New footwear include insoles to provide a little cushion and to pad your feet from seams and stitching in the shoe. Factory insoles are typically thin, low-quality pads that quickly deform and wear through, and are either glued in with a couple spots of adhesive or just slipped in after assembly. They provide very minimal benefits, and pretty much everyone recommends replacing them.
Pre-customized 6mm 3-color Northsole insoles
Always ready to experiment and learn about better, cheaper, lighter, or just plain different ways to do things, I got NorthSole to let me give their new insoles a try. My only compensation is receiving their Bundle Pack at no charge to test.
NorthSole is a Minnetonka, MN company so I’m really interested in seeing what a local company offers and see if it matches up to big, national brand products.
Features: Aftermarket insoles range from $10 to over $100 and are marketed to perform a wide range tasks, from providing cushion to correcting foot problems.
These are NOT corrective inserts for any foot structural problems, arch support, plantar fasciitis, or supination/ovepronation challenges. These insoles are to provide comfort and a more enjoyable time on trail.
Northsoles are non-contoured so they provide benefits in minimalist no-drop shoes. This means they have no arch support or heel raise. This allows your foot to work they way it should rather than rely on external support. Some people need additional support, but I feel a medical or physical therapy professional should be consulted before modifying your foot support.
The insoles are made of three colorful layers. A black top layer gives your feet a bit of moisture wicking, grip, and softness. It is bound to a soft pink center layer that minimizes pressure points by forming to your foot. The bottom firm blue layer is mainly for shock reduction and durability. When you squeeze the northsoles, you can see the blue layer compresses much less than the pink.
Care: Remove the Northsoles to air out and dry both the insole and shoe. Handwash occasionally to get rid of dirt and salt build-up.
Old insole traced onto Northsole for cutting
My Experience: I believe there is a trade off between cushioning and effort. Walking on the beach is an example.
Dry sand is very comfortable and absorbs any shock from stepping, but it takes much more effort to walk through than does wet sand. Wet sand is packed and firm. You can run on it easily but there is more jarring to your legs.
Insoles are similar. A thick cushion absorbs impact and requires more energy to walk. But, the extra comfort may be worth that loss in efficiency. Barefoot directly on the ground would be most efficient, but also too uncomfortable for most people to endure.
So, I like enough cushion to be comfortable, but thin enough to be efficient. Being able to feel the ground contour through my shoes is also a plus in my book – that’s why I seldom wear thick-soled hiking boots.
I’ve now worn these Northsoles on my morning hikes and jogs for the past 3 weeks, more than 80 miles so far. They’re a little dirty, but there’s no visible wear so I expect they should last at least 500 miles.
For a bit more experimenting, I put my old factory insoles back in yesterday to see how they felt. After my 6 mile morning hike, some of my toes felt sore – not skin tender, but more like muscle sore. It was 31 degrees, so it could have been the cold. So, this morning with the temperature 28 degrees, I put the NorthSoles back in. After another 6 miles, my feet and toes felt fine. From that, I’ll say the NorthSoles make my feet feel better.
Customized Northsoles for correct fit
The NorthSoles were simple to start using. I slipped out the insoles from my shoes, traced their silhouette on the NorthSoles, cut them out, and slipped the NorthSoles into my shoes. Easy peasy. They fit fine and felt fine.
No complaints. But, they do cost $30 for a pair of 6mm, $25 for 3mm, or $50 for a 2-pack of the 6mm and 3mm. Prices include shipping in USA.
They come in S, M, L, and XL sizes that you trim to match your factory insole size. My size 13 factory insole just barely fit on their XL insole, so you might consider ordering a size up. But, when I let John at Northsole know, he said they’d be increasing the sizes a bit.
My factory insoles weighed 1.2 ounces for the pair (but they’re junk). The 3mm NorthSoles weigh 2.0 ounces. The 6mm Northsoles weigh 3.3 ounces. I’m adding about 1 ounce per shoe by using the thicker pair. An ounce is less than 10% of most hiking shoes, but it’s still extra weight. It’s the old comfort vs. weight decision and, in this case, I think the comfort is definitely worth the weight.
Maybe they’d make a good stocking stuffer for someone you know – go to NorthSole to purchase direct from John in Minnesota.
Now, don’t get me started about ‘ankle support’ from hiking boots over lightweight shoes – that’s for another post.
Modern pistol design has embraced the striker-fired action as the current paradigm. There are good reasons for this, greater mechanical simplicity and a moderate consistent trigger pull being two of the most common.
Of course, the blockbuster success of a little pistol called the Glock (though not the first striker fired handgun by a long shot) also contributed much to the rise of this action.
Simply put, hammer-fired pistols are starting to go by the wayside, even as they see a minor resurgence among certain enthusiasts and connoisseurs.
More than a few shooters see hammer-fired guns as more work than they are worth whatever their other qualities are, either in the form of additional controls like safeties and decockers or a more complex manual of arms thanks to having two distinctly different trigger pulls in a DA/SA pistol.
In the famous words of one lady who became a beloved meme, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”
This is regrettable because in the pantheon of pistols one design is uniquely well suited to the demands of defensive use of a handgun, not just mere shooting: the double-action single-action pistol.
