouldn't detract from the meat but just simply add to the wonderful flavor of your perfect burger.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #63 Interview with LT Wright of Blind Horse Knives

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:53:48 GMT

I had a great time with LT and hope to one day finally get the chance to meet him. After this interview, I just might have to drive out to Ohio so I can meet him. He is truly an outstanding guy and want to thank him for coming on the show.

LT met Dan Coppins working at a stair fabrication shop and discovered that they both had a unique love of the outdoors and knives in general. They both attended a knife show in Cambridge, OH that began the love affair with knives. LT Wright began his knife making career with a mail order knife kit that he made as a gift for his father in 2000. He was fortunate to meet RW Wilson at a gun show and began an apprenticeship under RW. As LT and Dan’s friendship grew, so did the idea for a knife company. LT quit the stair shop in January of 2006 to make knives full time under his brand. In June of 2007 Dan and LT formed Blind Horse Knives.

LT and Dan are both carpenters by trade and believe that these skills translate into the quality of BHK. The fit and finish of the knives, the belief that knives should be beautiful and functional and their desire to build a truly American made product are the keystones of the BHK philosophy.

You can find out more about LT and Blind Horse Knives at

Blind Horse Knives Website

Blind Horse Knives Outdoors

In this episode you will learn the following from LT:

1-How he got started in the knife making business

2-Which knife grinds are suited for which purpose

3-How many knives should the outdoorsman own

4-What is the best way to patina a knife

5-Is there a good reference for learning about the different types of steel for knives

And so much more. This should be required listening for all outdoors men so you do not want to miss this awesome episode and make sure you pass it along to your friends as well.

Please Consider Supporting Our Great Sponsors

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #62 Bringing Life to the Walking Dead--One Man's Journey to Beating Burn-Out

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:49:20 GMT

This is the second installment of the Living the Adventurous Life Seminar that I created, so i hope you enjoy this one. This is similar to "How Adventure Saved My Life" episode but this one is more thought out and is better developed.

This is my story of getting burned out and how I was able to recover from it and how nature, outdoors and adventure played their role in helping me recover. I offer five tips to recovering from burn-out but they can also be used to prevent burn-out as well.

This episode includes the following:
1-My personal story of burn-out
2-How nature played its role in my life during this time period
3-What is burn-out and it's symptoms
4-5 tips to recover from or preventing burn-out

If You Enjoyed This Podcast,

Please Consider Supporting Our Sponsors

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #61 Therapeutic Benefits of the Outdoors

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:47:49 GMT

This is the first part of the Adventurous Life Seminar that I have been working on the last couple of months and wanted to give you a taste of this project. I share with you how the outdoors can be used to provide a mental break from your work, family life, financial stresses or anything else causing stress in your life.

I am not promoting the outdoors as the end all solution to peoples problems, nor am I advocating the use of "Nature Therapy" in lieu of traditional therapies. However, people can receive some therapeutic benefits from the outdoors, nature and adventure.

Please Consider Supporting Our Great Sponsors:

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Book Review: The Nature Connection

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:37:25 GMT

Recently, my wife and I were in Cracker Barrel and I was dreading the after dinner shopping that my wife loves to do in their store. I tried to make the best of it and I am glad that I did. I found a really interesting book called, The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families and Classrooms.

Being aware of how our concrete and asphalt society has moved us so far away from our natural world around us, I was intrigued by this book. I picked it up and thumbed through it and quickly was glad that I found it.

This is not the type of book that you sit down and read, but it truly is a workbook. I would say this book is most appropriate for kids 8 and up but there are lots of activities that parents of younger kids can do as well.

This book teaches kids about the natural world and it aims to get the kids outside to explore it and to document what they find. Your kids do not have to have access to large wooded areas of untouched land, but can do many of these activities in the backyard or even in a public park or other outdoor space. It really does not matter where the kids perform the activities as long as it is outside.

We happily plunked down the money for this book and are anxiously waiting for our next group of foster kids so we can actually put this book into practice. Just as a note of caution, there are a few pages that are kinda in the “weird” but for the most part, it appears to be a good book that will get your kids outside exploring and hopefully get them excited about the outdoors.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #60 Preparing Yourself for a Canoe Trip

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:37:15 GMT

In this episode I share with you some tips and advice on the best way to prepare yourself for a canoe trip. The goal each time you hit the water is to have a safe, enjoyable canoeing experience that will leave you with lots of great memories.

You will learn the following:
1-How to dress properly for a canoe trip
2-What kind of hat is recommended for canoeing
3-What snacks are best to take along
4-How to keep your gear dry
5-What to do if you fall in the river

Please Consider Supporting Our Great Sponsors

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

The Paddlers First Aid Kit

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The other day my wife made me really proud because she took the initiative to buy some new components for our first aid kit. She told me that she felt it was missing a few things that we might need while guiding our clients on the river. The area we canoe is a 7 mile long river valley that is totally uninhabited so once you get in your canoe, it will be a 3-4 hours before you get back to a man-made structure and since there is no cell phone coverage, it is important for us to be able to handle multiple types of injuries. I took this as a chance to go through our kit and to actually improve on it by making it better suited for our canoe guiding. The new kit is waterproof and is fairly large. I wanted it to contain a lot of components so that I won't have to restock it every time we use it. It is definitely a bit overkill for the average outdoors man, but should be perfect for our needs. You can simply take this kit and downsize it for your needs and carry it in a smaller container.

Hopefully, we won't have to use this kit, but you never know. Our new and improved first aid kit is perfect for paddlers or people who are concerned about water ruining your first aid kit. Because our case is waterproof, then it should also float. I haven't tested the case, but I'm sure it will float. Up to this point, we have carried 3 smaller first aid kits. The first is the Modified Nutnfancy Level 1 Kit that I made based on Nutnfancy's video on YouTube. The 2nd is a typical first aid kit that is designed for in home use, but over the years we have restocked it and improved on it. The problem with this case is it is not waterproof and one of the latches is broke. The third kit is one that i picked up at Gander Mountain and is contained in a 32 ounce Nalgene Bottle. This kit is extremely waterproof, but it is so jammed packed with materials that it's virtually impossible to get them out when you need them.

When you have an first aid need, you do not want to be fighting with your container to get your components out. This may not seem critical for a small scrape or cut, but for a major first aid need, this will only add to your stress. Therefore our three requirements for this new and improved Paddler's First Aid kit is--first it must be waterproof, second it must float, and finally, it must be easy to use and easy to get your components when you need them.

Choosing Your Case

When it comes to waterproof cases, you will be hard pressed to find anything better than Pelican. I have used Pelican Cases for a few years now for lugging photography equipment, so I figured Pelican is my only choice for this Paddler's First Aid Kit.

The average outdoorsman can probably get by with the Pelican 1200, which is a good size--not too big, not too small. However, for this application, I felt the Pelican 1450 was the only choice for me. The 1450 is big enough to carry a ton of materials, but still small enough to be easily manageable and easy stowed in the canoe.

It does not matter which size you choose, I am sure you will find that all of the pelican cases are extremely durable and well built. I have used them in industrial applications and have never been disappointed. They are built like tanks and can take the abuse the average outdoors man will wreak upon it.

Inspecting Your Components

The first thing that I did was dump all of my contents from all my first aid kits and spent a few minutes inspecting each one. I wanted to check to make sure the alcohol pads were moist and not dried up, I also wanted to check the first aid tape to make sure it wasn't gunked up and hard to use. The tape can melt in higher temps then it sticks to itself when it cools down. It can be a pain to deal with when this happens.

The other thing to look for is the expiration dates on any pain medications that you may carry around in your kit. Also, look for tears in your packaging that may expose your first aid components to germs, thus ruining the sterilization.

