There was a time when I would worry about being teased if I didn’t show a manly persona when enjoying the outdoors, but over the years, I’ve come to realize my time on the waters and in the woods will last longer and be enjoyed more if I break the stereotype and take advantage of products meant to enhance the outdoors experience.
As a child, I never used sunscreen and not until my 50s did I ever even put any on. Now in my late 60s, I realize that wasn’t a good choice, and now take precautions when out on the water. While I still forget at times to lather up with sunscreen, I now always wear a “flap” hat, pants – not shorts – and a long-sleeved shirt when I go fishing. My face and the back of my hands are all that are exposed to the sun’s harmful rays.
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A lot of the photos I publish of fish will be of me wearing my goofy hat, but it protects the back of my neck and my ears from the sun’s burning rays. When you’re out on the water sometimes for nine or 10 hours, the reflection off the water can broil you.
During the summer I wear nylon fishing pants that are light and quick drying, and a UV-protecting long-sleeved shirt, and sometimes even one that has a hood for extra coverage. There was a time I never would have suited up like that to do battle on the water, but with a family history of melanoma, I take precautions now.
Along the same lines, while my eye glasses darken in the sun, I find polarized clip-ons a big help in my fishing, allowing me to see in the water for one, and reducing the sun’s glare off the water as well. Again, they look goofy, but they are money well spent in terms of UV protection, and they aid in catching fish.
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Fish-hook extraction tools and know-how are priceless
Sticking with fishing, if you fish enough, sooner or later you or someone on your boat will get a hook stuck in a finger, and knowing how to extract it will be priceless.
The first time it happened to me, I had it removed at the hospital, and saw how it was done. The second time, I drove home with a 4-inch lure in my hand before my brother removed it after we used wire cutters to cut the treble hook from the lure.
Now, I have wire cutters in my boat, and they’ve already come in handy as I returned the favor for my brother and removed a hook from his thumb while out on the boat, allowing us to keep on fishing.
Check out a YouTube video on how to do it and be prepared. Have some wire cutters and braided line, and you can do it yourself. And it goes without saying, a first-aid kit is a must when you’re camping, fishing, hunting or hiking.
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Hiking sticks and apps are part of the gear, too
And speaking of hiking, in my younger years I never would have considered using hiking sticks, but now, like the old American Express commercial, I don’t leave home without them. Surprisingly inexpensive for an entry-level pair, trekking poles are so light, comfortable and helpful, you’ll wonder why you didn’t use them before.
And, they’re not just for tough terrains, but for all levels of hikes, and are just as helpful for going downhill as going uphill. Whether you need help navigating the rocks in a stream, or or just a constant, steadying presence, walking sticks are a hiking aid that you’ll never regret buying. They come in many lightweight materials, are adjustable and help with stress to the knees, arms, hips and feet.
Another outdoor aid that, frankly, wasn’t even thought of when I was a kid, or even in my 20s, 30s or 40s, are apps, short for applications, those software programs you downleoad on your phone to help you do everything from balancing your checking account to giving you step-by-step directions to wherever you’re going.
Two that I use in the outdoors are apps to help me identify birds and plants – the Merlin app and the Picture This app.
The Merlin app recently added a sound ID section to allow the user to identify a bird by the call, or song it’s singing. You don’t even have to see the bird to identify it. If you get a good visual, the app uses your location to get a list of birds that may be in the area based on the time of year, and then helps you identify it by asking you what colors the bird is, where you saw it (on a wire, flying, wading etc.) and how big is it. The app will then give you a list of possibilities, and almost always nails it.
The Merlin app is free and is from the Cornell Lab, has over 7,500 birds in its directory and can be used worldwide.
Picture This app a gem in identifying trees, plants
The Picture This app is $29.99 a year, but you can try it for free for seven days, as well as use it for free with a limited version. The cheapy I am, that’s the version I use, but it’s been spot on every time I have taken a picture of a tree, a leaf or a plant. It also keeps a history of the trees and plants I have identified with the app. I have even identified mushrooms with it.
If you enjoy the outdoors, you’ll have your own lists of gizmos and gadgets that help you enjoy your time in nature. Some are more or less mandatory, like ear protection for the shooting sports and life jackets for water sports, but others, well, they’re the extras you learn about the more you do whatever it is you love to do.
Keep getting out there, and keep enjoying what this world has to offer.
Outdoor correspondent Art Holden can be reached at letsplabal@yahoo.com.