Sometimes regarded as the “other” hammer-fired pistol type, this unique and occasionally maligned action brings a lot to the table in both safety and performance for those willing to put in the time to master it.
n this article, I’ll talk about a few perks you probably did not know about with pistols of this type and give you some pointers on how these guns can work for you. It’s time to stop worrying and learn to love the hammer.
Essentials of Pistol Selection
Arguing about guns never ceases to entertain. I am sure that wall the back in the dark days of history when the first primitive handheld guns were invented, and there was more than one model to choose from, people argued their comparative merits.
It’s just human nature I suppose. No matter how far our technology, metallurgy and design parameters pertaining to firearms have evolved, there are a couple of fundamental principles, rather characteristics that a defensive handgun must possess before any others in order for even warrant entrance into the brutal calculus of lethal force self-defense.
The key absolute is mechanical reliability and durability. A gun that is fussy, fragile or otherwise questionable when it is time to make it go bang is no gun you want to bet the farm on.
A defensive gun must also be possessed of adequate caliber for defense (against humans in our case) and should be designed in such a way that its controls are easily actuated without undue fretting and fumbling from the user. Not all designs kept foremost the human element among its tenets.
Why does all this matter for our discussion? Because frankly without those fundamental elements- reliability, adequate performance, ease of use- than no other quality matters. Without those bedrock characteristics for selection in place affirmatively, you should not consider a gun so lacking for self-defense.
I am here to tell you there are many DA/SA pistols on the market that have these vital traits, both new designs and older ones. So that being so, the question is now whether or not the action itself the reason to choose or disqualify an otherwise excellent gun from service? Another question: does a DA/SA gun bring anything to the table a striker gun does not?
The current gestalt among pistol shooters is that striker gun-equals-better gun for all the reasons I mentioned above; simpler, consistent, easier to shoot, etc.
Are those qualities all that matter in a defensive gun? Is raw “shooting” performance the first and only barometer of a good defensive gun?
I say no, that while it is certainly important there is far more that can and will occur when it is time for you to defend your life with a gun in hand, and the design and operation of that pistol will either contribute to keeping you safe or help set you up for failure.
There is a lot to unpack in that assertion and I’ll do so in the next section.
A Common Complaint about DA/SA Pistols
As with any gun, DA/SA pistols have their own legion of detractors who think they are just the worst. Some of these critiques are based in fact or experience and must not be discounted out of hand. Others are little better than propaganda and deserve to be put down with authority.
I have little doubt you will have heard the most common complaint before, but I feel it is important to unpack this claimed flaws fairly before making my case for pistols of this type.
By far the most common gripe concerning DA/SA guns is that they are simply too hard to shoot well and too complicated to use thanks to a complex and error-prone manual of arms.
A heavy first trigger pull, the subsequent light trigger pulls, plus you have to remember to decock when you are done, and then there is also potentially a safety to worry about! Sheesh! Let me get the flowchart for my gun!
Critics claim this alone makes DA/SA pistols a poor option because they are so hard to shoot in addition to training time needed to master them being excessive compared to other pistols.
My opinion? Yes, DA/SA guns do indeed take more work to shoot well than guns with light, crisp, consistent triggers. NO two ways about it. How much more work, though?
That is tough to say. There is no quantified data set for that among trainers, but in my own experience teaching I would say the average shooter needs only about 10-15% more effort and reps invested to attain near parity with guns utilizing a consistent trigger.
Two major contributing factors to reaching competency with a DA/SA pistol is 1.) optimized techniques for shooting a DA/SA gun well and 2.) the gun itself is possessed of a decent trigger.
I’ll assert plainly that you do not shoot all guns the same way. Sure, the fundamentals of marksmanship don’t change, but the way we attain them may.
A student with a DA/SA semi or DA revolver whose teacher preaches the old dogma of placing just the tip of the trigger finger on the trigger to shoot will quickly become frustrated with their lack of performance and annoyed with how difficult the gun is to operate.
You don’t pull one of those longer, heavier triggers the same way as you would a custom 1911 with a 3 lb. trigger. More leverage is needed to yield the control required to move these heavier triggers to the rear consistently.
The trigger itself is particularly important on a DA/SA pistol. Weight is often emphasized here, with lighter being better (and it often is) but of even greater importance is that the trigger be smooth and hitch-free.
A smooth, consistent trigger is easy to manage and shoot well with just a little bit of practice, even for beginners. Paying proper attention to grip and trigger finger placement is easily taught and more importantly easily executed. After that first shot and the gun transitions to single action mode most students are in for smooth sailing.
As far as the rest of the case against DA/SA pistols having a complex manual of arms, I refuse to subscribe to that notion in any way. Compared to the majority of striker-fired pistols that lack decockers or manual safeties, sure, a typical DA/SA gun is more complicated… By a matter of exactly one extra step!
Critics of these pistols would have you believe that running one additional switch, the decocker or safety-decocker, at the conclusion of shooting is simply too great a burden to bear and too hard to teach to your average adult.
