The WildeBeat

Thu, Dec 28, 2006

Year in Gear '06

Posted at 09:00

/shows/gear [link ]

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:

1. Nunatak Skaha Plus Down Sweater¹
2. Nunatak Back Country Blanket¹
3. Kershaw Rainbow Leek Knife²
4. SureFire L1 LumaMax Flashlight³
5. Trail Designs Caldera Cone Stove System²
6. Suunto Vector Wristop Computer Watch³
7. Six Moon Designs Essence Pack²
8. 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.

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Tue, Dec 26, 2006

Bonus material for Park Pass Pique

Posted at 15:45

/blog/wild_places [link ]

Scott Silver of Wild Wilderness has done considerable research on the origins of usage fees on federal recreation lands. In particular, he has evidence which supports a theory that the new America The Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Interagency Recreation Pass (ATB pass) has been the goal of some political groups for more than 20 years. We discussed this pass in our most recent edition, #70, titled Park Pass Pique.

Below is a bonus segment of our interview with Scott, which gives his view on the history of the ATB pass, fees for public recreation lands in general, and his vision of how these lands should be managed. Scott argues that the intent behind the ATB pass may not be to improve our wilderness experiences.

• Bonus Interview Segment, Scott Silver of Wild Wilderness [MP3 format; length 12:16; 1,472,389 bytes]

Thu, Dec 21, 2006

Park Pass Pique

Posted at 09:00

/shows/wild_places [link ]

This wild places program investigates the new America The Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Interagency Recreation Pass. Is this new public lands pass a sneaky price hike, or a great new bargain?

Steve visits Muir Woods National Monument and buys a new National Parks Pass. He tells the rest of the story with the help of:

• Alex Picavet, the Public Information Officer of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
• Jim Bedwell, National Director of Recreation and Heritage Resources for the United States Forest Service.
• Kurt Repanshek, author of the National Parks Traveler blog.
• Scott Silver, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group, Wild Wilderness.
• Ian Cook and Amanda Barnes, Muir Woods hikers visiting from Middletown, New York.

The America The Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Interagency Recreation Pass will be available at most federal fee areas, including national parks, after January 1st, 2007. In the remaining week or so, the original National Park Pass with the Golden Eagle sticker, or the Golden Eagle Pass, looks like a pretty good deal.

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Tue, Dec 19, 2006

Digg the WildeBeat?

Posted at 15:45

/blog/recognition [link ]

No, this isn't a rhetorical question in Hippie or Beatnick speak. The technology-oriented social networking and bookmarking site, DIGG.com, now has a podcast directory. If you digg The WildeBeat, and are a registered member of their site, you can help others discover us by clicking on the "Digg it!" link on our Digg page.

Thu, Dec 14, 2006

Indoor Snow Camping

Posted at 09:00

/shows/skills [link ]

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.

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Mon, Dec 11, 2006

National Park Pass Price Increase

Posted at 13:30

/blog/wild_places [link ]

If you expect to visit a national park more than twice in the coming year, you may want to buy a National Park Pass before the end of this month. The cost of an annual pass, which has been $50 for the past few years, will go up to $80 with the introduction of a new kind recreation pass called the America The Beautiful pass. The new pass will also be available for free if you're willing to volunteer 500 hours of labor valued at $0.16 per hour.

We'd love to hear your comments on this new pass. Please call our toll-free comment line: 866-590-7373.

Thanks to Kurt at National Parks Traveler, and Scott at Wild Wilderness for tipping us off about this.

Thu, Dec 07, 2006

Light Lofty Jackets

Posted at 09:00

/shows/gear [link ]

This gear program presents reviews of two lightweight synthetic-insulated jackets. These jackets can serve as lighter, more compressible replacements for the ubiquitous fleece jacket. The reviews are provided by volunteer reviewers from Backpack Gear Test.

Pamela Wyant reviews the Big Sky Products Convertible Sweater. Christine Korhonen reviews the Integral Designs PLQ Jacket.

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.

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