We all know how important it is to stay hydrated while hiking/biking/etc. and I have found that a hydration pack to be instrumental in my ability to drink adequately during an activity. For the majority of our trips we recommend hydration packs, but the problem comes in when you are camping and you want to brush your teeth, or just have a bottle of water to drink at meal time. It gets sort of silly to sip out of the hose all the time, and while you certainly can bring an extra bottle, it does require remembering the bottle and packing an extra item.
Recently on my Caribbean Sea Kayak trip, however, a woman arrived with a hydration hose system that attached to a Camelbak polycarbonate water bottle. She could attach the hands free bottle adaptor to have a hose to drink from while hiking. Then while in camp, or around town, she could put the lid on the water bottle and have something easy to drink from other times. In addition, she didn't need to find any special pack or pouch to fit the bladder in - it fit in her backpack (without worry of getting a hole) and even a side pocket of her pack. The adaptor fits easily to all Camelbak bottles with a removable Big Bite valve. You can see more at REI.com
--Deb
Friday, February 8, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
It doesn't take green to be green: Popcorn
This is the first in an occasional series about ways you can lessen your impact on the environment that are less expensive and/or healthier than the standard options.
The other night I was making popcorn for a friend and she was surprised that I knew how to make it from scratch. It's so much cheaper and healthier than the prepackaged or microwaved popcorn - I didn't realize it was a lost art!
So here's how: start with a good pot, like stainless steel, not a thin aluminum one. Pour in enough oil that it covers the bottom. Pour in popcorn - not more than one kernel thick, and less if you want less. Cover the pot and turn up the flame to high or a little less. Once you hear the first pop, start shaking the pot back and forth over the flame. As soon as the popping has substantially slowed down, empty it into a bowl and put the pot in water (this keeps pieces from burning onto the bottom which can be a pain to clean up. And there you have it- a fresh bowl of hot popcorn that cost pennies!- Marian
The other night I was making popcorn for a friend and she was surprised that I knew how to make it from scratch. It's so much cheaper and healthier than the prepackaged or microwaved popcorn - I didn't realize it was a lost art!
So here's how: start with a good pot, like stainless steel, not a thin aluminum one. Pour in enough oil that it covers the bottom. Pour in popcorn - not more than one kernel thick, and less if you want less. Cover the pot and turn up the flame to high or a little less. Once you hear the first pop, start shaking the pot back and forth over the flame. As soon as the popping has substantially slowed down, empty it into a bowl and put the pot in water (this keeps pieces from burning onto the bottom which can be a pain to clean up. And there you have it- a fresh bowl of hot popcorn that cost pennies!- Marian
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