No Car, No Problem: Urban Family Transportation

Riding bikes is fun and healthy. Too bad too many people drive cars in our cities. Cars don’t belong in cities is a thought which we share in our family. Cars have their place, but for both humans and the environment, and also the aesthetics of our towns, it would be best if most of us would cycle to the grocery store, work and the cinema. That that is possible I want to show you in this article.

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The Problem

I admit that #FuckCarsRideBikes is probably the best Hashtag I have invented. I dislike cars as they illustrate what is wrong with our cities & towns: Everywhere we have multi-lane streets so that thousands of people who sit alone in their car can drive from A to B. What’s wrong about this is that the distances these people drive ALONE in their cars is statistically less than 5 km, or the distance which most of the readers of this blog hike in an hour in the hills or would be able to ride on a bike in 20 to 30 minutes. Add in that nowadays seemingly every other car driver is distracted while checking his or her phone, our ageing societies mean that there are more people who are physically less able to drive safely, and the emissions from cars which are bad for our health and you start to realize that we need to get rid of the majority of cars in cities and towns. That that is possible and that one can thrive without a car and get everything done is what I want to show today, and hopefully encourage you to ride more on your bike and drive less in your car.

How to get from A to B

The kids have hobbies, need to be brought to school and kindergarden, there’s the occasional thing to pick up at the post office and groceries for cooking at home also need to be bought and brought home. Add in a visit to the cinema, going for lunch with colleagues, playing games with friends, swimming at the beach and oh, yeah, showing up at the office for work is also smart. Can one REALLY do all that by bike? Well, yes 😊

Statistically most people use their cars for journeys of three to five kilometre in length, which if you think about it, is insane. I ride with my kids, with the trailer behind me and my son on his own bike, in 15 minutes to the centre of Vaasa, which is about three kilometre away from our house. Pretty much all of it is on cycling lanes, and in the centre there’s dozens of parking places for bikes so one never needs to ponder “Where do I park?”. It’s also free! If the weather is poor hardshells come on - living in a coastal town (= lots of wind, 🌬💨 all the time) means we are used to wearing a wind jacket when we go outside - and when you arrive at the Café, Restaurant or school you take it off. No problem!

This is not some kind of magic that only we can achieve. Most people have very short commutes and can do all of it by riding a bike, and did I mention that being on a bike is healthy and fun? I at least always feel very happy when I can ride my bike. I think the biggest hurdle to those who drive with a car everywhere is that they think that they can not cycle. The truth is - if you have learned to ride a bike, and own a bike, then you can bicycle. No one is expecting you to win the Transcontinental Race or going Downhill mountain biking but you likely just want go to the Café or to the beach. You also don’t need to sell your car and go all in, but gradually try what you all can do by bike. Cycle to work two days a week, instead of taking the car to the gym take the bike to go grocery shopping, and if you want to go out and meet friends why not go cycle to that lovely Café instead of taking the car? If you slowly phase out the use of a car you’ll see that going by bike everywhere is easy - and not just for adults, also kids love to ride their bike. The smile my 3 year old daughter gives me when we cycle together is amazing, and while this obviously only are short distances like going to the Kindergarden, the playground and the library bus, it still allows her to get used to cycling. For longer distances she sits in the Thule Chariot, which is also great to transport stuff. And if it doesn’t fit on the bike or in the trailer I take the bus or use a Taxi. By not owning a car we save a minimum of 400€ per month on car-related expenses, and that are even in Finland quite a few Taxi rides.

The Bikes

Now I have been talking so much about our bikes - time to take a look at them! I have written before about my Pelago Stavanger which I am now riding since five years. I bought for my wife some years ago a Pelago Airisto which she loves, and with both of these bikes we can pull the Thule Chariot 2 where our daughter sits and rides with us. The Airisto is a fantastic bike and I got my wife the front basket as it makes transporting things so much easier. The Airisto also performs well for bike tours - we cycled for a week on Åland with these bikes and had a lot of fun.

Our son is on his fourth bike, and since about a year he is riding the woom 4 children’s bike which has been his best bike to date. It’s not just light and grew with him, it also has 8 gears which made cycling up hills and in winter a lot easier. The bike handles very well (especially if compared to his older bikes) and it’s a pleasure to see him ride his bike proudly and having fun. A good bike which is the right size and easy to use makes all the difference in getting a child being willing to ride a bike year-around, from spring till winter, and the woom 4 certainly has made it easier for us parents to go cycling together - because the bike works flawlessly. We also have cycled some longer rides around Vaasa with him, and thanks to his woom bike he’s able to cycle up to 20 km without a problem.

Our son is wearing the woom Helmet which is good, though it’s not really made for the cold weather of Finland and the width adjustment knob broke in the middle of winter - we have been using the Helmet now in the max. size, which is either way what we needed. It’s a light and well-ventilated helmet and stands up to daily use. Similarly the woom bike lights had a battery which had problems coping with the Finnish winter, it only worked on a charge for a day or two max and then needed recharging, though I imagine this is not a problem in warmer climates. And we also got the easy to use woom chain lock. You can put in your own code (and can change it easily, too) so that way the bike can always be securely locked when at school or in town.

