My new address is:
Please do not forward any political flyers or invitations from the Jehovas Witnesses.
Thanks.
Lily
September 30, 2024
September 22, 2024
Packing a Horse, and How to Survive the Trail
No words are needed. Just listen to, and watch, these guys.
Nothing I say is better. Most of all, enjoy camping with your horse. It's a magical experience that can't be duplicated.
Camping Solo With Your Horse
Cowboy Bushcraft
How to Tie and Load Your Horse
How to use a diamond Hitch
How to Pack a Horse with Gear Boxes
I can't handle a wall tent, but these guys are experts.
Cowboy Bushcraft
Cowboy Packing - Including Tips from the Army Rangers
This is the best advice I have ever seen on how to pack for travel in general and it is very useful for cowboy camping and all other types of wilderness adventure. All free, and all from US Army Rangers. Check these guys out!
(Ideas on how to cuss creatively are just a bonus! :) )
Tip from Army Rangers - How to do a complete outfit, Ranger Roll style.
https://youtu.be/cq07hyTlrcU?si=jrLRx6HbIfdbo_zW
The Ranger Roll Sleep System - With a Winter Mod
US Army Special Operations - Rangers - How to Pack a RUCK.
You can adapt these tips for ANY kind of camping trip, including cowboy camping.
https://youtu.be/Z6idpCFZxH0?si=0sIf0WNBlZJFPOxl
US Ranger give us camping tips! Thanks!
https://youtu.be/AZHHWXpMeBU?si=Xx7QR769PJ1Bssvv
How To Build Your Own Good Samaritan Bag
Camping and spending time in the wilderness is an essential part of the human experience. It's our natural home after all. I sometimes think about all the people who have gone before us, who did not have the advantages over the elements that we have today.
If you encounter a medical emergency in the wild, or even just a campground, here is what to do:
First, stop shaking the patient, and stop screaming. Only the patient is allowed to scream. Yell out for a doctor or nurse in campgrounds. Someone might very well be one. Call 911 if you have a phone with cell service.
Recent events where I live have convinced me that the pre-made kits are useless. People tend to pack their own fears that are unique to them, and not items that would help someone else. In the wilderness, it is more likely that it won’t be about you, but another person in trouble. I call mine my "Good Samaritan Bag." It's "Mom and nurse approved" by my own mother, an RN licensed in the state of Nevada.
For pet care while on a trip, go here: https://blog.nols.edu/2018/03/21/using-your-wilderness-medicine-skills-to-treat-pets
You can buy pre-made kits, but the best kit is the one you are going to make yourself. It should include items that will stabilize a person for the following conditions that are likely (even unlikely) to occur during a wilderness trip, even if you are going to an established campground. Remember that while people might go on vacation, their medical conditions are ever present and never take a break. Campgrounds, and definitely all wilderness areas, are far from help, and in some cases, too far away for any meaningful treatment.
The following is a list of items that I personally have packed, keeping in mind that it may more often be about helping someone else, and I hope it helps you to build your own.
- A tactical red duffel bag or any other red bag. Roll up toiletry bags are great! You can paint or iron on a basic white cross to indicate on the outside it's a first aid kit.
- First Aid book. I highly recommend this one, Wilderness First Aid Field Guide 3rd Edition by Alton L. Thygerson, MD, a real surgeon and medical doctor, specifically for wilderness adventure. But don't just buy it. Study it! You can buy it here: https://a.co/d/4SfZygq.
- If that one is too expensive try this one, very similar: Wilderness First Aid: Emergency Care for Remote Locations by Howard D Backer, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. I found it for 4.99 at Thrift Books.
- Basic First Aid booklet for things you might not be familiar with. These booklets can be obtained for little cost through the Red Cross, REI, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, as well as other organizations.
Information about snake bites, a serious condition, can be found here:
https://www.snakebitefoundation.org/blog/2018/9/6/how-to-survive-a-snakebite-in-the-wilderness For information on snake bites, go here for advice from Jordan Benjamin, the world's only real expert (he really is) herpetologist and consultant to medical professionals around the world, in the fields of Africa, Australia, Asia, and any other place on earth that has venomous snakes. He is the Founder & Executive Director at Asclepius Snakebite Foundation
Having said that, here is a list of conditions that you need to prepare for, and be ready.
