My Garmin inReach Explorer+ is like a swiss army knife of a digital tool. It's my Global Positioning System, weather forecaster, satellite communicator, and emergency beacon.  “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. — Eleanor Roosevelt While on our Olympic National Park trip I used the Explorer+ to check our position with the maps I downloaded before we left. I loved being able to check the way points I set up before the hike that identified known water sources, campsites, and other features. I always loved the quote "do one thing every day that scares you"  which is misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. She actually said "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."  and what I love about a device like the Explorer+ is that you can strive to face fear. You should of course have knowledge and not just rely on an electronic device but it certainly helps.  The Explorer+ is more than just a GPS. Because it has satellite connection you can communicate globally by sending SMS and/or email messages. I fired off daily status and positioning messages to family and friends. Since phone service was so spotty this gave a peace of mind to those back home. Lastly, I checked the weather forecast every few days to have a heads up to temperature fluctuations and precipitation that could be coming our way. Being out on the Olympic Peninsula the weather can change fast and we wanted to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature threw at us. All in all, this tool allowed us to safely further and faster into the wilds.

By Alexander Kwapis Shelter-in-place gotcha feeling like you’re on a boat out at sea? At times I feel a little self-contained like I’m on a sailboat. Then it got me reminiscing of sailing and scuba diving in the Florida Keys. Photo courtesy of Kwapis Family In 1998, four teenage Venture Crew scouts, of the Boy Scouts of America, and three adult advisors spent two weeks at The B.S.A. High Adventure Sea Base in the Florida Keys, in search of a high sea voyage, scuba diving, and helping build artificial reefs. The previous year I joined the Boy Scouts and quickly ran through the ranks, becoming Senior Patrol Leader. The same year as this high adventure trip entered into the B.S.A’s Order of the Arrow. Also that same year, our troop swelled from only five youths the year I joined to over fifty by the end of my second year in the troop. Needless to say, I was busy. Photo courtesy of Kwapis Family In the middle of all that, for months before shipping out to the Sea Base, I was working hard towards my PADI scuba diving certification. Studying after school and taking classes with my father and other adults who were getting their certificates too. This might be very normal for those youths living in warm weather coastal towns. However, I was in Michigan, and it was the middle of winter when I was taking my courses and learning to dive into swimming pools. Later as part of my final physical tests to receive my certification, I went down to a water-filled gravel quarry in Ohio. When I finally arrived at the Sea Base, I was officially a PADI certified scuba diver before I even had my driver’s license. We spent the first eight days of diving and building artificial reefs. I remember waking up early to the hot and humid ocean sun. The smell of salt and sunscreen. The taste of fresh seafood. The feeling of being in the vastness of the ocean. This was my first time diving in the open ocean, and it was magical and scary at the same time. A barracuda swam between my fins, I dove near nurse sharks and saw eels swimming amongst the coral. I scuba dived over ten times on the trip. One night we descended on what seemed like the cliff edge of an abyss. Octopi and other sea creatures were electric in the darkness of the ocean at night. Photo courtesy of Kwapis Family The second week started with meeting our Coast Guard-licensed captain, a retired white grandfather who owned our home away from home for the next week and chartered it to the Scouts. We boarded the forty-five-ish foot Antares, named after the brightest star in the Scorpius constellation, and we started our Coral Reef Sailing trip. While the Sea Base was located at Islamorada, Florida, at the end of Lower Matecumbe Key , we started and ended our trip at Bahia Honda State Park. All week we hopped from reef to reef with a mid-week stop in Key West. Our sailing yacht had a self-contained galley and dining area where we would cook our meals provided by the Sea Base. We snorkeled several times a day in the Florida Reef Tract within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. We also went lobster diving every day and ate fresh lobster for every meal on the tip. Our crew got really efficient at snorkeling around the reefs in search of lobsters. Going down in pairs, we would hunt for lobsters. Using the buddy system, we would use a stick to tap in front of the lobster to get their attention. We would position a net behind the creatures. As we taped the stick closer, the lobster would shoot backward away from the stick and inadvertently be captured in our net. Over and over again for a week, we had grilled lobster. I never ate lobster before this trip, and for ten years after, I didn’t either. And since eating lobster again, I’ve never tasted anything as good as my own fresh catch. Come back again for part two of Sailing the Open Seas Of My Mind where I continue reminiscing about my sailing trip. For everyone, its been a different way of life while sheltering-in-place, and I am glad I can look back on fond memories like this. #BSA #Florida #SCUBA #BoyScouts #Sailing

