BEAN HOLE BEANS

An old woodsman favorite, for a big ol' pot, follow this recipe:10 cups dried Great Northern beans1 pound Salt Pork2 onions2 1/2 cups molasses1 teaspoon black pepper4 teaspoons dry hot mustard1/2 cup butter1. Dig a hole 3 feet deep, and wide enough to leave 6 inches around your pot on all sides. Line the hole with stones prior to starting the fire.2. Build fire in the hole with dry hardwood, and keep it going for 3+ hours, until the hole is 3/4 full with hot coals.3. Once the fire is about an hour old, prep pot by boiling beans for 45 minutes until their skins begin to peel back.4. When fire is ready, line the bottom of the bean pot with thin strips of salt pork. Peel and cut the onions in half, and place them on top of the pork. Pour the beans on top into the pot, and mix in the molasses, black pepper, and dry mustard. Slice the butter and place on top, and then add enough boiling water to cover the lot of it by an inch. Cover it all with aluminum foil, and then place on the lid of the bean pot.5. Remove 1/3 of the coals with a shovel, lower the pot into the hole, fill in the sides and top with coals, and then cover it all with dirt. You should end up with about 2 feet of dirt on top.6. Let the beans stew overnight, dig 'em out the next morning, and enjoy.NOTE: This recipe can be mimicked in a crock pot, but who's doing that anyways.The illustration above is from Ellsworth Jaeger's Wildwood Wisdom.

STORMY KROMER

The folks over at Stormy Kromer were kind enough to host a little tour for Cold Splinters a couple weeks ago. Chances are at least a few of you out there received or gifted a Kromer hat this Christmas. It's been the old standby for your old man, and will be for some time to come. We got some sneak peeks at their new clothing line that's going to be debuted at this year's OR. Established in 1903, Kromer hats have always been made in the USA, and remain this way today. My favorite is definitely the rancher cap, still so classic. Pictures from the tour of their Ironwood, Michigan headquarters after the jump.

WEATHER BAND RADIO

There's nothing more comforting than keeping up to date on your local forecast by NOAA's team of forcasting robots. I'm sure others have noticed but they actually have different robot voices too. Regardless, it always seems that everything has an air of urgency, sunny skies or 3 feet of sleet. I was gifted an old weather band radio from a buddy of mine as an early Christmas gift, a Radioshack gem from the seventies. I remember my dad always having the NOAA forecast on in the kitchen growing up. I mean, I'm not wild about lugging a bunch of "stuff" out into the backcountry, but in certain situations, definitely useful. Situations like chilling in my apartment, pretending I'm somewhere else. I love 'em.

Battle Lake Outdoors Tamarack Day Pack

Got this handsome pack in the mail yesterday from Battle Lake Outdoors in Clarissa, Minnesota. Try one, I dare you:

Made in the USA of American materials. 1000 Denier Cordura outer. 420 Nylon Packcloth shoulder straps. #9 and #8 Heavy Duty YKK Zippers. 4 –6 ounce leather. Taped and double stitched seams. Reinforced stress points. Nylon webbing. 1/2" high density, long life, EV-50 foam. High-strength Duraflex hardware.

Matter Journal 13

While I was in Boulder over Thanksgiving weekend, I happened upon the new Matter Journal while roaming down Pearl Street. Matter is a semi-annual literary journal published by Wolverine Publications in Fort Collins, CO, and their newest issue, Numero 13, is dedicated to the life and times of Cactus Ed.Wolverine was nice enough to send Cold Splinters a copy, and, trust us, it's a humdinger. It's huge, full of great stories, pictures and all that good stuff that, if you're here and reading this, you'll enjoy.Buy it here and then read a much better review at the wonderful High Country News.

PADDLE TO THE SEA

From the Nat'l Film Board of Canada:

Based on Holling C. Holling's book of the same name, Paddle to the Sea is Bill Mason's film adaptation of the classic tale of an Indian boy who sets out to carve a man and a canoe. Calling the man "Paddle to the Sea," he sets his carving down on a frozen stream to await spring’s arrival. The film follows the adventures that befall the canoe on its long odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea.

I remember being shown this film in probably fifth grade. This 1966 film, originally intended to be only for the educational market, was eventually released on 35mm and received an Oscar Nominataion in the Best Short Subject Category. The film was directed by Bill Mason, Canoeist/Artist/Filmmaker responsible for so many great shorts in the 60's-80's (see: The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes).Watch: Paddle to the Sea

AMC EAGLE

The AMC Eagle is like the American predecessor to the Subaru Outback.  Manufactured between 1980-88 by American Motors Company (AMC), the 4WD Eagle is noted by many as being responsible for the emergence of "crossover" vehicles, essentially building an SUV on a smaller platform.  While getting far better gas milage than the Jeep Grand Wagoneer (also of AMC at this time), these guys definitely don't skimp on fuel, the result of dropping a truck engine in a mid-size sedan.  In 1983, the AMC Eagle was chosen as the National Ski Patrol official vehicle.  Cruise your local Craigslist, you can find these guys dirt cheap.  They're no joke, bring on the snowstorms.

HOLD FAST

This documentary looks like it was shot with a point and shoot camera because it was. This is the story of a small group of self-taught sailors that, after haggling a derelict fiberglass sailboat in Florida, rebuilt the vessel and then sailed to the Bahamas, essentially learning to sail along the way. The film is so raw and real, waterspouts, bludgeoning mahi mahi, and swimming out anchors. Virtually everything is done "under sail" without a working motor. It takes a second to get into, but hold in there. You can download and watch it for free, but help these guys out and pick one up.

VIBRAM SOLES

Vibram soles look like they haven't changed much in last 40 years, and aside from the Five Fingers, really haven't. From Vibram's website..."In 1935, Vitale Bramani led an expedition into the Italian Alps. The climbers used heavy, hobnailed boots for the approach, but then switched to thin-soled rock climbing boots for the assault. These climbing boots proved fatal when the expedition was hit by thick fog and a blizzard. Six climbers died from frostbite and exposure.It was this tragic experience that drove Bramani to create an all-purpose climbing sole: lightweight, long-wearing and flexible. He developed rubber compounds with excellent traction and high abrasion resistance. He designed a new lug sole and called it Vibram®, after his own name."

WHITE RABBITS

There is a (believed to be) century old superstition that when the smoke from a campfire blows in your direction, you must repeat these words aloud to change it's path:I hate white rabbits,I hate white rabbits,I hate white rabbits.Some variations require hopping on one foot while reciting the verse. Either will make your not-so-informed friends laugh. Was anybody else taught this growing up?