Family-Outdoors

This blog does not sell stuff, but the author sure spends enough money on outdoor gear to offer some unsolicited advice about how to do it right - and wrong.  So we will briefly discuss some strategies to get the gear you need without putting yourself in the poorhouse. 1. Buy Good Gear from the Outset You can sure get a backpack, sleeping bag, tent, rifle, outdoor clothing, etc., for as cheap as can be down at that certain store that is gradually monopolizing American retail.  But, if you figure what it really costs to buy stuff at half the price and a quarter the quality, you quickly realize that you are not getting a bargain. That is not to mention the rock solid fact that the outdoor ethic dictates that waste is to be avoided, and for those of us who spend a significant amount of time in the outdoors, we want to be able to count on gear when we need it to work.  If you are taking your family to the outdoors, you want clothing to protect them from hypothermia,...

If you want to start a good debate, that's not about politics, get amongst a group of trout fishermen - fly fishermen, spin fishermen...doesn't really matter - and come up with the top ten trout waters in America. You better be good friends before the debate starts, because things are bound to be spirited!  Where do you even start? The criteria for a top stream for you might be simply fishing that's fast and furious.  Your buddy might insist that the setting be wild and lacking in crowds.  Someone else might feel like fish might have to be wild and native, or they are not worth catching. David Mann wrote a good conversation starter over at our sister site, family-outdoors.com . At his article, America's Best Trout Streams , he ranks his top ten, and you will see a little of about everything.  My only major area of disagreement with him is leaving off all mention of Alaskan streams like the Kenai River. See...there is always gonna be some room for dispute!