Clear Water Action has begun advocating for the Transportation Climate Initiative. “The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia that seeks to improve transportation, develop the clean energy economy and reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector.” 1 The Wild Dirt’s co-founder Dennis Fiore has worked with Clear Water Action in Michigan in the Past. He helped develop a recycling program on Wayne State University’s campus & within its residence halls. We are excited to continue utilizing Clear Water Action’s resources and help aid their Initiatives! If you have to time to review Clear Water Action and some posts, please visit their blog site . Additionally, their article is a great source for cited studies involving COVID-19. Sources [1] https://www.transportationandclimate.org/content/about-us [2] Hulick, Anne. “Cleaning Up Our Air By Cleaning Transportation” Clean Water Action | Blog , https://www.cleanwateraction.org/2020/05/11/cleaning-our-air-cleaning-transportation

With its incredible range of precipitation and elevation, diversity is the hallmark of Olympic National Park. Encompassing nearly a million acres, the park protects a vast wilderness, thousands of years of human history, and several distinctly different ecosystems, including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and over 70 miles of wild coastline.

On a beauty day in Hong Kong I traveled with two coworkers out to Lantau Island to see the Tian Tan Buddha at Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery. I travel to China for work a few times a year and I always find after running all around Shanghai, Ningbo, Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen for seven days a weekend in Hong Kong is a great way to finally get over your jet lag, have a great western meal, and either go big and stay out partying or commune with nature and take advantage of the many parks and wild areas that the islands of Hong Kong have to offer. We were staying in Soho area of Central Hong Kong Island at one of my favorite boutique hotels on the island, Madera Hollywood , and found that getting to Lantau Island was very manageable. We rode the outside escalators that cut up and down through Central HK down to the central train station and purchased Octopus cards for $150 HKD (which is generally about $19-$20USD). This was more than enough money on it for us to take the subway system for the weekend. Because I am familiar with Hong Kong I felt really comfortable taking the subways but if you are new to the Island you could also pay about $300-$400 HKD and have a guide for the day. I’d check out Trip Advisor or some similar website to look for guides. We rode the Orange line from Central station towards Tung Chung station. It is super easy and difficult to get lost. At Central station the train only goes one way and you get off at the last stop which is Tung Chung station. I would suggest purchasing your tickets for the Ngong Ping cable car before getting to Tung Chung. I found that when I tried to book on Trip Advisor I needed to book one day prior to the trip. So I headed on to the Ngong Ping website and purchased tickets for the Crystal Cabin for later that day. When I booked I did have to estimate arrival time and just choose ninety minutes since its about a forty-five to sixty minute subway ride and then a short five to ten minute walk, depending on how lost you are, from the Tung Chung station to the cable car. Once we redeemed our tickets we waited about twenty minutes in line or so. The Crystal Cabin is a little more expensive but you get this rad clear bottom cable car to ride in. In the fully enclosed cable cars you can sit on the bench seats or stand to get better shots while on the roughly fifteen minute cable car ride. The car is spacious, seats eight, has lots of venting so it stays cool with the breeze coming off the ocean, and most importantly it looks and feels safe. We only headed over to the Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha) but if you also purchase the Fun Pass or the 360 Lantau Culture and Heritage Pass and tour around the island, seeing dolphins, theater, and even a classic fishing village. I hope to get out to that next time. The Buddha is an amazing copper sculpture that was completed in the eighties. the sculpture sits on a two story building that is at the top of a hill with about hundred or so stairs. Take your time and enjoy the view on the way up. When we were done we took the Cable Car back and paid extra for the expressed ticket which helped us to jump the line of people waiting about sixty minutes to get back. If you are feeling up for it you can also hike from Tung Chung all the way to and from the Buddha. Looks like a great day hike. In the video you can see the walking paths below us. By Alexander Kwapis #buddha #hongkong #travel #video

On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic wonders. From their energetic sounds and interesting aromas, mudpots and fumaroles provide some of the richest experiences for the senses.

