Summer OR 2008

08/14/08 • 9 min

This gear program is a report on the 2008 Outdoor Retailer's Summer Market. What gear will BackpackGearTest be reviewing for next summer?

Volunteers Rick Allnutt, Christopher Nicolai, and Ken Bigelow report on the most interesting gear they hope to test for BackpackGearTest.ORG. They comment on products by: GoMotion, Ultimate Survival Technologies, Gerber, Bushnell, Sigg, Insect Shield, and the Therm-a-Rest division of Cascade Designs.

If you're interested in reviewing for Backpack Gear Test (BGT), read: How to become a tester. Manufacturers provide more gear than the volunteers at BGT can keep up with. By becoming a tester, you can help your fellow wilderness travelers find out what gear will work for them.

WildeBeat Members can download the entire reports from the BGT testers from our WildeBeat Insider web pages.

JOIN NOW -- Help us help more folks to appreciate our wild public lands.

This gear program is a report on the 2008 Outdoor Retailer's Summer Market. What gear will BackpackGearTest be reviewing for next summer?

WildeBeat Members can download the entire reports from the BGT testers from our WildeBeat Insider web pages.

JOIN NOW -- Help us help more folks to appreciate our wild public lands.

Previous Episode

Ancient Firemaking

This skills program presents advanced skills for making fire without modern tools. This is the third in a series of shows featuring primitive technologies experts from Primitive Ways. (The first show is number 141, First Skills, and the second is show number 146, Starting with Fire.)

Naturalist Dino Labiste talks about the three methods prehistoric humans used to make fire. He demonstrates creating fire by friction using a hand drill. He talks about two other methods, fire by percussion, and fire by compression. He explains what would be the best of these techniques for you to use if you had no modern choices.

The Primitive Ways website has many articles on primitive fire skills. Another source of information on primitive skills is the Society of Primitive Technologies.

WildeBeat Members can download a recording of Dino Labiste's complete firemaking demonstration from our WildeBeat Insider web pages.

JOIN NOW -- Help us help more folks to appreciate our wild public lands.

Next Episode

Getting Oriented, part 1

This outings program is part one of a look at the sport of orienteering. You'll win this race by getting lost the least often, because it's all about your navigation skills. Participating in orienteering events can significantly improve your backcountry navigation skills.

Steve attends an orienteering meet organized by the Bay Area Orienteering Club at California's China Camp State Park. Gary Kraght, the vice president for club services of the United States Orienteering Federation explains what orienteering is, and its history. Scott Aster presents a beginner's clinic for first-time orienteers.

Next time, in part 2, we'll listen-in on the experience of orienteering.

WildeBeat members can download a compete recording of Scott's 12-minute beginner's clinic from our WildeBeat Insider web pages.

JOIN NOW -- Help us help more folks to appreciate our wild public lands.