Willis And Geiger

John Martin of Vice recently interviewed Burt Avedon (Richard's cousin) about Willis & Geiger, the expedition gear brand started by Ben Willis at the beginning of the 20th century. Along with Abercrombie & Fitch and Filson, Willis & Geiger was one of the first outdoor-clothing companies and outfitted some of the era's most famous explorers: Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Roald Amundsen, Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Sir Edmund Hillary, and Tenzing Norgay.Mr. Avedon revived the company two years after it went out of business in 1977 and helmed it until it was liquidated in 1999. Read the whole interview here:

Burt Avedon: Let me just ask you a question: Having done some research on your publication, your audience is the antithesis of our company and our lives. Because it’s young, 18 to 35, as they say, and countercultural—are we anathema, or are we the contrast vehicle?Neither. I think that young people right now are very interested in anything related to American heritage, especially in regard to fashion.We haven’t found that to be the case. We find that the youth are not at all interested in things that have long histories and heritage and integrity and all that. They are interested in reading predominately what’s new and what’s contemporary.There is a lot of that with the pace of media right now, where people are always looking to see who’s putting out the newest sneakers, but there are a few brands whose authenticity is paramount.Yeah, but unfortunately good brands of heritage are a reflection of their original management; when they become professionally managed, they lose the spark that brought them to where they are today. I found that to be classic in the industry. Whenever they go into second- and third-generation management, they lose themselves. They no longer have the passion that was originally part of their DNA.

Wilder Quarterly

Winter Wilder 2013Wilder Quarterly 3 Wilder QuarterlyIf you're not yet hip to Wilder Quarterly, then you need to race out and get their latest and greatest, Wilder Winter 2013. It's a little late hitting the shelves because of Hurricane Sandy, but that is neither here nor there. It'd still be worth buying if you found it two years from now in the dead of summer:

Wilder Winter 2013 explores the deep freeze with a trip to Iceland to see what survives the polar clime and coastal Maine to see the cold, hard realities of oyster farming. Chef Magnus Nilsson shows us the hiemal pleasures of the Swedish landscape and Alaskan native and songstress Kate Earl teaches us how properly to filet a salmon. We have plenty of deep reading for those long winter nights with a brief  history of tree-hugging and an interview with NY Times columnist Mark Bittman. We experience a mid-winter thaw with a visit to Vietnam to learn about international farm to table cuisine. Along the way, we delve into the mythology of the persimmon and figure out why everyone should love the praying mantis. We'll help beginners get into vermiculture, share growing tips for every region and much, much more.

Thank you to WQ's mastermind, Celestine Maddy, for taking the time and energy to put out this gem. We're big fans around these parts.

DeLorme Gazetteer

DeLorme Gazetteer copy copyAs March approaches and road trips are being planned, it's probably a good time to start thinking about investing in a DeLorme Gazetteer. Some of the best maps around, they include all of this great stuff:

  • Back roads, dirt roads and trails
  • Elevation contours
  • Remote lakes and streams
  • Boat Ramps
  • Public lands for recreation
  • Land use / land cover – forests, wetlands
  • Trailheads
  • Campgrounds
  • Prime hunting and fishing spots

Safe travels, y'all. Don't get lost.MP3: The Beat - U.S.A.

Worn Wear

Worn WearI'm sure most of your are hip to Patagonia's new Worn Wear site, but if you're not, get on over there today and start diving in. There's not too much up  yet, but even in its early stages, you know it's gonna be a hell of a time in the months (years?) to come. Thanks for the picture above, Nick Yardly of Yorkshire:

Dear Patagonia,In December of 1986, I left the dark, dripping, wet landscape of my native Yorkshire, England and arrived wide eyed in New England. I had two backpacks and $500 in my pocket and couldn’t have been happier.I worked at a climbing school that had its office at the back of IME, THE climbing store in North Conway, NH and a Patagonia dealer. Everyday as I walked into the store my eyes fell on a Patagonia Snap-T fleece jacket. To me it stood out as a prime example of this brave new world I had arrived in. I purchased it with my very first paycheck in the USA ― I was sleeping on a mattress and barely had a couple of dollars to my name.  That jacket was my constant companion for 7 years. Here it is living every Brit climber’s dream, road tripping across the country and sleeping in the desert. Oh, the car cost $450 ― my second purchase in the states.―Nick

Sally Jewell

Sally JewellObama has tapped Sally Jewell, CEO and President of REI, to take over the Department of the Interior from the outgoing Ken Salazar. (The DOI oversees much of America’s public lands through the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and other agencies.) Jewell, who is 57 years young, has grown the company's sales from $900 million to $2 billion since taking over  the stewardship of REI in 2005. More info over at Adventure Journal:

She grew up sailing and camping and spent five weeks climbing in Antarctica. She’s won numerous awards for conservation and environmental work, including the 2009 Rachel Carson Award for environmental conservation from the Audubon Society, a track record that is sure to be touted by opponents. But prior to joining REI, Jewell worked in the banking industry for 20 years and before that she worked as an engineer for Mobil Oil, experience that should blunt criticism.

That is just...well....awesome.

Alpinist 41

Alpinist 41Alpinist, one of the best pubs around, features a never before seen photo of Clint Eastwood in The Eiger Sanction on the cover of their latest issue. There's a great little article about that cover over at Alpinist.com written by Gwen Cameron, managing editor of the magazine, and Hammish MacInnes, the 82-year-old Scottish winter climbing pioneer who took the photo and the designed the Terrordactyl ice axes:

Clint showed no emotion as we lowered him into position. He was busy directing himself. Our group of expert climbers was unusually silent. This rope-cutting stunt was special, and I'm sure all were relieved that they were not on the end of that rope. Clint was more worried about the Swiss Army Knife that he grasped in his right hand to cut the rope. It had been honed to razor sharpness, and he felt that there was a danger that he wouldn't immediately drop it the instant he severed the fibers. It illustrated his clarity of mind that he could dismiss the danger of our gallows disintegrating and concentrate on dropping the knife. He was keen to start.

