Climate Adjustments

I have a problem convincing myself that the dreaded global warming is happening.  For the past two summers and more our weather has been dreadful. Cold and wet days for weeks at a time, windy days and stormy nights, a late spring and an early fall have been the order of the day. This week the fall colors are happening around the lake and the tell tale yellows and reds started showing up at least ten days ago and it is only the first week of August. All around home we have been watching the squirrels and other rodents busily gathering the mushrooms, rosehips, cones and what have you, preparing early and energetically for what is shaping up to be a very cold winter.

This summer we had to make some essential adjustments to our camping routines and have acquired some additional outdoor gear to cope with the climate changes. Somehow I can’t wrap my head around calling it “global warming”.

On the opening day of a recent Yukon River trip it rained solid for nine hours.  I don’t mean the gentle, drizzly type of rain but a solid sheeting rain that I normally associate with west coast winters, a rain that can drench you in a matter of minutes. The downpour finally abated but each and every day thereafter we were treated to a daily dose of a cloudburst or two or four.  Temperatures rarely came out of the mid teens and sunshine was very scarce.

One of the adjustments was my choice of sleeping bags. I have always been partial to down-filled. Not always a good choice in wet weather, as it does not dry easily.  Reluctantly, we have gone to the fiberfill variety that lends itself to quick drying.

A portable shelter is a must. No more standing under a tree during the periodic, scarce cloudbursts that were the norm in years past. A shelter can be erected by the use of a large tarp or can be in the form of a custom built pole shelter that is available in many formats from outdoor gear outlets. I never leave home without one.

As far as I am concerned there isn’t a tent made that stands up to the frequent and torrential rains that have plagued us in recent summers.  Sure, the old heavy canvas wall tents and the 9ft X 12ft canvas “tourister” as they called them would as but carrying either of these on a canoe or backpack trip is totally impracticable.

In the new order of things we do not leave home without an additional tarp for each tent. This is a second roof so to speak and is stretched over the tent after it is erected or if it is raining while setting up camp, the tarp is set up first and the tent is then pitched underneath.  The latter avoids getting the tent wet during the setup. The tarp should be large enough to cover the entire tent and provide for a minimum of twelve inches overlap on all sides. There is a certain comfort in listening to the spatter of rain during the night and knowing that you and your tent are going to be dry and warm in the morning.

We use up a substantial part of our camping budget buying the best raingear. In past years we have spent literally hundreds of dollars on the fancy lightweight stuff but found that most of it does not stand up to an active period of prolonged rain. The “good” stuff is not necessarily the most expensive suit on the rack.

Waterproof containers are no longer optional but are a must. Dry bags, screw top food barrels and airtight plastic boxes are essential. Re-pack all food products into airtight plastic containers or bags. Remember a screw top is much better than a friction fit one, as it does not come loose or accidentally open in transit.

There are a lot more adjustments that are necessary to adapt to our climate changes not the least of which is a mental adjustment to the fact that getting rained on may be the norm during future outings.

We can of course stay home or restrict our outdoor activities to short day excursions but that is not the way for most of us who came north to explore and experience the real wilderness around us.

For now, like the squirrels, I am starting early preparations by filling the oil tank, the propane tank, and the woodbins and have begun tightening up all parts of the house to prepare for a cold winter.