THE WARMEST SOCKS ON EARTH

THE WIGWAM CANADA

I used to work sporting goods store selling outdoor footwear (if you want to get a real education in outdoor gear, go to work for one of the big retailers. You get all sorts of training, and also all sorts of pro deals). We sold A LOT of socks. They were our best sellers, and our real moneymakers. We carried several brands, and there were great things to say about each of them. I outfitted a lot of people going north, not just campers and hikers, but hunters and oil-rig workers going into Alberta or Alaska, and the sock most of them wanted was the Wigwam Canada. This is an incredibly old school hiking sock. It's a super-thick Merino wool/poly crew sock with an extra-heavy cushion. The guy who ran our camping division, a veteran hiker from the cut-off jeans and waffle-stomper days, wore Canadas every single day, inside a pair of old hiking boots (don't know what brand--could be Merrells or Wolverine or Vasque--but the old style with a metal shank). It didn't matter to him how hot it was. That super-thick cushion let him stand all day. Me, I wear them when I go hunting in the snow. They can't be beat--but you will need to buy your boots at least one full size too big.

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Stubborn

So, I'll admit it. I'm stubborn. I don't like to change things. I'm also very low tech and old school. I hunt deer using a lever action BLR with iron sights. It's done well for me. I rarely have any shots over 50 yards in the woods where I hunt. I like the quick aim, and I like the look. I also love the .358 Winchester round. But my last three deer seasons have been busts. The first of those years I just never saw any deer close enough to shoot. This past year I had a shot on a pair of does that I decided wasn't safe, and then, on the last day, at last light, I took a downhill shot at a doe and shot right over her back. And yes, iron sights probably did me in that day. But that year in between. That was frustrating. It was the last day. It was getting near sundown. It was still before legal sundown, but the shadows were getting long. I was sitting on a little hill we like to hunt on. There is a bluff in front of us, woods behind us, little hollows to t...

What's the greatest tent in the world?

I do a lot of luxury camping. I belong to a medieval tourneying society, the Society for Creative Anachronism , and we camp out at our big events . I grew up backpacking, and still go, but most of my outdoor time is spent either in deer camp, or at tourneys, when I want a bit more luxury. A lot of big camps use canvas cabin tents, which are common at medieval events, and have a great Western feel to them. But they are a lot to haul and set up (I know, I do it all the time). I've found a really great compromise. The Dream House Luxury Yurt Bell is a single-pole, round tent with low walls, inspired by Mongolian Yurts. It's almost nothing like a yurt, mind you: it's really a British Bell tent, a military design from the Napoleonic wars that is REALLY stable and REALLY roomy. The biggest model has a 5 meter diameter and stands almost 10 feet tall. I personally like the 4m version. This is the best field tent you can buy: roomy, sturdy, light, extremely easy to transport and...

World Fishing and Outdoor Expo, Part 2

Wear Some Good Hiking Boots The World Fishing and Outdoor Expo last weekend was a lot of walking and a lot of fun. I particularly enjoyed the knife booths. There was a rod and gun club there selling old knives, mostly folders -- Bucks, Brownings, Schrades, Victorinox--in other words, the good stuff. I had to be dragged away from fondling them. There was another knife maker there selling Damascus everything--straight razors, skinning knives, swords. The smith was there, and claimed he hand-forged everything himself. Me, I was in the market for a cheap guthook knife. Now, I know--why get a cheap knife? Well, for two reasons. The first is, on occasion, I'm cheap. I try to save my gear money so I can spend money on experiences. The second, and more important reason, is that the knife it was replacing was also cheap. I'd had a bag stolen from me that had my last cheap guthook knife in it, a promotional knife from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation , which had probably cos...

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