Geocaching family fun with Geomate.jr
Jack, Maggie, and I decided to spend our Sunday morning outdoors doing some geocaching with our newly acquired Geomate.jr kid-friendly device. I bought the Geomate.jr on a whim based on a recent Outside San Diego blog post that hailed it as the ultimate get out and go geocaching device - and after our fun this Sunday I have to say we whole heartily agree.

Fixed Blade Knife Comparison
I've noticed that my requirements for a fixed blade knife have changed over the years as my backpacking, hiking, and bushcraft skills have developed.  I won't be getting into a debate here about fixed blade versus folding knives.  I have both and love them equally for different reasons. What I will be doing is comparing my three favorite fixed blade knives and describing their good and bad points based on my usage and general observations.

Karate Demo at St. Luke's
A great photo taken by Mrs. Mateo during the Peaceful Warrior School's karate demonstration at St. Luke's Church Fall festival in Mint Hill, NC. In the photo you can see me throwing Mr. November to the floor as part of our self defense routine. Ouch! Sorry Mr. Nov. See more pictures here >>

Home-made Billy Can
I spent the best part of my day yesterday (Sunday), hiking through out local woods with my buddy Andy, so that I could practice with and test out some of my gear and take a few photographs for some blog posts that I had in mind.  As many or my regular readers know, I am a die-hard ultralighter, always looking to shave a few ounces off the weight of my pack and gear. However, yesterday instead of taking along my favorite alcohol stove and cooking kit, I thought I'd try a new approach based more on bushcraft skills than ultralight backpacking.

Rite in the Rain and a No. 2 Pencil
I've carried a small notepad with me wherever I go for the longest time, usually a small lined or grid pattern Moleskin that fits into my back pocket.  The main reason for doing so is to have some paper on hand the instant I think of something interesting or that I would like to get around to doing at some point in the future.  You see, if I don't write it down right away it's usually gone from memory shortly thereafter.  Being on the trail is no exception, in fact great ideas jump into my mind on an even more frequent basis while hiking, it must be the fresh air that provides more clarity of thought.