Castaway

Castaway is an entertaining movie which exhibits several survival skills. The movie grabs your attention and strings you along through exciting and emotional scenes of survival in the wilderness.

The movie is about a man named Chuck Noland who is the only survivor of a plane crash. In a flight over the Pacific Ocean, the FedEx plane Chuck is in crashes, killing everyone onboard except for Chuck. Having survived the crash, he uses an inflatable life boat to carry him to a deserted island. Using the items that wash up on shore from the FedEx plane and by using the island to his advantage, Chuck sets up to survive while he tries to figure out a way to sail into the water to civilization so that he can return to his life that he so abruptly lost.

Castaway can be linked to Outdoor Ed because it is a story of wilderness survival. In order for Chuck to survive, he had to use rational thinking and plan how he would use the island and items he had to his advantage. He also knew what he needed to do in order to survive and even though had gone through something traumatic, kept his mind and did what he needed to do in order to maintain life until able to make a safe escape. In Outdoor Ed we can learn survival skills that could be applied to extreme situations.

I really enjoyed Castaway and found it interesting to watch how Chuck used some of the items that washed onto shore with him. One of the items was a volleyball that he called Wilson and would talk to. Even though it wasn’t a living person, still having Wilson probably helped Chuck to not give up on his plan of escaping the island.

I would definitely recommend you watch this movie, I think you will thoroughly enjoy it.

Castaway. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Tom Hanks. 2000. Twentieth Century Fox Film Coporation, 2000. Film.

 

Boy,nine,survives wilderness thanks to tips from Bear Grylls

Boy,nine,survives wilderness thanks to tips from Bear Grylls

Rating:*****

This article about a nine year old boy surviving in the wilderness for 24 hours after being separated from the group he was with is pretty mind blowing because most kids that age would panic and cry but this boy used what he learned from the show Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls to survive til he was rescued by a search team.Despite being scared the boy named Grayson remembered from Grylls show to find a place of shelter and spent the night under a fallen tree and using his bare hands he ripped up his jacket and tied the pieces to the trees making an effective shelter.When Grayson heard a helicopter overhead, he ran into a meadow and waved the last piece of his jacket and was rescued.This made me think about just how helpful it can be to know what there is about surviving in the wilderness from survival shows and as a visual learner I can definitely benefit from watching them.I plan on camping in the future and this inspires me because if a 9 year old boy can do it without any preparation but pure wits from Man vs Wild then I can do it deliberately and make it a good experience minus the trauma the boy must have endured.After reading this article I am going to watch every single one of Bear Grylls Man vs Wild episodes because there is a lot to take away from them and it could save you in a survival situation like it did with this boy.If you are ever in a survival situation you will be glad you watched them and I’m glad it has has come to my attention that the show is indeed very helpful in teaching you to survive in real life scenarios.  

Source:

MailOnline, Paul Thompson for. "Boy, Nine, Survives Wilderness Thanks to Tips from Bear Grylls." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

Hyperlink:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194985/Boy-survives-24-hours-wilderness-thanks-tips-Bear-Grylls.html

World Record in Wing-Suit - Joshua Diepeveen

Flying Navy Seal Soars A World Record of 18 miles in a wing-suit

Rating: ****

Not all people would want to jump out of a plane 36,000 ft in the air with a wing-suit to raise awareness for a cause. But Andy was up for this crazy job.

The article is about Former Navy SEAL, Andy Strumpf, beating a world record distance from free falling with a wing-suit. He ended up travelling a total distance of 17.8 miles, and had to endure a 150-degree temperature swing in the process. He did all of this because he wanted to raise awareness, and raise money for the Navy SEAL Foundation.

In my life, I've always really wanted to experience free falling, and being in the military. This article has motivated me even more to try out both of these goals. Seeing his passion and his motivation is extremely inspiring, mainly because we share the same interests.

I recommend using your passion towards a good cause, like what Andy did.

http://www.wired.com/2015/11/flying-navy-seal-soars-a-world-record-18-miles-in-a-wingsuit/

Paleoplanet - Duncan Hogan

Paleoplanet – Duncan Hogan

Rating: 5/5

Paleoplanet is a forum for discussing topics related to primitive (Stone Age-Iron Age) survival skills. The forum includes sections on pottery, shelter building, primitive weapons making, fire starting, hunting, and many more as well as a general discussions area for members to post about topics that don’t necessarily fit in any other category.

