Sheep Watering Holes
This wild places program looks at a proposal to provide artificial water sources for California desert bighorn sheep. Are we going to have to ruin a wilderness to save them? We hear from Steve Tabor, who taught us desert backpacking skills in edition 34, and helped introduce us to the Sheephole valley Wilderness in edition 81. Steve mentions a plan to build roads and dams in the Sheephole Valley Wilderness to provide water for desert bighorn sheep. Dan Abbe, a wilderness specialist from the Needles office of the Bureau of Land Management, explains these artificial watering holes for the sheep, which are called big game guzzlers. Brent Schoradt, the deputy policy director for the California Wilderness Coalition, explains why he thinks this plan is a bad idea. What do you think? Will it ruin this wilderness to save the sheep? We’d love to hear your comments. Show number 84 [MP3 format; length 9:55; 2,378,734 bytes] Show number 84 script
Year in Gear ’06
This gear program is a wrap-up of Backpack Gear Tests’s reviews of 2006. Steve asked the volunteer editors and moderators from Backpack Gear Test to pick their favorites; three replied: Ray Estrella1, Rick Allnutt2, and Jim Sabiston3. Out of more than a thousand reviews published on BGT this year, they recommended these: Nunatak Skaha Plus Down Sweater1 Nunatak Back Country Blanket1 Kershaw Rainbow Leek Knife2 SureFire L1 LumaMax Flashlight3 Trail Designs Caldera Cone Stove System2 Suunto Vector Wristop Computer Watch3 Six Moon Designs Essence Pack2 Exped Wall Creeper Sleeping Bag3 Backpack Gear Test has more gear to review than reviewers. You can start out by reviewing gear you already own, and then you might be able to get other free gear to review. Read: How to become a tester. Show number 71 [MP3 format; length 9:58; 2,394,512 bytes] Show number 71 script
Sheephole Valley Wilderness
This wild places program profiles the Sheephole Valley Wilderness in the Mojave Desert. This may be the largest waterless wilderness in the 48 states. We hear from Steve Tabor, the president of the Berkeley, California based outings group, the Desert Survivors. Steve Tabor has extensive experience in the Sheephole Valley Wilderness, and may be one of the first in recorded history to cross it, unsupported, on foot. Dan Abbe, the Wilderness Specialist for the Needles Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management provides the official perspective on the area. If you’re considering visiting a desert wilderness, there are some things you should know. Steve Tabor got us started in our edition #34, Desert Backpacking Tips. Steve Sergeant visited the Sheephole Valley with the Desert Survivors last year, and produced our editions #35 & #36, Surviving the Desert, as a report on that trip. Show number 81 [MP3 format; length 9:59; 2,398,427 bytes] Show number 81, extended version [MP3 format; length 11:01; 5,294,581 bytes] Show number 81 script
Winter OR 2007
This gear program is a report on the Winter 2007 outdoor Retailer’s Expo. When the outdoor industry gathers, it’s a major expedition for the folks at Backpack Gear Test; but it isn’t all about the toys. Jason Boyle1, Raymond Estrella2, and Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd3 report on the most interesting gear they hope to test for BackpackGearTest.ORG. They comment on products by: GoLite1, Snow Peak1, MSR1, Primus1, Fox River1, Injinji1, Sierra Designs2, Osprey Packs2, Blue Desert3, MontBell3, and Go Pro3. Backpack Gear Test has more gear to review than reviewers. You might be able to get free gear to review. Read: How to become a tester. As a wrap-up, we invited Kurt Repanshek to comment on a larger issue facing the outdoor industry. His commentary includes a statement by Peter Metcalf, president of Black Diamond Equipment. More of Kurt’s commentary is available on his web site, National Parks Traveler. Show number 75 [MP3 format; length 9:42; 2,331,316 bytes] Show number 75, extended version [MP3 format; length 11:16; 5,416,178 bytes] Show number 75 script Bonus segment, original reports from BGT [MP3 format; length 14:22; 1,724,628 bytes]
Base-Layer Shirts
This gear program presents reviews of three base-layer shirts. A lot of us don’t give much consideration to those layers we wear closest to our skin. Kevin Hollingsworth reviews the Drimove L/S Top by Go Lite. Coy Starnes reviews the outdoor Research Men’s Sequence LS Tee. Kathy Waters reviews the women’s version of OR’s Sequence shirt, the outdoor Research Women’s Essence LS Tee. If you’re interested in reviewing for Backpack Gear Test, read: How to become a tester. Manufacturers provide too much gear for the reviewers they have. Steve announced that we need to take a break to make some changes in what we’re doing. Please watch our web page for updates. Show number 83 [MP3 format; length 9:42; 2,331,316 bytes] Show number 83 script
Magellan MapSend BlueNav XL3 Charts for eXplorist (Southern Alaska)
Magellan MapSend BlueNav XL3 Charts for eXplorist (Southern alaska) Designed to be used with the expandable Magellan eXplorist 400, 500, 600 and XL, the Magellan MapSend BlueNav XL3 Charts can enhance the enjoyment and safety of your maritime journey through Southern alaska. These easy-to-use, extra-large, pre-programmed marine charts on secure digital cards give you [...]
