The Environmentalist's Blog

LABEL WHORES

2008-10-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!? Really? I see myself as a true outdoorsman, I live the life, I eat, breathe, and sleep the outdoors. I love being original. HOWEVER, there is one thing that irks me more than anything else. I started wearing brands like The North Face and Mountain Hardwear because they were good brands. Now, you wear those two brands, and people think you are trying to fit in with the "crowd".

The people that wear these brands see us and think we are trying to be like them. NOT SO! We see you as an intrusion on OUR lifestyle. The North Face and Mountain Hardwear jackets are more than an accessory to our clothes. To us, they are functional soft shells and hard shells meant for the backcountry when layering is needed. It is OUR lifestyle, OUR hobbies, OUR JOBS! You wear it because you see others wearing it. We wear it because it is our preferred layer for keeping us warm and safe in the outdoors.

Yes, it is ok if you use these brands for their intended use such as backpacking, mountaineering, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, camping, etc. Most of you wouldn't even think of staying one night, let alone a whole week, outside in a tent. We do though. We do it for fun. We do it for adventure. We do it for exploration and thrill. Given the chance, you would stay in a hotel with room service.

No, this is not JUST a rant. This is also a plea. A plea for you people who are an intrusion to our lifestyle to leave. Go back to your American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch and Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger and Hollister. Leave us to live our lifestyle uncontaminated with the label whores and style queens that you have become.

Do I expect this to make a huge difference? NO! But I wanted to get it out there that you people do not understand what we feel. I wanted to put it out there to see what you are doing.

How Nature Saved My Life

2008-09-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

I'm new to this whole StrayRocket thing...I know, kinda cliche, right? Anyways, one of my Facebook friends and co-founder of Stray Rocket got me started on this. Didn't really talk to him, just found this link and decided to join. Anyways, I guess this should more appropriately be a short bio, but you can decide for yourself.

I am 19 years old, (20 on November 3) and have been participating in outdoor activities since I was 6 months, yes MONTHS, old. That leaves me with 19 1/2 yrs of outdoor experience, more than some people have that are twice my age. So naturally after all this time, I have really had some good times as well as some bad ones. I have been many places, but sadly, never left the country...YET!

I started with the simple family tent camping as I progressed to camping out in the backyard by myself, which was a cool thing to do when you were 7 yrs old. I quickly moved ahead with previous hiking experience to longer, more strenuous hikes for a young gun like me. My dad then introduced me to backpacking, which I thoroughly loved! And as I got more experienced in that, I kind of introduced myself to new things.

Climbing was my next big feat... I started it and from the first sound of a buzzer on the climbing wall that started me out, I was hooked. I have bought simple bouldering gear because I really prefer bouldering over trad climbing because of the freedom of not being tied in. My junior year in high school, I started wrestling, and seriously messed up my left knee... I was DEVESTATED! There went hiking, backpacking, and climbing...all in one stupid, freak accident. I din't think my life was ever going to be the same, especially after I was told I needed knee surgery.

Reluctanly, I had knee surgery and was waiting for it to recover so I could try climbing again. During that time, I was reintroduced to water sports...Whitewater Rafting, and Kayaking.

I thoroughly love both of them, but right now have a preference fpor rafting as I am still learning how to control a kayak in whitewater. I used that as an alternative to climbing and eventually started focusing on rafting and kayaking and deciding to use climbing as a side sport for me.

I believe had it not been for my reintroduction to rafting, I would NOT be the person I am today. It saved my life and I am glad for it. I now consider myself to be an environmentalist and can't wait for my next big feat... I plan to tackle the Class V Cheoah River in Robbinsville, NC exactly 31 days from today, the date this blog was written (9/3/2008). It should be fun and I can only hope that it continues to fuel my passion for the outdoors and adrenaline rushes!

To all the people that have helped me over the years, THANK YOU! It has truly made a difference in my life!

P.S. The Cheoah River will be my biggest feat yet since the 100+ mile backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains in 2004 before my knee surgery!

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON: www.strayrocket.com

WATER

2008-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Water.

It comes in three forms: liquid, solid, and gas. However, if you look at it in a different light, it comes in many more forms such as: rain, hail, snow, fog, clouds, sleet, ice, etc. Some people take water as a blessing, whereas there are those other people that just ignore it or hate it. My question to those people is, "WHY?"

I live in a college town and when it rains, about 25% of people are prepared for it and the other 75% are not. I hear everything from "Oh my God! Why does it have to rain now?" or "This sucks, I have to walk through the rain to get to class!" But there are also the people that laugh about it, love it, or just plain deal with it.

I see it this way. If you don't want to get wet, prepare for it. They do sell umbrellas that are small enough to fit in your book bag or purse. You might also get a poncho (not as attractive, but still functional). Or you could go for a raincoat and there are some of those that will be small enough to pack into a small bag. With so many options, there is not a reason for you to be wet if you don't want to be.

However, for the rest of us, I see water as something to enjoy. I don't mind walking through the rain to get somewhere, knowing that I will get wet (unless I'm on the way to something important). I see water as more than a blessing. i see water as a symbol of life. What do we look for on other planets for signs of life? WATER! Whereas some people see water as something that messes their hair up or ruins their clothes, I see it as something that needs more appreciation and more respect. Something that needs to be understood by the masses.

So I want you to go and look up more about water, think about how you use it, how you could better use it and more importantly, conserve it. Think of the ways that you could be more active in the appreciation and/or conservation of it. Try a water sport like swimming, kayaking, rafting, waterskiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, etc. Find a new way to appreciate one of the greatest signs of life there is.

My Outdoor Challenge

2008-09-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

The outdoors are something that captivates many people. I, myself, have been captivated to do many things because of the outdoors. I have gotten my Eagle, the highest rank achievable with the Boy Scouts of America. I have traveled all the way to Colorado and New Mexico to backpack more than 100 miles in 10 days to experience some of the most remote areas in the United States. I am an ultimate adrenaline junkie and I love the hard core outdoor sports. Whitewater kayaking, whitewater rafting, climbing, backpacking, rappelling,

Why am I stating all this? I urge you to try something new. Not a new video game or a new indoor sport. I urge you to try a new outdoor sport. If you like water, try rafting or kayaking. If you like the feeling of achieving a goal by yourself, then climbing is for you. If you like to enjoy the outdoors, the looks, smells and feels, and like to be away from any civilization, then you need to try backpacking or hiking. There is something for everybody. You just have to look. I urge you to try something out of the ordinary that you haven't tried before or you haven't done in a while. Pick it up again or for the first time and try it. You might just like it.