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Aluminum cans. 80-200 years
Glass bottles. 1 million years Plastic bags. 500-1000 years Paper. 2-5 months Orange/banana peels. 6 months Tin cans. 50-200 years Styrofoam. 50 years Wet wipes. 100 years Nylon fabric. 30-40 years Synthetic fabrics. 100 years + Feminine products. 250+ years Chewing gum. 50-1000 years Diapers. 500 years Mono filament fish line. 600 years 6 pack plastic. 450 years Cotton t—shirt. 6 months The above, are items that a hikers/campers leave behind in the mountains. The months and years listed after each, is the length of time it takes to decompose. to zero. But let me tell you, glass, aluminum cans, tin cans, DO NOT BURN. PLEASE do not leave these items in the fire pits in backcountry. A good steward, is a person that takes care of what they take into Nature. There’s an old adage that goes….”if you can carry it in full, you can certainly carry it out empty”. When I lead a hike for the Spokane Mountaineers, I carry my grabbing tool and several plastic grocery bags, to clean up the trailheads. On my hikes, I use the same bags to collect litter, fire pit garbage, etc. You can use one to pick up the litter, and put it in the other bag. Or you may want to carry surgical gloves to pick up the litter. No matter what method or your motivation, picking up others trash in Nature makes your everyday hike more enjoyable. We can’t get rid of slobs in the mountains, but WE can make the areas we hike too, more enjoyable for ourselves and others. Last year while staying at the Bull River Campgrounds, I picked up all the little trash that bothers me the most. The campground host walked over to me and thanked me. He also said that in his experience, a clean campsite fosters the current occupant to keep the site clean themselves. A suggestion I live by is simple, DO NOT TOUCH LITTER. Use a grabber or gloves to clean up the high country areas we enjoy. I would like to thank you all that have, or will pick up others trash when in Nature. MAKE EVERY DAY AN EARTH DAY. InlandNWRoutes.com Chic Burge David Crafton
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As summer is in our rear view mirror, fall is all around us.
And so are the cool temps, and most sunny days. When we want to hike, we must plan our outing with care, to make sure we carry the appropriate clothing and safety supplies. CLOTHING. What we wear in the fall is very important. The most valuable advice I can give you, is do not wear ANY COTTON CLOTHING, PERIOD. When cotton gets wet from the environment, rain or snow, or from the dew off the brush, and sweat, our body core temperatures can drop to dangerous levels. If this happens to you, you must have the correct clothing for the circumstances. BASE LAYERS The layer next to your skin, should be polypropylene. Polypro is a high tech material that wicks moisture and sweat away from the body, hence you are warmer. When you sweat, your body is cooled via evaporation. But if that sweat stays on your skin, it allows your bodies core temperatures to drop. When that happens, your life could be in danger. Hypothermia is a cold temperature condition that can affect you even when the temperatures are in the 60’s. A light wind can exponentially drop your core temperatures. It’s called windchill. WARM LAYER The next layer or two, will keep your body warm. But be aware, if you are scrambling a steep slope, the fleece you are wearing could cause more sweat, which can drop your core temps. Fleece is a material made out of our discarded plastic bottles. Its most important properties, is that it causes loft. Loft is the space between your base layer and your outer waterproof jacket. The more loft, the warmer you will be. OUTER JACKET Don’t scrimp on the outer layer. It’s design is to keep you dry, and warm. It also keeps the wind off your body. A slight wind can drop the ambient temperatures to drop to dangerous levels. This is called WINDCHILL. As the winds pick up, it cools our bodies. Now that you know about proper clothing, it is important to understand that when you go out into Nature, what you wear is critical to your survival. If it rained the day before, there’s going to be rain drops and/or dew on all the plants you rub against while walking. When you get wet your bodies temperature drop. But don’t just think of yourself. While out on cool fall days, monitor your hiking friends. If you see a person unzipping their jacket, taking their gloves or hats off on a cold day, that’s a big clue. Also watch your hiking buddies for slurred speech, erratic behavior, or a noticeable change in their normal behavior. If you or anyone around you displayed any of the above behaviors, take action immediately. Get their hats, gloves, jacket back on them or you, and start moving. If there’s an up hill trail, walk up the hill. It will warm you. To tell if your buddy is too cold, ask them questions that require a thoughtful answers. If they fail, act immediately to get them warm and down to safety. The reason I want you to know about hypothermia, is because even on a sunny day in the fall, up at your favorite backcountry lake, you could become too cold to help yourself or your buddies. Hypothermia is a condition that can kill you. Take with you what you need to be safe, comfortable and warm. If you don’t take the proper clothing, you will suffer. One thing about hypothermia is when you get colder, your mind plays tricks on you. You may start discarding clothing, and not realize you are in danger. Last week I went on a hike with a friend and took all I may need, just in case. I dressed properly for the hiking conditions, but when we stopped for lunch, I became cold. In my pack was down pants and a down jacket. They stuff into very small bags, and don’t take up much space. I pulled out my jacket and fluffed it, and put it on. Immediately I felt warmer, and during lunch I was comfortable. When we started walking again, I simply stowed it in my pack. By carrying the down garments, they can be used to warm yourself or others, in case of an emergency. If you don’t carry the proper clothing and gear, you could suffer the consequences. ALWAYS ERROR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY AND CAUTION. InlandNWRoutes.com Chic Burge David Crafton From the very beginning, David and I have had a Liability Release Form, but it was hard to find.
David has placed the words….LIABILITY RELEASE at the bottom of each page. We encourage you to click on it, and read it. Only reading it once will suffice. We also use the HONOR SYSTEM in reading and understanding our Liability Release Form. You can also read it by clicking on…….https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/liability-release.html Thank You all very much for reading and using our…… “local human powered website.” InlandNWRoutes.com Chic Burge David Crafton |
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