tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73467999041098432802024-02-20T23:30:54.115-07:00...and a bag of chips(spoon carver, bread baker) gypsy, nomad, wandering errant walker.Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-29051672758607395342014-03-12T12:57:00.000-06:002014-03-12T12:57:12.597-06:0040 before 40<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Allie 40 </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Silent meditation retreat</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">learn to drive stick</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">learn to drive motorcycle</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">learn to drive tractor</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">go on a hot air balloon ride</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">build a cottage</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">plant a permaculture garden</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ski in the backcountry</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">assessed in a second nols discipline</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">build and use a pizza oven</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get good at pottery</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lead a 5.6 trad climb</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">float a major river</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get more tattoos</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get married</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">have baby?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">learn to use a chainsaw</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">stay at the four seasons</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">own land</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get certificate in non profit management</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">make perfect bagels</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cl a nols course</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">travel abroad extensively</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">go on a personal kayak expedition</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">live in a foreign country for a season</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">climb glacier peak</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Own a small boat: kayak, row, or sail</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get published</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go to a TED conference</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn more about photography</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">live in a tiny house</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">travel somewhere exotic at the last minute</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">try a month gluten free, and one sugar free</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">found a non profit</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">surf in the ocean</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">have a consistent yoga practice</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ride an elephant or a camel</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">gallop on a horse</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">see the aurora</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cultivate deep friendships</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get real buff</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">go back to school</span></li>
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Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-71311479782472405862014-02-05T15:11:00.001-07:002014-02-05T15:11:04.787-07:00Laid Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7FfUJnOTpJ9JK2GpAO2PZhLXUPjsH8LeCl0_3mxuZQRYwUB-s2Rk0Z64qIO85jpUNEdJ8COr0kwZBwJjwGzf1YuOS14bJ8revACQ0XnNqrIidO0KKzigVkt-FtugRHwYCH1YkD8-R3zF/s1600/2014-02-05+13.17.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7FfUJnOTpJ9JK2GpAO2PZhLXUPjsH8LeCl0_3mxuZQRYwUB-s2Rk0Z64qIO85jpUNEdJ8COr0kwZBwJjwGzf1YuOS14bJ8revACQ0XnNqrIidO0KKzigVkt-FtugRHwYCH1YkD8-R3zF/s1600/2014-02-05+13.17.07.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-89553839508551481602014-02-04T18:17:00.002-07:002014-02-04T18:17:21.958-07:00iLeads Vision Board<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jpxk5kNffG8KE4R5115n8r7NQGD8hMm2FBX5O8mFvNeGN0nlTGBIaVNYMguDvqa2Mtyzd588x1kW_xVnIQW_MZhxNoTl-4iWvAO5mdKnNYkKWD7dHD28f5f2LkRcdduNCkQux-3LcnA4/s1600/2014-02-04+18.05.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jpxk5kNffG8KE4R5115n8r7NQGD8hMm2FBX5O8mFvNeGN0nlTGBIaVNYMguDvqa2Mtyzd588x1kW_xVnIQW_MZhxNoTl-4iWvAO5mdKnNYkKWD7dHD28f5f2LkRcdduNCkQux-3LcnA4/s1600/2014-02-04+18.05.58.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-51459577488557531072014-02-02T15:40:00.000-07:002014-02-02T15:40:00.848-07:00Designing Logos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN4AJY13dQZmWBCkxAnKMheYZqZPsr-GVTwdu5dsl8zo3OoS9PjtThCuZyUt0EUznSrI6nPBHX8KlCmX5ZgSlWhHygZ4fEzlCQwO13HH5lhQMG5FEXcrzs2u2H3VW2oIMC5uV3N288sNu/s1600/1690235_10100195658705416_2076782729_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN4AJY13dQZmWBCkxAnKMheYZqZPsr-GVTwdu5dsl8zo3OoS9PjtThCuZyUt0EUznSrI6nPBHX8KlCmX5ZgSlWhHygZ4fEzlCQwO13HH5lhQMG5FEXcrzs2u2H3VW2oIMC5uV3N288sNu/s1600/1690235_10100195658705416_2076782729_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-2930561352739896702014-02-01T16:02:00.000-07:002014-02-01T16:02:20.287-07:00Ski Locker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sH5aqM5-m12bKz88wp9sQ9tujnGvGnnFk7FND0t3jtucLt_T0R32yLq8GJz4Z5LCUSsQIbSnv0XrA3Vbc92MZQ8LWCkWU48nC5vdhF7SeNOSHXa7keShd_XVmF-vaf4OEAjsif_D1udH/s1600/2014-02-01+13.41.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sH5aqM5-m12bKz88wp9sQ9tujnGvGnnFk7FND0t3jtucLt_T0R32yLq8GJz4Z5LCUSsQIbSnv0XrA3Vbc92MZQ8LWCkWU48nC5vdhF7SeNOSHXa7keShd_XVmF-vaf4OEAjsif_D1udH/s1600/2014-02-01+13.41.51.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-3321074147536428482014-01-31T16:32:00.000-07:002014-01-31T16:32:22.413-07:00Contrasting Plaid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GJ2nK1yG3Bduj90kcGgbz4rHb_6JsuXjIcV-phpz4i32tGXmqCkrTqtlSTnWGB9izqE4ZEDtm3so4rRPXWemm8zNaygEqqf8VTmmIAYYG0HgrbiWj3fKz08bvMlVjr1s2fwykIpF8dYe/s1600/2014-01-31+15.48.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GJ2nK1yG3Bduj90kcGgbz4rHb_6JsuXjIcV-phpz4i32tGXmqCkrTqtlSTnWGB9izqE4ZEDtm3so4rRPXWemm8zNaygEqqf8VTmmIAYYG0HgrbiWj3fKz08bvMlVjr1s2fwykIpF8dYe/s1600/2014-01-31+15.48.28.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-90110189568754558102014-01-30T17:34:00.002-07:002014-01-30T17:34:57.024-07:00Beginning of Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxXZJqFqYNauzjqpqak0qCveLmj1TRYnU_K3BDyb8H1CJEAemLc5tdRFnatxGLYFDwtel2i7zdzGSJeQkNH5uK84TO3l2jqLXct70FSJMVebJ8fgAYIvzMpG0djSl3DIPO6oRsVQjZX5v/s1600/1725393_10100194196939806_1095852512_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxXZJqFqYNauzjqpqak0qCveLmj1TRYnU_K3BDyb8H1CJEAemLc5tdRFnatxGLYFDwtel2i7zdzGSJeQkNH5uK84TO3l2jqLXct70FSJMVebJ8fgAYIvzMpG0djSl3DIPO6oRsVQjZX5v/s1600/1725393_10100194196939806_1095852512_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-66967508844640822162014-01-28T12:20:00.001-07:002014-01-28T12:20:30.932-07:00His and Hers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoE51HONOks93sNqp3aslrIwnBHbtiag8NkZj_D81mAoRK86hWYGCR0hFqOTLjfxFATtLCWybprFrqZmxeeBOxvS8w4VLzPgRvzmbjyBBb84icVboe5__IOD330pcVrPmeNP-sqZG8vte/s1600/2014-01-28+11.29.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoE51HONOks93sNqp3aslrIwnBHbtiag8NkZj_D81mAoRK86hWYGCR0hFqOTLjfxFATtLCWybprFrqZmxeeBOxvS8w4VLzPgRvzmbjyBBb84icVboe5__IOD330pcVrPmeNP-sqZG8vte/s1600/2014-01-28+11.29.18.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-68476340961213274652014-01-27T18:10:00.002-07:002014-01-27T18:10:47.931-07:00Making Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgE4hBPjAGv40vU-U3ZCyO77kq1EXN-ZkDsKoAcNHSPjmWTpj8WZyUkh6trDbaOz6vr0DChfV9aJSzAxR2bVNzL3pjMYH4nHLnIZDnaq2biICA43cm952DVMj7-CAmHrE3zaqI-Y6n3M7/s1600/2014-01-27+17.59.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgE4hBPjAGv40vU-U3ZCyO77kq1EXN-ZkDsKoAcNHSPjmWTpj8WZyUkh6trDbaOz6vr0DChfV9aJSzAxR2bVNzL3pjMYH4nHLnIZDnaq2biICA43cm952DVMj7-CAmHrE3zaqI-Y6n3M7/s1600/2014-01-27+17.59.31.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-75718787127888996232014-01-26T16:42:00.001-07:002014-01-26T16:42:16.264-07:00Dog Romp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7ALZVA7en8GeRAsXgVzrA_GyGwEcDwnNpAo7Uj4N8wY3KSMHrDPQq3KjZdvQebEjk4eFb-YfEvmH51sYcOqihD9YhOY6bsx5clGMmC4feUGwtuEEpe0Yc7h6yZ4utZmBioFwTrMQnFIm/s1600/2014-01-26+15.23.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7ALZVA7en8GeRAsXgVzrA_GyGwEcDwnNpAo7Uj4N8wY3KSMHrDPQq3KjZdvQebEjk4eFb-YfEvmH51sYcOqihD9YhOY6bsx5clGMmC4feUGwtuEEpe0Yc7h6yZ4utZmBioFwTrMQnFIm/s1600/2014-01-26+15.23.48.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-39616179125508417322014-01-25T17:52:00.001-07:002014-01-25T17:52:06.107-07:00Library Windows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96pG-vOXjM93OEYGbvNvG3gT3Ost04Osxq5sKd_03G5RxRlL5rrZOQy7XpRKmTFS9kYHtqoNH63zfLdthPfVzrPlJsRwHcCTn5C-RSLJpYxW6KNLxnsdHUzyOYlG-Pn7BudWQglqVBXed/s1600/2014-01-25+14.49.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96pG-vOXjM93OEYGbvNvG3gT3Ost04Osxq5sKd_03G5RxRlL5rrZOQy7XpRKmTFS9kYHtqoNH63zfLdthPfVzrPlJsRwHcCTn5C-RSLJpYxW6KNLxnsdHUzyOYlG-Pn7BudWQglqVBXed/s1600/2014-01-25+14.49.32.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-37270894455875885202014-01-24T14:57:00.002-07:002014-01-24T14:57:59.910-07:00Oreo Cookie Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiulVLVPW1Nv60FHiIH6bIDV3sOAI2Nv7C1trxjI8IUai96lk4M2EDh6T5FqraKnSTLEiVb4udj-X7zi_-vyyxfmmv8bq4lQWm-FXxdIF5JU5NJS1VvkCEJ-D55zTbtX5APKyL3MVRT323/s1600/2014-01-24+14.43.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiulVLVPW1Nv60FHiIH6bIDV3sOAI2Nv7C1trxjI8IUai96lk4M2EDh6T5FqraKnSTLEiVb4udj-X7zi_-vyyxfmmv8bq4lQWm-FXxdIF5JU5NJS1VvkCEJ-D55zTbtX5APKyL3MVRT323/s1600/2014-01-24+14.43.34.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-81752270790301162312014-01-23T13:30:00.001-07:002014-01-23T13:30:00.852-07:00Green Thumb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrmt-rAOBmKoEGr_VwrnVq-KCB6B_UIJ92W-bSHiFGGgVnIZarQyGAk_Q2kgsY0GohyphenhyphenB7FhsgplVhtLf5dLQaHNfiyt8RXPV4Nclt5x_o885SW8zJTGeKuiSYXKbzIcIRvio0sAD1JKM3/s1600/2014-01-23+12.57.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrmt-rAOBmKoEGr_VwrnVq-KCB6B_UIJ92W-bSHiFGGgVnIZarQyGAk_Q2kgsY0GohyphenhyphenB7FhsgplVhtLf5dLQaHNfiyt8RXPV4Nclt5x_o885SW8zJTGeKuiSYXKbzIcIRvio0sAD1JKM3/s1600/2014-01-23+12.57.16.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-24372942740760608062014-01-13T11:46:00.001-07:002014-01-13T11:46:35.897-07:00Infographic<br />
