Category Archives: Solo Afloat and Afoot

Winning the Cold War: How to Not Die of Hypothermia

Winning the Cold War

How to Not Die of Hypothermia

With the New Model Climate turning autumn into spring, it’s easy to forget how quickly the weather can turn. But don’t be fooled. An ancient killer still lurks in the hills and waters of Canoe Country. The name of this baleful beast? In an article that originally appeared in 2005, Tamia reveals the chilling answer.
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by Tamia Nelson | November 3, 2017
Originally published in different form on January 11, 2005

It attacks the unwitting, the unwary, and the unprepared. It stalks its prey in all seasons of the year. It can strike during a summer picnic on Golden Pond, in the middle of a rough open-water crossing in November, or while traversing the Grand Portage in a swirling spring drizzle. And it waits patiently in any water cool enough not to feel comfortably warm. Many of its victims never see home again.

What is this stealthy killer’s name? Hypothermia, that’s what, and it’s every bit as deadly as drowning. Know your enemy. That’s always good advice. So let’s take a closer look at …

The Big Chill

The human body isn’t a heat engine in the strictest sense, but it

… Read more »

SAfety First: Nurturing the Habit of Awareness

SAfety First

Nurturing the Habit of Awareness

Our everyday sensory world is increasingly impoverished. Moreover, independence is penalized, activity is discouraged, and awareness of our environment is diluted by our growing dependence on filtered electronic inputs. This may not matter if your idea of a good time is total Netflix immersion. But if you like to wander in the backcountry now and then, you may need a refresher course in situational awareness.
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by Tamia Nelson | March 10, 2015

A Tamia Nelson Article on Backinthesameboat.com

If, as writer Brian Aldiss once suggested, the invention of the flush toilet is the signature accomplishment of the human species, then the public toilets (“rest rooms” in Standard American Euphemism) in modern HyperMarts are the high-water mark of our civilization. I put this to the test on a recent shopping excursion, and you can easily confirm my findings. Lights turn on and off without your needing to flip a switch. Toilets empty themselves as you step away from them. And water flows into sinks without your having to turn a tap. Even the hot-air dryers require only that you place your hands under the jet. The resident jinnī then conjures up a samūm automatically, choking it off as soon … Read more »