Choosing Your Components

For the most part, the components that I chose for my Paddler's First Aid Kit are similar to my smaller kits but have more materials in it. The most common injury that I have witnessed while paddling are cuts and scrapes. Usually people tend to fall out in the river rapids and this can cause them to bang into rocks, which results in cuts and scrapes.

Fortunately, I have never witnessed a serious situation while paddling but you never know what you might encounter on your next trip on the water. So here are the components that were chosen for this kit.

Cotton Balls: I grabbed a handful and put them in a zip-lock bag

Triangle Bandages: I really like the triangle bandage and have 4 of them in this kit

First Aid Tape: We have 3 rolls in our kit. 2 of them are used and 1 is brand new that my wife bought. All 3 of them are waterproof.

Small Whistle: This was included in the Nalgene bottle kit, so I included it in this kit. It's not as powerful as my Jetscream, but it does serve as redundancy. It gives me the ability to have 2 whistles in 2 different locations.

Latex Gloves: I have a small zip-lock bag these fit in so they are very compact. There are 3 pairs of gloves in the kit.

Saline Solution: We carry a small bottle of this in the kit and can be used for cleaning wounds or rehydrating eyes for contact lens wearers.

Pink Bismuth Pills: You may know this as Pepto Bismol. You never know when people might need this, so it's better to have it and not use it than to need it and not have it.

Assorted Band-Aids: We have a zip-lock bag full of assorted shapes and sizes of band-aids.

Liquid Stitch: We have 2 small containers of liquid stitch in the same bag as the band-aids

Sting Relief Pads: This is a small sealed package that contains a pad for sting relief. I have seen other products like a roll-on version of this as well.

Baby Wipes: This is a small sealed plastic bag of 40 count wipes. You never know when you might need this to wipe your hands or can be used to clean items or wounds. Hopefully you don't get in over your head when running rapids and you have to use these for their intended purpose on yourself.

Aspirin: This is another item that my wife picked up. We all know the benefits of aspirin and how it can save a person's life when they are experiencing a heart attack. She figured that we are going to be away from civilization for 3+ hours and this can be given to someone having a heart attack. I pray to God this never needs to be used, but we have it just in case.

Alcohol Prep Pads: I have a ton of these laying around so I decided to include about 15-20 of these in this kit and store them in a zip-lock bag.

Ibuprofen: A small bottle of Ibuprofen to help with pain relief.

Cleansing Wipes: These are various pads that were included in other kits. They are still good, so I figured I would use them. There are about 10 of these pads in a zip-lock bag.

Antacid: My wife picked up a bottle of antacid pills to help if anyone gets heartburn or an upset stomach.

Povidone Iodine: Our kit has these in the pad form similar to the alcohol prep pads and are stored in a zip-lock bag. You can see a pattern here with these types of packets being stored in zip-lock bags. One of my frustrations with the other kits is having these packets loose in the kit. They tend to fall everywhere and I end up thumbing through them individually until I find the packet that I need. the zip-lock helps to keep them centralized more organized and not loose.

Moleskin: This stuff is great for blisters on your feet, so we have a pack of this at our disposal.

Triple Antibiotic Ointment: This is pretty commonly found in First Aid kits so we included it in this kit..

Gauze Roll: I think every kit probably has a roll of gauze in it.

Surgi-Pads: These are thick, extra absorbant pads that are great for heavy bleeding wounds. These one are 5"x9" in size but if you don't want to pay the premium for the surgi-pads you can borrow a few of your wife's Kotex Pads which are very similar, just a little thicker and bulkier.

Triple Layer Non-Stick Pads: These are similar to the material used in the bandage portion of band-aids and measure 3"x4" in size. I went overkill on them in this kit and have 30 of them.

3"x3" Gauze Sterile Pad: I have 10 of these in the kit.

4"x4" Gauze Sterile Pad: These are the same as the 3x3 but a size bigger. I have 30 of these included in the kit.

Tweezers: I have a pair of metal tweezers from one of the kits that I put in it. Being outside a lot it is common to get splinters from working with wood or getting a thorn or bee sting. I prefer the metal ones over the plastic tweezers but there is also a plastic pair in this kit as well.

Scissors: I small pair of blunt tipped scissors for cutting bandages and such.

Tongue Depressor: I told my wife, that I honestly don't know why these are in the kit but they are transfers from house kit, so I figured what the heck-they might make good fire starter sometime.

First Aid Manuals: I added a few small booklets that came with the other kits and included them in this kit.

Right now this kit is still in progress but this is what we have in it. I will be adding a SAM Splint to this kit very soon. Jim Miller wrote an outstanding article on the SAM Splint for Self Reliance Illustrated as well and I am a firm believer this kit needs a SAM Splint. I may also be adding a few Israeli Battle Dressings to this kit as well. I have never used an IBD, but I hear lots of great things about them.

Storing Your Components

Pelican Case is amazing because it has the foam in the lid which really helps to keep the items from falling all over the place and out of order. While I was organizing the kit, I tried my best to put the most used items and the first used items on top so that I don't have to dig around for them in the bottom of the pelican. The gloves, cleansing wipes, iodine wipes and band-aids are all on the top. So far it is staying organized so I'm excited about this kit. I hope that we never have to use it but if we do, then we are prepared for it.

I did take some of the waterproof tape and formed a cross on the outside of the case to identify it as a first aid kit, but I'm not sure how long that will stay put. I am planning to get a light colored marker and will appropriately label the pelican case so anyone will be able to identify it when the need arises.

It is very likely that someone else may need to fetch the first aid kit, so you want to make sure that it is easily identifiable to everyone.

This is a work in progress and I'm sure it will be changing soon. Just remember that this kit is purposely built with overkill in mind. The last thing I want to worry about this summer is having to restock my kit just before a tour. I am hoping this kit should last us through this canoeing season and if we have to use the components, there are plenty there for us to not worry about running out in the middle of a trip or forgetting to restock it before the next trip and remembering when you are on the water. You can however, downsize this and make it appropriate for your needs.

Here is the Paddler's First Aid Kit as it sits right now

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

The Paddlers Fire Kit

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:10:41 GMT

This past weekend was our first guided canoe trips, so I decided that I wanted to improve my fire kit and make it specific to the paddling sports. I have two requirements for this paddling fire kit--first it must be waterproof, and second it must float.

I looked at Dave Canterbury's 21st Century Longhunter Fire Kit in the Altoids can, but the problem is it is not waterproof. So I looked through my gear and found a 14 ounce Nalgene bottle and figured it was the perfect solution. If you have watched Dave Canterbury's videos for more than 4 years then you may recognize this bottle. Some of Dave's earlier videos show him storing oatmeal in these smaller bottles, which is why I originally bought the bottle.

This past weekend we actually got caught in the rain on two different occasions during the 12 1/2 mile trip. This kit is designed to offer redundancy and to offer plenty of material, so you can start multiple fires before you need to restock the kit. In fact, this entire fire kit is a redundant kit because I am already carrying Dave's Altoid Fire Kit along with a few other components not in a kit.

So here is the Paddlers Fire Kit.

Building Your Kit

The first thing you will need is a 14 ounce Nalgene bottle. I really don't think you will need to go bigger than 14 ounces and you will probably be amazed at how much you can fit in this bottle. I didn't really pay much attention to how I stuffed it in the bottle and I fit all of these in it very easily. I probably could take my time and do a better job at stuffing the bottle and get more in it if i really wanted to, but this kit is well stocked as it is.