Have bike, Wanna ride? Are you looking for a low barrier to entry sport? Do you have a mountain bike? Let us answer some of your mountain biking (MTB) questions before you hit the trails. Photo by Tom Conway on Unsplash Your Top 8 Mountain Biking Questions Answered 1. Do I need a mountain bike? You want to get out and explore your local MTB trails and not sure if you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a new mountain bike. Photo by Jan Kopriva on Unsplash Answer: You probably shouldn’t ride dirt trails with a regular 10-speed, though anyone that had one as a kid most likely did once or twice. Maybe you still have an old mountain bike in their garage from when they were younger. Of course, you can ride that bike. That’s the beauty of mountain biking; it’s a low barrier to entry sport. After, you have gone on a few rides and start to get the hang of things head down to your local bike shop (LBS) and have them help you pick out and upgrade. Or see if your LBS rents bikes and try a few out to get a feel for the type of ride that will work best for you . 2. Do I need to wear lycra? Street bicyclists riding in groups early in the morning is a common sight in the suburbs and cities across America. While the peak of mountain biking was in the ’90s, it’s still a trending activity. However, in most cities, the public doesn’t see mountain bikers because the activity typically takes place off the beaten path. Because of this, the image of bicycling in most peoples minds is that of the street rider. As soon as you start to discuss bicycling, of any type, with the general public, the question about wearing lycra will always come up. Photo by Daniel Frank on Unsplash Answer: The majority of mountain bikers don’t wear lycra . Instead, you find them wearing an activewear shirt and shorts/pants. It’s also totally normal to see people wearing their favorite brewery shirt while on the trails. Because of the nature of the sport, you do see some cautious people wearing protective gear like knee pads, padded shorts, gloves, and always a helmet. 3. Do I need clip-in shoes? If you are familiar with cyclists whizzing past you on your favorite local paved pathway, you will notice they are wearing clip-in shoes . If you want to go for a fun ride on your local MTB trail, you may start to ask yourself if you also need special shoes. Photo by Thomas Schweighofer on Unsplash Answer: The short answer is no. You can ride with regular shoes using your bicycles existing pedals . Later after you find out how much you love mountain biking and want to get even more power out of every pedal, then you can upgrade to mountain bike clip-in shoes . MTB shoes are more fashionable and easier to hop off your bike and walk into your local brewery after an exhilarating mountain bike ride than the typical street cyclists clip-ins are. 4. Do I need to train? You might be stuck at home and came across articles or videos of mountain bikers sharing their shelter-in-place training routines, and as it starts to get nicer out, you have the itch to hit the trails on your mountain bike. However, you are not sure if you need to train for this new sport. Answer: With anything, if you want to get better, training will help . Also, there are certain tips , tricks , moves , etc. that, if practiced, you will get better at riding. Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash 5. Will I fall a lot? No one wants to fall, and this is a new activity for you, so it should be expected that you won’t be perfect. What you might really be wondering is what is the potential risk for serious injury . Answer: Everyone falls. But just because your ride doesn’t mean you are going to end up sprawled out on the trail. Going back to the training question, you can practice how to position your body on the bike while going up or down hills can increase your coordination and reduce falling . Also, wearing the proper safety equipment can help to protect you when you do fall. Helmets, glasses, gloves, padded shorts, knee, and elbow pads are typical safety equipment seen on the singletrack. Throw on some old rollerblade knee pads the first few times you ride till you figure out what gear makes sense for you . 6. Is there trail etiquette? You don’t want to go on your first ride and stand out; we get it. You also want to make sure you are riding safely. Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash Answer: A local group manages most mountain biking trails, and they usually post signs that tell you which way to go. That is a big part of biking etiquette. Often they will also have a map denoting the difficulty of the trail or sections of the track. You should ride within your level of experience . If you are new to the sport , you should start with the easier paths till you have your footing and then go up from there. Getting off the trail when not riding would be another rule for any considerate rider. Some singletracks are multiuse, so don’t be surprised if you see a hiker coming the other way. Always pay attention to your surroundings. Another tip is to ask your LBS about specific trails and local etiquette. 7. How do I find MTB trails to ride? Now you are excited to ride. You have done research. You have your gear in the car and bike on the rack. But you are not sure where to go ride. Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash Answer: Check your local MTB group’s website or ask your LBS to help point you to the local singletrack . 8. Do I wash my bike after I ride? You just went on your first ride, and you’re hooked on mountain biking. There is dirt splattered all over your back, and you didn’t fall once. You are not sure if you should clean up after or toss your bike in the garage and call it a day. Photo by Razvan Chisu on Unsplash Answer: Like any outdoor sport, you should try to clean up as much as you can before getting into your car. It keeps dirt and debris out of your vehicle but also reduces the instances where you are accidentally transporting insects or plant seeds to new locations. Also, cleaning and reviewing your gear to make sure it’s in good working order before and after any activity where you are trusting it won’t fail on you is a no brainer. These are our Top 8 Mountain Biking Questions Answered. If you have any other questions, please, let us know through our socials! Here are some of our products that will help you to get ready for your first MTB trail:

