Chums ICAST Online 2020

ICAST 2020 Online is in full swing. CHUMS is one of my favorite booths to stop at when I walk the Orange County Convention Center floor. I walked the show in 2019 and it was a blast. They have really added loads of new products this year as well as new patterns.  I especially like the fish patterns. These are four different surf shorts wallet patterns. There are 13 total patterns to select from. Over the past five years, CHUMS has added more and more water proof bags of different sizes.

The Storm Series Sling and the Downriver Rolltop Backpack are two additions the their waterproof bag selection. If you have followed my articles over the past years you know I am a hat guy. I have a huge collection of hats. CHUMS has added two hats to their product offerings. 
The relaxed fit Big Evan X CHUMS 5 Panel hat and the CHUMS Fishing Division Hat are the two new hats since the 2019 ICAST.

I like the front embroidery on the Fishing Division hat better than the one on the  Big Evan.  

The CHUMS brand has done a great job expanding their customer base. Check out this slick video about the Snake River from their website. 

Until next time, be  safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

New Plano Edge Tackle System Showcased At 2020 ICAST Online

The 2020 ICAST Online is a few days away. I have been getting a few advanced new product notices the last week. This allows me to start my 2020 ICAST Online reporting early.

Plano has done a very good job updating the old plastic tackle storage boxes with the Plano EDGE Tackle Storage System . You remember those plastic storage boxes where you have to slide those little plastic dividers into the slots to divide the box to fit different kinds of tackle. You can still buy those boxes. Plano still offers two different types of these storage boxes, Rustrictor and Stowaway boxes. The EDGE  Tackle Storage System is designed with the angler in mind.  But this year Plano has upped their game and rolled out their new Plano EDGE Tackle Storage System Retainers

Although you can still use dividers in all EDGE boxes, you now can use plastic TERMINAL & WEIGHT RETAINER boxes to hold your hooks, sinkers and plugs that will fit into the longer retainer boxes. Using the TERMINAL & WEIGHT RETAINER box will help you stay on fish longer.

There are three different configurations of the EDGE Tackle Storage System, the 3500 and the EDGE FLEX 3600 and 3700.  The FLEX allows you to fully customize the inside shape of the box to suit your needs. The TERMINAL & WEIGHT RETAINER boxes will fit the 3500, 3600 and 3700 series EDGE Tackle Storage System Boxes. The EDGE 3500 is the perfect box when the angler wants to go light and only takes the tackle he or she will need. So if you are in the need to upgrade your tackle storage systems, why don't you give the Plano EDGE Tackle Storage Systems with the new RETAINER BOXES a good look. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Wheelchair Accessible National Park Trails

With an aging senior population in America many seasoned hikers and backpackers are being forced to use mobility equipment like wheelchairs and walkers to move around. When this happens their physical impairments restrict them from enjoying the great outdoors they once enjoyed as they hiked and backpacked.  Today with the advancement of  outdoor mobile battery powered wheelchairs and walkers, these hikers and backpackers can get out into the great outdoors.  Throughout the United States many of our National Parks have wheelchair accessible trails.  

Everglades, Grand Canyon, Sequoia and Zion National Parks all have wheelchair accessible trails.  Click HERE for a National Geographic article link about these four great destinations. If you are interested in all the wheelchair accessible trails here in Florida, TRAIL LINK provides information on many of these trails.  In addition, the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association provides information on wheelchair accessible trails. Click HERE for their website.  

Preparing for a outdoor hike using a wheelchair or walker is no different than if you did not have to use mobility equipment to get around.  Make a packing list, bring plenty of water and sun screen and do not forget to bring your mask. COVID-19 will still be around all of this summer and into next year.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Backpacking Tools of the Trade

I started hiking and backpacking way back during the 1970s. My 20 year USAF career took me and my family to some of the best hiking, backpacking and climbing locations in America.  I was stationed in Alaska, Colorado, California, Florida and South Carolina.  During one of my Florida assignments at McDill AFB, Tampa, Florida I hooked up with an explorer scout post in Pinellas County Florida.  This post had a lofty vision of hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT), Maine to Georgia. How that turned out is a totally different story to tell.  