The site contains information relevant to survival and bushcraft that can be used almost anywhere in the world, such as fire starting, shelter building, and tool making techniques, although some information, such as that on edible and medicinal plants, is very much regional. And because most of the members are from North America, Europe, and Australia, most of the information does pertain to those parts of the world.

I discovered this website when I was about twelve years old. Because I live right on the edge of Stittsville, I am surrounded by woodland and have grown up exploring the woods with my friends. Just like any twelve year old boy would be, I loved learning how to make weapons and fire the most. However, since then I have continues to enjoy bushcraft as a hobby, and have learned an immense number of almost-forgotten skills from Paleoplanet.

I would highly recommend this website to anyone looking to learn how to survive in the wild without the use of any modern tools or gadgets. After all, not many people these days are able to hunt, build, and survive with tools they made from scratch.

 

"127 Hours" Movie Blog

Tristan Cardinal                     127 Hours - Danny Boyle

         Rating- 5/5 stars 

          127 hours is an intriguing movie that is based on an autobiography written by Aron Ralston called, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place". This movie is taken place at 'Blue John Canyon', in southeastern Utah, USA in April 2003.

          Aron Ralston is a 28 year old curious mountaineer who decides to drive to Utah and hike for an entire day to explore the 'Blue John Canyon', purely for his love for the outdoors.  Along the way he meets and befriends two other hikers. Shortly after showing them a secret underground pool, he decides to split apart from the group and continue his journey. Not long later, when he is descending on a narrow canyon wall, he suddenly stumbles, falling towards the far ground. Along the way a large boulder begins to fall with him and tightly pins his forearm against the wall. He screams in agony, while attempting to push the boulder off his arm. He tries to call for help, pleading that the hikers he met earlier were still relatively close. No matter how loud he yells, nobody hears. He tries many techniques for moving the boulder, but none of them work. 

          Days later, Aron is exhausted from a lack of food, water, and sleep, resulting in hallucinations of friends and family. The following idea that comes across his mind is to use his pocketknife to saw off his own arm. First he breaks the bone in his arm so hes able to amputate, and next he slowly but surely cuts his whole forearm off. He escapes the crevasse he was in  and makes his way down a 65 foot rock face. He luckily comes across a family and they call authorities, they picked him up in a rescue helicopter and quickly fly him to the hospital. Today, Aron Ralston is 40 years old and continues to do what he loves, exploring canyons and hiking. 

          This movie has taught me the true dangers hiking alone, especially in an area where not many people choose to go. It showed me how important safety precautions are. It made me look forward to our shelter building unit and our rock climbing unit. Finally, this movie inspires me to continue to do what i love no matter what.

         I would highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in survival skills and anyone who isn't afraid of blood.

"Speedriding: Freestyle Skiing meets Paragliding" Review

By: Dylan Maltais

Rating: 5/5

The video “Speedriding: Freestyle Skiing meets Paragliding” was posted by Red Bull onto YouTube and what this video shows is the amazing talents of pro freestyle skier Aaron Durogati. This video follows him as he flies/skis down the mountain with a pair of skis strapped to his feet and a parachute strapped to his back. Through the view of various GoPro cameras the viewer can see and almost feel exactly what Aaron is going through as he sails down this mountain with extreme speeds.

            I personally was instantly intrigued by the title of this video “Speedriding: Freestyle Skiing meets Paragliding” not only because I am a skier myself, but also because of my pure curiosity. How is it possible to mix these two extreme sports together? This video does a very good job at showing just that, while not only is it an extreme sport is also a great way to appreciate the mountains. The views shown in this video are absolutely insane.

            Skiing has been a passion of mine for a very long-time and although I consider myself a pretty experienced skier, there is no way I would ever try this.  This sport combines two things that seem like they wouldn’t mix at all. I have been both parasailing and skiing (not at the same time) yet the things that occur in this video are still nerve racking. The way Aaron Durogati handles the extreme heights and speeds with such ease is a mystery to me, the way he stays calm even though he is only a foot above rocks or snow at times going at insane speed is just that “insane” and the fact the he keeps on speedriding is just incredible.

            This video really relates to Outdoor Ed class, because it’s a great example of an activity that occurs outside that is both exhilarating and very thought provoking. I think most of what Outdoor Ed as a class is showing us exhilarating outdoor activities, but also educating us about the great outdoors. Besides being possibly one of the coolest videos I have ever seen, this video is also not only a great example of an extreme version of the things we do in outdoor ed, but a perfect example.