On the outside of the bottle you will have a cap with a plastic O ring connecting to the cap. I clipped an aluminum carabiner on the outside of the bottle to allow me to easily attach the bottle to my pack or to easily attach it to my canoe. Right now I'll be carrying the fire kit in my pack but when I take it out I may want to connect it to the canoe. This carabiner will also allow me to hang the kit on a branch when I'm actually using it in the woods. If for no other reason, it gives me a redundant method of storing the container, either in the pocket in my pack or I can use the carabiner to tie it to an object in the canoe or on a tree.

Fire Kit Components

The components that I chose were ones that I had laying around in some of my other packs, so I added a little bit of everything to this kit. Now I have all of these components in one little kit that is both waterproof and it floats.

Fatwood: I took 3 small pieces of fat wood that I harvested from a pine tree on my property. Fortunately, I had a rather large pine tree fall down last winter so I now have plenty of fatwood. I chose 3 small pieces that are a little smaller than the diameter of a pencil and about 3-4" long.

Wetfire: I love the Wetfire product so I included 4 pieces in this kit. Once I learned how to use it, I have not had it fail me yet. They come sealed in an airtight package which helps protect it even more.

Charcloth: I added about 5 pieces of charcloth. I thought about adding an 18th Century Flint and Steel to go with it but decided against it. I want to be able to start a fire easily and quickly without too much effort, but I did add the charcloth because it's good at catching sparks.

Jute: I added 15' of jute twine because it makes great tender.

Lighter: I want to be able to start a fire quickly and easily and you can't get much easier than a lighter. This is not so much a survival kit as it is a fire kit and a lighter should be your first choice when starting a fire.

Ferrocerium Rod/Striker: Every outdoorsman should have a pile of these things stashed in every corner and crevice of your outdoor gear, so this kit wouldn't be complete without a ferro rod in it.

Steel Wool: I use 0000 steel wool and for this kit I use a whole pad. Steel wool doesn't ignite but it definitely burns a hot ember and is a great tool for fire starting. Also if you lose your ferro rod and have a 9 volt battery, you can use it to get the steel wool going.

Petroleum Cotton: You can use the Mini Inferno product which is awesome. In fact the loose fire components that I have in my bag includes the mini inferno. However, for this kit, I decided to use some makeup pads dipped in petroleum jelly and folded them up in a zip-lock bag. I could have saved some room by using cotton balls, but I had these pads laying around that I dipped a few years ago and wanted to put them to good use.

Alcohol Pre Pads: I added 3 pads that you use in a first aid kit. I have a ton of these pads laying around, so I figured i'd add some to this kit. Jim Miller made these famous in his Self Reliance Illustrated article that he wrote in 2011.

Finalizing Your Kit

Like I said above, I did not really pay much attention to how I stuffed the components in the kit, but I did use the steel wool last and it is right at the mouth of the bottle. It seemed like a good place to put it The bottle is not overly stuffed, but it is full. Once you take the steel wool out of the mouth and turn the bottle upside down, you are able to easily get the contents out for use.

Another item that could easily be put in this kit is a small travel container of hand sanitizer. We used this over the weekend to ignite some wet wood and it worked awesome. Just a few weeks ago, I was reading about the sanitizer in John McCann's new book, Stay Alive, and finally got to put it to the test during this trip. I can definitely attest to the fact that it works great.

I encourage you to build your own kit and add or delete items from this list and make a kit that you can use to make a fire easily and quickly in the field. The Nalgene lid screws on and creates a waterproof container that will also float in the water. Now if this would happen to fall out of my pack and into the water, I do not have to worry about it sinking to the bottom of the river. Having a bottle that floats will increase the likelihood of being able to recover it quickly and easily. I cannot tell you how many items that I have dropped in the river over the years and the items that float are recovered while the ones that sink generally are lost.

Here is a photo of the finished product:

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #59 Wilderness First Aid with Alan Halcon

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:18:54 GMT

Alan Halcon stops by and shares why you need to add a Wilderness First Aid course to your outdoor skills. I had an awesome time talking with Alan and I know that you will enjoy this show as well. This is one of those topics that you will want to pass along to all of your outdoor buddies because it is chocked full of information.

In this show you will learn:
1-Why you need Wilderness First Aid
2-The difference between basic first aid and wilderness first aid
3-Must have items that you need to carry in your wilderness first aid kit
4-Alan also shares information about Dirttime

Please Consider Supporting Our Incredible Sponsors

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Stay Alive--Survival Skills You Need Book Review

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:17:43 GMT

Several months ago I purchased John McCann’s new book, Stay Alive—Survival Skills You Need and was fortunate enough to get him to come on the Outdoor Podcast and talk about it and his ideas about Wilderness Self-reliance and survival. I used to be a voracious reader, but over the years my reading time has been almost non-existent, thanks to a busy work and family schedules. When I first purchased the book, I read the first couple of chapters before I found it really hard to find time to finish it. This book has been calling my name and fortunately, I found the time the last couple of weekends to finish it. My personal belief is that if I am going to review a book, then I want to read it cover to cover before doing the review. The last couple of weekends, I had plenty of reading time while operating the canoe rental business for Soaring Eagles Adventures and I am excited to finally present this review to you.

The book features over 250 pages of common sense, no frills survival knowledge that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that!” When it comes to wilderness self-reliance and survival, there is a lot of information that has floated around for many years, some of it useful and some of it being just plain garbage. This book presents a game plan that is designed to cut through the BS and teach you skills that will keep you alive in the wilderness.

One of the first things you will notice about this book is that it is full of full-color photographs of the items or techniques that John McCann is presenting to you. In fact, when you come to the rare handful of pages with no pictures on them, you end up thinking to yourself, “This page looks weird with no photos.” I love photos and to see a book with actual photos, and not the ubiquitous hand drawn sketches found in many survival books, was very refreshing. I find that I learn best by reading, then looking at photos, then watching a video, and finally by performing the skill myself, so to have this many photos in a book is extremely beneficial to aid in the learning process.

Another thing that I really liked about the Stay Alive book is that there are sidebars throughout the chapters that John uses to further explain a concept or to give an alternate way of doing the skillset. I found myself really enjoying all of the sidebars throughout the book.

Overall, I found the book extremely easy to read with well-presented concepts and skillsets and was never bored. In fact, each time I finished a chapter, I found myself surprised that it was finished. Many times, I would talk to myself about the great common sense techniques that John McCann shares in this book and asking, “Why I didn’t think of that!”

Also you will find that not only does John McCann teach you about a skillset but he also presents many types of survival products on the market that will help you with the skillset or concept. In fact, if you are building a survival kit, then you really need this book because he reviews many of these products for you so you can see how it performs in the field. To top it off, not only does he give you a review of the product, but he will also tell you where to find it online, saving you a lot of time trying to track down the right product.

As I coming to a close with this book, I found myself repeating the phrase, “This is an excellent textbook on survival,” and I truly believe it. If you ever want to teach a class on survival, or if you want a book that can teach you how to stay alive in the wilderness, then this book is an excellent textbook that you can use to learn from. John McCann’s experience and teaching abilities come through in this book and you will shorten the learning curve on many concepts by listening to John’s advice and by using this book as your textbook to survival. While we all may not be able to travel to John McCann to attend one of his classes, you can still be one of his students by picking up a copy of his book, Stay Alive—Survival Skills You Need. You will only be sorry that you did not get a copy of this book sooner.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #58 Family Time and the Outdoors

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 02:44:31 GMT

I have to give you a warning about this episode because my emotions are very raw in this episode. I recorded this on Thursday which is the same day our first set of foster kids went to live with their biological family. It's been a tough week for us but I decided to record this episode to inspire you to maximize the time you have with your family and to get them in the outdoors to share the adventures and to build memories together.