- Burns - minor to severe
- Excessive bleeding from injury
- Illness - minor to life threatening
- Broken bones
- Head injuries - from mild concussion to traumatic brain injury
As to actual instructions on how to treat these conditions in terms of your first aid kit, please refer to the book I mentioned above, or medical advice from your doctor ( a great resource for information during your next visit!). The booklets I have mentioned, as well as any other books you can find written by wilderness first responders and other experts. Study them and understand them, before you go out or while you are out.
Copy and paste this checklist into Word or Google Docs, then print and use it. It's FREE, and I authorize it's use by anyone for any reason. I don't care. Just do it.
Sterilization:
- Travel size soap, or preferably a slice of real anti-bacterial soap for washing hands. You are not going to cause global climate change with a few uses, good grief. It's for an emergency, ffs.
- Hand sanitzer, alcohol wipes, betadine wipes. In the absence of those, whiskey, vodka, and/or anything that you can find that is 40 proof or higher
- bottle of water - anywhere from 4 oz to 8 oz, for swallowing tablets, and other use.
- Sterile latex or nitrile gloves of the correct size for your hands
Basic Tools:
- Sawyer venom pump for INSECT and SCORPION STINGS ONLY. For the love of God, DO NOT use it for snake bite. https://www.snakebitefoundation.org/blog/2018/9/6/how-to-survive-a-snakebite-in-the-wilderness
- Tweezers that actually tweeze - a lot of them are pointless or cosmetic only
- Surgical scissors or any that actually work - those little ones are useless.
- Pocket knife used only for first aid.
- Women's battery powered shaver - for getting rid of hair that could infect wounds. "Women's" because they are small and more useful
Over the Counter (OTC) Medications:
- Aspirin and Ibuprofin but again, do not use if the person is bleeding. Use Tylenol or Ibuprofin.etc - pain relief : Please do not use aspirin on a bleeding person. Some people are allergic to Ibuprofin. Plain, regular aspirin is the most widely tolerated pain reliever but again, it's bad for bleeding people or those with hemophilia.
- Children's chewable aspirin - not just for kids. It is a good option for those with Angina and other heart conditions as directed by an actual doctor.
- Benadryl or similar brand - allergic reactions and bee stings, etc. Will also cause drowsiness, a good thing for some people suffering - do not use for head injuries. Use common sense.
- Neosporin and/or Bacitracin
- Liquid decongestant - Tussin makes a "wide target" one for all symptoms
- Burn gel
- Calamine lotion and anti-itch cream
- Glucose tablets - diabetic tabs
- Packets of real sugar if no glucose tabs
- Athlete's foot/anti fungal cream - more generally for comfort than anything else
Wraps, Tapes and Bandages:
- Compresses including tampons with no applicator for open, large wounds that are bleeding excessively
- Bandages of all sizes, from minor cuts/scrapes to much larger and more serious wounds.
- Small, compressed "disc" type towels for bleeding, or for sterilizing any other equipment you might use - very useful and will stay somewhat clean inside their packages until used.
- Emergency blanket - very useful when used correctly
- Garbage bag - for wrapping wounds on to keep the area clean
- Duct tape - yes, duct tape goes in too. Used for creating a solid splint for broken bones
- Vet tape - used for animals but works great for people who need a temporary wrap or "ace" bandage
Good luck! And stay WELL.
September 18, 2024
About Bigfoot Around the World, and other stuff I find fascinating.
Sasquatch - Art by Steve Baxter
I just want to give a sense of what the vlogs on my vlog list are about and why I like them. You'll find the links on the right-hand side of my main page.
But first, About Bigfoot
(and Why I Like the Idea)
Firstly, I should say at the outset that I've never personally seen one, but I am inclined to think there may in fact, be something to these stories, especially those from Indian Nation Reservations. I certainly maintain an open mind. (I believe in God after all so, it's not such a stretch for me.)
Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is a centuries-old American tradition (named by Native American tribes under many names). Sasquatch is the English for "the anq'ets (sas-kets)", which means "hairy man" in Halq'emeylem, the Sts'ailes upriver dialect.