-FREE STANDARD SHIPPING!- Alaska Smokehouse JUMBO Smoked Salmon 3 Pack!
-FREE STANDARD SHIPPING!- alaska Smokehouse JUMBO Smoked Salmon 3 Pack! Really hungry for Smoked Salmon but find it too hard to decide which Salmon to select? Then try our new JUMBO three-pack sampler. Now receive 8 ounces of Smoked Salmon Natural Style, 8 ounces of our Pepper Garlic Smoked Salmon, and 8 ounces of [...]
Indoor Snow camping
This skills program presents a way to try snow-camping without actually sleeping on the snow, but rather in a rustic backcountry ski hut. Steve starts out at a volunteer maintenance work-party at the Sierra Club’s Bradley Hut in the Tahoe National Forest. We hear from Dick Simpson, the volunteer coordinator for the four huts in the Sierra Club’s system. Steve then talks to Howard Weamer, the Hut Master of the Ostrander Lake Hut in Yosemite National Park. He wraps up by talking to Ben Dodge, the Executive Director of the Tenth Mountain Division Hut Association in Colorado. Ben mentions Vance’s Cabin as being a typical hut in the system. Show number 69 [MP3 format; length 9:53; 2,373,823 bytes] Show number 69, extended high-fidelity stereo [MP3 format; length 11:35; 11,123,274 bytes] Show number 69 script
Reprise: Mountain Rescuers
This outings program joins a training exercise of the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit (BAMRU). The rescuers practice their winter alpine rescue skills in the Carson Pass area, just south of Lake Tahoe, California. Most search and rescue teams in the U.S. are all-volunteer. BAMRU is just one example. To find out about the mountain rescue teams near you, you can look at the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA). This is a reprise of our edition #32 of March 9, 2006. We followed it with a companion edition #33, Wilderness Rescuing, where talked more to John Chang of BAMRU and Tim Kovacs of MRA about how you can get involved and volunteer for mountain and wilderness rescue teams. Show number 82 [MP3 format; length 9:56; 2,388,918 bytes] Show number 82, high-fidelity stereo [MP3 format; length 9:57; 9,558,383 bytes] Show number 82 script Photo album
Reprise: A Winter Storm Warning
This skills program is a reprise of show numbers 15 and 16, first posted on October 20th, 2005. It’s the story of backpacker Mike Bargetto and his three relatives, who started out on a casual autumn backpacking trip in October of 2004. The weather was pleasant when they arrived at their Rae Lake camp site, in California’s John Muir Wilderness. Unfortunately, the weather changed drastically, and their only hope was a rescue. The rescue team was lead by Lieutenant Phil Caporale, of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue unit. He and Mike tell the story of the rescue from both perspectives. See the supplemental information link, below, to learn about how you can be better prepared for unexpected mountain storms, and how to stay safe in such conditions. Follow that link, as well, for a bonus audio clip of our interview with Lieutenant Phil Caporale, with his final analysis of Mike and his companion’s predicament. Show number 67 [MP3 format; length 9:51; 2,367,487 bytes] Show number 67, extended version [MP3 format; length 11:47; 5,660,704 bytes] Show number 67 script Supplemental information
May 21st, 2007 at 6:09 pm
[...] Sheep Watering Holes This wild places program looks at a proposal to provide artificial water sources for California desert bighorn sheep. Are we going to have to ruin a wilderness to save them? We hear from Steve Tabor, who taught us desert backpacking skills in edition 34, and helped introduce us to the Sheephole […] [...]
May 21st, 2007 at 7:05 pm
[...] Sheep Watering Holes This wild places program looks at a proposal to provide artificial water sources for California desert bighorn sheep. Are we going to have to ruin a wilderness to save them? We hear from Steve Tabor, who taught us desert backpacking skills in edition 34, and helped introduce us to the Sheephole […] [...]