But what I want to blog about is the difference between the backpacking equipment in the 1970s and the equipment today.  As we planned for the AT hike we needed the best equipment available. During the 1970s, Bill Jackson's was the go to outfitter on the west side of Florida. A lot of our gear came from this store.  We also wrote sponsorship letters to many of the big national brands. We were able to get two sponsor, one from Jansport and one from Vasque Boots. Because many of the explorer post scouts, the post scout master and I were already seasoned backpackers, we already had lots of the basic gear that was we need like sleeping bags, stoves, fuel bottles and other associated backpacking accessories.  

In this blog post I want to focus on the three of the most important pieces of backpacking equipment every backpacker will have, a backpack, a pair of hiking boots, and a small backpacking stove.  Without these three important pieces of backpacking gear, your trip may turn out of be one miserable venture. 

Let's start with the stove. Back during the 1970s while stationed at McDill AFB, I hiked the AT across the Great Smokey Mountain National Park two times.  We started at Davenport Gap and ended our two hikes at Cades Cove Campground.  I carried a SVEA 123 brass single burner stove and used a red SIGG aluminum fuel bottle. During the 1970s there were not very many lightweight backpacking stoves available to buy. I joined REI in 1973 where I ordered my stove. My REI member number is 3XX,XXX. I often wonder how many REI members from the early days are still living.  

The MSR stove was also good choice for a light weight stove.  I did not see many of the MSR stoves on the AT when I hiked it. The SVEA seemed to be the stove most backpackers I came a crossed used.  Both stoves get the job done. If you have ever used a SVEA stove my most memorable memory is the sound it makes when fired up.  It sound like a blow torch. The SVEA stove is now part of the Optimus brand of stoves. Optimus is part of the Katadyn Group of outdoor sports related companies. Without a reliable, high quality stove, not being able to heat up your freeze-dried meals will will ruin a great day on the trail.   Both of these one-burner stoves are lightweight. They are perfect for boiling water and heating backpacking meals. Over the years the SVEA stove has not changed but the MSR stove has gone through many design changes. 

The next very important piece of gear is your backpack.  Jansport and Kelty backpacks were two of the leading backpacks one would see on the trail.  The Kelty backpack was the trailblazer of today's modern rigid framed backpack. The Kelty history is a great read. Click HERE to read about the backpack that opened up the great outdoors for many hikers. Back during the 1970s one did not have a lot of choices as to fit of the backpack to your size.  Kelty had different frames sizes but I do not remember any other backpack manufacturer offering that feature. Fast forward to 2020 and you can get a backpack that will perfectly fit your body type from many different brands.  

Osprey is one of those brands that offers many different sizes of their backpacks. All their backpacks have internal frames and come in small/medium and large/extra large. Unless you already know your frame size, it is best not to order a backpack online. REI has a great web page that explains how to fit your backpack. Click HERE for the link. Today there are a lot more backpack designers and manufacturers than there were in the 1970s.  Mystery Ranch is one of the new comers to this industry. 

Mystery Ranch  offers different sized internal framed backpacks. If you need a waste belt larger than what they offer, they can make you a custom belt. The price points for their outdoor backpacking packs range from $169.00 to $450.00 and come in different sizes and colors. In addition to outdoor packs they offer packs for the military, police, fire fighters, and hunters. Their military packs are probably the most expensive I  have ever seen.  Their top military pack, the Blackjack 100, is close to $1,000.00. But you get what you pay for.  

My first pair of boots were Vasque. I got them at Jesse Brown's outdoor outfitter in Greer, SC in 1973.  This store is now closed. These boots gave me many years of trusted service. I wore them on all the many hikes and backpacking trips I took. Once you break in a new pair of boots it is hard to give them up. I have moved so may times during and after my USAF career, I have no idea  when I parted with my boots. Vasque was one of the many brands back during the 1970s offering very good boots.  DANNER and LOWA were two of the more notable brands of hiking, backpacking and mountaineering boots at that time. Boots today have changed little except for the fact that boot upper part are now made from man-made water proof materials instead of leather. Remember the days water proofing your leather boots with Sno-Seal? I even knew a few hikers that used Vaseline on their boots. Those days are gone for many hikers and backpackers. 