Ready for a quick weekend trip? This bag will fit everything you need and help you check off all of the items. We are working on a custom luggage tag to helps your travels and reminds you of the essentials. Stay Tuned…

Situated just South of the downtown Dallas farmers market, West of Fair Park, North of what is typically known as South Dallas, and East of the Trinity River Basin is the Cedars neighborhood. The neighborhood is home to what we like to say is WildDirt’s Southern Basecamp. Throughout the area are warehouses, wholesale food distributors, dive bars, grassy empty lots, galleries, old houses, vacant wildflower-strewn land, artists lofts, and new condo construction. During the pandemic, I have roamed the area with Esther, WildDirt’s resident dog, as we got our daily sunshine and exercise. The other day I realized there is a large grassy lot that’s away from people and has two trees perfect for a hammock or dog tether line. I set out to create a little picnic spot and relax locally outside. In my Barebones Harvesting & Gathering bag, I carried a few essentials. Here is what I tossed into it. Relaxing Locally Outside Gear List Ruffwear Knot-a-Hitch Dog Tether System Travel dog water bottle with water Dog treats Human treats Water in a travel thermos Helinox Chair One Festival Blanket Phone Charger and cord Bluetooth Speaker Kammock Roo Double Hammock and Python straps Between two 25ft trees that generously shaded the area, I strung my Ruffwear Knot-a-Hitch Dog Tether System. I looped each end of the line about 7 feet up the tree trunks so that it ran between the two trees to create a close-line like effect. A carabiner with an eyelet had the rope running through it and allowed Esther to move back and forth as the carabiner effortlessly slide on the cord. Instead of setting up my hammock, I opted to relax in my lightweight and collapsible Helonix chair that I also brought. Shoes off and legs stretched out on an old blanket purchased on the way to the Austin City Limits Music Festival I was finally ready to relax and enjoy a beautiful weekend afternoon. With everything that is going on, it’s essential to find ways to get outside safely. Just as we need to eat correctly and exercise to be healthy, humans also need to be amongst natural elements, whether this takes place in your backyard, an empty green lot, or a frontcountry hiking trail close to home. Humans need to listen to the birds chirp. Hear the rustle of the wind amongst the trees. See the sun shining through translucent green leaves and feel the earth under our feet. Keep it simple and find a way to relax locally outside while staying safe for you and others. #campchair #hammock #optoutside #relaxoutside

In July I set out with three friends on a multi-day camping and backpacking trip. The weather was in the 70-80s during the day and 50-60s at night. Luckily, it didn’t rain but in a temperate climate rainforest you never know. Because of the variation in possible weather I carried a variety of layers that allowed me to layer up or down based on weather. Not shown in this photo is a T Shirt, socks, underwear, shorts and shoes that I mostly wore while hiking. If it was a little chilly I changed into Mammut hiking pants. At night after hiking all day I changed boxers and Tshirt so I didn’t have a chill at night. The North Face (TNF) Beyond The Wall Hoodie was a nice light long sleeve hoodie to throw on when there was a chill in the air. TNF Thermalball Vest is my go to layer when I want to warm up a little. If I need to trap in a little more heat I toss on my Marmot Precip Jacket. In the mornings while breaking down camp I love the Outdoor Research Hot Pursuit Convertible Running Gloves. The gloves are light enough that you can do all the normal tasks and if you need that extra little warmth you can convert them into ninja style mittens. The gear we split up and you can see in the photo and the list below my portion of what I carried. In group gear I had the tent poles, large group first aid kit, stove, fuel, and cooking pot with silicone lid. On this trip we carried two stoves with fuel and two group cooking pots. I also carried a lantern, shovel and toilet supplies, and a compass and GPS with satellite communication capabilities. Starting from top left and going across left to right this is the gear that was carried in my REI Flash 62 Backpack. The North Face Flash Dry Shirt. Mammut Hiking Pants. Marmot Precip Anorak Rain Jacket. TNF Beyond The Wall Hoodie. Black Diamond Distance Z Trekking Poles. Extra Hiking Socks. Red Klymit Pillow X. The CamelBak Crux 3L Reservoir. Patagonia Capilene Daily Boxer Briefs. Mountain Seris Weekender Medical Kit. Red Outdoor Research Dry Bag: Eye Mask. Farkle. Petzl Zipka Headlamp. iPhone Wide Angle Lens. Blue Outdoor Research Dry Bag: Snow Peak Hybrid Summit Solo Titanium Cookset Lid. SOL Firelite Sparker. Optimus Crux. Bug Net. Counter Assault Bear Spray. Therm-a-Rest Corus HD Quilt Sleeping Bag. Sea To Summit Thermite Reactor Sleeping Bag Liner. REI Half Dome 4 Plus Tent Poles. TNF Thermalball Vest. Patagonia Knit Hat. Ray Ban Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses With Neck Strap. Outdoor Research Hot Pursuit Convertible Running Gloves. Orange Garmin Explorer+ 2. Green Golite Poncho Tarp Shelter. REI Flash Insulated Air Sleeping Pad. Green Dry Bag. Snow Peak Titanium Single 450 Cup. Red Collapsible Bowl. Sea To Summit Alpha Light Spoon. Snow Peak Hybrid Summit Solo Titanium Cookset Pot With Homemade Cozy. Nation Geographic Topographic Map. Primus Easy Light Lantern. MSR ISO PRO Fuel Canister. Mammut Trucker Hat. Yellow Sea To Summit Toilet Dry Bag With Sea To Summit Shovel. TP. Hand Sanitizer. Plastic Ziplock Bags. Dog Poop Bags. #gear