 

I would highly recommend that anyone interested in the outdoors watch this video because of the many different aspects it showcases.

Whitewater kayaking in the Ottawa River

           

Whitewater kayaking in the Ottawa River

Due to the increase in melt water Whitewater kayaking and surfing have become quite popular in the rapids in parts of the Ottawa River

The blog City of Ottawa Whitewater  has been keeping enthusiasts up-to-date with the need to know information for those trying out white water kayaking in these pockets of Rapids throughout the Ottawa River. The blog details locations of good sites for paddling, tips, and safety concerns for those paddling. As well as some details about different sets of Rapids so that you know what A bit about them before you try them out or if you just want to know about them out of interest. The Google map locations and directions make it very easy to find the Saints and very sensible to new and experienced   Paddlers.  One of the most crucial parts of this blog is inviting paddlers know about Eddies, Pilow rocks, and other obstacles that might cause problems unless known before heading down.

I really enjoyed reading through this blog, looking through pictures, and watching the videos that the writer posted. This great information for both new and experienced kayakers which makes me really want to go and try them out being that I have some experience Whitewater canoeing. I things make a great trip whether or not we could actually go to these Rapids big question but the detailed analysis on each run could really help convince the board that it was safe. (it would be really cool if we can go for the canoeing unit). Overall I think it's a really cool blog and a great tool for those wanting to get involved.

Link to blog
://cityofottawawhitewater.blogspot.ca/


(this is another great video of someone surfing the same rapids]
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TmMkb8bB71k

29/3/16                           Orlando Duques Cliff Diving Expedition                      Shiwa Tawakoli
Rate: ****

Orlando Duque is an Olympic gold medalist high diver from Colombia. In this video; sponsored by RedBull, the 41 year old athlete visits Croatia and the island of Vis, taking us with him on his cliff diving expedition.

On his adventure along the coast, he climbs and jumps from various magnificent locations. Many people view cliff diving to be dangerous, and although it may be on the more extreme side of the spectrum, when done with caution, it can be a very exhilarating experience. There are many tourist attraction places such as La Quebrada in Mexico, that provide newcomers with cliff diving sites.

The most thrilling part of the trip, he says, was the Blue Cave. A truly majestic place with vibrant, neon blue water. This Sea cave is a protected monument of nature, hence prohibiting anyone from swimming. However, Orlando was granted permission for his venture. He described the trip to be overall a ‘once in a lifetime experience’.

I have never been cliff diving but this video has definitely inspired me to look further into this activity, and sea cave swimming. Experiential learning of the outdoors can not become any more relaxing or nerve racking than these two activities.

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phFwx4uozhY

"The Summit" review

Rabeel Akram

3/30/2016

Mr. Laughton

PAD03

The Summit- Nick Ryan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0pPhTLvzu4

Rating : *****

This movie is based on real life events that took place on August 1st, 2008, on a climb to the summit of the worlds second tallest mountain, K2, that left 11 of 25 international climbers dead. It combines real life footage from the day and dramatizations to really give the viewer a clear visual.

On August 1st, 2008, 25 international climbers had set out to climb K2, the worlds second tallest, and deadliest mountain. Although the weather was almost perfect, the climb slowly became deadlier. 18 of those climbers made it to the summit that day, but by the next day, 11 had died. The mystery behind their deaths are still a wonder, and this movie highlights their lasts moves made.

This experience was one of the biggest tragedies in mountain climbing history, and really shows that, no matter how prepared you think you may be, or how great the weather is, even if you are 100% prepared, things can go very, very wrong in a blink of an eye.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in either mountain climbing or mystery.

The Summit. Dir. Nick Ryan. 2013. Fantastic Films, 2013. Film.

 

 

Castaway Review

Tuesday, 29 March, 2016

Castaway Review

Castaway - Robert Zemeckis

Rating: *****

Castaway is an immersive movie that presents a realistic show of a lone man's experiences when stranded on a remote island after a plane crash. The movie was fairly anticlimactic and there was a lack of dialogue but the movie was still enjoyable and absorbed me into the plot.

Chuck Noland, the protagonist, works at Fed Ex as an executive. As Chuck was flying to Malaysia due to an assignment there, his plane crashed over the Pacific Ocean. Miraculously being the only survivor of the crash, he finds himself on a deserted island. After spending weeks surviving on the island with only a volleyball named Wilson to accompany him, Chuck begins building a raft. Chuck's past attempts to try and catch the attention of passing ships and planes have all failed; he needs to take a risk if he wants to be saved. The raft was his only option to leave the island unless he wanted to spend his life stranded. Castaway his story of surviving on a deserted island.