Please Consider Supporting Our Sponsors

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #57 Introduction to Geocaching--A Family Friendly Adventure

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

This is easily the most requested episode that I've done so far! There are a lot of listeners who geocache and have requested that I do a show on this topic. So this show is for you guys! In this episode I share the basics of geocaching and what you need to get started and why it is a great family friendly adventure. You will learn the following in this episode:

1-What equipment do you need to get started
2-Types of Geocaches
3-Where can I find geocaches
4-Why should I get involved in geocaching
5-What are the benefits of geocaching

Please Consider Supporting Our Sponsors:

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #56 Raising Chickens and Why You Should Too

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:16:37 GMT

In this episode I share with you some great tips on getting started in chickens and why you should too and even how you can make money from your chickens.

Please consider supporting our sponsors:

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Making a Chicken Tractor Part 2

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:34:42 GMT

So here is the photo of the chicken tractor after day 2 construction. I was able to get some siding in place and some of the protective wire fencing installed as well.

So day 3 construction was putting some finishing touches on the tractor. I finished the chicken run wire fencing and the access hatch on top. I also added the wheels to the tractor and was able to move it to the yard. I was not exactly sure what size tires to get so I found a 7" diameter wheel 2 pack for $12 at Lowes and thought it seemed pretty sturdy. However after moving the tractor I quickly discovered the tractor weighs too much for these tires.

The next time I am in town I will take them back and exchange them for larger wheels. I think 12" wheels will be more appropriate. Most of the construction was done with 2x4"s and also 2x3"s. The first coop I built was done mainly with 2x3s and it worked great. They are cheaper and lighter weight but you really don't sacrifice too much in ruggedness. However, by the time you add the wood, fencing, nails, screws, roofing this tractor still ended up being fairly heavy.

I need to add some handles to the sides to make it easier to grab and lift and I will need to replace the tires and I will also be adding 2 nesting boxes. The interior framing is ready for then nesting boxes, but figured I will build it separately then attach to the tractor at a later date. I have 5-6 months before they start laying eggs anyways, so I'm not really in a big rush just yet for the nesting boxes.

I also finished up the rear door which is fairly good size door that allows us easy access to the inside of the coop for cleaning and things like that. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the tractor design, and my wife likes it also, so that's a good sign as well. If you are interested in keeping chickens you might want to consider a chicken tractor.

Here is the final product:

Also, here's another little funny story. When I bought the chicks at TSC, there was no sign on the bin, so I asked the teenager working what breed of chicken were they and he found a sign laying on the ground that said Red Pullets. This is generally a mixture of Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire Reds and Red Sex Links but he told me they were Red Sex Links. Well after 2 weeks when their feathers started coming in, I realized they were getting white feathers and not turning red, so who knows what kind of chickens we have. I've asked around on Backyard Chickens.com and a few people have offered a couple different breeds one of the possibilities could be White Leghorn chickens. As for now they are wait and see chickens, because we'll just have to wait and see what they are. Here's a photo of the ladies enjoying their new home.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Building a Chicken Tractor Part 1

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:58:26 GMT

New Chicks Mean a New Coop

For the last 18 months, we have raised chickens for their eggs. We started with 8 hens and 4 roosters (all four were supposed to be hens) and have lost 6 to predation (dogs) and 1 to being pecked to death by the other hens. So we decided to purchase 8 day old chicks from Tractor Supply Company as a neat project for our foster kids. We have known for a few weeks that they will be leaving us on April 5th, so I thought this would make a great and memorable project for them in their last month.

As a result of these new chicks, I needed to build a new coop to house them in when they outgrow the brooder. They will be 4 weeks old on Thursday March 29th, so for the last few days I have been working my tail off on getting this project finished.

I started to build a chicken tractor last fall but only built the foundation and got distracted and never finished it. I took the foundation and started to build a coop and it has quickly turned into a chicken tractor. It has been a lot of work but it is a ton of fun.

The dimensions of this chicken tractor include a 4x4 coop area with 2 roosting bars and a 6x4 run. Right now we have 8 chicks and we plan to free range a few of them when they get old enough but the others should be very happy in the chicken tractor.

What is a Chicken Tractor?

I am intrigued by the tractor design and should be a fun project. Plus I hate mowing the grass, so by allowing the chickens access to fresh grass, it should cut back on my mowing, even if just a little bit.

If you do not know what a chicken tractor is, let me explain it to you. It is simply a coop with a run and it is usually lightweight and has wheels so you can move it around your yard. The goal is the move it every day or two so the chickens have access to fresh grass to eat and so they do not scratch the grass down to the dirt. Chickens can be detrimental to grass if kept in the same area for a long time, they will eventually scratch up all the grass by the roots and kill it. The tractor design allows your chickens the benefits of free ranging them but also allows them the security of a coop.

Since we've lost several chickens to predation, mainly our neighbor's dogs running lose, I decided to finally go with the chicken tractor for the majority of our new hens.

Here is a photo of the chicken tractor after day 1 construction.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Venison Salami Part 2

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:49:15 GMT

After 3 days of curing your salami roll in the refrigerator, it is now time to move to Part 2 which is the actual smoking of the meat. Before we get started, I want to make sure you are aware that the recipe is based on a 1 pound meat roll, and I made two rolls of 3 pounds each. I simply tripled the recipe for each roll. The original recipe calls for cooking your salami roll for 3 hours 20 minutes at 200 F. Since I was smoking a total of 6 pounds, I increased the heat to 250F at the meat grill level.

Smoking the salami is actually really easy, but here are a few smoking tips that will help you out in the long run. When you add your smoke wood CHUNKS, let the white smoke burn off. This white smoke contains the creosote and can create a bitter flavor to your meat. Once the white smoke burns off, it will turn to a bluish color. This bluish smoke is what you want to flavor your meat. It will generally take 15-20 minutes for the white smoke to burn off, so be patient.

Now that the white smoke has burned off, now is the time to add your meat and fully assemble your smoker for the cooking duration. Your goal is to smoke the salami until it hits 150F internal temperature, so feel free to add a remote digital thermometer to your meat before shutting the lid. If you don't have the remote, then you will need to use an instant read thermometer and will require you to open and close the lid a couple of times during the cook.

Some people prefer to remove the log from the casing for the smoke, while others like to keep the roll in the casing. I've done it both ways and like both results. Either way will create a harder texture on the outside of the salami when it is finished.

Also be aware that the casing and will shrink and wrinkle during the process. Cook your salami roll until it hits 150F internal temperature, for my 2 rolls it took about 4- 4 1/2 hours. Once the meat reaches temperature, remove from the smoker and allow to cool. Once it is cool to the touch, refrigerate overnight.. If you're not patient (like me), it is safe to eat once it has reached the proper temperature, so feel free to do a taste test.

If you do not like cracked peppercorn or spicy foods, then you will want to decrease the amount of cracked peppercorn in this recipe, or you may want to substitute pepper. It is a challenge to crack the peppercorns without using grinder of some sort and I always end up with several chunks of peppercorns. I do not mind this, but my wife could do without it.

Here is a photo of the finished products. This roll has been sliced completely and is ready for eating.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Venison Salami Part 1

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 02:53:04 GMT

Today was a pretty rainy and stormy day in our neck of the woods, so I decided it was the perfect day to start working on my Venison Salami. I had grinded up about 10 pounds of meat back in December when I got my electric grinder for christmas. However, I've been forgetting to get the mustard seeds that are needed. We ran some errands this morning and while we were out and about, I finally remembered to get some mustard seeds at the local Mennonite Market.

Once we got home, I decided to defrost the ground venison and begin the preparations for this tasty food. The recipe that I use was taken from Bowhunter Magazine about 10 years ago and it is absolutely delicious. I have passed it along to many friends and everyone who tries it loves it as well.

