Visiting Wanderer - Blog

Easy ways to start a fire - camping or in an emergency

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:37:26 GMT

            If you have ever been camping, then you know that one of the more important things is to build a fire. Whether for heat or cooking, fire is an essential ingredient in camping and surviving in an emergency. Below are a few items that will make getting that fire going a much easier process.

            One of the simplest ways to get a fire going is with cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. Get as much jelly on the cotton ball as you can and store them in a plastic Ziploc bag. They are relatively easy to ignite and burn long enough to get the tinder burning.

            Buy a box of strike anywhere matches and waterproof them using candlewax. The way you do that is to light a candle, as the wax pools below the wick put the match head in it and rotate it. Make sure you cover the whole match head with the wax. Don’t let the head touch the flame or it will ignite. Put them in some kind of waterproof container that is small enough to fit in your kit or pack. I’ve also read you can dip them in fingernail polish to accomplish the same thing.

            In addition to the matches, you will want to add a piece of sandpaper to the kit to have a sure place to strike the matches. Where you stay for the night may not have a suitable surface to strike them on so it is always better to be prepared for every eventuality.

            Always carry a Bic lighter as well. It will give you far more fires than a handful of matches and if kept dry is usually quite reliable. If you do get it wet, let it dry and it will be good as new.

            A magnesium block and striker are a good backup way to make fire. It takes longer and more work, but with a little practice you’ll learn the nuances of it.

            One of my favorites that was told to me by a friend, is using a 9V battery and steel wool. It’s simple, you take the 9V battery and touch it to the steel wool. The steel wool will start burning, but it burns quickly so make sure you have your tinder on hand to put on it. When you store them in your pack, or anywhere else, ensure they cannot touch one another.

            Collect your dryer lint and use it to get your tinder burning quickly or you can also soak it in the petroleum jelly for the same use as the cotton balls. Another item you can pack is a small magnifying glass. You’ve all seen or heard about kids burning ants with them, well you can start fires with them as well.

            There are many other devices and techniques that you can employ for getting a fire going, these are just a basic and easy few. They may not necessarily be the best, but they are some of the easier ways. You should always have several different ways to get a fire going in case one does not work or you lose one or more.

*This article is for informational purposes only. The author is not responsible for any injuries or damages incurred during attempts to use these methods. Research each one for yourself and learn about it before attempting to use it.*

Rewards

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 01:13:32 GMT

            Sometimes when we start working on something we might not intend for it to go the direction it does. That can be good or bad, but in this case it has been a very good experience.

            Two years ago I started a personal project to visit, photograph, and research the history of Vietnam War era UH-1 Helicopters. Why would I do that? Simple. I love those birds. I’ve had a fascination with them since I was a child. One of the few memories I have of my childhood is sitting in the co-pilot’s seat of a Huey while the pilot explained the plethora of knobs and switches. I remember the ‘whump, whump, whump’ as the rotors bit into the air as the helicopter lifted off and flew away. Even today I can still sit here, watching and listening to endless videos of that iconic piece of American history.

            The project started with the intention of just documenting the service of the helicopters, but it expanded to include stories being submitted by the crews and soldiers that were there. Authors have allowed me to post excerpts from their books or in one case link to a free copy of an entire book written by someone that served there.

            I have had conversations with a museum director, Dept. of the Army acquisitions, a retired general, and a multitude of Vietnam veterans. Today I received an email from a person that was actually part of a crew that operated one of the helicopters I documented. That is the first time anyone that had been directly connected to one of them has contacted me. I emailed him back and am hoping for further communication and it has renewed my desire to continue this project.

Chasing a dream - An interview with Rebecca Thacker

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:09:03 GMT

Bio:

Rebecca Thacker is from rural Missouri and enjoys traveling. She's been to nearly 20 countries on 5 continents and hopes to have the opportunity to travel to many more. She taught in Korea for 6 years and spent a summer in Ethiopia studying permaculture.

Visiting Wanderer:

            When did you realize you wanted to travel?

Rebecca:

            I've always wander to travel. I can't remember otherwise. My grandma was from England and I grew up listening to her stories about life back in her homeland. My great-grandfather was stationed in India for about 20 years with the British Royal Army and my grandma would tell me stories about his life there. I especially loved the stories about the elephant he had. To me, there were beautiful animals that I could only see at the zoo so to imagine someone using an elephant for transportation and to pull/carry things was incredible. The stories from my grandma about her and her father's life peaked my interest. I knew that when I was older I would go to these places myself.

Visiting Wanderer:

            Where did you go on your first international trip and how did you choose that country?

Rebecca:

            My first international trip was to England with my grandma when I was 9 years old. I         was able to meet my great-grandma for the first and only time, and as well as so many relatives that I had only heard about. Everything was new and exciting and I felt like the luckiest kid in the world. The month flew by and it was time to go home but I left knowing I would return as soon as I could.

