Wildfires

Shawn Collin asked:


Yellowstone National Park is one of the best reasons for living in and visiting the United States.  The vast natural forest is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna and it’s been preserved so well that pleasant and exciting surprises await the adventurous visitor.  If you’re planning a trip to Yellowstone soon, here are some travel tips you can use for your safety and security:

Be aware of prevailing conditions but be ready for anything

Yellowstone is like a whole different world in itself.  Conditions vary here, changing easily from calm to stormy within just 24 hours.  When traveling to Yellowstone, always check weather conditions in the area and use precautions to ensure your safety for the trip.

Practice defensive driving.  The area going to and within Yellowstone is often used by both humans and animals.  Be especially aware of distracted drivers, animal crossing and other related incidents.  These will result to travel delays, so be very patient.

Bring all necessary gear and supplies

When traveling to Yellowstone, bring all the basics with you in terms of food, water, clothing and survival gear.  Having sufficient supply of clean water is essential since water from the park itself is not guaranteed safe.  Drinking water from streams, lakes, ponds or creeks that have not been boiled or treated could put you at risk of intestinal infestations and infections.

Even water from thermal pools isn’t safe for consumption.  They have been known to cause serious burns in numerous visitors over the years.

As for equipment, think of worst-case scenarios.  Bring a tent, weather-resistant clothing and other survival equipment such as lighters, all-purpose knives, flashlights, first aid kits, etc. to ensure your personal safety and protection.

Take care of your trash

Food, food scraps, containers, tissues and other materials that end up in your trash should be disposed of properly.  During travel to Yellowstone, be aware that the trash you leave behind could have a negative impact not just on the environment but also on the animal residents of the area.

Think safety, regardless of where you are

When entering Yellowstone, know that you are at the mercy of Nature.  Your only defense is correct information and common sense.  When traveling to Yellowstone or participating in the numerous activities available there, be aware of animal activity.  Bears, for example, are just a few of the natural threats that you have to watch out for.  When driving, walking, hiking or camping, be aware of your surroundings and keep an eye out for signs of animal activity that might expose you to danger unnecessarily.

Follow regulations

Yellowstone maintains a strict system for its camps and backcountry areas.  Be aware of all regulations that are in place not just to ensure you don’t violate any rules but also for your own personal safety.

Certain activities also require permits.  Camping, for example, is allowed only in certain designated areas.  Permits for overnight stays have to be obtained personally in advance, so check with the administrative office for information.

Enjoy yourself

Yellowstone is too beautiful to ignore.  When traveling, bring a camera to capture the scenic routes and spectacular views.  As long as you keep safety and security measures in mind, you can be assured of a very enjoyable trip to Yellowstone again and again.



ANTOINE

Steve Gillman asked:


Cheap backpacking is accomplished in two basic ways? The first is to cut the cost of the trip. The second way is to spend less on the gear you buy. Here are some tips for doing both of these.

Cheap Backpacking Gear

Don’t bother with high-tech gear. Is it really important to have a super wicking poly-fiber t-shirt for when you’re hiking? Probably not, especially if it is the middle of July. Any regular t-shirt bought on sale for a few dollars will work. For that matter, a cheap plastic emergency poncho can replace that $200 breathable/waterproof rain suit if rain is unlikely and it’s warm out there. You might want to spend the money for better gear if you want lighter versions. In that case, you can still save money by putting the next two tips to use.

Look for the deals. An obvious tip, but easy to forget when you get excited about that shiny new equipment. Shoes and hiking boots in particular can be bought inexpensively if you watch for the sales. Apparently some people won’t buy last year’s styles, so those $90 shoes go on sale for $40. Look for the closeouts from online vendors and local shoe stores. Thought outdoor clothing is most likely to go on sale, tents, sleeping bags are sometimes half-priced when newer models come out.

Look for used gear. Though I would never buy used shoes, I’ve found that thrift stores have plenty of used jackets that are in great condition. I’ve even found decent lightweight hiking pants at times, as well as aluminum pans that are really light and some other backpacking equipment.

Make your own gear. I know of backpackers who sew their own backpacks and sleeping bags. That seems like too much work to me, and I’m not sure the savings would amount to much. But I have modified cheap pans for backpacking, made hats from old thermal shirt sleeves, and bivy sacks from plastic and duct tape. And now that I think about it, I did make a backpack once from an old aluminum frame and a duffel bag. It weighed less than any commercial frame pack for sale at the time.

Skip the expensive foods. You don’t need freeze-dried meals to enjoy backpacking. Snacks are a good way to go, and if you really need those cooked meals, bring simple foods like instant rice.

Cheap Backpacking Trips

Plan your own backpacking excursions. Although guided hiking trips can be nice, they are expensive. Just plan your own. Choose a location, do your research online, and start looking for the cheapest plane tickets that will get you there.

Go to free places. Many people automatically think of national parks or other places that have fees when they think of a wilderness experience. But there are many places that are just as beautiful and don’t charge anything. Try national forests with hiking trails, for example, or BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, or state forests. One advantage of this approach - apart from the money savings - is that you’ll likely find such area less crowded.

Find a location nearby. For many backpacking trips the cost of getting to the trailhead is the biggest expense. Isn’t there someplace interesting to see within an hour or two of where you are? Visit those areas and you might save a lot of travel money.

Now put it all together. Plan your own trip to a free place close to home and outfit yourself with basic clothing bought at thrift stores and equipment bought on sale. That’s cheap backpacking.



ROBERT