<a href="http://www.rei.com/features/infographics/sleeping-bags.html?stop_mobi=yes"></a><br />
<img alt="Sleeping Bags Infographic: Choosing a 3-Season Sleeping Bag" border="0" class="graphic" src="http://www.rei.com/pix/marketing/images/sleeping-bag-infographic.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br /><br />Check out REI's wide selection of <a href="http://www.rei.com/category/4500001_Sleeping+Bags">sleeping bags</a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-75784011322970108102013-09-25T20:48:00.001-06:002013-09-25T20:48:35.398-06:00NOLS on a Budget<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-5823-85f2-ca4f-63c08cc6ddb2"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-5823-85f2-ca4f-63c08cc6ddb2"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buying NOLS gear on a Budget</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-5823-85f2-ca4f-63c08cc6ddb2"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Allie Maloney</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-5823-85f2-ca4f-63c08cc6ddb2"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">inspired by the November 2012 Staff Newsletter</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-5823-85f2-ca4f-63c08cc6ddb2"><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Congratulations! You’re going on a NOLS course! If you grew up backpacking, you might not need to read this article, you’ve probably got a lot of the basic knowledge and gear you need already. If you are new to outdoor adventures, listen up and prepare to get ready! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have a couple of options: Walk into REI with a packing list in hand, and nod solemnly as they outfit you from head to toe in shiny new gear. (Picture in your mind a splendid makeover movie montage with color-coordinated singing sales clerks). This method does work, but it might result in your instructors gently informing you that half of the stuff that you just bought is unnecessary and you’ll have to leave it behind in a storage locker. It also tends to be expensive and can be a heavy-weight option. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You could also show up at for the first day of your course and be outfitted head to toe by the NOLS issue room, renting some and buying some. If the cost is not an issue, and you don’t have much time and energy to learn about buying smart gear before you attend NOLS, this is a great option. Possible problems: smaller branches don’t carry items like boots, selection and sizes can be limited, first days are often very rushed and may result in a forgotten essential. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A third option exists for those who are on a budget, enjoy the spirit of the hunt, and have a little extra time to prepare. You don’t need to spend a fortune to have excellent, comfortable, and even stylish</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">gear. What I want to share with you is where to look for great deals, what items to buy used or new, what to look for in terms of quality and features, and what items to rent, splurge on, or just leave behind altogether. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I shop for my backpacking needs at thrift stores, garage sales, and the hardware store. I’ve never seen a free box I didn’t like. I technically live well below the poverty line. And yet on my instructor course, Ron Rash, our extremely funny, offbeat, and often blunt Course Leader, told me that I started the course off as the most stylish student there. That lasted almost three weeks before I burned a large hole in my puff jacket, ripped a gash in the seat of my pants, and spackled myself with an exploding bottle of fermented peanut sauce. Then, as Ron Rash said I just looked like a homeless person. (But at that point, so did everyone else!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> You don’t need to give up your keen sense of fashion in order to spend a month in the wilderness. It doesn't require a lot of money to be warm, dry, and comfortable during a 30 day expedition. It does take time, skills, and resources-- but you're lucky because I am going to let you in on the carefully guarded secrets of the gear guru, bargain-hunter style. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Ethics of Cheap</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Save money</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Public lands belong to all of us, and we pay for them every year with taxes. Whether or not you consider yourself wealthy shouldn’t limit your access to the beautiful wild places that have been set aside from civilization. NOLS offers tuition scholarships, but that often still leaves students with hundreds of dollars more to spend on boots, sleeping pads, and gaiters. As a society right now, it feels as though we are very thing-oriented and brand-driven, but it is possible to set all that aside when you leave the trailhead. Use your resources wisely, get a great deal, and in a small way, rebel against the consumer system.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go green</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: There is a huge secondary benefit to spending less on your gear: buying used items helps to save the planet. You're keeping stuff out of landfills, and you are lessening the amount of new raw material that has to be cut out of the earth, and the energy it takes to refine raw materials into fabrics-- and that sense of self-righteousness makes you stand up just a little taller, which makes it look like you've got more self-confidence. Good posture means all your clothes fit better, and suddenly: you are way more attractive. You could be a model in the next NOLS catalogue!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simplify</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: The third ethic of cheap: take the time to examine needs vs. wants. This is a huge tenet in lightweight backpacking theory. You don't </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">need</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to bring a folding camp chair, or a pair of binoculars, or a waterproof digital camera! Find a perfectly sloping rock for your backrest, learn to move quietly so the birds will come closer, and use colored pencils in your journal to record memorable sights. Spend that money on a nicer sleeping bag and relish the fact that your pack is light, your back less sore, your quality of sleep is better, and you have fewer items to pack up in the morning--more time for quality coffee making, and less items to lose! It is a total win-win. Paul Petzoldt, founder of NOLS, told his students, “</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before you leave you should make two piles: things you'll absolutely have to have and things you think you might need, and throw all the 'might needs' away.” </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Patience and Timing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first thing is patience. Outfitting yourself will not happen on one trip to the store. You will need to use your resources, in both the real and virtual worlds. Being patient will get you more gear for the same amount of money. Buy summer gear in October and winter gear in April. After the holidays, often people have upgraded, so you can get their used gear cheap. If you live in a ski town or some other seasonal sport town, start looking after the season ends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Develop a zen-like state as you slowly move through the rack of long sleeved shirts at your local Goodwill. Keep your mind clear, and your expectations low. Do not skip a chunk because you have become bored or frustrated. Remember to look in adjacent sizes for shirts that have been put back hastily by other, less zen, shoppers. Bring your iPOD and listen to something that makes you happy. Set a time for yourself when you will leave the store in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Find an enthusiastic friend who knows your size and what you are looking for. Bribe them with offers of an appropriate beverage, whether a gourmet smoothie or a cold beer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quality</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just as in life, there are choices and trade-offs you will need to make. Even as a novice outdoorsperson, self-knowledge is valuable. What are your values? What makes you happy? Are you a cold sleeper or a warm sleeper? Are you hard on clothes, always getting holes in your jean’s knees? Do you need a good book to read before you go to sleep? Do you have unusually strong B.O? Having this knowledge will give you a place to begin asking questions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t buy cheap stuff. The price might be cheap, but the construction and materials should be solid. If you pay full retail for a new $30 pair of hiking pants, the quality will probably be a lot worse than a slightly worn $30 pair of