This recipe is very simple to use and well worth the time and effort to make it. If you don't have venison, then you can substitute beef. The first step is to add all of your ingredients to the meat. You will need 1 lb of ground meat, 2 tsp of tender quick salt (for curing), 1 TB mustard seeds, 1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder, 1 tsp of cracked peppercorns. Here is a photo of the ingredients that you will use in this recipe.

The tender quick salt can be a little tricky to find, but some Walmarts do carry it in the grocery section. It is made by Morton, which is famous for their salt. If you can't find it locally, then you will have no problem finding it online.

Onc you have all of your ingredients in hand it is time to add them all to your ground meat. It doesn't matter which order you add it because it all gets mixed in together. You can see in this photo below that there is no fancy way of doing it, just dump it all together and mix.

Once you add all of your ingredients together just mix it up very thoroughly. I knead it like dough until it is all mixed evenly and thoroughly. Here is what it looks like after the mixing.

Once you are finished mixing, it is now time to start stuffing your casings. If you do not have any sausage casings, then you can substitute aluminum foil but you will need to use a fork to pierce holes in the foil just before the cooking process. I have used foil and it works great but I prefer the sausage casings because it gives a more consistent looking roll of salami and it just looks better and is easier to stuff a lot of meat into a sausage casing than making a bunch of 1 pound rolls in aluminum foil. The sausage casings will need to be soaked in water for 20 minutes prior to stuffing so its best to do this when you begin.

This was my first time using the sausage stuffer on my new electric grinder and I was very pleased with how it worked. It is definitely a two person job, with one feeding it into the machine and the second person holding the sausage casing and making sure it gets stuffed properly.

Once you are finished with stuffing your casing, twist and close off the open end and place in the refrigerator for 3 days. This is when the tender quick salt with cure the meat and change it from ground meat into the salami.

The next step is smoking it which I will cover next week after these rolls are finished curing, but for now here is the stuffed casing ready for the refrigerator. I used 6 pounds of venison and stuffed 2 casings that are 2 1/2" x 20" long.

Stay tuned for Part 2 Smoking Your Venison Salami.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #55 The Outdoorsman & the 4WD Vehicle

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:55:39 GMT

In this episode I share some tips in choosing a 4WD vehicle and why its is important to the outdoorsman. I just bought a used Ford F150 as my adventure vehicle and thought I would share some tips that I have followed when purchasing 4WD vehicles.

Please Consider Supporting Our Awesome Sponsors

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #54 Spring Cleaning Your Grill & Smoker

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 22:13:40 GMT

It's that time of year again, so get out your Grills & Smokers and clean them up and get'em ready for 2012 Grilling & Smoking Season.

Please Support Our Sponsors

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #53 The Greatest Survival Story Ever!!

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:38:39 GMT

In this episode I talk about the incredible story of Sir Ernest Shackleton, who was a British South Polar Explorer. He attempted one of the greatest feats in the South Pole Exploration Era and while he failed miserably at achieving his goal, he turned it into the greatest survival story ever.

Please Support Our Sponsors:

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #52 Raising and Caring for Alpacas

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:42:21 GMT

In this episode, I share with you what we have learned over the last two months since we got our Alpacas. It's been a learning experience for us and a very positive experience overall.

In this episode you will learn the following:
1-What to feed alpacas
2-Differences between Alpacas and Sheep
3-How to make money with Alpacas

Please Support Our Sponsors Below:

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Rappelling at the Inlaws

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:49:03 GMT

So today we dropped our foster kids off to spend the weekend with their biological family and afterwards we went to a local restaurant and ate some lunch. On the way home we decided to stop by my wife's parents house since we were in that part of the county. Her parents live in a wooded subdivision that was originally designed as a sort of hunting club. It is off the beaten path with all gravel/dirt roads, swimming lake with small beach, bass fishing pond, tennis courts and a redneck "clubhouse", pavilion. This subdivision attracts not only locals who live here full-time but people from the city looking for a cabin in the woods often purchase in this area as well.

The Inlaws House
My inlaws are completely surrounded by woods and they have a creek that borders their property. Across the creek there is a large Sandstone rock outcropping that is probably 40-45 feet high and is almost a sheer vertical face. I have often admired this rock outcropping and thought it would be perfect for rappelling. I have rappel from 12' up to 150' cliff with no face, but that was years ago and for some reason I never invested in my own set of ropes.

Not Your Normal Trip to the Inlaws
As we were driving down the driveway I noticed a woman standing in the woods in front of this rock outcropping and I commented that someone was photographing the rock face. Once we got inside, my inlaws said there was a family rappeling down the rock and included some kids. We decided to go outside by the creek and watch them having fun. Instantly, they invited us over to rappel with them. Without hesitation we agreed and off we went.

Cammie's First Rappel
As it turns out, this family was from just outside DC and owned the cabin next door and they are very adventurous. Their daughter was 8 years old and she was rappelling down by herself with no fear. We had a great time meeting and greeting this family, then they invited us to rappel.

I decided to no go so that my wife and the kids could maximize their rappelling time. I have probably 30 rappels, so I wanted my wife to experience this as much as possible because I knew time was limited.

I was amazed at how my wife, while wearing casual boots with thick heals, came bounding down the rock face with virtually no fear and a big smile on her face. Here she is stopping to pose for the camera.

We had a great time meeting this friendly, adventurous couple from the city and afterwards we drank coffee and ate brownies with them back at the inlaws house. This reaffirms my belief that you can find adventure in everyday normal activities like going to visit the inlaws. A great day of adventure and a new memory that we created.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #51 Rob Snowhite The Fly Fishing Consultant

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Specializing in fly fishing northern Virginia and Washington D.C.'s urban and suburban fisheries. I am the D.C. metro area's only full time fly fishing guide.

Rob is a fly fishing consultant. Washington D.C is full of consultants. He just happen to be one that focuses on fly fishing. He provides expert knowledge and advice to fly fisherman in Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., and beyond. He offers guided trips in Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. Think of me as a personal trainer, coach, or tutor for the angler. He specializes in urban and suburban fly fishing for warm water species like striped bass, carp, catfish, bluegill, sunfish, crappie, gar, walleye, snakeheads, largemouth and smallmouth bass.

In this episode you will learn about the following:

How he became the Fly Fishing Consultant
Why more people don't fly fish
What is the one thing beginners can do to improve their Fly fishing experience
Rob's most memorable fly fishing experience
What is the difference between a $60 rod and a $600 rod

Check Out Our Sponsors Below

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Trout Fishing in the Smoke Hole Canyon

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:46:18 GMT

This week I felt a great need to relieve some stress by going into the outdoors. Since the January trout stocking has started, I figured I'd give it my best shot at trying to fly fish for one of these elusive creatures.

The Smoke Hole Canyon
It was really hard trying to figure out where I wanted to fish, but finally made the decision to go to the Smoke Hole Canyon. This is about 3 counties away and it took me about an 1 1/2 hours to drive there.

It is located in the Monongahela National Forest's Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. It is a 20 mile long rugged gorge that has 1100 vertical walls towering above the river. This place is absolutely breath taking and was exactly what I needed to relieve some stress and to do some fishing.

I spent the day fishing the 1 mile long Catch and Release area that was recently stocked. The sky was clear, the sun bright and the temperature was around 40F. It was a great day to be out fishing.

This particular stretch of river is the South Branch of the Potomac, which is the same river that we canoe in our county. The river was flowing really good at about 250 cfs, so it was about the same as the tail water section that I fished last year on the North Branch of the Potomac. The main differences between these two rivers is the South Branch was not nearly as slippery as the North Branch.

