Cold Rain and Exercise

For me there's nothing worse than cold rainy days. By cold I mean just above freezing to anything below 50 degrees. That wet cold cuts right to the bone. That's how it was today.

I'm not one to hit the gym. Boring. Also not a big fan of “gym culture” where gym rats show off and have incredibly tedious conversations about protein supplements.

I'd rather go for walks in the woods, ride a bike, paddle a canoe or any other outdoor activity. Heck, I'd rather chop firewood than go to the gym. Unfortunately cold wet days don't lend themselves to outdoor activities, unless you want to catch pneumonia or something. Give me full on winter where at least it's possible to cross country ski or snowshoe.

One of the reasons I'm such a fan of sailboat living is because I get plenty of exercise without even trying. All that rocking back and forth is great for core muscles. We paddle to shore in a kayak instead of using a powered dingy. Once on shore we do a lot of walking. One marina put us so far down the dock it was a ¼ mile hike to the main office. A quick trip to use the bathroom was a half mile round trip. We did a lot of waking while staying there.

Maybe what I should do is invest in some really good foul weather gear that's comfortable to hike in. I've rain gear, but with any sort of sustained exercise I'd get just as wet from sweat. Good breahable gear does not come cheap.

When I was younger and nothing kept me inside I wore a lot of wool. Unlike cotton, wool keeps you warm even when wet. The downside is that it is heavy and you end up smelling like a wet sheep. Modern synthics perform better, but the good stuff is hard to find in big fat guy size.

For now I'm staying inside near the woodstove, waiting for better days.

-Sixbears

Emergency Pants

Finally, it was a sunny and warm day -shorts and T-shirt weather. My lovely wife and I had to run into town. It's about a twenty minute drive, with no traffic. There is never traffic. That's one of the perks of living out in the country.

Even on such a short drive I made sure I had a spare pair of long pants and a warm jacket. While it was warm when we left, this is the time of year when temperatures plummet once the sun goes down. Sure, we were only twenty minutes from home, but that's by car. Walking is a different story.

More than once I've broken down a couple miles away from the house. Living in the woods is great, but if you have trouble, you stand a fair chance of being on your own. Cell phone service is nonexistent the last couple miles. The last thing you want is to be walking home in shorts, in the dark, in freezing temperatures.

How many people make a big deal of having a bug out bag but lack decent clothes for a long walk in bad weather? They may take more care about their concealed carry piece than the condition of their walking shoes. Odds are they'll need good shoes and warm clothes more often than a handgun.

Maybe I think more about hiking back because I've driven so many junk cars over the years. Even new cars break down, and roads become impassable to wheeled traffic. Infrastructure isn't maintained like it used to be, especially in the country.

So . . got your emergency pants?

-Sixbears