This movie really absorbed me into its story. The moment Chuck became stranded on the island, I was completely immersed into the movie. The movie was very atmospheric which made it almost seem as if viewers were stranded on the island as well. The movie does not feature a whole lot of talking or soundtrack in the background but this only increases the realness of Chuck's scenario. Also, Chuck is an average man which means that it is most definitely possible for someone in real life to have experienced and done similar things as Chuck to survive. 

Castaway relates to outdoor ed. since it is basically a realistic movie on surviving in the wild and away from any suburban areas. The physical and mental tasks Chuck did in the movie all helped him survive which can be connected to the survival unit in outdoor ed. as well.

This is a great 50 minute movie to watch when craving for a survival film and won't take up much time. Really recommend it.  
  

     Castaway. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Tom Hanks. 2000. Twentieth Century Fox Film Coporation, 2000. Film.

 

Alicia Saunders

29/03/2016

Mr. Laughton

PAD30

14 Year Old Achieves Hardest Boulder Climb Ever Done by a Woman

By:Andrew Bisharat

Rate: *****

Ashima Shiraishi is a fourteen year old girl from New York City who recently climbed Horizon; a large, smooth, V15 boulder in Mt. Hiei near Miyazaki in Japan. Shiraishi is now the youngest person, and the first female to climb a V15 boulder. (*Boulder problems are measured on the “V-Scale”  which currently ranges from V0 - V16 but it is open ended)

Climbing these near impossibly difficult boulder problems seems in part due to talent but mainly due to hardwork, Shiraishi practises every day after school at the Brooklyn Boulders, a climbing gym that focuses only on bouldering.

Shiraishi goes to these extraordinary places in search of challenging climbs during her breaks from school, and is able to complete them within days. Shiraishi is only the second person to have climbed Horizon, after skilled climber Dai Koyamada who is referred to as one of the best boulderers of all time. It took Koymada three years to finally successfully complete Horizon whereas Shiraishi sent it over the course of her spring break.

This is not the first record Shiraishi has set; last spring break Shiraishi became the first female to reach level 5.15a in sport climbing. She did this when she went to Catalonia, Spain and climbed Santa Linya, achieving an ascent of 5.15a. Also, in 2014 Shiraishi became the second female to ever send a V14 boulder. She accomplished this over the course of a few days on a trip to Rockland, South Africa.

            This relates directly to what we are currently learning in Outdoor Ed. Shiraishi’s accomplishments are due to her raw talent and hard work, and hopefully her story can inspire anyone to strive for greatness in rock climbing as well.

Source:

Bisharat, Andrew. "14 Year Old Achieves Hardest Boulder Climb Ever Done by a Woman." Beyond the Edge. National Geographic Society, 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. <http://adventureblog.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/22/14-year-old-ashima-shiraishi-climbs-hardest-boulder-problem-ever-done-by-a-woman/>. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCPiPh2sWDk

Rating: ***** 5/5

Dominic Lovisa

Ice Diving Guitar In Antarctica 

The video I'm sharing is the perfect combinations of both my interests. It has music, scuba diving and I feel it is a great representation of how far you can go in the scuba world. The video showcases the dive crew's last dive of the season in Antarctica. The crew was listening to Tisziji Muñoz the musical artist that inspired the crew to share their unique job with the world. Scuba diving has plenty of different options from commercial to recreational, and are all rewarding in the sense that they take some work to get to do, but the sensation is like no other.

I personally got into scuba diving just over a year ago and simply can't recommend a single other activity more than this one. The feeling of taking your first breaths underwater is indescribable. Scuba diving gives you a weightless feeling unlike any other activity, and words simply don't do it justice. I'm hoping this peaks at least someones interest and I hope someday everyone can have a shot at the strangely amusing underwater activity.

The video is highly relatable to the Outdoor Ed class, as this is an outdoor activity that can be enjoyed by just about anyone and there are options here in Ottawa to get involved. The scuba diving community is like one large extended family, and I feel it suits the model of the Outdoor Ed class.

I hope some of you were interested in this bizarre form of Outdoor Activity and as mentioned before I simply cannot recommend anything more than I recommend scuba.

