The WildeBeat

The audio journal about getting into the wilderness.

 

ABOUT

The WildeBeat
Wilderness newsBeat

The outdoor recreation and adventure radio show and podcast about backcountry news and activities, like camping, backpacking, skiing, and snowshoeing. MORE...

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The WildeBeat is a public benefit project of the Earth Island Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.

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RECOGNITION

The directories, review sites, or other podcasters listed below have recognized The WildeBeat for its quality of content and production.

As featured in an interview on the main page of
PodcastAlley.com Feeds

As featured in the June/July 2006 issue of the magazine
[Plenty Magazine]

[Podcast Bunker - 5 stars]

   

Thu, Aug 28, 2008

Getting Oriented, part 2

Posted at 09:00 /shows/outings [link [Bookmark Link]]
Listen now:

[A control checkpoint.] This outings program is part two of a look at the sport of orienteering. You'll win this race by getting lost the least often, because it's all about your navigation skills. Participating in orienteering events can significantly improve your backcountry navigation skills. (Part one is here.)

Steve attends an orienteering meet organized by the Bay Area Orienteering Club at California's China Camp State Park. Long-time club member Terri Ferrah explains the e-punch system used to track progress on an orienteering course. Tyler Atherton and his fellow Boy Scouts take off on a beginner (white-level) course. We hear from Mikkel Conradi, who designed the course and the map using O-CAD software. Erin Majors from Roseville, California, and Dana Koontz from Larkspur, California, talk about their experiences orienteering. Gary Kraght, a past president of the United States Orienteering Federation, sums up orienteering's wide appeal.

If you really want to master map and compass navigation in the wilderness, then orienteering is one of the best ways to learn. You can find a local club through the United States Orienteering Federation.

WildeBeat members can download a compete recording of Scott's 12-minute beginner's clinic from our WildeBeat Insider web pages.


Wed, Aug 27, 2008

Announcement: Renewed Relationship for Gear Reviews

Posted at 21:00 /blog/gear [link [Bookmark Link]]

The WildeBeat and BackpackGearTest (BGT) are redefining and strengthening our relationship in order to provide you more impartial gear reviews. This new relationship gives BGT more editorial control over our gear review editions.

Until now, the WildeBeat selected topics and BGT reviews for each gear review edition, grouping reviews of similar products. In future gear review editions, we'll present reviews of an assortment of products selected by BGT's moderators. The moderators will base these choices on the quality of the reviewers' testing and reporting, not necessarily on the qualities of the product.

Since the the WildeBeat was launched in 2005, gear reviews have been an important category of our programs. Steve wanted to provide listeners with impartial reviews. Independent from sponsors and advertisers, BGT could provide that impartiality, and could also benefit from the exposure the WildeBeat provides. So an understanding was arrived at that allowed Steve to regularly interview BGT testers. Steve's goal was to provide a wide range of opinions on a wide range of products.

BGT was created by Utah hiker Jerry Goller. Goller, according to About BackpackGearTest, "saw a need for impartial reviews in a world where most people got their information from publications that accepted money from the same manufacturers whose gear they were testing." He started a Yahoo group of hikers and backpackers willing to test and review gear. After successfully recruiting skilled reviewers and diverse manufacturers interested in receiving independent feedback about their products, the independent Web site, BackpackGearTest.org, was launched in August of 2002.

We plan to present the first of our new gear review editions at the end of September, with two shows each season. The new shows will typically feature fewer products that will be reviewed in more detail.

If you want to contribute gear reviews to the WildeBeat, you can do so by joining BGT. BGT is looking for qualified testers. To get qualified, you start out by writing reviews of gear you already own. After that, you could be offered free gear to review. Read: how to become a tester to find out more.

Thu, Aug 21, 2008

Getting Oriented, part 1

Posted at 09:00 /shows/outings [link [Bookmark Link]]
Listen now:

[Orienteering map, compass, and a control bag.] This outings program is part one of a look at the sport of orienteering. You'll win this race by getting lost the least often, because it's all about your navigation skills. Participating in orienteering events can significantly improve your backcountry navigation skills.

Steve attends an orienteering meet organized by the Bay Area Orienteering Club at California's China Camp State Park. Gary Kraght, the vice president for club services of the United States Orienteering Federation explains what orienteering is, and its history. Scott Aster presents a beginner's clinic for first-time orienteers.

Next time, in part 2, we'll listen-in on the experience of orienteering.

WildeBeat members can download a compete recording of Scott's 12-minute beginner's clinic from our WildeBeat Insider web pages.


Thu, Aug 14, 2008

Summer OR 2008

Posted at 09:00 /shows/gear [link [Bookmark Link]]
Listen now:

[Backpack Gear Test] This gear program is a report on the 2008 Outdoor Retailer's Summer Market. What gear will BackpackGearTest be reviewing for next summer?

Volunteers Rick Allnutt, Christopher Nicolai, and Ken Bigelow report on the most interesting gear they hope to test for BackpackGearTest.ORG. They comment on products by: GoMotion, Ultimate Survival Technologies, Gerber, Bushnell, Sigg, Insect Shield, and the Therm-a-Rest division of Cascade Designs.

If you're interested in reviewing for Backpack Gear Test (BGT), read: How to become a tester. Manufacturers provide more gear than the volunteers at BGT can keep up with. By becoming a tester, you can help your fellow wilderness travelers find out what gear will work for them.

WildeBeat Members can download the entire reports from the BGT testers from our WildeBeat Insider web pages.


Thu, Aug 07, 2008

Ancient Firemaking

Posted at 09:00 /shows/skills [link [Bookmark Link]]
Listen now:

[Dino Labiste makes fire with a hand drill.] This skills program presents advanced skills for making fire without modern tools. This is the third in a series of shows featuring primitive technologies experts from Primitive Ways. (The first show is number 141, First Skills, and the second is show number 146, Starting with Fire.)

Naturalist Dino Labiste talks about the three methods prehistoric humans used to make fire. He demonstrates creating fire by friction using a hand drill. He talks about two other methods, fire by percussion, and fire by compression. He explains what would be the best of these techniques for you to use if you had no modern choices.

The Primitive Ways website has many articles on primitive fire skills. Another source of information on primitive skills is the Society of Primitive Technologies.

WildeBeat Members can download a recording of Dino Labiste's complete firemaking demonstration from our WildeBeat Insider web pages.



   

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