It is an interest of mine, simply because I spend time in the mountains and backcountry where he/she/they have been known to hang out. I camp in wild places and I enjoy local stories and legends as well as myths from around the world.
Bigfoot is known around the world as:
- Yowie (Australia)
- Yeti (Nepal/Himalayas)
- Mande Barung (India)
- Yeren (China)
- Am Fear Liath Mor, The Grey Man (Scotland)
- Hibagon (Japan)
- Isnashi (Brazil and Bolivia)
- Barmanu (Pakistan)
- The Abominable Snow Man (Russia - translated into English for convenience sake but: Отвратительный снеговик)
- and many other places all over the world. These are just a few.
Around here, where I live, he is known as Tso apittse (Giant) by the Shoshone or Tse’nahaha (Cannibal giant) by the Mono Lake Paiute, and specifically in Nevada "Si-Te-Cah" (tule, a type of plant, eaters but also culturally understood to be cannibals) by the Northern Paiute Nation in Nevada.
There has to be more than meets the eye here when it comes to these stories. They may have been extra large hominoids, which the Native Americans were fully familiar with over thousands of years. Stories like these, generally do not begin or exist in a vacuum.
Whether Bigfoot exists today remains to be seen, but it is a pervasive and thoroughly consistent myth at the very least. That they were known by distantly located Native Americans, from completely different tribal nations all across the continent, with no way of communicating with each other, including north into Canada, and south to Latin America, is inexplicable and fascinating.
Some argue that it is the result of "multiple discovery" or "simultaneous invention." I don't think this quite fits, but perhaps. Nonetheless, the original lore from our Native brothers and sisters certainly cannot be ignored as fully fantasy.
Onto the vlogs and why I enjoy them...
Canada - Outlaw Country - This is a thoughtful vlog about Bigfoot. Insightful and often poignant. Absolutely worth the valuable time you think you "own". Think again. And again.
UK - Chronically Outdoors -- Fun, Bushcraft, and Beer: This man is fun, and talks plainly about his life, and his adventures. I call that a "straight shooter." He also has a very cool Arctic dog named Sookie.
UK - Grizzly Gaz - Gaz is funny, very funny, and his dog is Fendi. Gaz is one of my favourite UK campers. I have learned quite a few things from him. Nowadays he seems to like "scary camping" and it's always fun.
UK - TA Outdoors - Bushcraft. I like this channel because I always learn something useful. Some of it doesn't translate well into American use, simply for reasons of terrain, etc, but fascinating nonetheless and good/useful stuff to know if you plan to camp in the UK
USA - 8 Native American Scary Stories from the Reservation - see my section above about Bigfoot, and other creatures, like the Wendigo.
USA - Base Camp Chris - Chris is local to me. He lives in my immediate vicinity, and I love his channel. (I will bet my bottom dollar that his wife is as nice as he is.)
In his early days as a vlogger, he did a lot of reviews on gear, and all of them are still very useful.
Now, he vlogs about Bigfoot sightings around the USA, including my local area, and offers very personal accounts, often including interviews with the witnesses. He also offers and includes a beer review on every episode. I don't drink beer, but he almost makes wish I did.
USA - Mike Wanders - Bigfoot and Camping! Another thoughtful vlog about Bigfoot. Some unusual stories.
USA - MrBallen - John is a YouTube sensation. He vlogs about true crime, unexplained mysteries, obscure stories, and the supernatural. He donates quite a bit of his earnings from Ballen Studios, to Victims of Crime all over the country. Terrific gent and a true storyteller, of real talent.
USA - Native American - PIkuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project - Modern Bigfoot witness accounts from the Shoshone Nation up in Idaho, a neighbouring state to mine.
USA - Over On the Wild Side - Cowboy Camping - self-explanatory. This guy camps with horses and offers real cowboy camping. I would argue that his channel is the only channel that really covers the subject.
Modern hikers/enthusiasts only define "cowboy camping" as sleeping without a tent in the wilderness. I call bullshit on that, and say that cowboy camping, properly speaking means: camping with horses and on the trail, wherever that might be.
USA - The Appalachian Storyteller - The Appalachian (pronounced rightly as "appa - laaaa-chan") mountains are in the eastern United States and are known to be some of the oldest mountains in the world, and connected to, quite literally, Scotland from a geologic event that occurred millions of years ago. Hikers and backpackers from all over the world go there, to hike the world-famous Appalachian Trail.
