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Wednesday, September 5, 2007
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   Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Oahu Secret: Laniakea Beach
Just about one and a half mile from the Old Haleiwa Town on Kamehameha Highway in the island of Oahu is a feeding ground for the green sea turtles, the Laniakea beach. Once you arrive there, there are branches and shrubs covering a good portion of the beach. It almost seems as if someone had gone through a great deal in order to hide this beach from the public, especially when you see the signs and banners being behind the shrubs and branches where the drivers passing by on the two way lane won't be able to see much of the turtle signs. Maybe this was someone's idea of keeping the crowd away from the beach.
Nevertheless, this beach is very crowded on many days throughout the year with people crowding around the turtles with wonders, and the children, having found new pets, wanting to play with the slow moving creatures. As such, it would be rare to find everyone abiding by the law on any day, which was created to stop the green sea turtles from becoming extinct. Moreover, these turtles are very friendly creatures that feed on the seaweed on the beach rocks and they are also willing to swim with anyone in the water with them without being afraid. As such, many people swim and snorkel in the beach with the turtles on a daily basis.
Our recommendation for anyone planning on heading out there: The green sea turtles are known to snap/nip so it is a good idea to give them some reasonable space. At the same time, please do not feed the turtles.
The green sea turtles were listed as endangered/threatened species on July 28, 1978 under the federal Endangered Species Act. It is also protected under Hawaii state law.


Is a GPS useful on vacation?
Vacations are times to relax and enjoy, not worry about finding your way around. Are you flying, or driving? Are you going somewhere that you know well or somewhere totally new? Are you renting a car if you're flying, or are you going to depend on taxis? If you are traveling by taxi do you know if a 'shortcut' the taxi driver suggests is really a shortcut or possibly are you being scammed to increase your rate. What are your plans once you get to your destination? Are you going backpacking, hunting, or fishing, or do planning a trip to a resort and plan on lying by the pool and just relaxing? Wouldn't it be nice not the have to worry about finding a location, or a good restaurant. Your visit would be much more enjoyable without this concern.
Is it possible that you will be off in your own airplane, with a GPS you can create your flight plans and get automatic calculations of headings, winds, time, and fuel or recalculate your heading. Are you driving or plan on renting a car once you get to your destination? Do you know the route well or is this a new adventure? Whether this is a trip that you frequently make or not a GPS can be indispensable. What if you get detoured due to an accident or road construction, what if you run into a large traffic jam do you need to sit and wait, or is there possibly another route you could take? Have you ever wanted to get off the beaten path and explore somewhere new but were afraid of getting lost? Wouldn't it be nice just to take off to somewhere new without the fear of getting lost? Do you plan on going fishing? Wouldn't it be nice to know where the fish are, so you can spend your time catching fish, instead of spending your whole vacation with the possibility of catching nothing?
Have you planned a trip to visit a foreign country but were afraid you have trouble getting around when street signs are in a different language? With a GPS you put in your destination and find the location that you would like to go to. There is also translation software which can be downloaded to your PCA.
Are you going backpacking, hiking or camping, or even plan on taking a bike ride, with a GPS you have the added security of knowing if you get lost you can find your way out. Is there an area you always wanted to explore, but was afraid of not finding your way back.
Vacations are too far apart (2-3 weeks a year?) and are planned, paid for and anxiously awaited for to have to worry about getting lost. Whether you plan on lying by the beach or pool all day, you might want to find a certain restaurant or shop, or hiking through the forest a GPS can take the worry out of traveling and allow you to enjoy your trip.


My Five-Ounce Sleeping Bag
Okay, it wasn't quite a sleeping bag. However, it was only five ounces, and it kept me warm as the temperature dropped to the low forties on the bank of the Manistee River in Michigan. The secret was the fifteen minutes we spent gathering dead, dry bracken ferns to build a two-foot thick mattress. We set the tent on that. Then, with all my clothes on, I was fine.
In fact, I've rarely slept as well camping as I did that night. As I said, it wasn't a sleeping bag, but actually a sleeping bag liner. I bought it from Campmor, but I've since sewn a simple one of bargain-bin nylon material ($1/yard) obtained at Walmart. If it's possible to stay warm with a light sleeping bag liner in autumn, at a few degrees above freezing, this strategy should work well for summer nights in the sixties.
How To Use A Liner As A Sleeping Bag
Be careful, of course, backpacking with just a liner for a sleeping bag. It could be dangerous, or at least uncomfortable enough to ruin your trip. Experiment near home, and know yourself and your enviroment.
Learn a few tricks. If it isn't too humid you can breath in your bag, and you will be much warmer. Most backpackers will tell you not to do this, because you'll be damp in the morning, but in a dry enviroment you'll be fine once you hit the trail. Just dry the liner out during a break.
Another trick is to use a mattress of dried plants. Try dead leaves, palm fronds, grass, cattail leaves, some tree barks, etc. A mattress of this sort insulates you from the ground, which normally takes away much of your body heat. Scatter the leaves in the morning so they won't smother the plants underneath.
Some other tricks to try: Hot tea before going to sleep... Exercise a bit... Cover yourself with extra clothes... Elevate your feet slightly... Go to sleep earlier or later. Experiment to see what works best for you.
Also, go to bed warm. If you're warm when you get into your sleeping bag, you're more likely to stay warm through the night. It's difficult to warm up, especially in a thin bag, if you start out shivering.
I'm not recommending backpacking with only a sleeping bag liner, but it is an option. I've gone out with nothing more than a bivy sack in my jacket pocket, but I'm not recommending that either. This is just to present all the possible options for the ultralight backpacker.
Steve Gillman is a long-time advocate of lightweight backpacking. Visit his website for tips, photos, gear recommendations, a free book and a new wilderness survival section:
The Ultralight Backpacking Site : http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com