Tucson Burritos

Tania's TucsonAfter a few days out in the woods, it's inevitable that the "What are we going to eat when we get back to civilization?" conversation is going to make its way to the campfire. We all have our favorites, and around these parts, it usually involves something Mexican. So it's no surprise that on our recent excursion to the southwest, we were more than excited to taste some local fare. Perhaps it's cheating to mention Tania's 33 in this conversation as we actually ate here before departing to the Organ Pipes, but I can't help but think that Tucson, AZ will be an après-camp destination for some of you in the months to come.I don't believe we've ever plugged a restaurant here on Cold Splinters before, so I'm happy that Tania's is our first. There are all sorts of burritos out there in the world (Papalote after a long afternoon hike in Point Reyes is a fine choice) but the stupidly-good homemade flour tortillas (they're vegan) and range of filling options (for those of you who don't eat meat, their homemade soyrizo is, well, also stupidly-good) to satisfy any hungry hiker. And the owner, Rudy, who is pictured above, is just about the nicest guy in the world. It's impossible to get him to shutup, so don't ask too many questions about the impossible-to-read menu. Just go with it. Best pre/post camping meal I ever done had. Thanks to our host, Eric from MOCS1986, for the recommendation.I'm sure you all have favorites, so hit me in the comments.

Day At Night

Day at Night was a public television program that aired from 1973-1974, hosted by the late James Day, former president of both San Francisco's KQED and New York's WNET. Above is an interview with Wallace Stegner who eloquently talks about the dream and history of the American West; "This was a kind of a Huckleberry Finn place to grow up, a marvelous place for a child." There's mention of Hudson Bay Company, Scarlet Fever, and of course, The Big Rock Candy Mountain. Well worth watching during your lunch break.

Peace Pilgrim

Before Mildred Lisette Norman started calling herself Peace Pilgrim while walking across the country for nearly 30 years, she became the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail. And while she did lots of amazing things that you can learn more about here, I think the AT part of it seems most appropriate for a Cold Splinters post. The following (there's more after the jump that you should definitely read) is taken straight from the official Peace Pilgrim website:

Her sixth stage and final step, at which she arrived at complete inner peace, came in the fall of 1952, at the end of a long and extraordinary journey on foot. On April 26, 1952, Mildred Ryder began a 2,050 mile hike of the Appalachian Trail and parts of the Long Trail. She started her hike north from Mt. Oglethorp in Georgia, and headed toward Mt. Katahdin, in northern Maine. On the way, she made a 165 mile detour, and also hiked the northern half of the Long Trail in Vermont from the point where the two trails diverge mid state. She then returned to central Vermont and completed the remainder of the AT trek in October 1952. Completing this walk, she became the first women to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in one season. At the end of this remarkable journey, she also achieved total inner peace and discovered what she was called to do.She had been hiking for five months, living outdoors completely, equipped with only a pair of slacks, one shirt and sweater, a blanket and two plastic sheets. Her menu, morning and evening, was two cups of uncooked oatmeal soaked in water and flavored with brown sugar; at noon, two cups of double strength dried milk, plus any berries, nuts or greens that she found in the woods.

Life on the trail agreed with her. Hiking reinforced her belief in simplicity and confirmed her ability to live in harmony at need level, for long periods of time, in all weather conditions. She felt her faith in God-as perceived through nature-strengthen and solidify as a clear and omnipotent source of divine inspiration. She became convinced that material possessions were simply a burden, and that to achieve a daily state of grace, she would need to maintain that simplicity after she got off the trail. The idea to become a pilgrim, walking cross-country for peace, came at this time in a vision. She wrote:I sat high upon a hill overlooking rural New England. The day before I had slipped out of harmony, and the evening before I had thought to God: "It seems to me that if I could always remain in harmony I could be of greater usefulness - for every time I slip out of harmony it impairs my usefulness. And when I woke up in the morning I was back again on the mountaintop and I knew I would never need to descend again into the valley.After that...there is a feeling of always being surrounded by all the good things, like love and peace and joy. It seems like a protective surrounding, and there is an unshakeableness within, which takes you through any situations you need to face....I then saw in my mind's eye, myself walking along and wearing the garb of my mission...I saw a map of the United States with the large cities marked - and it was as though someone had taken a colored crayon and marked a zigzag line across, coast to coast and border to border, from Los Angeles to New York City. I knew what I was to do. I will talk to everyone who will listen to me about the way to peace. I'm even planning to wear a sign, the back of which will read, "Walking Coast to Coast for Peace" and the front, "Peace Pilgrim." And that was the vision of my first year's pilgrimage in 1953.

The Southwest

Cold Splinters ArizonaAs you may or may not know, Cold Splinters went out west before Christmas to do a little camping in the desert. The first leg of the tour included stops in Tucson, Organ Pipes National Monument, beautiful Lake Havasu City, Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park. We woke up on Christmas morning (which marks the beginning of the second leg of the tour, more on that to come) overlooking the Pacific Ocean while camping in the hills of Malibu, CA.See some more photos after the jump - including a blurry shot of a Christmas morning Malibu sunrise - and don't forget to follow Cold Splinters on Instagram.Cold Splinters Organ Pipes Cold Splinters Kelso Dunes  CSCS5 CS6CS Malibu