            My grandpa had a great collection of books and my favorite was "The Human      Achievement" because it had pictures and information about civilizations all over the world. The mysterious Macchu Picchu had caught my attention and I put Macchu Picchu at the top of my "must see list". I decided to work a second job to save up enough money to hike the Inca Trail. It was my first international trip by myself.

Visiting Wanderer:

            Has there ever been a place that you have regretted visiting and if so, why?

Rebecca:

            Never! Every place has something about it that makes it unique. Even if I'm in bed with       food poisoning or have gotten massively over charged by a taxi driver, I don't regret having the opportunity to travel to that place (although I might seriously regret my choice of restaurant or taxi driver). I think it's important to keep the perspective that traveling is a chance to meet new people, experience a new culture and to learn new things about places but also about yourself. It's a way to challenge yourself and discover how you adapt to situations that you've never been in before. It's all an experience, for better or for worse, and I'm blessed to have that opportunity.

Visiting Wanderer:

            How did you fun your trips? Savings, portable income, teaching in other countries, etc.?

Rebecca:

Most of my traveling was done during the time I worked in Korea. My job had 10 weeks paid vacation which I used to explore Asian countries. I was able to travel to China, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Japan, etc. from Korea for much cheaper than it would have cost to travel from the United States. My living costs were low in Korea so the combination of expendable income and proximity created a fantastic opportunity.

Now that I’m back in the USA I only have two weeks of vacation but try to save up during the year and use my vacation time for one annual international trip.

Visiting Wanderer:

            Do you have a favorite destination that you would like to return to?

Rebecca:

I would like to return to most places that I’ve been to. Mongolia does stand out though. It’s an amazing and unique place. It was like going back in time. Most “roads” were little more than dirt paths with no signs or paths. There are no electrical lines running across the landscape. Stars shine so brightly since there is no light pollution. Transportation is largely still via horse or dirt bike and people invite travelers to sleep on the floor in their yurts without fear of being robbed. It has a sense of innocence, rugged beauty and calmness that is lacking in many modern places.

Visiting Wanderer:

            Is there any advice you would give to someone just starting out in travel?

Rebecca:

Go for it! Go to the places you have dreamed about going to. Don’t limit yourself! Don’t be worried about the language difference because there’s usually someone, somewhere who speaks some level of English wherever you are. On the off chance there’s no English spoken, basic body language and gestures go a long way. I always get a phrasebook so I can try to say the basics in the local language. It’s a gesture that is universally appreciated.

Learn about the places you’re interested in going to – check out travel websites, ask people who’ve been there, get a copy of Lonely Planet, read a book or two by local authors, etc. If you want to ease into it, go to Western Europe. There’s enough difference to make it exciting but enough creature comforts and similarities to make it less stressful. If you want to be more adventurous try Thailand. It’s a vibrant and rich culture with English widely spoken, and creature comforts are available at a price.

When preparing for your first trip get a sense of what your comfort zone is and check to see if your budget matches. If you must have air conditioning in your hotel expect to pay more if that is not a common amenity. If you want familiar western food then expect to pay more as well. Traveling can be done affordably if you’re willing to temporarily give up some of those creature comforts and stay at guest houses and hostels. They may lack a swanky lobby or posh restaurant but they make up for it in meeting other travelers to exchange information and stories with. There’s truth to the saying “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. Go into traveling with this mindset and you won’t be disappointed!

**I want to thank Rebecca for taking the time to answer my questions and for being so generous with sharing her experiences throughout her travels. Perhaps one day I will be following in her footsteps and go to explore the places I dream about visiting.

Making Strides

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:16:06 GMT

In about 2 months Visiting Wanderer will be two years old. It sure does not seem like it has been two years, but it has been a lot of fun.

I recently sold my first text ad making Visiting Wanderer its first income. I was pretty excited about that.

Today I received an email from LinkedIn saying that I was one of the top 1% being endorsed for Travel Photography in the United States, so Visiting Wanderer is definitely making strides.

Photo Ideas for the Young Ones Wanting to Learn

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:06:46 GMT

“ Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph." – Matt Hardy

            If you are in the same boat I am, you are trying to find a way to make photography fun for your child. Mine is 11 years old and has only recently begun to delve into the more technical aspects of the hobby. But if we do not make it interesting then they will lose interest pretty quickly, so what can we do?

            I’ve been searching for a few days now and one of the more creative ideas I have found is using toys to experiment with forced perspective. Use angles and focusing techniques to give the illusion that the toy is larger or smaller than it actually is to place it in the desired perspective. This works pretty well for my daughter as she collects little horse figurines which would be perfect for this.

            Another idea I have found is a photo scavenger hunt. This could do a few things, such as creating a situation that would make your child think creatively and think about each picture they take. Plus, it allows a lot of leeway on how you can set it up based on what you want to teach with it. The boundaries are near endless. This could take place around your house, in a park, or on any family outing that you go on.

