Upcoming Events!

Hey everyone! Spring is in the air, and summer's fast approaching. That means we'll be doing some updates and getting this blog active again! I've got some new gear on the way (all ultralight), so I'll be testing it out and doing some reviews; of course testing also means a new trip or two!

Here's what we'll be doing next:

• Survival bracelet workshop (yes I'll teach you how to make them!).
  
• Jon boat fishing on Long Island, NY.
• Beach camping on Long Island, NY.
• Gear reviews.
  
• Historical hiking in East Hampton, NY.

Hope to see you all on the trails!

Cedar Point County Park

This trip took us to Cedar Point County Park in East Hampton, NY. After a short drive from the village filled with hills and what would be considered decent woods for the Hamptons, we arrived at the entrance to the park with a quaint log cabin. Despite being located in a region famous for its mansions and private estates, this public park and campground's 607 acres offered a great deal of solitude.

Hidden on the bay side of the town, its hiking and biking trails were peaceful, even with 190 individual campsites and 5 group areas nearby. In addition to the trails, a stretch of beach leading to the Cedar Island Lighthouse proved to be a beautiful, however hot, 2 mile hike (both ways). Once divided by water to make the area around the lighthouse an island, this beach was connected by the hurricane of 1938 and was filled with tasty wild beach plums with a view of Northwest Harbor and Gardiners Bay. The hot sand warmed our feet as the salty air provided just enough of a breeze to keep us going.

When we reached the lighthouse, which was built in 1839 to assist ship traffic in and out of Northwest and Sag Harbors, the view of sailboats in the summer sun was picturesque. In addition to the view, the channel running between the beach and Shelter Island was host to great fishing opportunities. Many visitors have caught bluefish, striped bass and snappers, to name a few. Depending on the season and the presence of endangered or threatened shorebirds, a County Beach Driving Permit can be obtained, available to both residents and non-residents, which make fishing trips to the channel a breeze (pun intended).

I would recommend Cedar Point County Park to families and fishermen because of the following reasons:

• The park has different camping options to suit your needs.
• A camp store is a short walk from the campground, which shows family movies on Sunday nights during the summer season.
• The park offers Youth Group Camping.
• Visitors can rent row boats from the cabin, life preservers and oars included.
• Fishing can be done in the pond, in the channel, and just about anywhere off the shore.
• Both campers and day visitors can use clean restrooms and showers, grassy picnic areas with a view of the bay, bird watching trails, a playground, and a ball field.
• Park police and security are present, especially at night, to keep the park safe.
  

Cedar Point County Park Pictures

Cedar Island Lighthouse.

Marsh.

Picnic Area.

One of the beaches.

View from the hiking trail.

Emergency Fire Starting Tips (Part IV)

The Strap Drill

To conclude my emergency fire starting tips series, I would like to provide you all with one more video courtesy of Nick Spadaro and the Maine Primitive Skills School in Augusta, Maine. This technique is another form of primitive friction fire starting, known as the strap drill. I hope you all enjoy! Just remember to be safe when starting a fire with any of the methods I have listed on this blog!

Emergency Fire Starting Tips (Part III)

The Hand Drill

The next portion of my emergency fire starting tips is another form of primitive friction fire, known as the hand drill. As this is much easier seen than read, I have provided you all with another instructional video, courtesy of Nick Spadaro and the Maine Primitive Skills School in Augusta, Maine. I think it's quite helpful, so I hope you all enjoy!

Emergency Fire Starting Tips (Part II)

The Bow Drill

To continue my instructional pieces on emergency fire starting, I decided to cover primitive forms of friction fire. Unfortunately, these are rather difficult to explain in a short, concise paragraph, making it hard for me to publish easy-to-understand instructions, while keeping the length of the post down to an acceptable size. Luckily, an acquaintance of mine, Nick Spadaro, has a few great detailed videos that will cover these topics. I am currently a member of his Primitive Skills club at Unity College, and he is also an instructor at the Maine Primitive Skills School in Augusta, Maine. These videos are shown courtesy of Nick Spadaro and the Maine Primitive Skills School. To start off with this series of instructional videos, I have chosen the bow drill, which Nick had also taught me first hand. I hope you enjoy!

An Interesting Film Coming to PBS May 13, 2008

The well publicized "disaster" that took place on Mount Everest in 1996 has been the source of heated debates and controversies since its first appearance in the media. It has been the focus of many articles and books, including successful novel Into Thin Air by climber and author Jon Krakauer. David Beashears, quite a legend in his own light, now helps add the visual aspect of the event with this new film set to air on PBS Frontline on May 13, 2008.

BPA: Nalgene Bottles & Your Health

As a frequent member of the outdoors community, I tend to get a lot of use out of specific equipment I use on various excursions. As a result, I naturally figure out which brands I prefer for different gear, and sometimes share these personal opinions with others; whether it is on the trails during a casual discussion, or in something I write or openly commend on this blog. However, some concern involving an important health issue has been expressed about particular brands of liquid containers (Nalgene®, Camelback®, etc.), which I had previously recommended over the years. While this is unfortunate, the health concern can be greatly reduced with some research and care when purchasing a product from these companies. Subsequently, to help out my friends and fellow excursionists outdoors, I am writing this article to give you an overview of what you should know about this health risk and how to avoid it.

What is the Health Risk?
The health concern for specific water containers such as Nalgene Original™ is the use of Bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been the target of numerous claims which state that the material may cause health problems. These problems range from reproductive failures such as miscarriage, to hyperactivity and obesity. However, an even larger concern is the possibility of the material’s ability to increase the risk of cancer. Nevertheless, according to the Food and Drug Administration, the threat of these health issues is not great enough to place a ban on the material from its current use.

How is BPA Used and Why is it Relevant to the Outdoors?
The material is used currently in many different plastic products, including the Nalgene Original™ bottle, which is often recommended for hikers, campers, climbers, etc. Due to the demand for containers and bottles required for continuous use, these name brands have been trusted and recommended over the years for numerous outdoor activities.

What is Being Done to Address this Issue and Which Items are Safe?
Nalgene® has created an informative page dedicated to sharing information about BPA, and has also gathered links including the official FDA statement on the material. To access this page, click here. In addition to the informative page, Nalgene® has also released information on which of their products still contain BPA, which you can access by clicking here. Currently, the only bottle which does contain the material is their Original™. Camelback® has also recently started advertising their products which do not contain BPA via stickers and print on the side of their bottles. Taking some extra time to look for these indications may be useful when purchasing a container or bottle for continuous use.

In Conclusion:
Due to the concern over the health issues regarding the use of Bisphenol-A, I urge my friends and fellow excursionists to do a little research before buying products, especially if they intend on using them for an extended period of time. Of course, this applies to every piece of equipment you purchase for your trips into the wilderness. I cannot stress enough how important it is to invest in proper equipment that will serve you the way you expect it to, and the best way to do this is get background information before buying something. Some products may be worth the brand name, and others may not, depending on what you intend to use it for. Take the additional time before spending the additional dime!