Today, almost every sporting goods brand offers hiking boots. You can find boots for $50.00 to $350.00 at retailers like REI, Cabalas, Bass Pro, Dicks and Academy Sports . There are boots and there are boots. There are so many choices one needs to be real careful when selecting a pair of new boots.  Here are two links to "Best Hiking Boots" articles. Click HERE for article one and HERE for article two. Here is another good article I was able to find is by Jeff Ryan, author / Speaker. It is titled "How to Buy Hiking Boots". And here is one for women by Diane Spicer titled "Tips For The Best Hiking Boots for Women". Please read all these articles before you buy your next pair of boots. 

If you are seriously considering going on an extended hiking or backpacking trip I highly recommend that you go to a retailer that specializes in selling to the hiking and backpacking community. Select the right boot for the type of hiking or backpacking you plan to do. Style and how they look on your feet are not as important as how they fit your feet. You need to be properly fitted for your boots or you will regret every minute you did not do that. Painful feet are no picnic when you are miles and miles from your car and your feet give out.  

Picking out the right backpacking boots, backpacks, stoves, sleeping bags, tents and all access you will need for an extended trip should not be taken lightly.  Do your homework. Talk to seasoned backpackers, search the web and by all means do not be pressured into buying equipment your are not comfortable using.  

Remember the movie "WILD" from 2014? The story of a woman who's first hike was the Pacific Crest Trail. She hiked 1,100 miles solo. Watch the movie if you can.  It has great scenes with her and her new equipment.  

I hope sooner than later the Coronvirus will start to subside so we all can get back on the trail. But if you cannot wait, wear a mask and keep your distance from strangers. Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Sedona Arizona Red Rocks Paradise

This is another blast from the past. On July 4th 2016, I was on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. The outdoor recreation opportunities are a bound in this part of Arizona. You have Oak Creek Canyon and all the red rock formations that dot the Sedona landscape. Hiking, biking and red rock climbing are the sports to do.  You can take a guided jeep tour or even go fly fishing. Arizona is an outdoor paradise. In this part of Arizona there are more than 20 camp grounds in and around the Coconino National Forest. On July 2nd 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation creating the Coconino National Forest. Sedona is a short 47 mile drive from Flagstaff along state highway 89A. Flagstaff is called the City of Seven Wonders.  There are seven national parks and monuments within a short driving distance from the city. The Grand Canyon National Park, along the scenic route, is only 84 miles.  I really loved my trip to Sedona back in 2016.  Hopefully I can make it back there sometime in the future. 

Today with America in the grip of the Coronavirus Pandemic, many of you are not venturing out into the great outdoors just like am not.  It really pains me not to get outside and enjoy mother nature. But with the pandemic hot spots like Florida and Arizona, the smart thing to do is to spend your time planning your next trip staying safe at home until it is truly safe to venture outside on extended trips.  The CDC has a great travel web page where one can get information about traveling. Click Here for the link. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Phil Anschutz's Examiner.com shuts down, ending new media run

I thought I would reflect over the past 10 years of my outdoor recreation writing this 4th of July weekend.  Today, July 3rd, is a holiday for most government and public service employees which I am one during my day job.  

Examiner.com was the brain child go Denver billionaire Phil Anschutz. During its run, Examiner.com became the fourth ranked news and media website of the time. It started in 2008 and ended on Sunday July 10, 2016. On this day AXS.com pulled all the content off line. That was a vary sad day for 1,000s of Examiners. All the writers / reporters were called Examiners. I started writing for Examiner.com in 2010 as the Outdoor Recreation in Orlando Examiner. During the time I wrote for examiner I published 292 local and national outdoor recreation articles. At one time, I had reached a top four ranking of all the nationwide outdoor recreation Examiners. I was really proud of that. I was up against some really stiff competition. 

