Life: Ursa in Winter

Oh yes, Ursa loves the snow. I don't think I've ever seen a dog more happy for snow than this dog. Aerin mentioned the strong arguement for nature over nuture in this case since Ursa was immediately excited about going out in the snow and just loving the chance to play in it. I will second that arguement since she was all energy and spunk on our walk Friday evening in the snow storm.

Again on Saturday evening when we went to Nose Hill Park to snowshoe she was having lots of fun playing in the snow. In the really deep spots I was breaking trail, not Ursa. On a few occasions I would try to step forward only to find Ursa standing on the tail of my snowshoe. It was also her first time out in her Ruffwear booties. The hair between her toes means time spent in the snow usually ends with ice balls forcing her toes apart. She certainly didn't like them when we put them on her the first time. She was doing ballerina imitations walking on her toes since she didn't quite understand she could put her foot flat if she puts her weight on them normally. Ursa has started to get used to them, but we need a smaller size for her back feet. In the mean time there isn't a trail of snow and ice across the floor mostly.

Saturday was our run around day to avoid having to be out in the cold on Sunday, so we also got Ursa a jacket for visibility and to shed some snow while out playing. A new UFO light from MEC on the purpose built loop on the jacket completes the early Xmas presents for our puppy.

The ice that forms around Ursa's mouth from her breath and snuffling around in the snow is pretty cute. Except it melts awfully fast to get a good picture of by the time we humans get in the door and undressed from enough cold weather gear to capture it in its full glory.

Gear: Dog Stuff

Yes, I do love my gear. Great gear just helps make an outdoor trip great whatever happens. I've experienced every kind of environmental condition during my outdoor adventures, but I always had fun no matter the conditions. Now Aerin and I have a lot of fun outdoors, and soon we'll have a four-legged family member along on our continuing adventures. Time to look at dog gear!

After a few hits and misses we're going to have a closer look at some gear at a local pet shop called Tail Blazers. The dog gear company is called RuffWear, and I must say that I'm very impressed with the thought they've put into their designs. Because Ursa will take a couple years to fully mature physically, we won't be doing any serious backpacking for a while, but we do have need or use for some items soon.

Ursa isn't a small dog. Aerin and I don't want her hauling the rain into the tent, so we'll get her a rain jacket. This will save us having to towel her off completely, and should help keep her a little cleaner on muddy trails.

For backcountry trips Ursa will need a backpack. The detachable saddlebags are great for giving her a break to cool off in a creek or when we reach the campground. It includes water reservoirs and lots of space for food and her bed.

We'd like to use a harness for walks closer to home and short hikes. Ursa is going to grow into a large, powerful dog, and both Aerin and I agree the harness is a better way to go.

Ursa having an injured paw in the backcountry (or any injury for that matter) is something I'd rather not have to worry about, so she'll have her own set of hiking boots. These make good sense for keeping her paws and pads in good condition with improved grip oven the varied and uneven terrain we'll travel through.

We do plan to buy a larger backcountry tent for the three of us in a couple years. Fortunately, Ursa is a working dog, and will love helping out with the load. In the mean time we will get a larger tent for car camping. Can I interest anyone in a solid little three person tent for car camping?

There is a lot of other gear to choose from too. No doubt we'll end up with a gear duffle just for Ursa. It would only be fair since her owners already have a head start.

Life: The Bachelor, Week 1.4

Well I can say that it really blows that Aerin is still away. I think I would be much happier if it had only been a week, but two weeks is getting to be a really long time. I'm pretty sure I'm suffering withdrawl from the lack of hugs and kisses. A large dose of chocolate chip cookies can only take you so far.

Last Sunday was the Gear Swap at the MEC store. I didn't get rid of everything I took, but I got rid of most of it and made $260 in the process. I really would have liked to have sold my Salomon light mountaineering/heavy backpacking boots since they don't fit anymore. I certainly didn't get many miles on them before I needed a larger size. Oh well. I hardly splurged either since I got groceries and some salad rolls from the nearby Vietnamese place and still had plenty left over for the coming weekend. Of course there is more gear in the future, but not yet.

What else...

More packing is complete, but still plenty to go. More empty boxes will no doubt return with us from Edmonton this weekend. I really don't want to bring back anything else that I will have to just move again in a few weeks.

I had a great visit with Raj (our soon to be new landlord) on Sunday afternoon. It's really great to be forming this new relationship, and I really look forward to living in a great new place too.