hiking pants that started life as a $70 pair of hiking pants. This aligns with what Wendell Berry calls being a responsible consumer- buy good things that last instead of disposable stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Some good brand names to look for at sales or consignment stores: Outdoor Research (OR), Patagonia, Mountain Hardware, ExOfficio, Big Agnes, Smartwool, Icebreaker, Marmot, Montbell, Isis, GoLite, Arcteryx, Merrell, Sierra Designs, Osprey, Black Diamond, MSR, Ibex, Brooks Range Mountaineering, Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends. (LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, Columbia, REI, and Royal Robbins can be hit or miss. )</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But don’t get too caught up with brand names! If you find an awesome, no-name wool sweater at at garage sale, and it fits perfectly (slightly loose, for layering), doesn’t itch, and if you look good in it, then go for it! Remember also that there are other brands who are marketing for a different audience than backpacking, but might have the perfect thing for you. Running, yoga, sometimes hunting, biking, or paddling gear can be repurposed for hikers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashionability</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As far as what looks good on you, if you embrace kitschiness as humor, you will have a lot more fashion options in any thrift store, but there is a fine line between kitschy and dorky: good luck with that. Often NOLS instructors will bring pieces of ‘flair’ such as amazing jhorts, sequined tube tops, or chef’s hats. Feel free to join the club-- you will not be the weirdest one there. Of course, the best goal regarding fashion is to want to be the person who looks the most comfortable hanging out on the expedition: better to sit there looking comfy in a cheesy outfit than to be shivering like a fool in less functional designer clothes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do Your Research</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn more before buying much. Renting gear is awesome. Places like REI will rent you gear if you are interested in figuring out some of your personal preferences before setting out for a month or more. NOLS carefully chooses rental gear that balances student’s comfortable, overall durability, and efficiency. Most often recommended gear to rent: backpack, sleeping bag, windpants, light puffy jacket, various stuff sacks and an “attack pack.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Research online: user reviews can be very helpful, as long as you take everything with a grain of salt, and cross check reviews on different sites. Backpackgeartest.org is a great resource. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go check out the community message boards at backpackinglight.com and backpacking.net-- the folks there are eager to offer advice, and several NOLS alumni and instructors haunt the boards. Because they are both lightweight-focused groups, the advice will be biased in that direction. Again, take the advice with a grain of salt-- don’t deviate from the packing list that came with your course packet-- in general NOLS is getting lighter as the years go on, but we still carry large expedition-sized packs, because we are </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">going </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on expeditions, and the amount of food and group gear just takes space. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where to Start</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Start at home! Look for a tupperware bowl with a lid in your kitchen, the waterbottle you carry with you to school, your favorite team’s baseball cap-- most likely you will have at least ten things to check off your list right away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grocery Stores, Dollar store, Grocery Outlet:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> your sources for snickers bars, small journals, hand sanitizer, toiletries, bandanas, lighters, and face paint. Gatorade or Bolthouse juice bottles make excellent lightweight waterbottles, due to sturdy plastic and a larger opening. Plus you get to drink whatever is inside them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thrift stores:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A wide range exists from Salvation Army and Goodwill to Buffalo Exchange and other high-end consignment shops. Wicking polyester tees are easy to find at thrift stores, especially if you don’t mind shirts that tell the world you ran in the 2009 Key West 5K walk/run. Fleece is cheap and abundant, but look for simple pieces with thin, not bulky fleece, better for layering. Nylon running shorts are usually available in a rainbow of colors, and tend to weigh less than 4oz. Poly or poly blend (they can have a little cotton) button down plaid shirts make excellent and awesome looking sun shirts. Bonus points for pearl snaps. These should be thin-woven, almost see-through when held to the light. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you live in a Big City consider: where do the 20 and 30-somethings live who have money/are outdoorsy? Go to their thrift stores first. Used gear stores do exist-- but they don't always have the best deals. If you live near a ski town, check the thrift stores right at the end of the ski season when people are cleaning out their closets. Remember that you can often get things NEW for 50% off, so don't pay 50% for something that is already super beat up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other things easily found at the local Goodwill: waterbottles galore, insulated mugs, paperback books that you don’t mind tearing up into three sections (one for each re-ration), hats of all shapes and sizes (fun hats are an excellent way to add flair to your outfit). Anything wool, or some wool/silk/poly/spandex blend. Thick wool button-downs, sized to go over your other layers, are a retro but still viable option. Wool is warm when wet, durable, and sustainable. It tends to regulate temperature and body odors better than synthetics. Men have the option of picking up a pair of synthetic/wool dress pants, which will certainly add to the professional look of your outfit, and are generally well made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hit or miss: sports bras, hiking pants, camp shoes, base layers, gloves. I don’t recommend buying raingear or inflatable sleeping pads from thrift stores. The consequences if either item leaks are just too high. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sniff test is important for certain types of polyester. Most used clothing stores have a musty smell that permeates everything in there. If used gear has a significant stink you don’t really like, the two problems you have are that this gear is stinky and that this gear tends to hold a stink, so consider this stinkability factor in your shopping choices. Sometimes it can be washed out, and sometimes not. Try getting an enzyme-based detergent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Target, Walmart, Costco</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You might have opinions about shopping at a ‘Big Box Store,’ but honestly Target has great activewear shirts, nice thin nylon athletic socks, sunglasses, and travel toiletries. Stay away from Walmart’s camping section, except for maybe a bug head net-- their stuff tends to fall apart. But Walmart knock-off Crocs are good, also check for simple watches with an alarm. Costco has had light down jackets in the past, and usually has wool socks in 3-packs for $10. Women who are on the smaller side can easily fit into kid’s L-XL jackets and socks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Garage Sales, Craigslist, Ebay:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Probably the most time-consuming option, but it can be really fun. Helps to know exactly what you are looking for and what sizes fit you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Websites:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Steep and Cheap, Department of Goods, The Clymb, Sierra Trading Post, Minimus, Patagonia. Deep discounts on new outdoor clothing and supplies. Do a google search for coupon codes for an extra 20% off, or free shipping. Minimus offers individual serving size options for just about everything, which is especially great for those hot sauce connoisseurs. Patagonia Common Threads Partnership has a website that is dedicated to helping used gear find new homes-- but first you have to take the pledge to Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle, and Reimagine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cottage Industry Brands:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gossamer Gear, Anti-Gravity Gear, Jacks-r-Better, Titanium Goat, Dirty Girl Gaiters, ULA Equipment, Mountain Laurel Designs, Oware, Integral Designs, Melanzana: These are small companies, made in the US, selling some interesting and innovative gear. Check them out for great deals on sleeping pads, bivy sacks, rain kilts, tyvek ground sheets and much more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">REI Scratch n Dent Sales: </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Offered twice a year for most brick-and-mortar stores, you must first be a member to attend these sales. Be prepared for chaos. People line up a few hours before they open the doors. “Scratch n Dent” refers to the fact that the sale is made up of items that have been returned to the store over the previous months. Reasons returned could be anything from “poor fit” to “totally busted”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When to Spend</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lightweight insulation</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> pieces can be expensive even when on sale. But the weight/warmth ratio can make the investment worth it. Choose a piece that will layer well, and also try to find something that you like enough to wear around in-town after your course. Down or synthetic puffies often require special care, especially around open flame. If you choose a jacket in your favorite color, and in a style that flatters you, you will be more likely to take care of it during your course. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Boots or hiking shoes</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> should not be too tight, and it is worth it to have an expert fit you, and to even buy special insoles. Blisters and foot pain take a lot from the joys of the trail. Gore-tex lined shoes claim to be waterproof, but with all the river-crossings NOLS does, Gore-tex just means that it will take longer for shoes to dry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rain Gear</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> comes in three categories: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) heavy and totally waterproof, but not breathable-- really only appropriate for deep sea fishermen in Alaska </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) light, inexpensive, and waterproof/breathable-- which will work fine to a point, but usually proves to be only semi-waterproof and partially breathable (if it rains all day, you’re gonna be wet) and finally </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) light, extremely expensive, and waterproof/breathable-- which is awesome if you can find space for it in your budget. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sleeping Bags</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are the Great Debate items. For a long time it was between synthetic insulation, which is “warm when wet” and will dry out faster if it does get soaked and down insulation, which has a better warmth/weight ratio, but costs more and tends to be absolutely useless if it gets wet. New technologies have given us down bags with waterproof/breathable fabric shell, and also a new silicone-coated down called “Dry Down” that claims to eliminate the hazards of taking down into a wet climate. Unless you are willing to educate yourself on this tricky subject, rent a sleeping bag from NOLS and wait until after your course to buy one. Plus-- you’ll have access to great pro-deals as a NOLS alumni.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make Your Own Gear</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you have leanings towards the crafty, get out there and knit your own warm hat, fashion a balaclava from a thrift store fleece, build a coozy for your mug out of sleeping pad foam and duct tape, and sew stuff sacks, a nifty rain skirt, or even a lightweight bivy sack. Check out DIY Gear Supply, Quest Outfitters, Seattle Fabrics, and Thru-Hiker.com To get ideas, the search term is ‘MYOG.’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ask questions, be humble, and come with an open mind. We all are constantly learning, and there is power in being a beginner; power in seeing a glacier, catching a fish, making cinnamon rolls for the first time. Despite the focus and tone of this article, being outdoors is not about what you are wearing. Good clothing and gear should be able to take you into the backcountry in comfort; the real test happens when you are so immersed in your surroundings that what you carry fades into the background, and what you wear allows you to merge invisibly with the landscape. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common-- this is my symphony.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">William Henry Channing</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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</b>Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-3366007823845000042013-09-25T20:40:00.000-06:002013-09-25T20:40:15.077-06:00Nutrition Class Outline (In Progress)<b id="docs-internal-guid-6f396506-5821-86f5-5601-7b2618ed5756"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-6f396506-5821-86f5-5601-7b2618ed5756"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nutrition Class Outline</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-6f396506-5821-86f5-5601-7b2618ed5756"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Allie Maloney 9/25/13</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Food plays important roles in:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Staying healthy: Keeping well-nourished plays an instrumental role in fighting illness and disease. Building and repairing body tissue</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Attitude: Without good nutrition, disposition and attitude deteriorate rapidly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Energy: Food provides the energy that allows us to take part in physical activities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mental alertness: Thought processes and decision-making ability deteriorate without good nutrition. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fun quote</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three goals:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1: Stay full/energized all day. No bonking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2: Burn fat, retain muscle mass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3: Combat sore muscles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whiteboard: Carbohydrate 60% Fat 30% Protein 10% </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NOLS Diet: 3000 calories a day or about 1.5 pounds per person per day</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe have some rations and what category each falls into? Like maltballs having a lot of fat?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Carbohydrates</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stored in three places in the body: liver glycogen, muscle glycogen, blood sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Muscle weighs more than fat. This is because muscle contains glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrates that your body uses for fuel, and muscle glycogen is stored with water. In fact, every gram of glycogen has roughly 3 grams of water along with it. As you burn through your glycogen stores to fuel your activity, you release this water for your body to use. So the more muscle you have, the more water you can store. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Folks with less muscle mass (generally women) need to drink water more frequently and </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">eat frequent small snacks</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in order to keep up energy levels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can store roughly 1,400 to 1,800 calories of glycogen in your body at any given time. This is enough stored carbohydrate to fuel roughly one to three hours of continuous moderate-to-high intensity exercise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Hitting the wall” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The depletion of muscle glycogen stores means muscle fibers lack the fuel necessary to contract properly. Muscle fatigue and weakness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Bonking” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The depletion of liver glycogen stores feed the brain, and the central nervous system will react. Irritability, dizziness, and loss of focus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Carbohydrates are your brain’s preferred fuel source, because they convert to blood glucose (blood sugar) faster than fat or protein. In fact, you need some carbohydrate to effectively burn fat for fuel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Proteins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Excess protein is either burned for energy (as a carb) or stored as fat. Excess protein does not equal increased muscle mass. The only way to build muscle is to combine adequate protein with exercise that stresses your muscles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No more than .9 grams per pound of body weight for protein. .5 grams per pound of body weight is recommended for recreational athletes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Protein: combination of 20 amino acids. Our bodies can make all but 9 amino acids. Those 9 must come from our diet. Animal products, soy, quinoa, are the most complete (ie have all 9), but a combination of nuts, seeds, dairy, grains, and legumes when eaten within 24 hours together will create a total 9 combination. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Complementary protein foods do not have to be eaten at the same meal, as long as they are consumed within the same day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many athletes are aware of the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“magic window”</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for refueling; this refers to the 15-to-30 minute time period immediately following exercise when glycogen can be stored more easily. Combining some protein along with the carbohydrate helps repair injured muscle tissue along with filling the glycogen stores.