When Examiner.com decided to notify all its nationwide Examines of the bad news, they did it by email. I read the email from a AB&B rental in Sadona, AZ while on a vacation / photo shoot that turned into one of my Examiner.com articles.  I was shocked. There was nothing I could do about all my content online. Luckily I had copies of all my postings on CD or on a flash drive. When I got back from Arizona, I started my Google Blogger web page which I use to day to post all my outdoor recreation articles. I have posted about 106 articles to my blog since I started it. After every post to Examiner.com I would also post to my two Facebook pages and to my Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. All together I have over 4,000 social media followers.  If you go to my Robert Wiebel Pinterest account you can find my Outdoor Recreation Examiner Board and my Outdoor Recreation in Orlando Board.  All the article links on the Outdoor Recreation Examiner Board are broken but you can see the cover page for each of my articles.  All the links on my Outdoor Recreation in Orlando board work and will take you to my Google Blogger.com page. 

Well everyone that my story and I am sticking to it. And remember during the COVID-19 Pandemic, if you venture out into the great outdoors, keep your distance from strangers and by all means wear a mask if you have to get close to anyone.   

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Be prepared for the unknown when going offshore fishing

This is a blast from the past from 2015.  The loss of these mountain climbers on Mount Rainier got me to pull this out of my archives.  

Melbourne, FL – August 1, 2015 - Last night at sunset, after a week long search, the Coast Guard suspended the search for the two 14 year old Jupiter, Florida teens whose 19 foot fishing boat was found capsized upside down 170 miles north of the Jupiter Inlet.  The Coast Guard searched over 50,000 square nautical miles all the way from Jupiter inlet to Cape Hatteras, NC without finding the two teens. 

This is such a sad situation when anyone is lost at sea.   But this situation brings to light how important it is to be prepared when venturing out into the great outdoors, especially off shore into the ocean.  With horizon being about 8 miles off shore, it does not take long before a boater is all alone.  The ocean can be a calm and peaceful place to have fun, but it can be one of nature’s greatest nightmares. 

When heading out on your next off shore trip, be prepared and always check the weather.  This is so important because during the summer, severe thunderstorms can popup quickly and catches boaters off guard. 

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) has a web page dedicated to boating safety.  Click HERE to visit the ASA boating safety web page. 

Since the dawn of technology and the many GPS satellites in orbit around the earth, Emergency GPS beacons have been readily available for sale since the 1980s.  Today, the price of an Emergency GPS Beacon costs less than half to price of the smart phone many of us carry with them every day.   Taking an Emergency GPS Beacon along on an offshore fishing trip close to shore may seem unnecessary but it may be worth every penny you paid for it. 

One of the many companies that designs, manufactures and sells Emergency GPS Beacons is Spot.  Using a device like Spot, you can send your exact location and a request for help to friends and family or even send a 911 message to get emergency help right away.  According to Margaret Taylor, Spot Public Relations Account Executive for Peter Mayer Advertising in New Orleans, LA, “over the past seven years, more than 3,000 rescues have been initiated due to SPOT products.”

 Spot is the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies. Boaters, hunters, recreational pilots, hikers, off-road travelers and outdoor enthusiasts of all types have come to depend on the lifesaving capabilities of SPOT.  SPOT products offer users peace of mind by allowing them to track their assets, utilize location-based messaging and emergency notification technology and to make calls beyond the boundaries of cellular. SPOT products work around the world, including virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia, portions of South America, Northern Africa, North-Eastern Asia and thousands of miles offshore of these areas.”

If you are looking to upgrade your onboard marine safety equipment check out a Spot communication and alert device just may do the trick.  You can find them for sale online at West Marine, REI, Bass Pro Shop, Cabelas, and Gander Mountain.  You can also find the entire Spot product lineup on Amazon.   

Until next time, be safe in the sun and a have a great day in the great outdoors.