Skuked Again
While it was the perfect day to go fishing, and I had a great time enjoying the scenery that was all around me, the fishing was pretty tough. I have never been much of a trout fisherman, because I love the smallmouth bass action that is all around me that provides lots of action.

Trout fishing for me means spending hours fishing and catching 1 fish if I'm lucky. However, since I started fly fishing last summer, I have decided to try and break my luck with the elusive trout.

This weekend was not unlike any other experience that I have with trout. Lost a few flies that I tied myself, got tangled in the trees several times, and fought the wind all day long. You can imagine the wind blowing in a canyon with vertical walls on both sides of the river. No matter where I fished, the gorge was like a wind tunnel

Also, being my first trip out since the fall time, I had to get re-accustomed to casting the fly line while fighting the wind. I saw one trout swimming but I was unable to entice him into chasing my fly, so once again I left empty handed but definitely feeling refreshed.

I am already planning my next fly fishing trip but I've decided to take a break from chasing rainbows and browns with my fly rod and am going to go after the Native Brook Trout in the local mountain streams

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #50 Big Thanks for One Year of T.O.P.

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT

I cannot thank all of you enough for your amazing support over the last year! I am super excited about what we have in store for this year at TOP. This is a special episode just giving thanks to everyone who has helped us be a huge success over the last year.

Thank You for Supporting Our Sponsors::

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Fly Fishing Film Tour

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:38:34 GMT

Since I started fly fishing last summer, I've learned a lot about the sport of fly fishing and also the culture of fly fishing. One of the things I also discovered is the Fly Fishing Film Tour. You can go to YouTube and find homegrown videos about fly fishing just like you can for just about any other hobby; however, most fly fishing videos set themselves apart from other videos that you may find on the internet. If you spend any amount of time on YouTube and if you enjoy fishing; I'm positive that you will enjoy many of the fly fishing videos.

One of the things I am definitely getting excited about is the Fly Fishing Film Tour that travels all over the country. You can visit their website and see when and where it is coming to a location near you. The Fly Fishing Film Tour is a series of short fly fishing movies ranging around 15 minutes and I am sure you will find it extremely entertaining. Make sure you look up the trailer for The Kodiak Project, which is one of this years movies and get out there and support the F3Tour and I'm sure you will not regret it!

Fly Fishing Film Tour

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #49 Podcasts & Blogs That I Follow

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:18:51 GMT

This is a different podcast from usual, but I wanted to give a shoutout to all of my fellow podcasters and bloggers that I follow and listen to their content. Many of these people have mentioned TOP on their podcast or on their blog so I wanted to dedicate this episode to share with you the folks that I follow.

Please Visit Our Sponsors and Considering Supporting Them

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Old Town Guide 147 Review

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:07:00 GMT

I've been meaning to do a review of the Old Town Guide Canoe for some time so as a part of my grieving therapy of getting rid of our Old Town, i figured I would do this review.

Basic Specs
The Old Town Guide comes in two sizes 14'7" and 16'0" and in two colors: green and red. It is made with a Three Layer Polyethylene with a Shallow Arch Bottom and Moderate Rocker. It also has an Ash Yoke for carrying The width is 38" and weighs 74 pounds with a carrying capacity of 850-900 pounds. The MSRP is $649.00.

Good Features
My wife and I have used this canoe as our primary canoe for over 8 years so we have lots of miles in this canoe. We chose the red color because red canoes simply rock! One of the things that I have been really impressed with in Old Town Canoes is the strength of the hull. They do a great job at building a strong canoe.

Some of the cheaper canoes you may notice a slight buckling of the center of the canoe in the middle when you have two passengers seated, but the Old Town Canoes generally do not have this issue. Our Old Town Guide was one of these canoes where this is not an issue. We banged it pretty hard on rocks through the years and the hull was still in great shape. There was one slight indentation on the bow of the boat from crashing into a huge rock on our first trip, but other than that it was dent free. After 8 years of hard use there were the usual scrapes on the bottom from dragging on gravel in shallow riffles but other than that it held up great.

One of the things that I loved about this canoe was the built in handholds at the bow and stern which made it very easy to carry from the truck to the river. Some canoes do not have this feature and others have them made out of metal which can be painful, but the Guide has smooth plastic handholds for a nice comfortable grip.

The Guide also comes with molded plastic seats that are form fitting to your buns. Now I personally loved this feature, but my wife hated it. She would always complain about them being painful and would cover them with a foam cushion. However, for me, I felt they were comfortable and really enjoyed the molded seats.

The one downside to the molded seats is that you cannot add a backrest to it if necessary. It looks like Old Town has added backrest to the newer models, so if you want a backrest then you are in luck with the newer models.

The black plastic seats also got very hot on a bright sunny day when we were swimming or eating lunch, so make sure you splash a little bit of water on them to cool them off before sitting.

The Old Town Guide now retails at $649.00 so it is still one of the lower priced Old Town Canoes on the market. We were lucky enough to buy ours on sale 8 years ago and we paid under $500 for it at Dick's Sporting Goods. If you are looking for the quality of an Old Town Canoe but do not want to pay $1,000 or more, then the Old Town Guide is a great value.

Stability
Initial Stability: When you first get into a canoe, you will either experience a wobbly canoe or a "stable" canoe. This is initial stability. A canoe with good initial stability will feel very stable when you step into for the first time.

Secondary Stability: Once you are in the canoe, the canoe may rock to the sides without tipping over, and this is secondary stability. A canoe with good secondary stability will rock to the sides and can rock fairly far before it tips over. Inversely, a canoe with poor secondary stability will go from stable to tipping over extremely quickly with no happy medium of rocking.

The Old Town Guide 147 does not have the greatest initial stability. In fact, several friends whom I have taken in the canoe complain about it being tippy. Even my wife complains that it feels tippy. I try to explain to them what they are experiencing but they generally do not care, because to them it feels tippy.

We have never tipped over while getting into the canoe but I also do not like standing up in it while fishing either. If you want a canoe that you can stand and fish in it while on the water, then the Guide is not for you.

On a scale of 1 to 5 for initial stability with 1 being the best most stable and 5 being extremely tippy, I would rank the Old Town guide as a 3 to 3 12 with it being on the lower end of initial stability.

However, this does not mean you should avoid the Guide if you are in the market for a canoe. Where the Guide lacks in initial stability, it definitely makes up for it in secondary stability. Once you are seated and on the water, you can rock it left and right with little fear of it tipping over. You have a good bit of rocking with this canoe before it will capsize on you.

In fact the only time we have ever capsized this canoe was while going over a ledge and we hit it at the wrong angle or one time I tried jumping into the water when my wife was not expecting it and it dumped us both in the river. Another time I was with my younger brother and we were in knee deep water and we were goofing off and one of us moved the wrong way and it tipped us over. These were few and far between and were usually the result of our mistakes.

Because of the good secondary stability, it makes this canoe perfect for Class I and II rapids and you might be able to get to a Class III with this boat as well. On a scale of 1 to 5 for secondary stabilty, I would rank this as a 2, not a whitewater canoe but definitely a seaworthy river canoe with small rapids.

Tracking
Tracking i the ability for a canoe to travel in a straight line with no steering. The longer a canoe is the better the tracking. Our Old Town Guide at 14'7" is a mid-length canoe and we experienced mid-level tracking. It was not the greatest but definitely was not the worst.

I took the Old Town Guide out on solo trips and did not have any major issues with steering and it makes for a great boat for someone looking for a solo canoe or a solo overnight trip.