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fat yields 9 calories per gram compared to 4 calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fat: good for immune system, hair and skin, temp regulation, energy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you are kicking back at camp, or travelling at a </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pace that allows comfortable conversation</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, you are most likely burning mostly fat. As the intensity of your exercise increases (setting a faster pace, climbing uphill, or carrying a heavier load) or you enter a more extreme environment, you will use more carbohydrates (glycogen) than fat. As your fitness increases, you will be able to use fat at higher intensity levels than when you are less fit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lots of fatty foods can = GI distress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hydration and the small things (Antioxidants, Vitamins, Minerals, Electrolytes)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Helps with altitude sickness, temperature control, muscle soreness, digestion, sleep, sustained energy…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cold environments/high altitude demand more hydration, by up to 2 liters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Women (young women in particular) are 25 times more liked to suffer from hyponatremia: estrogen affects the enzymes that move potassium (key electrolyte) out of the brain. This potassium shift is an important response to the brain swelling that occurs with the abnormal loss of sodium.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Digestion</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why does my poop change color?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting “NOLS Gold” is a shared experience for most NOLS graduates. The change in color is mostly due to the consistency of the color of foods we eat in the field (pasta, oats, hashbrowns, rice etc). A small effect comes from food moving through our digestive system more quickly as well. The change in texture is actually a healthy sign of the body stripping the foods of all their nutrients. The only causes to worry are if you are not pooping or if it is more along the lines of diarrhea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NOLS students are prone to experience weight loss if they do not understand some basic nutritional principles. Unfortunately, this type of weight loss on course is generally muscle wastage that occurs when the body begins to break down muscle mass to create more carbohydrates for the brain. It is important to stress during this class the dangers of this type of weight loss and what can be done to combat it. I’ve seen both male and female students try to restrict their diet while hiking, without a full understanding of the caloric demands backpacking, cold nights, and altitude put on their body. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An emphasis of “food is fuel” as well as encouragement and time in the schedule for “magic window” and encouraging slower and steadier hiking paces (can you carry on a conversation while travelling uphill?) can leave students feeling energized and fit after a month in the field, rather than worked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Figure out your basic caloric needs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Factors: Body, Activity, Cold, Hot, Altitude</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In summer, below 9000ft:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Less active day: Body weight x 14 calories per pound = calories used per day</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Very active day: Body weight x 24 calories per pound = calories used per day</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For cold environments/high altitude environments, the military sets a base of 4500 calories per day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Revisit three goals and offer tips/ answer questions</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Frequent small snacks on trail. Start with a substantial breakfast, like kitchen-sink scones. Perkys will make you bonk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Eat the entire ration (nature burger, lentils and all). Have a “magic window” snack, like quesadillas and super cocoa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Drink water consistently throughout the day, and don’t be afraid of salt. Salt your oatmeal (two pinches), and all your dinners.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have students break up into small groups and create different sample menus for short trips</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frontloading: don’t get stuck with NOLS-style-only mindset, can have some freshies, frozen meat can defrost for the first night. Think about cost, weight, simplicity of cooking. Breakfast, hot drinks, snacks, lunch, dinner, dessert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 day trip (do not include breakfast the first night or dinner the last)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Group 1: with younger students (picky)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Group 2: with a lightweight bent</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Group 3: with shoulder season temps (cold)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Group 4: canoe or kayak specific</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students present and explain choices. Lots of fun! Especially when students have been in the field long enough to start having food cravings.</span></div>
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</b>Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-20415391341264357892013-08-12T15:16:00.000-06:002013-08-12T15:16:17.328-06:00AugustDrove back to Lander today, a wonderful, happy, air-conditioned drive. Car seems to be running well, I ate good food from the Jackson Albertsons, and bought a fleece at the used gear store there. Now I am back in the noisy Noble, thinking about spending the afternoon in some way. Nap, read, dream, thrift store. Tracking down my paycheck and car registration can wait for another day. I've got friends in town to see, a personal trip to plan, and work (or lack of it) can also wait. I am excited to get my fly rod back out of storage, and to see Boulder again soon. Wishing I could see all of my far-flung friends.Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-9797762588621196082013-07-14T18:19:00.002-06:002013-07-14T18:19:35.219-06:00Excerpts from the group group (written by students) <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">This morning we woke up at 8am-- quite a luxury. Since then, it has been quite an adventure leading up to this evening, as I lay in the tent listening to the musical zipping and unzipping of tent flies and the wind moving through the lodgepole pines. We hiked six miles today from just below the Popo Agie falls to just uphill of the Sheep Bridge. Though my shoulders were sore and the altitude was getting to me (and I suspect a few others), the hike was surprisingly calm and uneventful, with frequent short stops to discuss the behaviour of caterpillars and to ID various plants-- in other words, the perfect hike. Our group was the first to arrive at camp (Adiel, Alex, Kelsey, myself, and Yuri), so we chose a location that will suffice, though not as well as this morning’s site. The day, which had been cool and occasionally cloudy, took a turn for the petulant in the form of chilly rain and intense winds that did a number on our tents. I imagine we’ll have a great deal more wind and rain as the month progresses, so we’ll learn to deal with it-- it is all part of the experience! When the rain died down and we had made dinner (mac n cheese all around!), we all grouped up together to meet this lovely journal and discuss our community. All in all, a gorgeous day! -Liana</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sitting in a camp surrounded by the wilderness I watch as the sun sinks and prepares for a new day. I am finally starting to get familiar with the group of guys and girls I will be spending the next 30 days with which is very comforting. Today I got to hike with Olivia, Liana and Allie for the first time and learned a lot about the wildlife surrounding us, but more importantly created a bond with my hiking group that I already cherish. As I go deeper and deeper into the wilderness I learn more about myself and the strengths I possess and the weaknesses I need to solve. Today was especially fun because we got to fish for the first time which is one of my favorite things to do. Although it is still early and I feel somewhat stranded and frustrated, I am beginning to feel at home with new friends and the outdoors. -- David</span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-0b50a2f4-dfae-94ae-acc7-b173ea0b6cd8"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today cowboys brought our first re-ration! After trekking two miles away from our beautiful lakeside campsite, we arrived in the meadow only to find a two hour wait ahead of us. But our new food/ rock climbing gear/ personal items proved to be well worth the wait. With Santa Claus in the form of cowboys and horses as the reindeer, we eagerly unloaded our presents-- including </span><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">eleven </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">blocks of cheese per tent group. This day also marked the end of an eight day era: the existence of our first tent group. Although I’m already nostalgic about no longer being one of Kyle’s three mormon wives, I’m also excited to learn how to live with and adjust to other people’s personalities/ habits. Our group is becoming closer and more cohesive every day, and switching up the tent groups can only help. Also may this time I’ll learn to cook. So yes, that’s all for now. --Kate.</span></span></span>Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-89809215969487231452013-06-09T17:03:00.002-06:002013-06-09T17:03:39.250-06:00Sunday the ninthT-minus 1 hours until meeting with students. I have the honor of leading some sort of icebreaker. I have a terrible head-and-stomach-ache, and it is NOT from nerves. I spend some of the extra rations money on energy chews, and accidentally ate two packages today. The caffeinated ones. Ouch. So far, everything fits inside my backpack. Read book, created class notes, started to clean my room, packed pack, sanded spoon, sorted paperwork. In the next twenty four hours I am going to be teaching: feminine hygiene, tent sent up, pooping, and community values. Quite a range.<br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid--d98fc7a-2b2d-86e4-0796-ec9877e50dd3"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A proper community, we should remember also, is a commonwealth: a place, a resource, an economy. It answers the needs, practical as well as social and spiritual, of its members - among them the need to need one another. ― </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wendell Berry</span></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1781679" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a></b></div>