I've started to do some work on another Flames of War writing project. This will be a joint venture with another Calgary player. I've also dusted off some files of mine for converting some old pulp science miniatures into Flames of War.

I'm having dinner with Mike and Angela and the twins tomorrow evening. No doubt Aerin will be thrilled with the opportunity to house sit a little since it usually involves a nice soak a much larger tub.

Time to get some food before class and finish up a couple other things.

I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving Weekend if you're in Canada.

Gear: GoLite Chrome Dome Umbrella

When I still lived in Edmonton and got outdoors with the Grant MacEwan Mountain Club, several other club members would forgo rain gear for umbrellas when it began to rain. I have found most umbrellas less than favourable for this task as mostly too small or too wimpy or too heavy to be of much use. That changed when I started looking at GoLite outdoor gear.

The GoLite Chrome Dome Umbrella was the answer to the umbrella option. The umbrella is quite light at 8 ounces, is almost two feet wide, has carbon fiber (looks like it to me anyway) full stick handle and spars that hold up in the wind, and a metallized finish that does a great job of deflecting the suns rays. (You can get it regular colours too.) The handle is easy to grip, and it's not tiring to carry either. Overall it did a great job with the wet weather when we hiked into Forks CG last Friday night.

Why an umbrella you might ask? And, "Stuart, if you are such a ligthweight fan, why add more weight with an umbrella?" Well those questions have a multi-part answer. First of all, unless it's a vertible sidewise downpour, the umbrella keeps you drier than a GoreTex shell, for example. Since I am not likely to be moving at a pace to keep be from perspiring, I don't end up with really damp clothes from the moisture trapped inside my shell. In light rain conditions, or showers, it's easier and faster to have the umbrella on hand rather than worrying about getting in and out of a shell - the umbrella is only there when you need it. And finally, the reflective finish does a great job as mobile shade on a sunny day when you don't have any shade from trees or mountains. And probably the best reason, the last time I went backcountry in Jasper National Park they had these green outdoor toilets without any overhead cover on them. 'Nuff said.

I'm not entirely sure about the availability of these things (or any other GoLite product for that matter) in Canada these days, so I had to order mine from the US. But if you want a solid performing umbrella for the backcountry or the commute, this is a great choice.

Gear: Lightweight Backpacking

If I had a callsign it would be "Gear Boy". Since I'm not a fighter pilot, it's my semi-official nickname. If you're unsure of why this is the case, I refer you back to the above title.

I spent two and a half years working in outdoor retail in Edmonton prior to moving on to other things here in Calgary. During that time I learned a lot more about the equipment I already owned, and a ton more the stuff I didn't own. I immersed myself in the knowledge imparted by the company reps and online resources. Not only was this an opportunity to help myself enjoy my outdoor adventures more, but also to help other people enjoy their experiences.

The single greatest thing I came away from this with is an appreciation for lightweight backpacking.

Have you read my post about our June trip to Kananaskis? Aerin and I carried about 60 pounds total of equipment, clothing, food and water for four days. I'm quite certain a few people we saw on the trail were individually carrying 40 pounds or more for shorter trips. It hurt to see some of the packs people had loaded up with gear for even single night stays at the Forks campground (7km in and 50m of elevation gain). If you look at my Kananaskis post below, you can see that Aerin's pack is relatively small compared to what you'd see most people carrying at a trailhead. Even my 80-litre pack fully loaded for this trip topped out at 35 pounds with water, nor did I have all kinds of extra gear hanging from it as I saw many others have - I actually had space to spare inside.

How does one accomplish this? The answer is pretty easy... money. It costs money to get the right kind of gear for lightweight backpacking. Even with employee discounts I spent a fair bit of my paycheque for many months on new gear. How do you know you're making the right kind of investment in gear with those dollars you allocate purchase your gear? Research. What does this gear do? How well does it do that job? Can it do more than one thing? What conditions do I need to have my gear perform? How much space does it take in my pack? And of course, how much does it weigh? These last two questions are ultimately what you are trying to minimize while maximizing on the others.

And I have only one thing to say about money. Great gear does not come cheap. Or at least very rarely. Rarely have I found something that was inexpensive that I believed did the job better than something more expensive.

Of course, you'll have to weigh the value of the above statement against your own experience with researching and comparison shopping - and you will comparison shop a lot - on the various gear you need for yourself, and then compare that against what your outdoor experience is like before and after your gear purchase.

As time goes on I share about some of the insights and gear I have discovered through my own experiences. Prepare to lighten your load.