This is hogwash. Yes, it must be taught, but the notion that this single extra step is beyond the capability of an armed professional or civilian of average intelligence has little grounding in reality.
DA/SA pistols are more complicated than typical striker fired guns, but this is a matter of inches and feet, not miles. Might that complexity render it a poor choice for some shooters? Sure, but it is in no way so complicated that even halfway decent instruction and practice will render its operation second nature.
Benefits of the DA/SA Pistol
A longer, heavier trigger is more likely to prevent an unintended discharge than a lighter one. No two ways about it. If a finger or foreign object should make its way into the trigger guard when no shot is intended and begin to apply pressure to the trigger, a short, light trigger will result in a discharge more often and more quickly than the aforementioned long pull. I can hear some hate simmering in the comments already…
I have heard from many peers, readers and dissenters who proclaim any modern handgun more than safe enough irrespective of action if only the user is well trained enough to keep their stinkin’ finger off the trigger. That is the key absolute to safety, they say, and will hear no discussion to the contrary.
Fair enough. Most unintended discharges are indeed negligent instead of truly accidental so their claim has merit. But what if I told you that their entire premise is a flawed one? And more than that that the vagaries and stress of a life-or-death encounter means managing your pistol entails far more than just getting a short mouse-click trigger press before sending lead downrange?
While I do not doubt that many readers are extremely well trained and take their practice as seriously as life itself, I do doubt very much their claims of flawlessness, that they won’t make mistakes and that sheer bad luck has never overtaken them.
I have trained and trained with too many shooters who I would consider excellent and reviewed too much video of both live events and seriously high-pressure force-on-force training to believe in perfection when it comes to trigger finger discipline any more.
Whether from extreme stress, fatigue or fear, a curious phenomenon manifests itself in these situations, which is that of the shooter quickly, briefly placing their finger down onto the trigger seemingly in an effort to ascertain that it is still there.
This pre-emptive positioning most often occurs with the shooter having no conscious knowledge of it occurring. During a later debrief when it is brought up to them they swear on all that is good and holy that they did no such thing.
But cameras do not lie, and the proof is positive: this curious glitch whatever you care to call it does occur, and should it happen on a gun with a light, short trigger when muscles are tense or the shooter is startled the result can be an ND.
The long, heavy pull of the first DA shot provides more feedback to the shooter between pressure accumulating on the trigger and bang that “something is happening,” and this can be enough to correct the deficiency.
Furthermore, a long trigger pull can allow a shooter to back off of a trigger in time before breaking the shot should the need to shoot vanish or new information change the scenario.
With light single-action and striker-fired pistols there is precious little that happens between “decision to fire” and “bang,” and while a double-action pull does not take that much more, it is sufficiently long and tactile to allow a shooter to cancel the shot should the need arise.
This is of special interest anytime you have a threat at gunpoint and are attempting to gain compliance or talk them down. You may be entirely warranted to have a bad guy at gunpoint and have your finger on the trigger, but that does not mean that you will be forgiven of any discharge classified as accidental or errant.
Your finger may move from the trigger to the frame and back again several times before that first, fateful shot is fired as the situation ebbs and flows. Remember: you will handle and point your pistol at people far more often than you will actually shoot it at people. I definitely want a trigger that will back me up in that regard.
Of course once the fight is on and the first shot is made, a DA/SA gun switches to single-action mode for subsequent shots. Here is another payoff of the system.
The light, crisp follow-up trigger pulls of the DA/SA pistol lend themselves to fast and accurate shooting once the conscious decision has been made to fire.
Once a shooter is acclimatized to it, the DA/SA system offers a best of both worlds: the inherent safety of a longer, heavier trigger pull as a hedge against unintentional discharges and the light, short single action pull for continued shooting. Once the fight is over, or over for the moment, the gun is decocked and the process begins again.
It’s All about Control
Somewhat akin to a stick shift in a car, a DA/SA pistol gives its user a greater degree of mechanical control over its functions. The exposed hammer of your typical DA/SA pistol can be physically restrained by the shooting hand thumb when holstering in order to completely block its reward travel in case something (like a finger or coat pull) should impinge on the trigger when holstering.
Remember, actuation of the trigger cocks and releases the hammer in double-action mode, or just releases it from the cocked position in single-action mode.
In either condition, the thumb can prevent hammer movement, thusly preventing discharge, and in the case of the hammer being cocked to the rear it is immediately apparent that the shooter skipped decocking of the gun before moving to holster.
Compared to a striker-fired pistol where, aside from the trigger, all the magic happens within the slide and frame the DA/SA pistol used properly provides true reassurance against an unintended discharge upon reholstering.
Once again, it is too easy to proclaim that it won’t happen to you, that you are safe, reholster carefully and verify the mouth of the holster is clear of any obstructions before proceeding. Yeah, you are that good, or maybe it is just hubris worming its way into your mind.
If this capability was only a fringe benefit as some have suggested why would companies like Tau Development group and their Striker Control Device, or “Gadget” be gaining a small but vocal and legitimate group of expert striker gun users in professional circles?
