Bear certified coolers are only bear resistant when locked with padlocks on both corners. I think this is often overlooked when traveling in bear country.
Hey Zak, great content as usual, love these videos, keep 'em coming! One thing I would add regarding campfires. Totally agree with how most rivers manage campfires: no fires during fire season, no fires on the ground, etc. When we come into a camp where there is, or has been an obvious fire ring on the ground we take it apart, spread the rocks around and brush the ground where the ring was to hopefully discourage others from rebuilding the fire ring. Why? This makes the camp more usable and enjoyable for our group as well as future groups and perhaps sends a message that you shouldn't be building fires on the ground. When campfires are allowed we bring a Pop-Up-Pit which leaves no trace and burns incredible clean leaving almost zero ash. I'm not affiliated with the company but I really like how well they work and show as many people as I can on the benefits. They are a little fussy and will not hold up well if abused so maybe not the best for an outfitter. But you can cook on them, under them (like a broiler) and burn very hot and are nearly smokeless. And they are WAY lighter than the other fire pans I have used. They generate so little ash that we don't bring an ash can anymore, just dump the minimal ash into our garbage bag. The only downside that we have found is they go through your wood very quickly so you gotta bring lots. SYOTR!
I follow and preach the guidelines you mentioned. Not that I agree with them, but thems the culture and rules around these parts. I've never understood why campfire rings are not a good thing. Humans have been camping and making fires at these camps for thousands of years. I like to race and beat outfitters to the best campsites. Sending out downstream swampers early should be against the rules. Outfitters sending out downstream swampers to nab the best camps is what fuels the whole rat race.
I understand where you're coming from on fire rings, but I think the goal of LNT is to do better than what has been done for thousands of years. Fire rings definitely leave a mark on wild places.
Because humans can not be trusted to not destroy everything. How many camp sites have you been to that has 3 /4 /5 rock rings within the camp space all filled with beer cans, broken beer bottles, egg shells, aluminum foil.... excreta (all garbage, all do not burn). Who wants to use a fire ring filled with garbage, no one, so they build another one right beside it instead of cleaning up someones else's garbage. Use a fire pan, dismantle fire rings and pack out the garbage someone else left.
My favorite all time river camp, the entrance camp to Santa Elena on Lower Rio Grande River, is totally unusable now due to last 4 decades of boaters burning wood in fire rings and leaving the waste. Nobody camps there anymore. The whole area is black charcoal, where it used to be all sand. Think about it,..... what do you see in antiquity sites where ancient native Americans lived, charcoal. It lasts for hundreds of years. So if you leave your fire waste, you are leaving it forever and altering the balance of the ecosystem. I feel the same about pooping in cat holes in the desert, it does not break down, just petrifies itself, and too many humans out there pooping in the desert is gross and some still burn their toilet paper like the one that caused the huge Flagstaff fire this year.
Bear certified coolers are only bear resistant when locked with padlocks on both corners. I think this is often overlooked when traveling in bear country.
Hey Zak,
great content as usual, love these videos, keep 'em coming! One thing I would add regarding campfires. Totally agree with how most rivers manage campfires: no fires during fire season, no fires on the ground, etc. When we come into a camp where there is, or has been an obvious fire ring on the ground we take it apart, spread the rocks around and brush the ground where the ring was to hopefully discourage others from rebuilding the fire ring. Why? This makes the camp more usable and enjoyable for our group as well as future groups and perhaps sends a message that you shouldn't be building fires on the ground. When campfires are allowed we bring a Pop-Up-Pit which leaves no trace and burns incredible clean leaving almost zero ash. I'm not affiliated with the company but I really like how well they work and show as many people as I can on the benefits. They are a little fussy and will not hold up well if abused so maybe not the best for an outfitter. But you can cook on them, under them (like a broiler) and burn very hot and are nearly smokeless. And they are WAY lighter than the other fire pans I have used. They generate so little ash that we don't bring an ash can anymore, just dump the minimal ash into our garbage bag. The only downside that we have found is they go through your wood very quickly so you gotta bring lots.
SYOTR!
Thanks for sharing!
I think my biggest soap box I stand on is the rock stacks. it just irks me to see that, I'd prefer not to know people were obviously there.
This maybe obvious to you already but this video seems especially quiet. Could try bumping the gain on your microphone. Cheers
I follow and preach the guidelines you mentioned. Not that I agree with them, but thems the culture and rules around these parts. I've never understood why campfire rings are not a good thing. Humans have been camping and making fires at these camps for thousands of years.
I like to race and beat outfitters to the best campsites. Sending out downstream swampers early should be against the rules. Outfitters sending out downstream swampers to nab the best camps is what fuels the whole rat race.
I understand where you're coming from on fire rings, but I think the goal of LNT is to do better than what has been done for thousands of years. Fire rings definitely leave a mark on wild places.
Small groups taking large camp sites is what fuels the rat race as it requires large groups to send boats ahead to get an adequately sized camp
Because humans can not be trusted to not destroy everything. How many camp sites have you been to that has 3 /4 /5 rock rings within the camp space all filled with beer cans, broken beer bottles, egg shells, aluminum foil.... excreta (all garbage, all do not burn). Who wants to use a fire ring filled with garbage, no one, so they build another one right beside it instead of cleaning up someones else's garbage.
Use a fire pan, dismantle fire rings and pack out the garbage someone else left.
My favorite all time river camp, the entrance camp to Santa Elena on Lower Rio Grande River, is totally unusable now due to last 4 decades of boaters burning wood in fire rings and leaving the waste. Nobody camps there anymore. The whole area is black charcoal, where it used to be all sand. Think about it,..... what do you see in antiquity sites where ancient native Americans lived, charcoal. It lasts for hundreds of years. So if you leave your fire waste, you are leaving it forever and altering the balance of the ecosystem. I feel the same about pooping in cat holes in the desert, it does not break down, just petrifies itself, and too many humans out there pooping in the desert is gross and some still burn their toilet paper like the one that caused the huge Flagstaff fire this year.
Digging the new hat!! Is that a NWRC hat? Love your logo design💪😎🤙
Yep we made a handful of those hats. I'm stoked you like our logo!