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Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-68126562304145576802013-06-06T17:07:00.000-06:002013-06-06T17:07:04.245-06:00Lightweight Backpacking<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LIGHTENING THE LOAD</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first thing we have to do</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is to notice</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that we've loaded down this camel</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with so much baggage</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we'll never get through the desert alive.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Something has to go.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then we can begin to dump</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the thousand things</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we've brought along</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">until even the camel has to go</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and we're walking barefoot</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on the desert sand.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's no telling what will happen then.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I've heard that someone,</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">walking in this way,</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">has seen a burning bush. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-- Francis Dorff, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-67ed3848-1bb6-b2c5-640e-b1816bdb5624"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaek59EA2xdqGFl6brTp1Tsx9CHlcN9nGHUQhz1l0LWeD-mptLPbrn9MXNuefRIQs7koj6coGtaCnTw5S1ZArOLEfBgSWGLFUb7Mj_9ZPWaet0xUEY4jKDNuLPAU00Pqtf4XxZhESZtuxP/s1600/2013-06-06+12.03.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaek59EA2xdqGFl6brTp1Tsx9CHlcN9nGHUQhz1l0LWeD-mptLPbrn9MXNuefRIQs7koj6coGtaCnTw5S1ZArOLEfBgSWGLFUb7Mj_9ZPWaet0xUEY4jKDNuLPAU00Pqtf4XxZhESZtuxP/s400/2013-06-06+12.03.42.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div>
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Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-71866954737305019572013-06-06T16:57:00.004-06:002013-06-06T16:57:59.631-06:00An article I have been writing for scholarship students.<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-1bb5-75cb-c76b-d8b9cec22dad"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-1bb5-75cb-c76b-d8b9cec22dad"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NOLS on a Budget</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-1bb5-75cb-c76b-d8b9cec22dad"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Allie Maloney</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4d0be6e3-1bb5-75cb-c76b-d8b9cec22dad"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">inspired by the November 2012 Staff Newsletter</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Congratulations! You’re going on a NOLS course! If you grew up backpacking, you might not need to read this article, you’ve probably got a lot of the basic knowledge and gear you need already. If you are new to outdoor adventures, listen up and prepare to get ready! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have a couple of options: Walk into REI with a packing list in hand, and nod solemnly as they outfit you from head to toe in shiny new gear. (Picture in your mind a splendid makeover movie montage with color-coordinated singing sales clerks) This method does work, but it might result in your instructors gently informing you that half of the stuff that you just bought is unnecessary and you’ll have to leave it behind in a storage locker. It also tends to be expensive and can be a heavy-weight option. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You could also show up at for the first day of your course and be outfitted head to toe by the NOLS issue room, renting some and buying some. If the cost is not an issue, and you don’t have much time and energy to learn about buying smart gear before you attend NOLS, this is a great option. Possible problems: smaller branches don’t carry items like boots, selection and sizes can be limited, first days are often very rushed and may result in a forgotten essential. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A third option exists for those who are on a budget, enjoy the spirit of the hunt, and have a little extra time to prepare. You don’t need to spend a fortune to have excellent, comfortable, and even stylish</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">gear. What I want to share with you is where to look for great deals, what items to buy used or new, what to look for in terms of quality and features, and what items to rent, splurge on, or just leave behind altogether. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I shop for my backpacking needs at thrift stores, garage sales, and the hardware store. I’ve never seen a free box I didn’t like. I technically live well below the poverty line. And yet on my instructor course, Ron Rash, our extremely funny, offbeat, and often blunt Course Leader, told me that I started the course off as the most stylish student there. That lasted almost three weeks before I burned a large hole in my puff jacket, ripped a gash in the seat of my pants, and spackled myself with an exploding bottle of fermented peanut sauce. Then, as Ron Rash said I just looked like a homeless person. (But at that point, so did everyone else!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> You don’t need to give up your keen sense of fashion in order to spend a month in the wilderness. It doesn't require a lot of money to be warm, dry, and comfortable during a 30 day expedition. It does take time, skills, and resources-- but you're lucky because I am going to let you in on the carefully guarded secrets of the gear guru, bargain-hunter style. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Ethics of Cheap</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Save money</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Public lands belong to all of us, and we pay for them every year with taxes. Whether or not you consider yourself wealthy shouldn’t limit your access to the beautiful wild places that have been set aside from civilization. NOLS offers tuition scholarships, but that often still leaves students with hundreds of dollars more to spend on boots, sleeping pads, and gaiters. As a society right now, it feels as though we are very thing-oriented and brand-driven, but it is possible to set all that aside when you leave the trailhead. Use your resources wisely, get a great deal, and in a small way, rebel against the consumer system.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go green</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: There is a huge secondary benefit to spending less on your gear: buying used items helps to save the planet. You're keeping stuff out of landfills, and you are lessening the amount of new raw material that has to be cut out of the earth-- and that sense of self-righteousness makes you stand up just a little taller, which makes it look like you've got more self-confidence. Good posture means all your clothes fit better, and suddenly: you are way more attractive. You could be a model in the next NOLS catalogue!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simplify</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: The third ethic of cheap: take the time to examine needs vs. wants. This is a huge tenet in lightweight backpacking theory. You don't </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">need</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to bring a folding camp chair, or a pair of binoculars, or a waterproof digital camera! Find a perfectly sloping rock for your backrest, learn to move quietly so the birds will come closer, and use colored pencils in your journal to record memorable sights. Spend that money on a nicer sleeping bag and relish the fact that your pack is light, your back less sore, your quality of sleep is better, and you have fewer items to pack up in the morning--more time for quality coffee making, and less items to lose! It is a total win-win. Paul Petzoldt, founder of NOLS, told his students, “</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before you leave you should make two piles: things you'll absolutely have to have and things you think you might need, and throw all the 'might needs' away.” </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Patience and Timing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first thing is patience. Outfitting yourself will not happen on one trip to the store. You will need to use your resources, in both the real and virtual worlds. Being patient will get you more gear for the same amount of money. Buy summer gear in October and winter gear in April. After the holidays, often people have upgraded, so you can get their used gear cheap. If you live in a ski town or some other seasonal sport dominates, start looking after the season ends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Develop a