A show not to be missed - The Toronto Sportsmen's Show

For all you people local to the Toronto area, don't forget to set some time aside to go to the Toronto Sportsmen's Show in Toronto, Ontario from March 18 – 22. It is located on the CNE grounds in the Direct Energy Centre™, Exhibition Place. This show has everything for the outdoors person. The list of vendors and exhibits are to numerous to list here so why don't you visit their website to see what it is all about.

www.sportsmensshows.com/Toronto/

See you out there!

Navigation Tip#1 – Adjusting your Compass for Magnetic Declination

I went through my hiking guides today to try to find a hiking destination. I wanted to find some place close to home for my first trek out. I decided on a destination near Fergus Ontario. It is on map 12 in the Grand Valley Trails Association Guidebook. I always like to look at the area on a topographical map to see the difficulty of the terrain. While looking at the topo map it reminded me to set the declination on my new compass.


A compass has a magnetic needle that points to magnetic north but true north is either to the west or east of magnetic north depending where you are geographically. Since I am located in southern Ontario and the magnetic declination of this area is approx 10° west of true north, I have to adjust my compass to reflect this. What this means is that if I never adjust my compass to the proper declination then I would be off course by approx 10° west. Depending on the distanced traveled this could be quite a distance off course. The degree of magnetic declination for your area can be found on the topographical map or at the Natural Resources Canada website.

geomag.nrcan.gc.ca/apps/mdcal-eng.php



Since we know the magnetic declination is approx 10° west, we can then adjust red orienting arrow that is attach to the baseplate 10° to the west of the N (north) or the 350° mark on the compass dial. What we would see is that when we point the compass north and the red orienting arrow attached to the baseplate is in line with the needle we will see that the N (north) is slightly to the right. The N (north) is now pointing toward true north and not to magnetic north.

This declination adjustment is very important when using a compass with a map as if this is not done, as we said before, you will be off course by approx 10° west.

So set your declination on your compass and pull out your topographical map and start planning your next outdoor adventure.

See you out there!

It's Official. I am ready for the Hiking Season!

I made a purchase today that shows where my mind is. It is one of the most important purchases when it comes to hiking. Hiking shoes/boots. If your feet are not protected or comfortable then it is over before you take your first step. Hiking footwear is where it all starts. You need a shoe or boot, whatever your preference, to fit your feet properly. You need good support and a good fit to prevent blistering. They need to be durable and to act like a shock absorber because you are going to be on some pretty rough terrain and your footwear needs to be able to absorb at least some of the shock, if not most of it. With proper footwear you will be protecting your ankles, knees, and hips.

I have owned different brands of both hiking shoes and boots and really don't have a preference. What I have done is stick with the populars brands, such as Solomon, Merrell, and Columbia. I bought these brands because I know I am getting quality product and something that I can trust when I am out there on the trails.

My most recent purchase was Merrell Excursion hiking shoes. They fit my feet perfectly and are very comfortable. They do not rub anywhere which is important as this would cause blistering. Here are the features of this shoe:

Description

- Board Lasted Construction
- Nubuck Leather Upper
- Nubuck/Mesh Bellows Tongue
- Injection Molded TPU External Counter
- Anti-Rust Zinc Loop Lacing System
- Protective Molded Rubber Toe Bumper
- Polyester Mesh Lining Treated with Aegis Antimicrobial
- 4.5mm Ortholite Anatomical Footbed
- 2mm Tapered Nylon Grade 2 Insole
- Lightweight Polyurethane Midsole
- Merrell Air Cushion® Midsole
- 5mm Sole Lug Depth
- Vibram® Multi-Grip HikingTM Sole/Mont & TC5+ Rubber

It has everything that you would want in a hiking shoe. This is one area that you do not want to go cheap on. This shoe cost around $159 CDN, but I have the confidence that it will last even in the most rugged terrain for many hiking trips.

See you out there!