The Gadget, in case you are unfamiliar, is a replacement backplate for Glocks that features an articulated hinge or button that is depressed by the user’s thumb during reholstering in order to prevent the striker from moving to the rear, which in turn prevents the trigger bar from moving which in turn halts the trigger itself. This akin to what your thumb should do when holstering a gun with a hammer and accomplishes the same thing.
Sounds like capability like that is, perhaps, a good thing to have during what is statistically one of the most dangerous operations you can perform with your pistol- holstering it. Something to think about.
Author’s Soapbox
I do not deny that the striker-fired pistol is here to stay, and for good reason. I also do not deny my preference for traditional double-single pistols. For me, a DA/SA gun is no impediment.
Quite the opposite, a DA/SA pistol provides me capability that I frankly cannot get out of an average Glock or other striker-fired pistol without some significant modification and installation of one nasty trigger.
My trusty pistol can certainly bite me, and it is more likely than any other time when I am handling it administratively, that is in a non-fighting or non-shooting task. Well, any administrative task can become a shooting task if the gun is loaded…
For that reason and for the added assurance during a fight, or the buildup to a fight I prefer having a double action first shot for safety and at the same time having the pistol ready to fire instantly. Again, best of both worlds.
When the time to shoot is nigh, I don’t sweat that heavy pull; my pistol has no action enhancement, but from plenty of practice and plenty of rounds fired that DA pull is as smooth and crisp as I could practically want. It is like it is not even there.
After that first shot, the single action trigger pulls on my Sig are excellent compared to nearly any striker gun trigger; a bit of take-up, a well-defined wall and a crisp break with just a hair of overtravel.
More than adequate for fast and fancy accurate shooting, and I have proven as much in plenty of matches and training classes. You’ll find only a few striker-fired pistols with stock triggers that can match the average DA/SA gun in single action mode.
The ability to physically block the gun from firing when holstering is something I am adamant about. There has yet to be one person who can adequately explain how this is anything but a very good thing.
Holstering a pistol is always fraught with peril as I said earlier, and anything I can do to mitigate this peril especially when carrying IWB, especially when carrying AIWB, is an advantage you’d be smart to utilize.
So bottom line, with just a little more practice I can have a pistol that is safer and more forgiving of mishaps than a striker-fired pistol, that is still reliable and still a superbly capable shooter.
What is not to love? Forget what you think you know about this classic action and get ready to drop the striker gun so you can drop the hammer.
Conclusion
DA/SA guns are seeing resurgence in popularity but are still a long way from their heyday. Nonetheless, for discriminating pistol shooters the unique combination of advantages afforded by these guns adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
Hammer guns are not dead, far from it, and if you are willing to spend some time learning to run one properly, you might find its combination of assurance, safety and performance to be the ideal set of traits for your self-defense pistol.
Security overload leads to apathy. How often do you hear a car alarm go off and roll your eyes hoping the owner would disable the blasted thing before the incoming headache comes a knocking? The primary objection I have to such systems is they work too well. Every week I hear an alarm being triggered […]
Okay, spoiler alert, the Fenix 6 is a great, if not the greatest, outdoors watch so far. In this review and how-to guide I’m going to focus on the hiking and outdoors applications of the Fenix 6. I’ll be specifically using the Fenix 6x Pro Solar, which I’ve had on my wrist 24/7 since the day it came out. I’ve owned every Fenix model since the 3, and the 6 Pro Solar doesn’t disappoint.
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: Off-set shoulder seams
At Best Hiking we can’t get enough of Merino base layers, but so far it has mainly been base layers for men we have been asked to test and review. Therefore, I was head over heels when I got the opportunity to test the Isobaa 180 crew-neck base layer. I really appreciate the brand’s philosophy on sustainability where they advise their customers to not “be sheepish, purchase with purpose” and “wear longer, wash less, reduce your impact”. This is exactly what we advise our readers to do in the article How to reduce the environmental footprint of your outdoor clothing. Isobaa has also taken the ethical choice of only sourcing the Merino wool from sheep which have not been subjugated to the painful mulesing process. Furthermore, the brand’s garments come in packaging made of recycled materials – in this case, a cute egg tray-like box in which I now keep envelopes and stamps.
I received the Isobaa base layer in late summer – a perfect time to begin testing this long-sleeved mid-weight Merino top. I have since then worn it both on hikes and in everyday life, and concluded that the Isobaa Merino 180 Long Sleeve Crew is suitable for:
Hiking
Mountaineering
Backpacking
Trekking
Travelling
Climbing
Everyday use
Material
The Isobaa Merino 180 crew-neck base layer is, as the name indicates, made of 100% Merino wool with a fabric density of 180 g/m2 which makes it a mid-weight fabric, albeit in the lighter end. The Merino fibers used for the fabric are of the superfine quality by being just 18.5 micron in diameter. Being 100% Merino wool, this high-quality fabric of course has all the qualities listed in the article Why you should wear Merino Wool – like softness, breathability, anti-microbial (anti-odor) properties and natural UV protection.
