amit May 18th, 2008
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My little balcony has been annexed by an adventurous little family. Today being a beautiful summer day, I stepped outside to enjoy a cup of tea and an interesting book, only to be alarmed by a little bird that flew out of my car cleaning pail. Now I am in constant fear of doing anything that would disturb my guests.
Needless to say the balcony is now off limits and I hope this story has a very happy ending.
amit November 24th, 2007
If you are like me and love the outdoors, you have perhaps faced the conflict between stepping off the trodden path, and not being stupid in putting yourselves in a unnecessary danger. Though I am sympathetic to even those who knowingly take extraordinary risks (skydivers, rock climbers, BASE jumpers etc.), I cannot understand the people who step over the edge in ignorance.
Here is a video on wilderness survival that I found really interesting, funny, and aimed at beginners. It was full of simple insights that could save your life when you are in a tough spot. Some of the things addressed: Why not to worry about building a fire? Why not to worry about food? How to react to a bear/ wild cat/ or a snake? How to signal? How not to get lost? etc.
Most importantly this video will help you build a survival kit in less than 20 dollars and pack it into a small (zip lock) plastic bag you can keep in your side pockets. I will mention some of the things that I thought were handy to carry.
Check out the video to see how to use them or other handy tips.
amit November 21st, 2005
Just do it. The best time to do anything is right now. This sentiment is responsible for many of my rash decisions, but more times than not it gets the job done. On Nov 7th, when my friends excused themselves due to pressing engagements and decided to postpone the night ride to a later date. I decided to go on as planned and now I know I can bike the toughest terrain I can handle in daylight, at night. And incidentally the postponed ride is yet to materialize.
My previous trip, made me realize that the headlamp wasn’t good enough for the sort of ride I had in mind. I wanted to bike through the most technical sections that I can manage in daylight; to prove to myself that night riding was possible without any limitations. I was sure that this was not an original thought, and there would be people who have done this and much more. A trip to REI reveled the desired equipment, halogen light’s, 6.5 Watt per bulb, powered by a 6 volt NiMH battery. The bulbs can be independently switched, and have a runtime 1.5 hrs when both are turned on. (3hrs with one). With the halogen light, headlamps, gloves and warm clothing, I was ready for the trail.
I started with both bulbs on, but soon realized one was sufficient. Within minutes, I was coasting, the only problem - spotting diversions inthe trail. The light is so focused straight on, that it is easy to miss turns, and just as easy to mistake small paths between trees as the trail. I took a wrong turn looped 1.5 miles to be back to where I started. Nevertheless, I was determined to finish the toughest section of the trail leading to a lake and decided to press on, switching off the lights every time I took a break. I made it to the lake with just one fall, entirely my fault. Some animal jumped in front of the trail and its shining eyes, the only part visible, spooked me. I hit the breaks hard and ended up doing an endo. Other than this minor incident the ride was very pleasurable, I spotted dears, never felt tired, and could maneuver over obstacles.
I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about it. All the obstacles are before you get to the trail head, from then on its mountain biking as usual. Just do it.