Posts by Michael Martinez
When a snake rattles at you, it wants you to move away from it. Rattlers will warn you first before striking, giving you enough time to move away. My wife and I were hiking once in the desert, she...
I have backpacked and camped in the Rocky Mountains most of my life (and also more recently in the Sierra Nevadas) and have never had any issues with bears. I would say that as long as you're not s...
I've got a pair of Keen hiking boots that, at their best when brand new, never had a particularly good grip, and now, a few years later, have simply lost any grip to speak of. They are so slippery ...
I've spent many years hiking and camping in the Rocky Mountains and California, and animals I have seen more than once or regularly include black bears, deer, elk, moose, wild turkey, beaver, mount...
Don't use an intact sunfish as bait. cut it up and use the cut pieces on your hook. But, as far as attracting and hooking big largemouths, while at the same time deterring other types of fish, wh...
Protein powder. Add it to your food. Add it to water. Add it to hot-water+powdered milk.
Wild bears don't like the smell of warm man-flesh. So, you're inside your tent, make some noise, move around, talk. The bear will go away. You don't need to use your shotgun, you don't need to use ...
The only time I'm aware when you shouldn't leave feces behind is near bodies of water (within 200 yards of a body of water), which is why the feces are packed out of the Grand Canyon. (This is taki...
The mountains in the West are larger, higher elevation, and therefore possibly more strenuous than what you're used to. So: extra physical preparation and altitude climatization. Generally the Wes...
I used to do a lot of backpacking with my wife in the backcountry in the Rocky Mountains. The places we hiked were remote - often hours would pass without seeing anybody else. I gave thought to get...
I just got back from fishing in Minnesota, where one of the kinds of fish we were catching were pike in the 25" range. I had metal leaders in my tackle box but I didn't use them. I used a standar...
The best thing I have ever found for getting rid of odors, and it works extremely well, is something called "OdorXit" which is based on some enzymes that neutralize odors instead of masking them. I...
I take the small packets of gatorade or similar that offers flavor plus electrolytes. I find that flavouring helps to make certain sources of water palatable when filtering it out in the backcountry.
I personally use a base layer (which also retains heat even when wet) with the same quick-dry pants that I use for my summer hiking. I treat these pants occasionally with a water-repellant spray an...
Short answer: yes, unfortunately very normal. I've been fishing all over the western U.S. since I was a kid, lakes, rivers, streams and even the occasional surf fishing on the ocean. Some days are ...
I'd recommend an outer shell plus a fleece jacket - two items. The advantage here is that if the fleece is too warm (or too cold), you can replace it with another fleece that's more appropriate. Wh...
For the situation you're talking about (3 days backpacking in winter), knowledge is more important than experience. Know how to use your gear. Know how to keep warm and dry. Know not to walk on thi...
There is no way to prevent asbestos fibers from entering your lungs except by certain facial masks with specialized air filters. An ordinary surgical mask will NOT work. The fibers are too small.
I don't know about online website, but you can use a handheld GPS like Etrex to keep track of your progress. And since this stores GPS in a common format, you can import this data into another prog...
The gear answer depends on what kind of environment you're in: rainy and wet like the Pacific Northwest, dry and sunny like the Southwest. Mild climate, or very hot or cold. At a minimum, comforta...
Avoid eating sugary foods, the digestion of sugar tends to heat your core quickly, and then just as quickly your core temp goes back down. Eat some cheese right before going to sleep. This does n...
Be aware of the difference between removal of harmful pathogens and removal of chemical contamination. Harmful pathogens include amoeba, bacteria, viruses, and worms, and these are effectively de...
For certain contaminants such as Giardia, it doesn't matter whether the water is running fast or slow. You will get infected regardless. So this idea about "fast water" is a myth that is not correc...
Instead of running or walking, I recommend you go to the gym and do the Stairmaster. This will provide an aerobic workout while building the muscles you need for hiking and scrambling. This is what...
The Pocket Survival Guide. by J. Wayne Fears Accurate, concise, to the point.