The Crash, Recovery, and Miraculous Return of Jeb Corliss

Mackenzie Lagrove

3/29/2016

Mr. Laughton

PAD03

The Crash, Recovery, and Miraculous Return of Jeb Corliss

By: Devon  O’Neill

Rate: ***

Jeb Corliss is a 39 year old man who has been base jumping and wingsuiting for 18 years all over the world.  He has jumped off the Eiffel Tower in France, flew through Heaven's Gate in Tianmen, and flew through a long ride on Swiss Peak in Columbia-Shuswap.  Jeb had a perfect record of not getting injured or crashing until January 2012 at Table Mountain in South Africa. Table Mountain is South Africa's 3,558 foot mountain.

While Jeb was flying on the mountain he clipped his foot on the edge of a boulder and took a hard fall, breaking both his legs and tearing his ACL.  He had to have reconstructive surgery and took a year off to recover from this tragic accident.  Many people asked if he would give up this unique sport, but he just laughed and responded, “of course not”.  

In 2013 Red Bull asked Corliss if he would be interested in flying through a unique narrow slot on the 875 foot Langshan Mountain which is located in China.  Corliss researched and viewed photographs of the slot and declined, his accident in South Africa was still haunting him.  Red Bull again contacted him and asked if he would be interested in seeing the formation of the slot in person.  When Corliss saw the slot in person he agreed to do it instantly, he said he had never seen anything like it.  The slot was 60 feet wide at the top and 15 feet wide at the bottom.

The weather on the day was suppose to jump was horrible, there was wind and lots of rain.  The representatives of Red Bull were just about to close down the jump until Jeb jumped off the mountain.  He glided perfectly like a bird through the slot and made a safe landing.  Jeb's love for wingsuiting still lives on as he jumps off some of the highest and scariest mountains in the world.

Source: http://www.outsideonline.com/2053051/crash-recovery-and-miraculous-return-jeb-corliss

Life of Pi Review

Life of Pi Review

Jack Gorman                                                                                                                          

Rating: ****                                                                                                                                    

Life of Pi is an enthralling literary masterpiece by Canadian author Yann Martel. It incorporates a young boy named Pi, who is caught up in the sinking of a large cargo ship. He narrowly escapes death, only to find himself on a lifeboat with one other passenger; a large tiger. Pi implements basic survival skills and knowledge of the outdoor to stay alive. He is faced with many dire situations. The tiger on his lifeboat obviously poses a big threat, however he is troubled further by the weather and exposure. Since Pi is aware that exposure will kill him much easier than the tiger who remains passive under a tarp on the boat, he focuses firstly on protecting himself from the sun and other exposure. He uses supplies on the boat to make a sun hat, and does his best to cover himself. Then, he moves to his next biggest threat; the tiger. To solve this problem, he creates a makeshift raft and ties it to the main lifeboat, so he is isolated from the tiger. In the book, he references how important it is to have a basic knowledge of knots and lashings, as he uses them to create the raft that saves his life. Eventually, thanks to being well informed on the subject of the great outdoors, he reaches land and receives medical care.

I enjoyed reading this novel, and would not take the time I spent doing so back if I had the chance. The novel was gripping from beginning to end, and despite the cliché, I found the book hard to put down. If  I had to rate the novel, I would rate it 4/5 stars. The reason I would not give it 5/5 stars is because the portion at the beginning of the plot, before the ship sinks and the survival situation begins, is very dry and lengthy. However, as soon as the plot thickens, it becomes much more interesting and enjoyable to read.

This book is very relevant in terms of Outdoor Education, as the plot is essentially a survival situation. Yann Martel shows readers the importance that even the most basic understanding of survival skills can have. If Pi was put in this situation and he lacked this knowledge, the outcome likely would have been very different. He would perish, likely by way of exposure to the sun or the cold, or by becoming a victim of sharks, or the tiger.

I would recommend this book to a friend, and I recommend you read it yourself. It has an enticing plot that you will find your mind wandering back to throughout your day. It also teaches readers about the value that even an understanding of knots and lashings can have. You never know when you’ll need it, and like Pi, it could help you out in dire circumstances.

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Toronto: Knopf Canada, 2001. Print.

Jordan hunter
March 30, 2016

Rock Climbing in Gatineau Park

Rock Climbing in Gatineau Park

Gatineau Park offers local rock climbers all routes and rock faces they could wish for. The Eardley Escarpment, the 500-million-year-old toe of the Canadian Shield, provides 64 climbing routes on 5 seperate rock faces.