Negatives
One of our biggest gripes about this canoe is the lack of leg room for the bow rider. For some reason where you legs rest are in the V portion of the hull and it makes for a very uncomfortable ride. We have examined a Guide 160 before and it has the same issue unless they've changed this over the years. The one that we examined had the extra length added to the middle of the canoe and not in the front,

My wife has cursed this boat for 8 years because of this design for the front leg room. I have ridden in the front of this canoe one time and that was enough for me. My legs are much longer than my wife's so it was more of an issue for me and I agree that it makes for a rather uncomfortable ride.

The Old Town Discovery has a much better arrangement for the seats and gives the front rider a more stable position to place their feet. This was the number 1 complaint that we've had for this boat.

Conclusion
We have made many memories in our Old Town Guide 147 over the last 8 years, and while it has flaws, it is still a good canoe. This is a great price conscience beginner's canoe and will give you the Old Town experience without breaking the bank. While the legroom in the front seat is the biggest flaw with this boat, I do not regret getting the Guide. A brand new Old Town Guide is a better purchase than a brand new Pelican Canoe.

If you are wanting a canoe for standing in while fishing, then this may not be the best choice; however if you are looking for a good river canoe to run some Class I or II rapids, then this is a great buy. It is not perfect but definitely will get you on the water.

If you are looking in this price range, you might be able to find a used Old Town Discovery 158 or 169, but around here used canoes do not last long on the open market and are few and far between.

Good Bye Old Town Guide 147--You Have Served Us Well

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

The Great Canoe Swap

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:20:22 GMT

For the last 8 years my wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed our Old Town Guide 147 canoe. We bought it new and have spent many miles traversing rivers in West Virginia and Virginia in it. We also created a lot of memories with the Old Town. I have canoed in two types of Old Town Canoes and 1 Coleman Scanoe and I absolutely love Old Town Canoes. They are very durable and are a pleasure to canoe.

However, this past summer we actually fit 2 adults and 3 kids ranging in age from 3 to 12 in our canoe and it was very cramped, as you can imagine. We started talking about the need for a larger canoe but never really pursued it.

The Swap
Then a few weeks ago I was poking around on a fly fishing forum (WVAngler.com) and saw an add from a guy that owned a Mohawk Intrepid 16 and was looking to get a smaller in an even swap. I sent him a message with some photos on our canoe to see if he was interested in downsizing to a 147. After seeing the pictures, he was definitely interested, so we swapped more photos of each others canoe and agreed to make the swap.

Well today was the day we got our schedules aligned up and agreed to meet at a halfway point which was a little over an hour for each of us. While I am excited about upgrading to a larger size canoe, it is also a sad day because after 8 years, I feel like I am losing a family member. The Old Town Guide was with us for our first trip down The Trough, it was with me on my solo canoe trips and it was the canoe we learned to canoe and read the rapids.

Our Old Town Guide 147

Hello New Friend
I personally am not familiar with Mohawk Canoes but I visited a familiar site (paddling.net) and quickly read over the reviews for the Intrepid 16 and 17 models. I was very pleased with the reviews that I read about the Mohawk Intrepid models. They are known for their versatility and stability and make great river canoes as well as wilderness tripping canoe. It measures 16'2" and is very close to the same weight range as the Old Town Guide, so we get a larger canoe for not much more weight.

So now we are looking forward to taking this new friend and getting to know her very intimately and creating lots of family fun activities with her. So here is our new friend the Mohawk Intrepid 16. She is a bit older than our Old Town but still has a lot of life left in her.

So what I want to know is have you ever gotten rid of an outdoor friend that you loved??

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Fly Tying Class

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:02:46 GMT

If you've been listening to the podcast for a while you will know that I started fly fishing this past summer, so it is only natural that I start to tie my own flies. I actually bought a lot of the fly tying tools last summer but I never got around to actually using them or learning to tie. Between work and spending time in the outdoors, I just never got motivated to learning, so I figured that it was finally time to learn.

For $10 (each class) my "local" fly shop is offering fly tying classes over the next 6-8 weeks. I say "local" because it is still a 1 hr 15min drive but it is well worth it. This is the same shop that I attended their casting class with Dusty Wismuth last summer. It is a small shop but they are really friendly and helpful and I like supporting them when I can.

My First Fly
Being the first week for the classes they taught us to tie the Clouser Minnow. It is a fairly easy fly to tie and I had a great time. The class lasted 2 hours and was a lot of fun. Like anything else, you gotta get the muscle memory down because you are teaching your hands and arm musclesto do some new movements. During the class I was able to tie 2 flies, the first they did a step by step instruction and the 2nd they left us to tie on our own and they helped us when necessary.

I'd like to say that I did not make any mistakes but I would be lying. I had a two times where I needed to unwind the thread but overall I am pretty happy with my results. Next week's class I'll be learning to tie the ubiquitous Wooly Bugger. That is number one fly that I used last summer and cannot wait!

If you have never learned to fly fish or tie your own flies, I highly encourage you to learn this year. I have fished for 30 years but fly fishing is so much more relaxing and enjoyable. Also, fly tying is a great activity to teach your kids. We pretty much had everyone represented at the class with 6 students: retired men, a lady, middle age and a young pre-teen; so basically it is an all around family activity.

So to all your fly tyers out there, what kind of storage container do you use to store your hackle, thread and other fly tying supplies?? Leave a comment or post on facebook.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #48 Adventurist Payge McMahon

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Payge McMahon is an adventure athlete and journalist who travels the world inspiring others to get outdoors, try new things and start checking off that bucket list.
She has climbed in the Himalaya, summited the highest mountains in Africa, Japan and the continental United States, cycled through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, backpacked across Northern Spain, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and California’s 221 mile John Muir Trail. She has trekked through the deserts of Egypt and Jordan, the Amazon Rainforest and the list goes on!

She is an expert in travel and many things outdoors. She writes for numerous magazines including National Geographic Adventures, Self Reliance Illustrated, Woods Monkey and Her Adventures.

In this episode you will learn the following:

You will hear Payge's inspiring story of how she became an adventurist
Her latest adventure in Nepal
Her favorite outdoor skill
The most dangerous situation she's ever faced
Plus so much more

Thank You For Supporting Our Great Sponsors

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #47 Kellie Nightlinger of Wild Woman Outdoors

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Kellie is with Wild Woman Outdoors and is a Wildlife Survivalist and pure Adventurist. Her mission is to get you outdoors to partake in the beautiful world around you.

In this episode you will learn the following:

How Kellie got started with Wild Woman Outdoors and what she is trying to accomplish with it.
The biggest deterrence in our society that prevents people from getting outdoors.
What are some tips to finding an outdoor mentor?
Plus so much more

You can find Kellie at Wild Woman Outdoors

We Would Like to Thank You for Supporting Our Wonderful Sponsors:

Our Top/Frontline Sponsor is

Our Show Sponsors Are

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Building a Mini Animal Barn Phase 1

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:42:24 GMT

I remember when I was in elementary school, we were given a few minutes to share what we did on summer vacation or during the Christmas break; so in that spirit here is what I worked on during my Christmas vacation.

Last year we ended up fulfilling a long dream of ours of getting some farm animals. The only problem is that we did not have any outbuildings or structures for the sheep to take shelter during storms. In fact we did not have any fencing, so that was my first project when we got our first two sheep. Our first shelter we set up was an old doghouse that was left by the previous owner and that worked while the sheep were young but they quickly outgrew that one. The second shelter was a simple plywood and 2x4 structure that I built last winter and its dimensions are 2'wx4'Lx4'h and has actually done fairly decent. However with my wife surprising me with three alpacas for an early Christmas present, I knew it was way overdue to build a more permanent structure. The main hold-up on this project is that I have extremely limited building skills, tools and our property has about 2" of top soil and then goes straight to rocky, shale which is extremely hard to dig into.

