G'S Corner for Tips and Recipes

Fiskars Watering System

We have this system installed in our gardens and love it. Besides saving on water it lets you control where and how much water each part of your garden without over watering. You can also get timers to install on your taps. No hoses all over the yard to be picked up when the grass needs to be cut . We installed ¾ “ pvc under the ground about 6 inches and ran them where the gardens were, connected the larger soaker hoses in the vegetable garden and around the trees. The mini soaker hoses and sprinklers in the flower gardens . If in the northern states where freezing occurs; you need to blow out your underground lines with air to remove the water . This protects the lines from freezing and cracking .

Buying a new tent?

 Tips and Advice on Purchasing a New Tent.

 When shopping for a new tent, look for features that will let you enjoy the use of that tent for many years to come. Know your budget and decide ahead of time how much you can afford to spend. I'm not necessarily advocating that you buy the most expensive tent available in your price range, but it will help you know what your choices are. Once you know how much you can spend it's time to analyze the features of the tents in that price range. Let's begin by looking at the most important feature of a tent:

Coleman camping gear and Coleman tents are designed to isolate you from the elements outside. Look for the exclusive Coleman® WeatherTec™ System. This makes Coleman camping tents drier and more weather resistant than other brands.

Coleman has been around since 1900's. Coleman's obsession as well as it's passion is to always build camping gear that works harder last longer and performs to your expectations for years and years.

Stansport has been around since 1943. They also offer good quality gear.

 How big should a tent be?

If you're not planning to backpack or canoe camp, the size and weight of a tent doesn't matter. Tent capacity is based on the square footage and how many standard sleeping bags will fit in it. For example, a 2-person tent will accommodate just two people There will be very little elbow room or extra storage space. You'll find a 4-person tent will be more comfortable for two people, and you will have space to spread out and store your gear too. For a family of four I recommend a 6-person tent. As a rule-of-thumb buy a tent that has a capacity rated two people higher than the number that will actually be using it.

What features should I look for?

 A tent with an adequate rainfly. The rainfly is your tent's umbrella. The bigger the better. Look for a fly that comes well down the sides of the tent rather than just across the top. Rainflies are waterproof. Tent walls are water-repellant. A tent with folded seams and double stitching. If you can pull the material on either side of a seam and see through the stitches, this tent will leak. Be sure to use seam sealer on all seams. A tent with a one piece tub floor. The floor should be made of waterproof material, and it should come a few inches up the sides before it is sown to the tent walls. No seam in the floor means there is no place for water to seep in. A tent with adequate guy lines. Tent walls, and sometimes rainflies, have loops sown near the middle. These loops are used to attach guy lines that pull out the walls so that they are taught. It's impossible to sleep in a tent that's flapping in the wind. A tent with good-sized stake loops.There should be loops at the base of your tent in every corner and at the center of each side. These loops need to be big enough to accommodate the large plastic stakes sold in camping stores. Material stake loops are preferred. Plastic ones might break when you hammer in the stakes. A tent that uses noseeum meshing. This is the best material for keeping those nasty little bugs out. A tent with a roof vent. Opening this at night will help create some air circulation and eliminate condensation inside your tent. A tent with heavy-duty zippers. You'll be in and out of your tent a lot so you want zippers that will hold up to frequent use.

 Additional Tips To Prolong The Life Of Your Tent

Never store food in or around your tent, and never eat in your tent. The smell of food alone will tempt critters to tear into your tent to get at it. If your campsite has a picnic table, eat there and store food in your car. If you have a tent with an attached screen room, you can eat there. Be sure to thoroughly clean up afterwards or you will be bothered by ants, bugs, and other critters. If you camp in an area that attract a lot of pests, you might consider buying a separate screen room to set up as an eating area.

 If your tent comes with a ground cloth, use it. These footprint tarps are made slightly smaller than the base of your tent. Their purpose is to help protect the tent floor from sticks, stones, and rough spots. They also help to keep ground water from seeping into the tent. You can use a regular tarp, but be sure to tuck the edges under the tent so that rain doesn't run down the tent walls onto the tarp and consequently collects under the tent.

 When you return from a camping trip. set your tent up in the yard and air it out. This will help prevent mold and mildew. Do not store your tent in a stuff sack. Store it loosely in a dry ventilated area. Use the stuff sack to pack your tent when going to and from the campground.

Lightweight three-season tents are intended for spring, summer and fall usage in temperate climates. They perform well in wind and rain, though their designs are not suited to handle significant snow loads.

 A three-season model won't collapse if two inches of snow fall on it, but 20 inches could be a problem.

Super-sturdy four-season tents usually integrate one or two additional poles into their designs to fortify walls and help them stand firm against severe wind or heavy snow loads.