Since it is a mid-weight base layer, I would recommend it for all seasons but summer – although those sensitive to cold might wear it when the rest of us would go for a light-weight Merino fabric (<150 g/m2). In general, Merino wool keeps you warm when it’s cold and comfortably cool when it’s warm (but not hot hot) weather. The Merino fabric is also quite stretchy which proved to be crucial for me fitting into the base layer both before and after the birth of my first child.
Comfort, fit and sizing
I was almost eight months pregnant when I received the Isobaa base layer and was thus a bit anxious whether I really would fit into the size M that I had asked for – and if so, if I would fit into it after giving birth as well. My fears turned out to be groundless as the top fitted me perfect both before and after birth due to it being rather long in the torso and the fabric being quite stretchy. I gained around 14 kg (31 lbs.) in total during my pregnancy but had lost 10 of them already a week after the birth. With the majority of the extra weight centered on my mid-section, one could fear that the base layer would be too tight or short, but the stretchiness of the Merino fabric turned out to be just right. In fact, I ended up wearing the Isobaa top a lot during the last weeks of my pregnancy as it was one of very few tops which I could fit comfortably into while having my protruding belly covered. The Isobaa base layer is indeed rather long in the torso which was particular great during my pregnancy – but also afterwards as I’m a bit taller (1.73 m/ 5’8’’) than the average European woman.
I measured the length of the side seam from the hem and up to the armpit to compare it with the length of my other base layer tops, and sure enough – the Isobaa is 5-8 cm (2’’-3’’) longer than all of them. In addition, the base layer has a drop tail hem for a little extra coverage. The only downside of all this extra length is that also the sleeves are a bit too long for me. It’s of course no problem to simply roll them up at the cuffs, but the right cuff has Isobaa’s cute sheep head logo embroidered so it’s bit of shame having to roll it up. All in all, the extra length will probably be appreciated by taller persons while the petite should go for the smallest size they can possibly fit into.
Functionality
As such, the Isobaa womens base layer just looks like another long-sleeved crew neck top in a high-quality material, but it has several small but functional details which makes it even more comfortable to wear for outdoor activities as well as everyday use. Firstly, it utilizes flatlock seams which are crucial to avoid chafing when wearing a rather snug-fitting base layer as this is. The shoulder seams are also off-set in order to minimize any painful rubbing when wearing a (heavy) backpack.
There are also underarm gusset panels to avoid having any seams chafing the sensitive skin in the armpits. Now, these gussets are made of a solid color (grey) fabric while the rest of the base layer is a grey/blue striped fabric, and I couldn’t help but think if sweat stains would be more or less visible if the gussets were made of the same fabric as the rest of the shirt… Maybe Isobaa researched it? In any case, the gussets provide good freedom of movement, and the drop tail hem prevents the top from riding up – even if you have to stretch while climbing, scrambling etc.
Isobaa has also eliminated the potential of any chafing from labels as the neck logo and washing instructions are printed directly on to the fabric itself. There is only a folded hem logo label and the embroidered sheep head logo at the right cuff which didn’t bother me the slightest.
Washing and drying
As usual with Merino garments, the Isobaa base layer should be washed in cold water (30⁰ C or less, whether by hand or machine) and air-dried, preferably flat. You should avoid using fabric softener and bleach and tumble-drying the garment – especially the latter will significantly decrease the lifespan of any Merino garment. Isobaa also has a page dedicated to describing how to best care for their apparel where you can for example read about a trick to avoid piling on the wool fabric – which is to occasionally wash your Merino garments with apparel of coarser fabrics such as denim, as this will help to remove loose fibers and keep the surface smoother. I didn’t know this trick, but I will definitely try it out as I can’t stand piling on any garments. For now, however, there is no such problem with the Isobaa base layer, but I will of course update this review, if there should come any durability issues later.
Verdict
I was so happy with the Isobaa 180 base layer that it has become a staple in my wardrobe – both for outdoor activities and everyday use. I think it will slowly but securely take over from my other Merino base layer which was the patient under scrutiny in the article How to repair Merino garments, but is slowly unravelling, nevertheless. No Merino garment will last forever, but with proper care a high-quality base layer like the Isobaa 180 crew neck will last for several years.
If you have any questions about this product, drop me a line in the comments below.
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: From the side
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: Drop tail hem
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: The sleeves are slightly too long
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: Embroidered logo at right cuff
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: Underarm gussets
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: Hem logo label
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: Neck logo and flat-lock seams
Isobaa Women’s Merino Base Layer: Washing instructions
I loved to climb trees when I was a child – as an adult I use these skills for climbing and scrambling up mountain sides! I always wear a Merino baselayer, sunscreen and my hair tousled.
Did you know that today is “National Take a Hike Day”? Each year, on November 17th, National Take a Hike Day is observed by hikers across the country. Though the origins of this day seem to be a little murky, it appears that it may have been started by the American Hiking Society. Whenever and whoever started the day, hiking has its roots firmly planted in many of the same societal trends that shaped our country. According to the National Today website:
Hiking, while a major part of our culture today, wasn’t always the ubiquitous weekend warrior activity is today. Before Walden, Thoreau, and John Muir there was Romantic and Transcendentalism movement, art and cultural shifts to the natural order and time spent being outside. A reaction to the Industrial Revolution, train schedules, 90 hour work weeks and more.
The idea of taking a hike turned romantic and peaceful.
If you can’t actually make it onto a trail today, you can still download a copy of my book, “Ramble On: A History of Hiking,” to learn about the rich and amazing history of one of the world’s top pastimes, which will help to explain why today is now recognized as a “national holiday”.
The Cottonwood Lakes hike probably gives you the most bang-for-your-buck in the Eastern Sierra. The hike starts from the Cottonwood Lakes Campground, already at 10,000 feet, so your car does most of the legwork to get you to altitude. From there, the Cottonwood Lakes Trail gently makes its way through pristine alpine terrain to a series of several crystal-clear alpine lakes, all in the shadow of the high Sierra peaks like Mt Langley. Every step of this must-do hike is spectacular, so give it a try.
Have you heard of the healing properties of the California Poppy? What about the health-promoting nutrients of alfalfa? Check out this article to learn which plants have powerful medicinal purposes.
10 Powerful Medicinal Plants From Around the World
There are literally hundreds of medicinal plants across the globe – some of which may be unfamiliar to you. Here is a list of 10 powerful medicinal plants from around the world that may come in handy when you travel.
Note: The information in this article is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice.
1. California Poppy
This opioid plant is used as an anxiety reliever and is even safe for use in children. The California poppy can be made into a tea for quick relief of nervousness and tension. A stronger decoction will offer pain relief. (A decoction is made by “stewing” all safe parts of the plant, including stems and roots if possible, in water for several hours.) Best when soaked overnight.
2. Tansy
This plant can be found throughout Europe. Rubbing the leaves on the skin provides an effective bug repellent, but tansy can also be used to treat worms. It is said to be poisonous when extracted, but a few leaves are not harmful if ingested.
3. Alfalfa
Alfalfa is incredibly rich in minerals and health-promoting nutrients and compounds. With roots that grow 20 to 30 feet deep, alfalfa is considered the “father of all plants”. Alfalfa originated in the Mediterranean and Middle East but has now spread to most of Europe and America. It is believed to soothe symptoms of morning sickness, nausea, kidney stones, kidney pain, and urinary discomfort. It is also a powerful diuretic and has a bit of stimulant power, helping to energize the human body after a bout with illness. It is also a liver and bowel cleanser, and with long-term use it is believed to help reduce cholesterol. You can purchase seeds and sprouts, but it’s fine to eat the leaves straight from the earth.
4. Catnip
Catnip isn’t just for cats – it’s great for humans as well. It can be found in the Northern Hemisphere. This useful plant can relieve cold symptoms and even break a fever, as it promotes sweating. Catnip also helps stop excessive bleeding and swelling when applied topically rather than ingested.
Note: Catnip can stimulate uterine contractions, so it should not be consumed by pregnant women.
5. Sage
Sage is an incredibly useful herb, widely considered to be perhaps the most valuable herb. It is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antifungal. Sage also aids with digestion, helps relieve cramps, reduces diarrhea, dries up phlegm, fights colds, reduces inflammation and swelling, acts as a salve for cuts and burns, and kills bacteria.
Sage is native to the Mediterranean region, though it has naturalized in many places throughout the world.
6. Blackberries
Blackberries are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins, but the leaves and roots also have value. Native Americans used the stems and leaves for healing, while enjoying the young shoots peeled as a vegetable; and they enjoyed the berries either raw or in jams. The leaves and root can be used as a treatment against dysentery and diarrhea, as well as being used as an anti-inflammatory and astringent. Ideal for treating cuts and inflammation in the mouth.
A post shared by Akira (@meowssolini) on Jun 5, 2018 at 4:00pm PDT
Navajo Tea — also called greenthread, Plains Tea or Coyote Plant — has been used for centuries by Native Americans to quickly relieve the most brutal and irritating of infections: the UTI (urinary tract infection.) Best when made into a tea or decoction.
8. Feverfew
Feverfew is a plant that has well-known health properties and medicinal benefits. This anti-inflammatory plant can treat symptoms of rheumatism, arthritis, migraine headaches, and tension headaches. It’s also good for alleviating tension and general anxiety, as it is a natural serotonin inhibitor. It also helps to reduce swelling and bruising. Though feverfew is most effective when taken daily, it can be a helpful pain reliever.
A post shared by Sedona Aromatics (@sedonaaromatics) on Aug 1, 2018 at 8:40am PDT
Winter savory is your savior against insect bites and stings. One of the most effective natural plant treatments for bug bites, it is originally from Europe and the Mediterranean but often shows up elsewhere thanks to global trade. In addition to being an antiseptic, it is delicious – used for flavoring meats and stews. All parts of this plant are edible.
A post shared by Nancy J. Ondra (@nancyjondra) on Jul 6, 2018 at 1:27pm PDT
Wild quinine is a potent herb that has traditionally been used in alternative medicine to treat debility, fatigue, respiratory infection, gastrointestinal infection, and venereal disease. Whatever the ailment, quinine is famously helpful in treating it. Only the root and flowers are edible – avoid the plant.
To find success when big game hunting, you have to get as far away from the roads as possible. That’s doubly hard, because while you may be able to comfortably hike 10 miles in, you may not want to pack a critter 10 miles out over four or five trips. According to multiple studies cited on backcountryhunter.org, most game animals like to stay at least 300 meters away from roads. Distancing yourself from lazy road hunters and their noisy vehicles greatly increases your chances of seeing that prized critter. ATVs are great, but many national forest trails are closed to motorized vehicles like Jeeps, ATVs and Motorcycles. Also, ATVs are noisier than most trucks, and just push animals even further out.
Contributed by By Mark, Former Marine Reconnaissance Team Leader, Marine Infantry Officer, Cross Fit Coach, and Survivalist.
We saw this first hand on a recent hunt out in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Both trucks and ATVs were Road Hunting the Forest Service roads like they were patrolling the southern border. None of these road hunters shared the success that we noted during our hunt. So what are you to do? You want to reach the backcountry but maybe hiking three miles up to 10,500 feet is not an option for you. Or maybe you are looking to get really deep and don’t want to spend two days hiking. According to TrailTrove, the average human hikes at two to three miles each hour. This is average from TrailTrove is without a backpack (20 to 30 pounds), a hunting rifle (6-7 pounds), and hunting clothes including boots, pants and jacket (7 pounds). With this extra weight, you are most likely going to be below 1 mph with stops & breaks. Also, consider the toll on your body. You hike three miles up to 10,000 feet with 40+ lbs of extra weight. You are going to be huffing and puffing by the time you get to the top.
An elk can average 88 to 270 lbs of harvestable meat. You might be lucky if you don’t get an elk because that will be at a minimum one more trip back up the mountain for two people to get all of the meat out. Those are heavy loads that put a lot of stress on your body. I recently heard about some backcountry hunters using electric mountain bikes to get deep into the woods. After seeing that the BLM has recently changed their rules on electric bikes, I decided that I wanted to try it for myself. After a bunch of homework studying things like range, price, warranty, extras, reviews, & experience, we landed on QuietKat. QuietKat is based out of Eagle, Colorado and they seem to have hunting and the outdoors in their blood. I have been watching them for a few years and they seemed to keep coming out with cooler bikes every season.
Split Decision
We got two bikes. My hunting partner, Derek, has a chronic tailbone injury and required looking for a softer ride. He was willing to spend more money on his bike so he got the Fat Tire Ridgerunner.
QuietKat Fat Tire Ridgerunner Motor: Ultra Mid Drive 1000 watt Display: Digital-Color Battery: 48v/16ah Panasonic Frame Sizes: 17” Medium & 19” Large Brakes: 4 Piston Hydraulic Disc Brakes Fork: RST Air Suspension 150mm, Rockshox on rear Suspension: Fire-Link Four-Bar Linkage Wheel/Tire: 26 x 4.8” CTS Roly Poly Fat Tires Gearing: 9 Speed Wide-Range Drive: Stainless Steel Chain Weight: 65lbs Top Unassisted Speed: 1000W: 28mph Range: ~25 Miles Unassisted, up to 50 miles under Pedal Assist Color: Charcoal
I got the Apex which has a hard tail and front suspension.
One: Our wheels said Juggernaut on the side of them and the name was fitting. The wheels are huge. And by huge I mean massive. Riding a normal mountain bike on single track, I would not want this much tire. Really fat tires would be heavy and hard to push around on a normal bike but the traction from the fat tires bring is insane, and makes you feel much safer on the mountain. With this being an electric assisted bike and you can push the throttle and with a little peddling you are cruising at 12 mph almost instantly. The big tires add stability and traction both on the front tire for turning and the rear tire for climbing. These are not motorcycles and you still need to pedal, but it really helps climbing those steep inclines.
Two: The bikes are fast. Our first time riding the bikes were not ideal for learning. We were at an altitude of 8,500 feet, little bit of snow on the ground, heading up to 10,500. The QuietKats will take off if you hit the throttle hard, the torque is pretty good. Riding a bike at 20 mph up single track in the mountains can be a little scary and mind blowing at the same time. It took us about about a mile to get comfortable with the bikes, having packs on as well as the cart system that was attached to the back of my bike. To be honest, I have considerable more mountain biking experience than Derek. I was pretty comfortable after about 100 yards. Derek, who broke his tailbone, and has really not ridden a bike since was not a huge fan of the QuietKat at first. I heard a lot of cussing and yelling on the trail that made me think “Oh man, this might have been a mistake.” but after a little coaching, mainly telling Derek to sit down while going uphill so your body weight is heavy on the back tire for traction made a huge improvement for him. By the time we got to 10,500 ft, Derek was sold. I think his exact quote when we got to the top of the mountain was “These things are sick.” On our first ride, I think we averaged about 10 mph uphill with very limited stops. Also, because the QuietKat motors are electric, you do not lose any power at altitude. Most gas engines lose about 3 HP per 1,000 ft of altitude. I know from experience that my old Honda Rincon didn’t like altitude above 10,000 feet even though I had it tuned for the mountains.
Three: The bikes are quiet. I personally think we were much quieter on these bikes than if we were struggling up the side of the mountain carrying gear and heavy boots. I don’t have a way of measuring this but every time I turned back to see if Derek was still behind me, I always saw him before I heard anything. Also, our exposure time on trail was less than 20 minutes compared to 1 to 2 hours by foot. I also believe our scent signature was much less because we were up high out of the grass and only the tires touched the trail. I believe we pushed the animals less because of how quiet these bikes were.
Four: The bikes are heavy. The one downside of this bike (if there is one) is that these bikes are pretty heavy at roughly 70 lbs, but you get a lot of machine for this weight. It took two of us to muscle these bikes into the back of the pick up truck. Could either of us have done it alone? Yes, but we didn’t want to take the chance of scratching the truck. Also, a normal trailer hitch bike carrier (Yakima or Thule) will not work with these, they are too heavy, but the 1up rack (which is sold by QuietKat in both a 1 bike & 2 config) works great. Or you could always look into a light weight ramp system to load these into your truck or SUV if you are hunting solo.
Five: Hard to put away. These things are so much fun that you might want to cut your hunt early just to cruise around on your QuietKat. Honestly, you get can places on these things that would be hard by foot without several days of walking. They are super fun on the trail and you find yourself making excuses for wanting to find a new hunting area and getting back on the QuietKats. “Hey, I think I am going to go scout this other mountain, be back in a bit.”
Six: Tough in powder. The bikes did well on hard snow, and were stunning over normal ground, but thick powder snow caused them to fishtail a bit, and are probably not the best fit. Luckily this isn’t most of hunting season. Also, we did not deflate the tires which could be an option. To be fair, rear wheel ATVs also struggle in deep snow.
Traveling With The Kat
We traveled around the Rocky Mountains with the QuietKats and a fully assembled pull behind cart in the back of the Jeep Gladiator. The front tires of the QuietKats were hanging over the tailgate using a QuietKat Tailgate pad. We strapped them down and due to their weight, they travel well in the back of pick up trucks. We were exposed to some pretty harsh weather up there and were worried about the computer components on the Kats. We had no issues. Every time we pushed the power button, the Kats fired right up and away we went.
Stashing the Kats
Once we reached our planned hunting area, we just marked the Kat location on our GPS and laid them down behind some trees. After a few days, we started just leaving our extra gear near the Kats as well. We were never worried about anyone stealing our gear or our Kats at 10,000 feet. You can remove the battery with a key and you can also use a cable lock to secure your bikes but we never did. If I was in the city, I would get a no joke lock for these bikes but Elk and Mule Deer don’t steal.
Kat Down
The 2 wheel trailer system that we got with the QuietKat was awesome. It held a ton of gear and was easy to set up and attach to the bike. A bit of caution, you do have to watch out for larger rocks on the trail with the two wheel system. We turned the trailer system over a few times with large rocks. All of our gear was strapped down so flipping the trailer back upright was no issue. They do make a single wheel cargo trailer. I wish I could have compared the two to see which is better. I feel like the single wheel version may have been better for single track. I know Doc Montana recently reviewed the Burley COHO XC Bike Trailer and made it look easy flying down single track in Montana.
The Proof is in the Pudding
We got deeper & faster into the backcountry than our hunting competitors and on the first morning we saw 3 elk walk into a pasture on the backside of a mountain at 10,500 feet. Without the QuietKats this would have been a painful journey and getting an elk here would have made for a long day of packing meat out with at least one extra trip up the mountain. With the QuietKat & trailer, just one trip down the mountain, elk & gear.
Overall:
We give the QuietKat four thumbs up. Super fun. Super easy to ride. Versatile, you can use them for things besides hunting (ex: commuting, camping, bug out, military operations, etc). Charging was easy, just remove the battery and bring it inside. There is something about the power and quietness of these bikes that will blow you away. I was dreaming about an American Spec Ops unit using these to insert quietly outside of ear shot of the sound of a helicopter, I could see it in the future. Bottomline, they are fun to ride.
Video:
This is not our video but we felt this video from Bowsite.com hit it out of the park and captured our thoughts as well. Take a look.
Please visit QuietKat for more information. Use discount code SurvivalCacheFS on the QuietKat website for free shipping if you decide to order one. Or you can look at QuietKat on Amazon.
Visit Amazon Affiliate Sponsors of Survival Cache.
Pre-customized 6mm 3-color Northsole insoles
mountain bike on single track, I would not want this much tire. Really fat tires would be heavy and hard to push around on a normal bike but the traction from the fat tires bring is insane, and makes you feel much safer on the mountain. With this being an 
hanging over the tailgate using a 
you do have to watch out for larger rocks on the trail with the 
morning we saw 3 elk walk into a pasture on the backside of a mountain at 10,500 feet. Without the QuietKats this would have been a painful journey and getting an elk here would have made for a long day of packing meat out with at least one extra trip up the mountain. With the QuietKat & trailer, just one trip down the mountain, elk & gear. 