Let’s talk benefits of rPET Those eye-opening numbers you saw in part 2 of this series is the reason why using recycled bottles to make recycled polyester (rPET) has become so popular. It prevents the bottles from ending up in landfills or the oceans and therefore it also helps reduce the toxic emissions from incinerators. As well as it reduces the industry’s consumption of oil and contributes to lessening the extraction of natural gas from the Earth to make even more plastic. HOW MANY POP BOTTLES WERE USED TO MAKE YOUR T-SHIRT? According to Fashion United, “five pop bottles yield enough fiber for one extra large T-shirt”. How shocking is that? Recycled polyester has become a sustainable alternative , and the opportunity –together with other recycled fibers– to lower our dependence on petroleum as a source of raw materials. This fiber can be used for a variety of products and blends perfectly with natural fabrics, such as cotton. Recycled polyester sums up everything we were looking for and allows us to stand by our beliefs. That is creating recreational equipment and outdoor apparel that not only protects the Earth but also respects it. We designed in nature and for nature. Using this fiber also lets us manufacture lightweight products, which is great for activities and traveling in the wild. In addition, the materials are not only light, but they can dry faster than other garments. It's a new day for outdoor apparel and The Wild Dirt is bringing sustainability to everything we make.

If you’ve gone camping at a state or national park anytime in the last twenty-plus years, I am sure you have seen or heard the words Leave No Trace (LNT). What you might not know is all the other things that the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics provides. They are a resource for proven research, education, and protection of the outdoors. Nine out of ten people who visit the wilderness are uninformed about minimizing their impact on the land. I first experienced Leave No Trace shortly after joining the Boy Scouts. I care so deeply about the wild places we visit that I took an LNT Trainer course. The trainer course was a two-day program that is a condensed version of their Master Educator Course. It was not only an in-depth course on the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace, but it always gave me skills on educating others on ways to reduce our impact on the natural world around us. With that knowledge, I became a leader to anyone that would listen on the ways of the Leave No Trace. When I go backpacking, I still carry these plastic LNT tags that describe the principles, and I will give them away to those I meet on the trail as a gesture for them to also take care of the places we are visiting. Seven Principles of Leave No Trace plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife , be considerate of other visitors. I’m recommitting to my knowledge of the LNT Principles by taking their Online Awareness Course . The training will freshen me up on ways to better understand recreation-related impacts, the Seven Principles, and how LNT skills and ethics protect the wild places I visit. Here is a breakdown of what the course covers: Learn why Leave No Trace is an important program that protects the environment. Be able to identify ways you can apply the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace. Learn how Leave No Trace addresses issues in your region so that you may take action to minimize the impact, where you are. Learn how the mission and approach of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (The Center) helps to promote people to responsibly enjoy the outdoors. Recognize the different educational programs offered by the Center to find out the best way to get involved with the Leave No Trace program. The natural world is facing severe threats. Making sure people know and practice Leave No Trace is critical, so we all can enjoy these places today and in the future.