However, the alpacas definitely gave me the motivation that I needed to get this building completed. I knew that I wanted a pole building due to it rather simplistic design and ease of erecting this type of structure. The next part is finding building materials. Last year when I first decided to build this structure, we actually found a lady on freecycle who gave us about a dozen pressure treated 4x4 posts that ranged from 8 feet in length up to 10 feet, so these would be the poles that I would use.

My father-in-law had a big stack of rough sawed oak that was a full 1 1/2" thick and ranged in width from 5" up to 14", that he donated to us. He was originally going to use this stack of wood for flooring in his house that he built, but it was too time consuming; so this wood was left stacked up for years in his yard waiting to be put to use. The wood is beautiful when it is planed down to a smooth oak finish, but this project does not need such beautiful wood so I left it rough sawed and with a nice patina. It really looks like it came off an old barn. The only problem is that all of this wood has sat out for years and there was not a straight piece in the bunch and that includes the 4x4 posts.

I spent several hours on Christmas Eve, digging the holes for the posts and trying to level the posts. The structure is definitely not perfect and contains bows in the wood posts and is even not perfectly square, but for the price that I paid for the wood I cannot complain too much. In fact all of the wood cost me nothing--that's right it was all FREE to build this structure. I did have a few 2x4's for the rafters that I purchased but that was several months ago. So far with what you see in the picture I have $75 in nails, corrugated metal roofing, and a few 2x4's.

We have decided to build this structure in 3 phases. The first phase is the main shelter area for the animals to take refuge from wind and rain and it measures 8'x8'x7 1/2'. It's probably a little on the small side for 5 animals but they will only use this for shelter and not a permanent living area. They prefer to spend their days and nights in the pasture but our sheep do not like the rain or snow or moisture and the alpacas will need this shelter as well.

Phase 2 will include a slanted roof over an open area that will become their new feeding station. This will protect their feed hay from bad weather and will be rather easy to build but its usefulness cannot be overstated. My wife came up with this idea and I immediately saw the need for it. Right now we just throw their hay in a pile on the ground so it gets ruined during any rainstorm. The covered feeding station will minimize the amount of ruined hay and also provide a quick shelter as well.

Phase 3 will be built on the left side of the mini-barn and will be a fully enclosed room with a wood floor and will give us an area to store the hay and chicken feed and other animal related items. It will also provide me an area to retreat to for those times that my wife kicks me out of the house. Just kidding about that, but right now we store our hay in the garage, so we are excited to finally have a real place to store all of our hay and animal feed.

It has taken a few days for the animals to get adjusted to this new structure but they are finally getting used to it and I think they like it a lot. So without further ado, here are the photos of the phase 1 that I've completed. Try not to laugh too hard at my lack of building skills and while the wood looks really rotted, its not. The few pieces that I cut into was perfect looking solid wood once you get past the patina, and if it was planed down it would be absolutely gorgeous.

Here are the 3 Alpacas Feeding in the New Shelter Barn

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Everest Large Canvas Backpack

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:43:30 GMT

Last week, I read a review by Alan Halcon about this backpack and it really grabbed my attention. I ended up getting an identical bag. There is no real reason for me to duplicate his review because the same points he brings up are exactly what I would write about in my review. So I encourage you to read this short blog post then head over to Dirttime's website and read Alan Halcon's full initial review of this great pack. Alan Halcon's Everest Large Canvas Backpack Review

However, if you are looking for a traditional canvas looking backpack to take with you on the trail or on your next outdoor adventure, but do not want to break the bank; then this bag might be for you. You can pick up one of these bags for $35 and like Alan, I am very impressed in my initial inspection of the bag.

It measures 12.5" x 19.5" x 7" and weighs 2.12 pounds empty and has a volume of 1706 cubic inches. Here is the pack empty on the floor.

Also here is the amazon link to where you too can purchase this bag in a variety of colors.

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Episode #46 Hunting with a Mosin Nagant

outdoorpodcast@gmail.com (The Outdoor Podcast) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:00:00 GMT

SAFETY PRECAUTION

The Mosin Nagant is a great rifle and very effective on Whitetail Deer. However, the safety is very different than what most people are used to, so before taking it into the woods to use for hunting, please make sure you know how to operate it. Also, please make sure you keep the safety on until you are ready to fire the weapon.

I love to deer hunt with my Mosin Nagant. In this episode I share with you the basics of what you need and what you can with a Mosin Nagant and describe how you can take your military surplus rifle and turn it into a deer slayer. These rifles are great trunk guns, survival guns, beater guns, plinkers, but they also are highly effective on whitetail deer. There are lots of ammo choices for hunting applications with the Mosin Nagant. You can take these same principles and apply them to any military surplus rifle.

You will learn the following:

What is a military surplus rifle?
How much does a Mosin Nagant cost?
What are the different Mosin Nagant options on the market and which ones are better and which are the most accurate?
Can you hunt without sporterizing?
What is the difference between a Bubba Sporter, Sporterized, and an Original Scope Mounted Configuration?
Quick discussion of the ballistics comparison of the 7.62x54r round.

Here is my rifle in the original wood stock, shortly after purchasing

Here is the same rifle after I sporterized it. Believe it or not, I can switch it back to the wood stock in just a few minutes work

Please Consider Supporting Our Sponsor by Ordering a Subscription:

2011 The Outdoor Podcast

Outdoor Podcast

Grilling the Perfect Burger

Episode #63 Interview with LT Wright of Blind Horse Knives

Please Consider Supporting Our Great Sponsors

Episode #62 Bringing Life to the Walking Dead--One Man's Journey to Beating Burn-Out

If You Enjoyed This Podcast,

Please Consider Supporting Our Sponsors

Episode #61 Therapeutic Benefits of the Outdoors

Please Consider Supporting Our Great Sponsors:

Book Review: The Nature Connection

Episode #60 Preparing Yourself for a Canoe Trip

Please Consider Supporting Our Great Sponsors

The Paddlers First Aid Kit

The Paddlers Fire Kit

Episode #59 Wilderness First Aid with Alan Halcon

Stay Alive--Survival Skills You Need Book Review

Episode #58 Family Time and the Outdoors

Please Consider Supporting Our Sponsors

Episode #57 Introduction to Geocaching--A Family Friendly Adventure

Please Consider Supporting Our Sponsors:

Episode #56 Raising Chickens and Why You Should Too

Making a Chicken Tractor Part 2

Building a Chicken Tractor Part 1

New Chicks Mean a New Coop

What is a Chicken Tractor?

Venison Salami Part 2

Venison Salami Part 1

Episode #55 The Outdoorsman & the 4WD Vehicle

Please Consider Supporting Our Awesome Sponsors

Episode #54 Spring Cleaning Your Grill & Smoker

Please Support Our Sponsors

Episode #53 The Greatest Survival Story Ever!!

Episode #52 Raising and Caring for Alpacas

Please Support Our Sponsors Below:

Rappelling at the Inlaws

Episode #51 Rob Snowhite The Fly Fishing Consultant

In this episode you will learn about the following:

How he became the Fly Fishing Consultant

Trout Fishing in the Smoke Hole Canyon

Episode #50 Big Thanks for One Year of T.O.P.

Fly Fishing Film Tour

Episode #49 Podcasts & Blogs That I Follow

Old Town Guide 147 Review

The Great Canoe Swap

Fly Tying Class

Episode #48 Adventurist Payge McMahon

Episode #47 Kellie Nightlinger of Wild Woman Outdoors

Building a Mini Animal Barn Phase 1

Everest Large Canvas Backpack

Episode #46 Hunting with a Mosin Nagant

SAFETY PRECAUTION

Please Consider Supporting Our Sponsor by Ordering a Subscription: