Camping tips

By Chantal Macartney

What is the longest night of your life? That’s easy—it’s the one you spend in a wet sleeping bag.

Outdoor winter activity shouldn’t become a grim battle with nature. Ignorance is not bliss! Enjoying the outdoors goes hand in glove with planning for maximum comfort and safety. Let’s consider some tips that will make your outdoor adventures a more pleasurable experience.

PACK THE RIGHT WINTER CLOTHING

Are you planning a camping trip this winter, but don’t know what to pack to keep warm? Cotton is one material to avoid. Whether it’s rain or sweat, cotton will lose all insulation value if it gets wet. Try wool or synthetic materials like polypropylene, instead. These will retain some insulation value even when wet, so they’re much more suitable for cold weather.

Covering your head is vital in winter if you want to stay warm. Over half of your body heat is lost through your head, so it is essential to keep it covered if you are cold. A toque or balaclava in cold weather can make the difference between having a good day or a bad day outdoors.

AVOID HYPOTHERMIA

Hypothermia can kill people even in summer if they get wet and their core body temperature drops too far. In winter, the threat of hypothermia should be constantly in the back of your mind. During outdoor activity, it’s important to drink lots of fluids. When you’re dehydrated, your body produces less heat. Drinking lots of fluids will actually pump up your metabolic rate, stoke your internal furnace and reduce your chances of getting hypothermia.

Eating lots of wholesome, healthy food will also help keep hypothermia at bay. Healthy food provides your body with energy to generate heat and it keeps your blood sugar levels high. A healthy snack just before getting into your sleeping bag at night will help keep you warm.

It’s true that “warmth is dry,” so stay dry. When exercising, avoid getting overheated. If you start to sweat, open your jacket for a short time to dry off, but not too long or you could lose too much valuable heat. Remember to bring an extra change of clothing in a day pack, in case you get sweaty. Wetness from rain or sweat will add to your discomfort because your body cools faster than when it’s dry.

SNUG AS AN ARCTIC HUSKY

When camping during any season, always put a thick insulation mat underneath your sleeping bag to avoid heat loss through the bottom.

A sleeping bag liner adds insulation to your sleeping bag and it’s easy to sew at home from a flannel sheet. It won’t provide much insultation, but it will trap another layer of warm air to help induce a comfortable sleep. The liner will also keep your bag cleaner during camping trips.

On a cold winter night, before sliding into your sleeping bag, go for a walk. Don’t work up a sweat; just get enough exercise to get your blood moving. Once more, it’s like stoking up your internal furnace so it keeps you warm throughout the night.

Because so much body heat is lost through your head, wear a toque to bed. On cold nights, you might even want to wear a scarf and gloves or mitts. Sometimes, I even slip a hot water bottle into my sleeping bag 10 minutes before bedtime. Ahhh! Sheer pleasure.

Don’t wear too many layers of clothes in your sleeping bag. They could prevent your body heat from warming up the bag itself. If you wear a light layer of clothing to bed you’ll be chilly for a few minutes, but you should be more comfortable in the long run.

WISE WINTER WEATHER WATER TIPS

When out on a skiing or snowshoeing adventure, do you find that the water in your bottle freezes too quickly? Here’s a tip… water mixed with lemonade, Gatorade, or Kool-aid freezes at a lower temperature than just plain water. As well, the sugar in these drinks give added calories that your body needs for highenergy winter activities.

Leave your water filter at home during winter camping trips. If you don’t, when you finish pumping water, the moisture still left in the filter may freeze and split the inner systems and ruin the filter.

Chemical treatment of water isn’t ideal when winter camping either, because the chemicals take much longer to kill bacteria in cold weather. Boiling for 10 minutes is often the best method for water purification. And there’s a payoff— you just have to add hot chocolate to have a nutritious and comforting drink.

K-9 SCENTS

Woman’s best friend

By Cathy Brown and Wanda Purton

It’s Friday evening and “the girls” are paying homage to a crackling fire in the corner.

With the ethereal voice of soulsister, Ottawa’s Lynn Miles, wafting from the stereo, copious amounts of wine and a proportionate plate of cheese, the conversation turns philosophical.

In these busy times when life seems to revolve around e-mails, voicemails, and sadly, too many nights with no males, we reflected on what we were “looking for” in our partners. The qualities we blurted out were in synch with our gender’s emotional intelligence. We knew exactly what we wanted: a kind heart, laughing eyes, loyalty, an ability to laugh at oneself, bravery, an appreciation for nature, a need to howl at a full moon, and finally, someone who will love us unconditionally.

I glanced around the room and noted that we had chosen to sit and lie on the floor to be nearer to our dogs. Stretched out next to us, our pups were snoozing after the long hike we took earlier.

Suddenly the answer to, “What’s with you dog people?” came crashing home. Obviously our dogs fulfilled many of the attributes we had been looking for in men. . . save one very important one :). We did note there was no mention of “abs of steel,” or a full head of hair, or Dash Riprock good looks.

We at K-9 Common Scents have always believed in Karma. We know the sense of contentment that our dogs give us, how lonely evenings are magically transformed when they make us laugh, and the happiness of simply snuggling on the couch. We want everyone to know about the peace and joy a dog can bring to an empty house.

K-9 Common Scents exists to remind people about the friendly companionship that comes with owning a dog. Concerned that you don’t have time for a puppy? Or, that you can’t afford to invest $800 on a poster dog? Or, maybe you visited the Humane Society and saw only three dogs up for adoption and none of them suit your lifestyle?

If these are roadblocks, get a more mature dog. You can forego the puppy training—and the cocker spaniel mix you thought you had adopted won’t evolve into a hulking shepherd cross that makes your townhouse feel like a bachelor apartment.

Consider a rescue dog. If you are honest with the shelter people, they will find a suitable match for you. There are dogs out there thathave basic obedience training, and through no fault of their own, were abandoned by people for a host of reasons.

We have worked with some extraordinary dogs, but nothing is more rewarding than seeing a dog succeed that has been rescued from a shelter. These rescued dogs often approach their new owners with trepidation—ears down and tails tucked. They quickly become happy, healthy dogs that could teach us all a lesson on how to forgive.

So, if a puppy is out of the question, but you wouldlike a dogto hike, ski, or just hang out with by the fire this winter, why not look for a dog waiting to be rescued? Of course, you just might find that your new friend rescues you right back! —Cathy Brown and Wanda Purton are professional dog trainers, and the owners of K-9 Common Scents.

Following are just some of the reputable local organizations that you can check out:

B.A.R.K.—Bytown Association for Rescued Kanines Contact: Sharon Mckeil (613) 738 -0119

B.A.R.K. was formed in September 2001 and is a Registered Charity dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abused or abandoned dogs.

F.O.A.P.—Friends of Abandoned Pets (613) 729-9820

A non-profit organization with volunteers dedicated to caring for and placing abandoned and homeless dogs and cats.

Trinity Of Hope Rescue

(613) 725-9218 Trinity of Hope Dog Rescue is a small group of like-minded dog people whose goal is to help one dog at a time. They launched their efforts in March 1998 when they were able to help Hope, an exceptional, young Rottweiler. Their goal is to rehabilitate dogs with sound temperament who haven’t received training or proper socialization so that they can evolve from unwanted dogs to wanted companions.

The Ottawa Humane Society

101 Champagne Avenue South Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1S 4P3 Tel: (613) 725-3166 Fax: (613) 725-5674 Email: ohs@ottawahumane.ca

Visit the K-9 Common Scents web site at www.findem.com and share any activities or locations that you enjoy with your canine companion. We also welcome any dog stories or reflections you may wish to share with Ottawa Outdoors Magazine readers.