- Joined
- Nov 27, 2004
- Messages
- 3,124
Hi All,
Back from another weekend of snowshoeing day hikes in central Ontario, and I thought I would share a few photos. The weather was once again fantastic - snow on Saturday and blue skies and +3 C temperatures today. Definitely a good day for layered clothing.
The objective was to explore a new area, adjacent to the land where I usually hike. I was navigating by compass.
My knife came in handy for trail clearing, and, as usual, it performed very well. But I was really using the knife to do the job of a hand axe, and I found myself wishing I had brought one along. It is sorely tempting to modify my one year, three knives challenge by throwing an axe into the mix.
After three months of heavy use, my Delta 5 is starting to acquire some battle scars!
On to the snowshoeing photos.
Different types of forest:
Dense woods with lots of coniferous underbrush
Open area (snow-covered marsh) with intermittent trees
Gradual slope with deciduous trees
Anyway, lots of fun. For me, and for Ruby, who trudged through several kilometers of deep snow without letting go of her EDC tennis ball for longer than a few seconds.
A bit of additional W&SS content:
Its impossible to stay above the snow 100% of the time in terrain like this - the occasional hollow pocket around a fallen tree or snowed-over bush will eventually cause even the most cautious snowshoer to take a plunge. There were a few occasions today when I found myself chest deep in a snowy hole, buried in powder. This is nothing serious, mind you - its often cause for a good laugh, actually. But it strikes me that, in this sort of situation, it would be easy to loose improperly-secured gear. A knife in a pouch sheath might simply disappear in the snow. I dropped my compass during one fall, and was only able to find it because of its red lanyard. My Spec Ops Brand survival sheath really came through for me today. The leg strap kept the sheath in place and my knife handle within easy reach, and the retention strap meant that even when I dunked in the snow, I didnt lose my knife. While I prefer the look of traditional over tactical any day, deep-powder snowshoeing is definitely one of those activities where nylon and kydex have an edge over leather.
Anyone else take additional measures to secure gear on a snowy outing?
Thanks for looking, and all the best,
- Mike
Back from another weekend of snowshoeing day hikes in central Ontario, and I thought I would share a few photos. The weather was once again fantastic - snow on Saturday and blue skies and +3 C temperatures today. Definitely a good day for layered clothing.
The objective was to explore a new area, adjacent to the land where I usually hike. I was navigating by compass.
My knife came in handy for trail clearing, and, as usual, it performed very well. But I was really using the knife to do the job of a hand axe, and I found myself wishing I had brought one along. It is sorely tempting to modify my one year, three knives challenge by throwing an axe into the mix.
After three months of heavy use, my Delta 5 is starting to acquire some battle scars!
On to the snowshoeing photos.
Different types of forest:
Dense woods with lots of coniferous underbrush
Open area (snow-covered marsh) with intermittent trees
Gradual slope with deciduous trees
Anyway, lots of fun. For me, and for Ruby, who trudged through several kilometers of deep snow without letting go of her EDC tennis ball for longer than a few seconds.
A bit of additional W&SS content:
Its impossible to stay above the snow 100% of the time in terrain like this - the occasional hollow pocket around a fallen tree or snowed-over bush will eventually cause even the most cautious snowshoer to take a plunge. There were a few occasions today when I found myself chest deep in a snowy hole, buried in powder. This is nothing serious, mind you - its often cause for a good laugh, actually. But it strikes me that, in this sort of situation, it would be easy to loose improperly-secured gear. A knife in a pouch sheath might simply disappear in the snow. I dropped my compass during one fall, and was only able to find it because of its red lanyard. My Spec Ops Brand survival sheath really came through for me today. The leg strap kept the sheath in place and my knife handle within easy reach, and the retention strap meant that even when I dunked in the snow, I didnt lose my knife. While I prefer the look of traditional over tactical any day, deep-powder snowshoeing is definitely one of those activities where nylon and kydex have an edge over leather.
Anyone else take additional measures to secure gear on a snowy outing?
Thanks for looking, and all the best,
- Mike
