13 Sept 2018
   


                            Well I totally forgotten about my blog , as you can see. I haven't been as active in the field as I was back then. Age has creeped in on me  . The lack of woods time has put weight on , so I have started the Keto diet so I can get my but in shape and back outside where I belong.  I have been camping but with luxury. first I had a pop up camper now a Hybrid with AC soft mattress etc. Made me weak.  So please standby for more coming from my blog in the near future .

Snow has finally arrived

Well as I am typing the snow is coming down , the streets are becoming covered with a thin white blanket. For allot of outdoor people they consider the winter the end of the season. To me it's just another opportunity to enjoy the wilds, in another season. All seasons have there own unique challenges. Winter maybe the most, but not a season stopper. When I sign off from here , I will begin to survey and inspect my winter gear. Yes I said winter gear.  The thin layers get put up for the winter , as does the canister stoves and water filters. .  I will dig out my poly pro wool blend long underwear,  wool pants and heavy wool socks, also poly and fleece pull overs as well as a warm hat I keep two with me a wool cap for in motion and a Blackrock down hat for around camp. The same comes with gloves a pair of thin fleece gloves for in motion, Maybe a pair of eVentmitts on top for moister and wind protection. Winter is about layers. You want to be able to loosen or remove certain parts of your winter wardrobe to  prevent overheating and  sweating . Once you get wet it is hard to dry not only yourself but your gear in winter, unless you are hot tenting . additional clothing may consist of  A face mask , Balaclava  don't forget your eyes. sunglasses or snow goggles protect you from the sun and the snow glare. Don't let winter stop you from enjoying the outdoors. Next time we will go over gear that I have found to be essential in the winter time   . Until then get outside and enjoy the wilds

Winter is just around the corner

Well winter is just around the corner here in southwestern Pa. some already have seen some signifigant snow fall to the east  But just a inch or so here on Halloween. Everytime I hear snow in the forcast I get pumped. Allot of people feel that winter is down time for spending times outdoors , when infact it's one of the best time of the year to be out . Days are shorter so you do have to get an early start if you plan on hiking in a ways , you may need to through on a pair of snowshoes or maybe just a pair of microspikes to make navigating both easier and safer  You need to remeber that it maybe cold outside but you still can sweat and become dehydrated. clothing should be wicking polyesters or nylons, cotton tends to absorb moisture but holds it as well and takes longer to dry. moisture is your enemy in winter which will chill you quick.  dress in layers . I like to where a poly long underware followed by a fleece top if I am walking I leave the coat in the pack and only put it on when stationary to prevent over heating. which leads to sweating. remeber when you are stopped you loose most of your heat from your head, figure it's your bodys chimney letting heat escape so keep it covered I keep two with me one for walking and one for stopping and sleeping in, you want warm dry gear to keep you warm.  While you are on your break remember you get dehydrated just as much in the winter  as you do in the summer so drink plenty of fluids . Water is the best but don't forget warming drinks like coffee , tea , Hot chocolate , or my new treat Hot Russian tea. Avoid alcohol yes it warms you up for a few minutes but will thin your blood making you colder and can and will interfear with judgement. Winter time exspecialy is when you want to have a straight head as a surprise storm can appear or a mechanical injury can put a hult on your day of fun and put you into a survival scenario instead.  Look for more tips on winter fun in the future.

Introduction

Well I thought I would start my blog off with a brief introduction about myself.  I am a resident of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . I was born here and planning on living my life out here. I am married to the love of my life for 17 years now and Have a wonderful daughter who is 11.  We live in a small home within our means . I work full time as a paramedic and have been a public servant for 32 years Both on a ambulance and till recently on fire apparatus .  I have enjoyed the outdoors since being a young man , I have camped , hiked , fished and hunted for most of my adult life. Within the recent years I have picked up backpacking and hammock camping .as well as bushcraft  My gear has been changing as the seasons going from heavier cheap gear to lightweight gear which tends top lighten your wallet at the same time . This year in hopes to involving my family more I purchased a used pop up camper to get them outdoors and they are loving it. I am so looking forward to the future I have plans on entering the hot tenting group. To spend even more time outdoors. Well enough of an introduction. Hope to blog more in the near future.
                                                                                                                        The Pawoodsman