Winter tents feature some type of rounded dome design, thus eliminating flat spaces on a tent's rainfly where snow can accumulate. Of course, these winter/mountaineering tents work just fine during mild conditions. Their extra poles will make them a touch heavier than their three-season cousins.

 Convertible tents are four-season models that can be converted into three-season tents. This usually involves shedding one or two poles from the tent's four-season design. Models may also offer zippered panels that can be opened during milder conditions or feature a detachable vestibule.

Warm-weather tents are lightweight shelters, usually designed for one or two people, that feature large mesh walls for superb ventilation. They can be used in three-season settings, but their special appeal is their usefulness in warmer, humid climates.

 Single-wall tents are designed with the minimalist in mind. Essentially, they are rainflies equipped with a few vents you can zip open during warmer conditions.

Bivy sacks are minimalist solo shelters that offer little space for anything but you and your sleeping bag.(If you're a climber and plan to spend nights on steep rock faces where tents would be impractical, a bivy is definitely the way to go.) If saving weight is your chief priority, a bivy is worth considering. If you like room to move inside your shelter, look elsewhere. Is a bivy right for you?

. Sleep screens and tarp tents are ultralight shelter options. Sleep screens, including screen houses, are useful in warm conditions and offer mesh coverings, some fully enclosed, some not, to keep occupants shielded from bugs, but not rain.

Tarp tents offer minimalist shelter, at a minimal weight, for three-season usage. Family (or basecamping) tents and shelters can accommodate large groups (between four and six usually, sometimes more).

Dome-style models can be transported into the backcountry, as long as group members are willing to carry a share of the load; house-like models are intended for campgrounds and basecamps. A Few Terms Explained Dome Tents: Most four-season tents involve some form of rounded, geodesic-dome design. Domes avoid flat spots and shed snow more easily. They stand strong in the wind and provide generous interior headroom.

Tunnel Tents: Many three-season models use this narrow, linear design, typically involving a rectangular floor plan. Also called hoop tents, these models use fewer poles, less fabric and often have wedge-like shapes. Their rainflies, which lie flatter, can collect snow. A heavy snow load could flatten them.

Freestanding Tents: Domes are freestanding, meaning they do not require stakes in order to stand up. You can pick up a freestanding tent (it's like a huge beach ball) and move it to a different location. You can also easily shake it out before you disassemble and pack it.

 Which Type is Right for You?

Questions worth asking:

Q: What times of year will you use your tent? Winter campers need a four-season tent, period. If you have an Arctic expedition in mind, consult with people who have already made such trips and get their advice. If you're a three-season hiker who heads out in March or tries to squeeze in late trips in October and November, give yourself an extra buffer of security—get a four-season tent or at least a convertible. If you're a recreational traveler and do the bulk of your camping between May and September, choose a three-season model.

 Q: How many people usually travel with you? Do you consistently travel with a partner? You need at least a two-person tent. Are the two of you large people? You might need to bump up to a 2-to-3-person model or even a three-person tent. Does your group size vary? You'll probably need more than one tent to fulfill your needs. If your budget is tight, buy the size that fits most of your trips; when your group size changes, rent a tent. If you're sharing a tent at the end of the day, share the load as you hike. Someone can carry the poles, another person the rainfly, and so on. Do you travel solo? If you demand lots of space, look for a compact two-person model. If you count every ounce, select either a bivy or a very light one-person tent.

Q: Won't a cheap tent from a discount store work just as well as a brand-name model? Department-store tents are typically mass-produced items that supply less attention to details. Example: Examine the stitches of a quality tent. You'll find a greater number of stitches per inch in that tent than you'll find in the discount tent, and you'll often find seam sealing. This means a stronger tent is at work for you when the weather turns nasty. Quality tents use high-grade aluminum poles. Bargain tents often rely on fiberglass poles, which are less shatter-resistant. Top-brand tents often give you more ventilation options as well. Inexpensive tents use large panels of coated nylon on their canopy (side walls). That material is not breathable, so if it's a balmy night, you might swelter inside. Understanding Tent Specifications , you'll find a general description and a list of specifications that accompany each model. These "specs" look technical, but the information is really quite helpful. Tent Capacity Manufacturers classify their tents according to sleeping capacity: solo tents, two-person tents, three-person tents and so on. You'll also find references to items such as 1-to-2-person tents or a 2-to-3-person model. 

 Getting a Good Fit How do you know if a tent is a good fit—physically—for you?

