The Outdoors Almanac

by McDougall, Len

• ISBN13: 9781580800358
• ISBN10: 1580800351
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-09-01
• Publisher: Burford Books

Summary

For backpackers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes, here is an almanac of practical information certain to be a trusted reference. Topics include: Outfitting -- from survival knives to hiking boots; Orienteering -- map and compass, GPS, and wood-sense; Campsite Cookery -- for high nutrition and good taste; Wilderness First-Aid -- when doctors are miles away; Useful Wild Plants -- for healing and food; Survival -- shelters, emergency signals, and more; Tracking -- learning the signs of nature; Weather -- when there's no 'indoors' to escape to.

Table of Contents

Introduction	vii
1. Outfitting	1	(52)
Compasses	2	(3)
Fire-Starting Kits	5	(2)
Knives	7	(5)
Portable Water Filters	12	(2)
Footwear	14	(11)
Handwear	25	(1)
Backpacks	26	(3)
Sleeping Bags	29	(5)
Tents	34	(3)
Binoculars	37	(2)
Communications	39	(3)
Flashlights	42	(2)
Snowshoes	44	(4)
Directory of Outdoor Equipment Sources	48	(5)
2. Orienteering	53	(12)
The Basics	53	(1)
Maps	54	(2)
Advanced Orienteering	56	(5)
Night Navigation	61	(1)
Other Orienteering Tricks	61	(4)
3. Backpacking	65	(10)
Loading Up	66	(2)
Trail Hazards	68	(5)
Beating the Bugs	73	(2)
4. Making Camp	75	(10)
Selecting a Campsite	75	(1)
Campfires	76	(3)
Getting a Good Night's Sleep	79	(3)
Animals in Camp	82	(1)
Drying Wet Clothes	83	(1)
Keeping the Campsite Organized	84	(1)
5. Campsite Cooking	85	(10)
Campfire Cooking	85	(4)
Camp Foods	89	(2)
Mess Kits	91	(4)
6. Wilderness First Aid	95	(14)
Wilderness First-Aid Kits	97	(1)
Treating Wilderness Afflictions and Emergencies	98	(11)
7. Useful Wild Plants	109	(20)
Common Plantain (Plantago major)	110	(1)
Common Burdock (Arctium minus)	111	(1)
Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima)	111	(1)
Wild Leek (Allium tricoccum)	112	(2)
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)	114	(1)
Violets (Viola spp.)	115	(1)
Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)	116	(1)
Broadleaf Cattail (Typha latifolia)	117	(2)
Reindeer Moss (Cladina rangiferina)	119	(1)
Common Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)	120	(2)
Highbush Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)	122	(1)
Sweet Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)	122	(1)
Fragrant Cudweed (Gnaphalium obtusifolium)	123	(2)
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)	125	(1)
Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)	126	(3)
8. Survival	129	(26)
McDougall's Laws of Wilderness Survival	130	(1)
Shelter	130	(4)
Fire	134	(2)
The Coal Bed	136	(1)
Water	137	(5)
Food	142	(1)
Survival Knots	143	(3)
Survival Skills	146	(6)
Emergency Signals	152	(3)
9. About Animals	155	(22)
The Natural Order of Life in the Wild	155	(3)
Tracking Wildlife	158	(19)
10. Weather	177	(8)
Identifying Approaching Weather	178	(2)
Avoiding Weather Problems	180	(5)
11. Man's Rightful Place	185	(12)
Legend of the Red-Winged Blackbird	187	(4)
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor	191	(1)
Bearwalks	192	(1)
God's Knife	193	(4)
Index	197