Wildland firefighting, a role that demands immense physical and mental strength, requires careful meal planning. To sustain this work output and maintain a healthy immune system, fireline firefighters will typically need to consume 6,000 calories daily. Getting proper nutrition from ultra-processed Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), packaged snacks and backpacking meals can be challenging. That’s why we recommend a less processed, plant-based diet made from freeze-dried food, which provides the most antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to fuel the body. These are the key components we recommend for making up a […]
Environment
No Pain, No Maine? Long-distance hiking or thru-hiking is challenging both mentally and physically. Whether hiking the Appalachian Trail or another long-distance trail, the continuous step-by-step motion from dusk to dawn, repeated day after day, requires considerable effort and determination. This routine can feel monotonous, and it may involve pain and discomfort. Thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail (AT) understand that the 2,168-mile journey from Georgia to Maine will not be free of aches and pains. This is reflected in the common exchange among AT backpackers: “No Pain, No Maine.” However, […]
Insect repellent should do what it says – repel insects. That includes all the blood-sucking carnivores that frequent us in the outdoors, including mosquitoes, black flies, no-see-ums, fleas, midges, ticks, and chiggers. All bug sprays contain a proprietary formulation to mask our scent of carbon dioxide, and therefore, our blood as a food source. Several choices of repellents are proven to work. The one you already know: DEET. There are a number of effective, less toxic insect repellents available besides DEET. Here we discuss alternative options to DEET.
After thoughtful consideration, we’ve decided to discontinue Bee Good Couscous for 2017. This product contains bee pollen, which comes from the pollen of plants collected by honeybees. Honeybees have been dying off in record number for more than a decade because of human interference. In good consciousness, we will no longer purchase products coming from bees.
When Wild Turkey numbers dwindled in the twentieth century from hunting and habitat loss, various states, such as California, adopted programs to reintroduce them. These programs have saved them from extinction. Today, wild turkey populations have recovered throughout the United States. Here in Northern California, wild turkeys are a daily occurrence. You’ll find them roaming free in suburban front yards and public parks. Drivers routinely stop for a pack of turkeys to cross a busy street. The gang will stroll across the street without concern, fanning their tail feathers and […]