Here's one technique—not perfect, but certainly useful—to help you envision how you might fit into a tent: Measure your backcountry sleeping pad and use its dimensions as a general guide when you consider a tent's measurements. Example: The popular Therm-a-Rest standard model from Cascade Designs is 72" long and 20" wide. Width is the crucial measurement. To fit two people inside a tent, you will thus need at least 40 inches of width to feel even marginally comfortable—if you don't mind sleeping close. If you need a few inches of separation, then add a couple of inches to your measurement. If you thrash around a lot at night, you might need to add several inches. Compare your numbers with the floor dimensions provided with each tent. That gives you some idea of how snug, or spacious, a tent might feel. Floor dimensions, of course, indicate only the maximum width a tent offers, typically the spot where your shoulders lie. Tents often taper in the foot sections, and walls angle in toward the ceiling. All of this impacts the amount of space found inside a tent's walls. Roomy tents are nice, but tend to weigh more.

Looking at two-person tents? Consider one that could adapt well to some of your other travel plans. Maybe you're anticipating future solo hikes, or a long-distance bike trip. If so, a 1-to-2-person model might be a good choice. If you're a couple and you sometimes invite along a friend or relative, consider a 2-to-3-person, or even a three-person model. You'll like the flexibility, plus the extra bit of space, these models give you.

Additional Considerations Do you camp often in rainy climates? Take a look at roomier tents, and consider adding a gear loft. That's basically a piece of interior netting that stretches out, hammock-like, near the ceiling of your tent. Overnight you can dangle damp items from a loft and hasten their drying process.

A tarp, ground cloth or footprint can help protect the floor of a tent and extend its life. Plus, it gives you a clean place to fold your tent in the morning. 

 Does Everybody Need a Tent? Some hardy souls will argue that a tent is a burdensome luxury. Ultralight advocates point out that a tarp, a little cord and some ingenuity are all people need to create sufficient shelter in the wilderness. In many situations, that's a valid point. But then an unexpected overnight weather front blows through, or skeeters arrive by the thousands, or you're not really sure if a nearby ant hill is inactive after all. A night or two like this is usually all it takes to convince most recreational hikers that the full enclosure a backpacking tent provides is worth a little extra bulk and weight in their packs.

Chosen wisely, a tent will add only a modest amount of weight to your load. In return, it will give you the confidence to know you are equipped to take shelter from just about any rude surprise nature may dish out during your trip. Quick Review Tents serve both a physical and psychological function; they protect you from the elements and surround you with a sense of security. Anticipate what awaits you in the backcountry—the weather, number of people in your party—and seek out a tent equipped to accommodate your most demanding ambitions. General backpacking (three-season) tents are excellent, lightweight performers; winter/mountaineering (four-season) tents are good year-round and give you extra stability during harsh conditions.

The 10 Essentials are all about peace of mind. During a routine backcountry trip you may have no need for several of these items. But if something unexpected occurs, you don't want to be caught without them—they could even save your life.

 Here are the components of a one-stop emergency-preparedness kit every wilderness traveler should carry, even on short trips:

The 10-Plus Essentials Map (in a watertight case) Compass (plus an optional GPS receiver) Extra clothing (men's, women's, kids') Extra food and water First-aid kit Headlamp or flashlight (with extra batteries) Matches (storm proof, or in a watertight container) Fire starter Knife (or multi-use camp tool) Sunglasses Sunscreen Water filter (or other method of water treatment) Whistle Food storage device The original "10 Essentials" list began appearing in mountaineering literature in the 1950s and '60s, but contemporary environmental factors have prompted the addition of sunscreen and a water filter.

 Our list now also includes a GPS receiver as an option to consider. In recent years GPS units have emerged as worthwhile navigational tools that complement (though do not replace) a map and compass.

 We have also added a whistle, believing it is a crucial security item to keep handy when exploring unpredictable terrain. If you get in trouble (say you slide into a crevasse or ravine) and need to audibly signal someone, a whistle will last far longer than your vocal chords.

Our last item, a food-storage device (such as a bear canister), is now required in some western parks and wilderness areas and is very helpful in any area where animals are known to seek out human food. Tip: Make a printout of this list and stash it with your gear. Use it as a checklist before you head out on any excursion on wild lands.

Map A topographic map should accompany you on any trip that involves anything more than an impossible-to-miss footpath or well-populated nature trail. Handout maps, the simplistic kind you pick up at visitor centers or entrance stations, do not show the kind of topographic details necessary for route finding. If you stray off the trail, or need to locate a water source, such one-dimensional maps are just about useless. In such situations, a topographic map is essential. You also need to understand how to interpret the information it presents. 

 Compass It's easy to get disoriented in the backcountry. A compass, combined with map-reading skills, can help you stay on course. Will GPS receivers make compasses obsolete? Not likely. Standard GPS units cannot indicate which direction is north, and while some high-end GPS receivers now include electronic compasses, a traditional compass weighs next to nothing and does not rely on batteries. If you travel regularly in the wilderness, you should seriously consider taking a class to learn navigation techniques in detail. 