zen-like state as you slowly move through the rack of long sleeved shirts at your local Goodwill. Keep your mind clear, and your expectations low. Do not skip a chunk because you have become bored or frustrated. Remember to look in adjacent sizes for shirts that have been put back hastily by other, less zen, shoppers. Bring your iPOD and listen to something that makes you happy. Set a time for yourself when you will leave the store in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Find an enthusiastic friend who knows your size and what you are looking for. Bribe them with offers of an appropriate beverage, whether a gourmet smoothie or a cold beer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quality</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just as in life, there are choices and trade-offs you will need to make. Even as a novice outdoorsperson, self-knowledge is valuable. What are your values? What makes you happy? Are you a cold sleeper or a warm sleeper? Are you hard on clothes, always getting holes in your jean’s knees? Do you need a good book to read before you go to sleep? Do you have unusually strong B.O? Having this knowledge will give you a place to begin asking questions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t buy cheap stuff. At least, the price might be cheap, but the construction and materials should be solid. Use your brain and recognize that when one pair of $30 hiking pants started life as a $30 pair of hiking pants, the quality will probably be a lot worse than a $35 pair of hiking pants that started life as a $70 pair of hiking pants. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Some good brand names to look for at sales or consignment stores: Outdoor Research (OR), Patagonia, Mountain Hardware, ExOfficio, Big Agnes, Smartwool, Icebreaker, Marmot, Montbell, Isis, GoLite, Arcteryx, Merrell, Sierra Designs, Osprey, Black Diamond, MSR, Ibex, Brooks Range Mountaineering, Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends. LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, Columbia, REI, and Royal Robbins can be hit or miss. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But don’t get too caught up with brand names! If you find an awesome, no-name wool sweater at at garage sale, and fits perfectly (slightly loose, for layering), doesn’t itch, and if you look good in it, then go for it! Remember also that there are other brands who are marketing for a different audience than backpacking, but might have the perfect thing for you. Running, yoga, sometimes hunting, biking, or paddling gear can be repurposed for hikers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do Your Research</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn more before buying much. Renting gear is awesome. Places like REI will rent you gear if you are interested in figuring out some of your personal preferences before setting out for a month or more. NOLS carefully chooses rental gear that balances student’s comfortable, overall durability, and efficiency. Most often recommended gear to rent: backpack, sleeping bag, windpants, light puffy jacket, various stuff sacks and an “attack pack.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Research online: user reviews can be very helpful, as long as you take everything with a grain of salt, and cross check reviews on different sites. Backpackgeartest.org is a great resource. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go check out the community message boards at backpackinglight.com and backpacking.net-- the folks there are eager to offer advice, and several NOLS alumni and instructors haunt the boards. Because they are both lightweight-focused groups, the advice will be biased in that direction. Again, take the advice with a grain of salt-- don’t deviate from the packing list that came with your course packet-- in general NOLS is getting lighter as the years go on, but we still carry large expedition-sized packs, because we are </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">going </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on expeditions, and the amount of food and group gear just takes space. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where to Start</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Start at home! Look for a tupperware bowl with a lid in your kitchen, the waterbottle you carry with you to school, your favorite team’s baseball cap-- most likely you will have at least ten things to check off your list right away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grocery Stores, Dollar store, Grocery Outlet:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> your sources for snickers bars, small journals, hand sani0tizer, toiletries, bandanas, lighters, and face paint. Gatorade or Bolthouse juice bottles make excellent lightweight waterbottles, due to sturdy plastic and a larger opening. Plus you get to drink whatever is inside them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thrift stores:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A wide range exists from Salvation Army and Goodwill to Buffalo Exchange and other high-end consignment shops. Wicking polyester tees are easy to find at thrift stores, especially if you don’t mind shirts that tell the world you ran in the 2009 Key West 5K walk/run. Fleece is cheap and abundant, but look for simple pieces with thin, not bulky pile fleece, better for layering. Nylon running shorts are usually available in a rainbow of colors, and tend to weigh less than 4oz. Poly or poly blend (they can have a little cotton) button down plaid shirts make excellent and awesome looking sun shirts. Bonus points for pearl snaps. These should be thin-woven, almost see-through when held to the light. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you live in a Big City consider: where do the 20 and 30-somethings live who have money/are outdoorsy? Go to their thrift stores first. Used gear stores do exist-- but they don't always have the best deals. If you live near a ski town, check the thrift stores right at the end of the ski season when people are cleaning out their closets. Remember that you can often get things NEW for 50% off, so don't pay 50% for something that is already super beat up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other things easily found at the local Goodwill: waterbottles galore, insulated mugs, paperback books that you don’t mind tearing up into three sections (one for each re-ration), hats of all shapes and sizes (fun hats are an excellent way to add flair to your outfit). Anything wool, or some wool/silk/poly/spandex blend. Thick wool button-downs, sized to go over your other layers, are a retro but still viable option. Wool is warm when wet, durable, and sustainable. It tends to regulate temperature and body odors better than synthetics. Men have the option of picking up a pair of synthetic/wool dress pants, which will certainly add to the professional look of your outfit, and are generally well made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hit or miss: sports bras, hiking pants, camp shoes, base layers, gloves. I don’t recommend buying raingear or inflatable sleeping pads from thrift stores. The consequences if either item leaks are just too high. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sniff test is important for certain types of polyester. Most used clothing stores have a musty smell that permeates everything in there. If used gear has a significant stink you don’t really like, the two problems you have are that this gear is stinky and that this gear tends to hold a stink, so consider this stinkability factor in your shopping choices. Sometimes it can be washed out, and sometimes not. Try getting an enzyme-based detergent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Target, Walmart, Costco</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You might have opinions about shopping at a ‘Big Box Store,’ but honestly Target has great activewear shirts, nice thin nylon athletic socks, sunglasses, and travel toiletries. Stay away from Walmart’s camping section, except for maybe a bug head net-- their stuff tends to fall apart. But Walmart knock-off Crocs are good, also check for simple watches with an alarm. Costco has had light down jackets in the past, and usually has wool socks in 3-packs for $10. Women who are on the smaller side can easily fit into kid’s L-XL jackets and socks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Garage Sales, Craigslist, Ebay:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Probably the most time-consuming option, but it can be really fun. Helps to know exactly what you are looking for and what sizes fit you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Websites:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Steep and Cheap, Department of Goods, The Clymb, Sierra Trading Post, Minimus, Patagonia. Deep discounts on new outdoor clothing and supplies. Do a google search for coupon codes for an extra 20% off, or free shipping. Minimus offers individual serving size options for just about everything, which is especially great for those hot sauce connoisseurs. Patagonia Common Threads Partnership has a website that is dedicated to helping used gear find new homes-- but first you have to take the pledge to Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle, and Reimagine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cottage Industry Brands:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gossamer Gear, Anti-Gravity Gear, Jacks-r-Better, Titanium Goat, Dirty Girl Gaiters, ULA Equipment, Mountain Laurel Designs, Oware, Integral Designs, Melanzana: These are small companies, made in the US, selling some interesting and innovative gear. Check them out for great deals on sleeping pads, bivy sacks, rain kilts, tyvek ground sheets and much more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">REI Scratch n Dent Sales: </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Offered twice a year for most brick-and-mortar stores, you must first be a member to attend these sales. Be prepared for chaos. People line up a few hours before they open the doors. “Scratch n Dent” refers to the fact that the sale is made up of items that have been returned to the store over the previous months. Reasons returned could be anything from “poor fit” to “totally busted”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When to Spend</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lightweight insulation</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> pieces can be expensive even when on sale. But the weight/warmth ratio can make the investment worth it. Choose a piece that will layer well, and also try to find something that you like enough to wear around in-town after your course. Down or synthetic puffies often require special care, especially around open flame. If you choose a jacket in your favorite color, and in a style that flatters you, you will be more likely to take care of it during your course. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Boots or hiking shoes</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> should not be too tight, and it is worth it to have an expert fit you, and to even buy special insoles. Blisters and foot pain take a lot from the joys of the trail. Gore-tex lined shoes claim to be waterproof, but with all the river-crossings NOLS does, Gore-tex just means that it will take longer for shoes to dry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rain Gear</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> comes in three categories: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) heavy and totally waterproof, but not breathable-- really only appropriate for deep sea fishermen in Alaska </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) light, inexpensive, and waterproof/breathable-- which will work fine to a point, but usually proves to be only semi-waterproof and partially breathable (if it rains all day, you’re gonna be wet) and finally </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) light, extremely expensive, and waterproof/breathable-- which is awesome if you can find space for it in your budget. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sleeping Bags</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are the Great Debate items. For a long time it was between synthetic insulation, which is “warm when wet” and will dry out faster if it does get soaked and down insulation, which has a better warmth/weight ratio, but costs more and tends to be absolutely useless if it gets wet. New technologies have given us down bags with waterproof/breathable fabric shell, and also a new silicone-coated down called “Dry Down” that claims to eliminate the hazards of taking down into a wet climate. Unless you are willing to educate yourself on this tricky subject, rent a sleeping bag from NOLS and wait until after your course to buy one. Plus-- you’ll have access to great pro-deals as a NOLS alumni.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make Your Own Gear</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you have leanings towards the crafty, get out there and knit your own warm hat, fashion a balaclava from a thrift store fleece, build a cozy for your mug out of sleeping pad foam and duct tape, and sew stuff sacks, a nifty rain skirt, or even a lightweight bivy sack. Check out DIY Gear Supply, Quest Outfitters, Seattle Fabrics, and Thru-Hiker.com To get ideas, the search term is ‘MYOG.’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ask questions, be humble, and come with an open mind. We all are constantly learning, and there is power in being a beginner; power in seeing a glacier, catching a fish, making cinnamon rolls for the first time. Despite the focus and tone of this article, being outdoors is not about what you are wearing. Good clothing and gear should be able to take you into the backcountry in comfort; the real test happens when you are so immersed in your surroundings that what you carry fades into the background, and what you wear allows you to merge invisibly with the landscape. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common-- this is my symphony.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">William Henry Channing</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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</b>Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-40267233910168400422013-06-06T16:57:00.000-06:002013-06-06T16:57:00.130-06:00WRW 1 6/10<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am getting ready to go out in my first NOLS course as an instructor in a couple of days. We will be a staff team of three, with twelve students (seven girls and five boys). Age range is 18-22. We will be traveling into the Wind River Range in Wyoming, which is known for it's remoteness, beauty, and rugged backcountry. There will be snow, icy stream crossing, cinnamon rolls, and perhaps a peak ascent or two. We will be spending the fourth of July with mosquitos, trout, and stars instead of family, popsicles, and fireworks. I will be able to get mail in the field, letters and a few lightweight items would be welcome. (Salmon Jerky, Dehydrated Salsa Verde, Dal Seasonings, a pack llama...)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Clothing and gear are spread across my bed at the Noble Hotel, and I feel wound like a spring. Too much waiting time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">My address: WRW 1 6/10 PO Box 333, Lander, WY 82520</span></span>Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-46611814589480703982013-04-03T08:46:00.000-06:002013-04-03T08:46:07.499-06:00april wise-foolsJust within the last three days, the world has started to feel like <i>spring.</i> And, yes, so maybe it did snow in Boulder yesterday, but I am in Durango for a hot second, and it is gentle blue morning skies over here.<br />
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In March, I welcomed back Rainbow from Patagonia, threw a birthday party/miracle berry tasting, turned 26, braved a blizzard to volunteer at Frozen Dead Guy Days, hacked at dead flower stalks at the Lyon's Farmette, spent two weeks cracking open my brain and pouring permaculture all over it at a Permaculture Design Course, and moved twice.<br />
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Permaculture is a way of designing-- gardens, farms, cities, communities-- that takes into account healing the earth, being self-sufficient, and sharing the surplus. It is about innovation, starting slow and small, and creating a place that is green and beautiful where you would all want to live. It encourages hammock-time and exploration and abundance.<br />
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Coming up next: gardening intern in a co-housing community, where it seems as though I may be the only twenty-something, medical training refresher, conference/party in Wyoming, quick trip to the PNW to lead a trip for Lakeside School, Catering, Landscaping, NOLS, and as much Rainbow time as I can fill in.<br />
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<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-42010984360075519382013-02-04T11:39:00.000-07:002013-02-04T11:39:04.942-07:00return to colorado1 very expensive vanilla matcha green tea latte in exchange for internet and a wonderful view of the flatirons.<br />
A visit to the storage unit today, and a bit more organizing and settling in. Especially need to rearrange my camping cooking and food storage boxes, in preparation for a trip up to the Swan Valley in MT to learn how to cross country ski and help finish a tiny house on a trailer. Spoon carving and sanding, some new burly boot breaking in, and yoga at four-o-clock. I'm dedicating my life to yoga this week. That's how I say it in my head, at least. "I'm dedicating my life to yoga"<br />
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I looked at my bank balance this morning and almost didn't get out of bed. Somehow the last three days have been much much more expensive than I expected, and that doesn't even include the deposit for the permaculture certificate.<br />
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Despite all my distrust and ambivalence around my relationship-in-the-making, these last few weeks I've been feeling slightly giddy and optimistic. Been getting sweet little messages about tactics and dulce de leche crossaints, and this month+ apart seems very different from the last one. Even though nothing is official, I'm exciting for some upcoming adventures in March, as well as just hanging out.<br />
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The work scene is still a source of upset and worry. It is partly because of money, but also I just like to have purpose in life, and work has always been my way to meet people and stretch myself.<br />
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<br />Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7346799904109843280.post-85225962721505505132013-01-16T15:38:00.000-07:002013-01-16T15:38:10.210-07:00WednesdayPurchased: Neo-Air All Season and pack liner/inflator bag/camp stool converter. And a smart wool shirt from the thrift store for $3! And some crispy grapes. And some delightful drinks to mix in with my housewarming bottle of spiced rum.<br />
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Accomplished: Applied online to one office job, and four boulder area caterers. Applied in person to two spice shops, the GoLite store, Moosejaw, and the Herbal Apothecary, but they only hire certified herbalists, but I can apprentice with them for lots of free training.<br />
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Caught up on some email. Showered. Drank a liter of coconut water.Allie Maloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14876176994321782258noreply@blogger.com0