Everyone worries about me getting eaten by a grizzly. That may happen still, but I have always known that moose are more dangerous, in many ways, to humans. Bears, for one thing, do everything they can to avoid humans. That is why you are supposed to travel in groups and talk aloud when hiking in…
Talk about being prepared! I have packed and repacked my car, Alice, a dozen times. I could leave today, but I still have 3 weeks before I can head north. I will, however, leave today or tomorrow for a trial camping trip to the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona just to be sure I have everything…
I talked to a dear friend in another state this week. Normally, we talk about our kids, her grandkids, my recent adventures, Donald Trump’s hair: normal stuff. This week we talked about guns. Do you have one, she asked? No, but I am thinking about getting a small pistol. She replies energetically, Me too! Later…
Most people think that all dogs are natural swimmers. Not true. My dog, Tango, hates the water and will only dog paddle if he absolutely must. He prefers to sort of glom onto me– he expects me to carry him out of the water. So, what about dog safety on the water? I purchased a…
As I prepare for my 6-week summer camping trip, my mind wanders again to the subject of safety. I also think about how to feed myself in an emergency situation, perhaps stranded after some natural disaster. If I trusted myself with a gun that would solve both problems. Last year I purchased two stun guns…
My personal locator beacon (PLB) arrived and is ready to use. Couldn’t be easier to set up. It comes activated with batteries that expire in 2019 and has a test button. The only other action required is to register the device and your name at NOAA. Their registration website comes with the PLB literature. Should…
Many people have expressed concern about my traveling into the mountains by myself for 6 weeks So I began to think–thanks to the incessant media coverage about black boxes, pings, and towed pinger locators–that the world needs personal black boxes. Someone could make a great deal of money by inventing a personal pinger device for…
A few years ago I planned an early spring van-camping trip to the Tetons. As part of my preparation I ordered a large canister of bear pepper spray. The male grizzlies were due to come out of hibernation around the same time I was planning to leave. Bear spray, therefore, seemed a reasonable precaution. I…