 Extra Clothing Conditions can abruptly turn wet, windy or frigid in the backcountry. It's important to carry an additional layer (or two) of clothing in your pack. If you're lost, extra clothing may get you through the night. A wool or fleece cap weighs little and is a fine heat-retainer on cold nights. Extra socks are a true blessing if your original pair become soaked. Depending on the conditions, consider carrying a fleece jacket or pile sweater, a waterproof shell or even a compressible parka.

Cotton items, which become useless when wet, make poor backup items. Another idea: Pack an ultralight space blanket for emergencies. Pick up additional tips in How to Choose the Right Clothing.

 Extra Food and Water Always pack at least one extra day's worth of food. It can be as simple as a freeze-dried meal, but it's even smarter to include no-cook items: extra energy bars, nuts, dried fruits and jerky. The process of digesting food helps keep your body warm, so on a cold night it's smart to munch some food before bunking down—but never leave animal-attracting leftovers in your tent.

 First-Aid Kit Pre-assembled first-aid kits take the guesswork out of building a kit on your own, although most people "personalize" such kits to suit individual needs. Any kit should include moleskin (for blisters), adhesive bandages of various sizes, several gauze pads, adhesive tape, disinfecting ointment, over-the-counter pain medication, pen and paper. Latex gloves also deserve consideration.

 Headlamp or Flashlight A good light source is invaluable in the backcountry. Picture yourself trying to hustle off a mountain in dwindling light, or trying to set up camp as the last bit of blue drains from the sky. It's smart to carry replacement bulbs and batteries, even a backup lamp or flashlight. Headlamps allow you to keep your hands free during any activity and are usually a backpacker's first choice for a light source. Keep your light in an easily accessible section of your pack; check it once in a while to see if it has become inadvertently switched on. 

 Matches Matches headed into the backcountry should be the waterproof variety, or they should be stored in a waterproof container. Take plenty and make an extra effort to keep them dry. Convenience-store matchbooks are often too flimsy and poorly constructed to be trusted for wilderness use. Save yourself some frustration and tote reliable matches on every trip. Don't rely only on mechanical lighters, which sometimes fail.

 Fire Starter As the name implies, fire starter is an element that helps you jump-start a fire. The ideal fire starter ignites quickly and sustains heat for more than a few seconds. Possible candidates: dry tinder tucked away in a plastic bag; candles; priming paste; heat "nuggets" are convenient and reliable fire-starting products. Even lint trappings found in a clothes drier can work.

Knife or Multi-Tool Knives or multi-tools are handy for gear repair, food preparation, first aid, making kindling or other emergency needs. A basic knife should have at least one foldout blade (more likely two), one or two flathead screwdrivers, a can-opener and (though some people will call this a luxury) a pair of foldout scissors. The more complex your needs (if, for example, you are leading an inexperienced group), the more options you may want in your knife or tool. 

. Sunglasses Indispensable. Some medical studies suggest that sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) rays may play a role in cataract development. Yet protection is so simple: Put on a pair of protective glasses when spending large amounts of time outdoors, particularly above treeline, to reduce your exposure to UV light. Your goal: Select lenses that absorb 97-100% of UVA and UVB radiation. Wraparound lenses keep light from entering the corners of your eyes and are great choices for the high country. Glacier glasses are a must for mountaineers who run the risk of snowblindness on days of bright glare.

 Sunscreen The Mayo Clinic recommends applying sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher 15 minutes before you go into the sun. The clinic also advises the use of sunscreen-fortified lip balm. If you swim or sweat a lot, use water-resistant sunscreens and reapply every 2 to 3 hours. Don't leave the trailhead without it.

 Water Filter/Purifier Rushing streams and alpine lakes appear to contain the clearest, freshest water on earth. Yet sometimes they harbor microscopic pathogens that, if you ingest them, could leave you feeling nauseous for weeks. You have three defensive strategies: boiling, chemical treatment or straining the water through a mechanical filter or purifier. Filters and purifiers do the job with minimal fuss. 

 Whistle The sound of a whistle travels farther than your voice. Plus, blowing a whistle in an emergency won't exhaust your vocal chords. It's smart to attach a lanyard to your whistle, then tie it to a D-ring or some other portion of a shoulder strap on your pack. Thus if you fall (and perhaps pin one of your arms) you won't have to dig far to get it up to your mouth.

Bear-Resistant Food Container Black bears in some regions of the western United States, particularly the Sierra Nevada range in California, search out human food with remarkable vigor and persistence. In some areas use of a bear-resistant food container is mandatory. Even in areas where such containers are not required, wildlife managers often still recommend their use.

Final Thought You need to bring one other item—knowledge—in order to benefit from the gear on this list. Just having a compass in your pack or a map in your pocket will be of no value to you unless you understand how to use them. As one veteran search-and-rescue leader put it, "People talk about the 10 Essentials, but the most important essential is between your ears."

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