            Are you planning a trip to the zoo? This would be an excellent opportunity to let your child be a photojournalist for a day by thinking about each image they take by having to develop an appropriate caption to go with it. It would be a good way to have them be more observant and look more closely at things they may not see otherwise, or would rush through.

            Find an old dictionary or find words online and put together a visual dictionary of the words you find. This can be fun and educational while teaching creative thinking and seeing. A photo collection, such as photos of bugs or leaves or anything else will help them work on being more observant of the world around them and make them look more thoroughly for things to add to their photo collections.

            If you have further ideas on making learning photography fun for kids, please use the comments below to make the suggestion.

Scouting Kansas City

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 03:59:47 GMT

Liberty Memorial

The 25 degree morning did not deter us from heading down to Kansas City to begin teaching our daughter how to use a DSLR camera. We added a few more layers and let the car warm up for a few minutes before we left.

Traffic was not bad, considering it was a Saturday morning, and we had no difficulty getting to our first destination. A staple of Kansas City, and probably many photographers’ portfolios, is the Liberty Memorial. The Memorial sits atop one of the most emotionally moving museums I have ever been to, the National World War I Museum. It was built in honor and remembrance of the more than nine million who died in combat during the “Great War”.

            Today however, the museum was not open yet and we were there to teach some photography. After setting up the tripod and explaining a few settings, Kim took a few shots before we gave in to the cold and returned to the warmth of the car. We drove around to the west side of the Memorial and braved the cold a little longer as the lesson continued. There will never be a shortage of angles to photograph the Memorial.

            On the way to photograph the Kauffman Center, we stopped at a Parking4less lot a couple of blocks from the heart of the downtown area and let Kim take a few pictures. It is always amazing to see the architecture of downtown Kansas City.

            The Kauffman Center is still relatively new and is an interesting piece of design on the skyline. Easily seen and photographed from the north side of the Liberty Memorial, Kauffman Center is a mainstay in the art and performance communities, but we were only interested in the outside of the building today. The sun had started to come out from behind the clouds and the edges of the building were glowing orange, a nice contrast with the lower shadows. Again, the cold shortened our stop and we piled back in the car.

            Having no clue where to go next, we just started driving and we ended up going through historic Westport. One of Westport’s claims to fame is the Civil War battle that was fought there in 1864. We kept driving until we entered the north side of Swope Park.

If you are not familiar with it, Swope Park’s 1,800 acres is home to the Kansas City Zoo, Starlight Theatre, and the Lakeside Nature Center, which we chose to be our next stop. Lakeside Nature Center is, among other things, a rehabilitation center for injured and abandoned wildlife. Inside the Center there are displays showcasing a range of Missouri wildlife, including snakes, mammals, and aquatic habitats for kids and adults to enjoy. Behind the building there are several trails that wind through boulders and woods that are a good example of the Missouri outdoors, and give ample exploring opportunities.

Depending on what you are looking for, Kansas City can be a different experience every time you go.

Aperture Simplified

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:44:16 GMT

            One of the most confusing aspects of photography, for me at least, was figuring out aperture and what its role is in exposure. Everything I read was heavy with technical terms and after a while it was mind numbing. It took me a while to figure out a much simpler explanation of what aperture was used for.

            Basically, there is a diaphragm in the camera that is 1/3 of the exposure triangle. The other two parts are the shutter and the ISO setting, but those are another discussion. The aperture controls depth of field (DOF), which is how much of the image will be in focus when you take the image.

            The aperture is indicated by an F number (example: F16). To put it very simply, the smaller the F number, the more light will be allowed in and the less that will be in focus. The larger the F number, the less light will be let in and the more that will be in focus. In a nutshell that is what the aperture is used for.

            Do you remember looking at a portrait of a person and noticing how they stood out from the background because the background was blurred? Have you seen an image of a wide mountain vista where everything was nice and in focus? This effect is achieved using the aperture.

The smaller number will have very narrow field of focus, so it is very important to focus on the right part of your subject. It will blur the background out which can reduce clutter or other distracting elements from the finished image. When you get down to F1.4 that means quite a bit of light is let in and can actually help in lower light situations, but again, your focus point is extremely important because the DOF at this setting can be quite narrow.

On the other end, if you want a sweeping landscape and want as much in focus as possible, you would use the larger numbers, such as F16 or F22. This will give you a much broader DOF in your image. This lets less light hit the sensor so it is better to use outside or where you have plenty of light.

If you want learn the technical side, you can go here to read more about it.

Christmas on the Plaza

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 03:32:33 GMT

The Vampress - Halloween 2012

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:55:42 GMT

Model:
Chelsea C.

Zombie Hunting - Halloween 2012

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:12:51 GMT

A hunter fighting a zombie

Model: Arsenic Ari
MM#: 2597392
Website: www.facebook.com/officialarsenicari

Armorer: Lyle Miller the-Armorer
MM#: 2114057
Website: www.the-armorer.com

Zombie:
Chelsea C.