Where Is Rock Climbing Permitted?

The NCC has opened five rock faces, for a total of 64 climbing routes.

• Home Cliff: Centre Wall
• The three rock faces at the Twin Ribs site: Down Under, Eastern Block and The Left Twinn
• Western Cwm — West.

Gatineau Park Rock Climbing Code of Conduct

Rock climbing in the Park is a priviledge for which climbers have fought and continue to battle hard. Please make every effort to minimize your impact on your environment:

• Ensure that you have the necessary training, knowledge and experience
• to climb safely.
• Use the appropriate equipment, including protective gear (e.g. helmet),
• and ensure that it is in good condition.
• Do not use any anchors in the rock unless you have the knowledge and
• experience to assess whether or not they are safe (i.e. in good condition,
• appropriately placed and well anchored).
• Choose a route that is within your technical ability.
• Ensure that you are in good health and proper physical condition, and
• that your mental faculties are not impaired (e.g. by fatigue, medication,
• alcohol or drugs).
• Check to ensure that weather conditions are
• favourable for climbing.

- See more at: http://outdoorottawa.com/activities/gatineau-park-rock-climbing/#sthash.XhcUDsTL.dpufGatineau Park Rock Climbing Maps

The NCC provides these rock climbing route maps for climbers to use:

	Official Rock Climbing Sites
	Home Cliff
	Twin Ribs and Eastern Block
	Western Cwm

Gatineau Park Rock Climbing Code of Conduct

Rock climbing in the Park is a priviledge for which climbers have fought and continue to battle hard. Please make every effort to minimize your impact on your environment:

• Ensure that you have the necessary training, knowledge and experience
• to climb safely.
• Use the appropriate equipment, including protective gear (e.g. helmet),
• and ensure that it is in good condition.
• Do not use any anchors in the rock unless you have the knowledge and
• experience to assess whether or not they are safe (i.e. in good condition,
• appropriately placed and well anchored).
• Choose a route that is within your technical ability.
• Ensure that you are in good health and proper physical condition, and
• that your mental faculties are not impaired (e.g. by fatigue, medication,
• alcohol or drugs).
• Check to ensure that weather conditions are
• favourable for climbing.

- See more at: http://outdoorottawa.com/activities/gatineau-park-rock-climbing/#sthash.XhcUDsTL.dpuf

"Wild Edibles- Pine Needle Tea" - outsidefun1

Rating: *****


While tea doesn't wake you up in the morning quite like coffee, tea comes in so many flavours and blends that almost everybody can find a tea that they enjoy. And with tea, once you have hot water, all you need to do is add the teabag, wait for the tea flavour to diffuse, and then sip carefully at your drink until it cools down. What if you were to apply a similar principle to other plants and see what it tastes like? The youtube channel outsidefun1 examines the flavour of pine needle tea by breaking and steeping pine needles in hot water, and tests the taste of tea boiled in different concentrations and conditions.

Before the testing begins, it is made explicitly clear that the viewer should conduct extensive research, referencing multiple sources before consuming wild edibles. The speaker establishes that while white pine is a good source of vitamin C, he explains that pregnant women should not drink the tea, and that the needles of certain types of pine trees are considered inedible, and should not be consumed.

The video first explains the traits that are unique to a white pine, and then uses this information to locate a pine tree optimal for making tea. After the tree is located, and a fire is constructed the testing begins. When the tea is steeped and filtered to remove the needles, what remains is a transparent, slightly green-tinged liquid that could be easily confused for water. While the taste of pine is both present and not bitter, the end product is a very mild tea. Unlike traditional tea, which has been cultivated and bred to enhance the flavour and the dissolution of the juices, pine tea is a healthy, but mild drink.

The video does a good job at presenting the material it set out to present. It warns the viewer of the health risks and urges the viewer to perform research before they test the drink, it provides some background information and an easy step-by-step process, and ultimately presents the results of the experiment. It is a short video with a simple concept, but it achieved its goal and contains more information that what is covered in this review. As the weather approaches the optimal temperature, I might try making myself a cup of pine tea, and maybe share it with some friends while I'm at it.


Wild Edibles- Pine Needle Tea. Youtube. 22 Jan 2016. Web. Accessed 28 March, 2016.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZSBKrXjJN0>

"I'm Going on an Adventure!"