Scottish and Irish / Briton descendants live there today, and have preserved their own manner of mountain life, American style. Many of them can claim ancestry to titled families, believe it or not, and yet, are among the poorest of all Americans. They barely have medical care and numerous charitable orgs have build small clinics there.
It is said that many who live in those mountains are completely unknown by the United States government, having no birth certificates or any other official documentation, paying no taxes and simply squatting on their land for over 3 centuries.
Their mountain tales of "haints", and other ghostly phenomenon are utterly spell-binding. You will never regret listening to these tales in accurate Southern Appalachian accents/dialect.
September 15, 2024
Why I Camp
When I first started camping on a serious level, I was rather pressured into it, by a woman who wanted to hold a "retreat" for like-minded women. Except that, I didn't know she wasn't like-minded, and that I would be the outcast in the group. She disappeared from my life a year later with no explanation, but not until she took vital and valuable information from me to make money. She used me and never saw me as a friend at all.
You'll need to forgive me for telling you all this, but it sets the scene for the reason I have embraced camping. In short, women are bitches and I'm tired of it. Onto the story:
Denise worked for the Girl Scouts of the Sierra, as a fundraising recruiter. The campground and acreage was actually owned by the Girl Scout organization and was commonly used as a campground for Girl Scouts only. It is located in the upper regions of the Gold Lakes region, past Graeagle, California. It is private property in the mountains.
The structures are more like military tents built on platforms, so we did not need our own tents. But other than that, it had no real facilities as a campground other than typical outhouses/pit toilets. It was literally, a half mile to walk to the toilets so I learned how to do my own cat hole.
During our "retreat", I was treated rather badly and spent my time staring off into the woods, ridiculed for praying privately in my tent, and generally made fun of, when I questioned the wisdom of leaving a "geocache" for young Girl Scouts to find. Even then, I knew that 'leave no trace' was a serious thing. I suppose the case could be made that it was on private property owned by the GS but I will never carpool again, and I don't care what it does to global carbon emissions.
In general, it was a ridiculous exercise in trying to bond with two out of five, of the most un-likeminded females anyone has ever met.
Looking back, I felt Denise was strange for many reasons and much of what she said to me was truly "not okay." There was a lot of projection and snide, passive agressive comments made to and about me.
But regardless, that's how I started. And it was the absolute end of camping with anyone else, ever again. From then on, I decided I would not be a slave to others' opinions and preferences, nor would I spend any time with people who demanded it, silently and sneaky, or otherwise.
It wasn't until I took my solo trips a year later that I really enjoyed it. So, I guess I have to thank Denise, but will do so only once. She can forget she ever knew me and that would be great. By the way, I use real names, unless the person involved is a victim of something or someone.
In short, I love to camp because it gets me away from all the terrible adults who seem to have multiplied in the world. They are everywhere now: arrogant, self-serving, and self-absorbed, they have little to no moral compass and will take from anyone who crosses their path.
I camp because it heals me from PTSD among other things, and rescues me from myself.
I love the solitude I can find while camping, and enjoying God's creation. Yes, I said the word 'God'. I believe in him and I feel that most people either do not understand it (or Him) and no one hates God as much as redditors, IG-ers, youtube creators, and internet people in general. They seem to hate me too, but that's okay. I don't care for them either.
I really enjoy being self-sufficient and on my own out there. I know now, that I can surmount any challenge, in the main, without crumbling in defeat. It's just that depression seems to dog every step I take, and an urban environment is not healthy for me anymore. But I can't afford to move away. So, camping is the only option I have. And I have learned to fully embrace it and love it.
I camp for my own soul health. Notice I didn't say 'mental health'. That's because I believe that soul health is more important. If my soul is healthy, my mind will be also. And the only way to achieve that is to spend time with God in his true element: nature.
The Wilderness is my Cathedral, and the trees that tower above me, are its spires, reaching to the heavens in supplication. And out there, no one is demanding money from me that I don't have. God doesn't care how shallow my pockets are, only the depths of my heart.
Gear: Chevy Trax AWD, Night Cat Tent, and assorted necessaries.
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