HIKING WITH CHILDREN
And, staying sane!
I’ll be on Blab.im tonight at 9:30 p.m. sharing
Tips on How to Hike with Children!
If you aren’t familiar with Blab.im think television morning show but YOU can either watch or be the guest!
Go Hiking
by admin
by admin
Whenever I do speaking engagements, I get asked what do I carry in my pack.
So much so that I started dragging around my pack to all the speaking engagements.
Now I can show people what I have and how I pack.
One tool I always have (unless my husband has swiped it) is my Leatherman. Now the full size Leatherman Multi-Tool clocks in at a fairly hefty 12.5 ounces and considering I’m usually carrying enough for me, my writing, and two children, and sometimes two dogs — well, 12.5 ounces starts to look pretty heavy.
The Leatherman Skeletool series takes the weight down to right around 5.5 ounces depending on what model you get.
Leatherman’s are durable and I’ve yet to have one rust or even get scratched. Plus, it is the Mr. Gadget of tools.
Have a nail in your boot, pull it out with the needle nose pliers.
Get tangled up in some old fencing, cut it with the wire cutter.
Need to cut your pant leg free from the jaws of an angry lion, good luck with that. May I suggest the combo knife.
Desperately, want to crack open a cold one, there is a bottle opener.
Zombie apocalypse and need to open a can of beans, guess what? Yep, there is a can opener too.
Yes, Leatherman has thought of it all.
And, those are the many reason why I carry a Leatherman tool because if there is a zombie apocalypse – I’m sure not going to be camping out in the woods cooking over a fire!
by admin
It seems too good to be true.
But, this weekend you and your family can all be magically transformed into Magical Trash Fairies.
The wizards and witches at Great Parks of Hamilton County
have concocted a magical potion called
that when taken in large doses will instantly transform you into a
This potion is only available if you pre-register and must be taken on October 25, 2014.
Share photos of your magical transformation!
We want to see picks of the trash you collect!
by admin
by admin
by admin
Hiking more this time of year and exploring nature means you might explore more nature than you had planned on. I’m talking about everyone’s favorite plant: poison ivy.
Poison ivy typically grows along the edges where two habitats meet — especially along the edges of trails. You’ll find poison ivy along many trails in this region. But how do you stay out of poison ivy?
Identify it! Poison ivy has glossy green leaves with toothed edges.
While you and I might despise poison ivy, it is an food source for rabbits, deer, and birds.
If you get poison ivy on you, the urushiol oil takes a while to be absorbed by your skin–it depends on how hot it is and how sweaty you are. The allergic reaction in the form of an itchy blistery red rash usually appears about 8-12 hours later.
The goal is to stop the urushiol from getting to your skin and from being absorbed. If you get into a patch or one of your children do, you can make a beeline for the nearest restrooms with running water and soap. Always clean the area exposed to poison ivy by washing in a circular motion to the center of the exposed area. Wash with COLD water and wash the area exposed to poison ivy only. If you start slopping water and soap everywhere you’re just going to have a rash everywhere too!
If you aren’t close to a restroom, use a wet wipe or wet a tissue.
If you are familiar with plants you can crush-up the stems of jewel weed (it will be slightly gooey) and in a circular motion rub to the center of the exposed area. Keep repeating this for a few times with fresh stems each time.
On your way home pick-up Zanfel or just order it online so you have a tube since it is hard to find. Zanfel removes the oil which in turn reduces the length and severity of the rash. I’ve used it several times and have been happy with the results. It has a weird texture and you have to follow their directions PRECISELY for it to work.
You can read about my experience here.
Happy Poison Ivy Free Hiking!