Extreme Photos of the Week 2016 - Various photographers

Rating: *****

If you’ve done six impossible things this morning, why not round it off with one of the activities featured in the Extreme Photos of the Week. The link leads to a collection of incredible photos taken of people doing extreme sports in remote outdoors locations, such as kayaking down a waterfall, skiing glaciers and surfing massive waves, amongst other things.

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/943/cache/jasper-gibson-vera-cruz-mexico-twisted-pleasure-aniol-serraolses_94330_990x742.jpg

One of the photos is shown above. Each photo has a short description of the activity, where it was done and challenges to taking the photo. For example, this picture was taken on the Jalacingo River in Veracruz, Mexico. The picture is of a man dropping off a 70-foot waterfall (called Twisted Pleasure) in a kayak. The photographer had to climb a slippery trail through thick roots and branches to get into position to take the photo.

I found all the photos to be mind-blowingly amazing. I like taking pictures (I’m a com tech student) and love seeing incredible pictures like these. I also love being outside and I want to go to some of the places shown in the photos because of their beauty and the adventures they promise. I like to think I’m becoming a sort-of skilled photographer, and I wonder if I have the skills to take pictures of this quality if I was in a similar scenario. The pictures also give me the desire to go out and try something extreme, albeit under more controlled conditions. While I wouldn’t immediately kayak down a waterfall, I’m now more excited to try white-water canoeing at the camping trip.

Anyone who appreciates good photography or insanely crazy stunts, or would simply like to have their mind blown by the incredible photos should definitely take a look at the collection, and see how the pictures inspire you.

"Extreme Photo of the Week - 2016 - National Geographic." National Geographic. Web. 09 Mar. 2016. <http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/extreme-photo-of-the-week/2016/>.  

Noah Veenstra Review "The Survival Handbook"

Noah Veenstra
3/20/2016
Mr. Laughton
PAD3O

The Survival Handbook

(Published by DK)

Rating ***** 

     The Survival Handbook provides a lot of insight towards a lot of survival and outdoor skills, specifically what I have reviewed for this assignment is the Fire Making section.

     In this section there is tons of information regarding how to make fires ranging from the various tinder you can use to all the different arrangements of fires you can have and what they are best for not to mention how to light them. The book also has a lot of tips and advice about what wood you should use,  what tools you can use, things you should and shouldn't do when making a fire and a lot more. Another very helpful thing the book does is for specific methods it goes step by step painting a more clear picture of how to go about starting certain fires and making certain tinder. 

     Overall I think this is a wonderful book. I have gotten to try a couple of the methods it describes for fire making, lately what I have been working on is trying to make feather sticks and proper natural tinder and I find the step by step descriptions of these methods to be extremely useful. When I first started trying the fire steel to start fires instead of more traditional means I definitely struggled quite a bit but after finding this book I have changed a lot of what I do when starting fires and can do it much more easily. I will definitely try things like the bow drills and other friction methods when I am more efficient at lighting fires with the fire steel. Overall I think this book is a very useful tool for anybody who takes interest in this kind of stuff  and I hope that people in this outdoor ed class take the time to look at it because fire building will be part of the course and this can help them out.

    To conclude I really hope that now and in later years that people in this class and those who fancy these kind of things take a look at resources like this and make the most out of making fire.

PS. The book is to large to photocopy properly but if you guys comment if you want me to bring it for class, I certainly can.

Source 

Towell, Colin. The Survival Handbook: Essential Skills for Outdoor Adventure. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley, 2012. Print.

Plant Guides

Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada

Published by Lone Pine.

Rating: ****

Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada is a comprehensible, organized guide that is interesting and easy to use. It gives information on many recognizeable species, and has all the appropriate warnings.

It has details on historic use of plants such as pines, ferns, and birches among other trees shrubs and herbs. Also included is a photo, description and toxic effects of each plant in the book. Though the information in the book should not be put to practice without nessecity, it gives a better understanding of the nature/ wildlife around you.

Aside from the new understanding associated with the book, it is interesting to see how much of nature can be used to our advantage, with the proper knowlege. The book may also have a point about the versatility of evolution in that the most similar plants are far more diffrent than it seems at first glance with painful, hair like barbs or toxic chemicals. This point is made again in the suggestion that the potency of dangerous effects in the same sort of plant may range from case to case. 

I wood recomend leafing through the guide to anyone looking for a closer connection to their outdoor surroundings.

Andy MacKinnon [et al].

Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada.

Published 2009. Print.