The Thule Chariot 2 is an amazing trailer and honestly the most important piece of cycling gear for a family with small kids which wants to rely less on the car. The Chariot 2 has allowed us to transport both kids at the same time when they were younger, we can use it to transport large packages and it makes grocery shopping a breeze as you can fit a child and the groceries for a week in it with room to spare. We also have travelled with the bikes and the trailer on Åland which was an amazing trip which combined the bikes, train and ferry for a lovely week of cycling in the Archipelago. The Thule Chariot also has flown with us when the kids were smaller, as it can be converted into a pram in one minute (or a sled if there’s enough snow!). This really is an amazing piece of equipment which is integral to our family not having a car, and I can foresee that even when our 3-year old daughter is old enough to cycle herself that we might keep the trailer for a while as it is so damn easy to transport large things with it.

Speaking of transporting, my Trek 920 Disc has been an amazing bike for both transporting, urban commutes, fun rides and adventures. I can transport an unreasonable amount of stuff on it thanks to the two racks, and especially the front rack is one of the best things on a bike, ever (Seriously, if there’s one thing you should get for your bike it is a front rack!). I love this bike and even more after I made it tubeless two years ago. If it would allow me to pull the Thule Chariot I probably would own only this one bike.

As we are a family and we have to transport kids, groceries and parcels every now and then, I think you understand why we are dreaming of a Cargobike. There’s just too many options and they’re also all a bit pricey, but maybe in the future we will change from the Thule Chariot to a Cargobike for transporting…

And then there’s the kick bike which our kids used when they were small. We had a Puky kick bike for both kids, and our daughter has been riding it since she was 1,5 years old. It’s something she really enjoys a lot and she is pretty good at it, and when we go to the playground, for a walk or to the library bus she takes the kick bike as that way the longer distances are no problem for her.

Come Rain, come Sunshine, we Ride

Riding our bikes in any weather - from damn slippery roads to the rain and hot 30°C days - needs a little planning garment-wise, though as you’re likely a backpacker or skier you have everything you need to ride in any climate. We just use our hiking garments for cycling, the most important thing is that they have a good freedom of movement. A wind or rain jacket and a rain pants are needed in foul weather, while in the summer we cycle in shorts and T-shirts. My wife and kids use a Helmet while I only use one on long bike rides - because it’s OK to not wear a helmet, as bicycle lanes make cycling safe and not a helmet. Windproof gloves make sure your hands don’t freeze solid (they’re also recommended in windy summers as warm hands make cycling a lot more fun).

That’s really it what ones need to transporting oneself from A to B by bicycle - yes there’s lots of fancy things one can add to the bike but a basic bike, some gloves, maybe a helmet and depending on the weather a wind or rain jacket are all that is needed. In the future I’ll write more about useful accessories for cycling, but that’s not the focus of this post!

Can’t do without car?

If you can not be without a car - because you actually life far away from civilization - I would encourage you to at least not drive alone. Share a car with a neighbour or two, drive together, make less trips and if your car is old get a car which is fuel-efficient or is an electric car. Generally, sharing the car and driving together makes the use of a motorized vehicle more acceptable. Alternatively you could try a e-Bike as these allow you to go a bit faster and further without too much of your own muscle power, or have a look at something like the Arcimoto if it needs to be a vehicle.

Go Ride Your Bike!

I hope you see it is easy, fun and healthy to not drive everywhere in a car and that using the bike for transportation in an urban environment makes a lot of sense. There’s no searching for a parking spot, you don’t need to go to the gym, you’re outside at the fresh air and are having fun. Having good bikes for the kids and getting them used from an early age to cycling helps to instil a happiness to bicycle everywhere in them, and also makes them more independent as you as a parent don’t need to drive them everywhere. So in conclusion I hope that you now, with the beginning of spring, try to cycle more! After all - it’s fun, healthy and allows you to be more outside, and isn’t that what we all enjoy the most?!

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3 Tips to Remember When Painting the Bathroom

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

One way to completely change the look of your bathroom without actually spending very much is to repaint it. If you’re going to DIY this project, then make sure you keep in mind the following tips:

Photo by Sebastien LE DEROUT on Unsplash

Ensure appropriate ventilation
Make sure your bathroom has proper ventilation. If not, the high levels of humidity can damage your paint. An open window and a ceiling fan or exhaust fan can help clear a room full of steam, removing moisture and drying walls. Try to run your fan for an hour after every shower or bath. Source: Forbes

Pick the right paint
Bathroom windows take a beating: Blinds go up; windows open and close. Candles, blow dryers and other hot items often lie on top of the ledge. So use a durable semigloss or gloss trim paint that can handle the abuse. If the window will take direct rain and wind, chances are that it’ll get wet sooner rather than later, so you may want to use an exterior paint. Source: Houzz

Choose a color that works well with your space
Dark, weighty colors in small spaces often make the user feel claustrophobic. Should you surrender to that classic bathroom color, white? Not necessarily. Light, airy, bright bathroom paint colors such as light-blue or light-yellow always work well. Since darker paint colors make spaces feel small, any type of lighter color will be an improvement.

However, this is not an iron-clad edict. To make darker colors work in bathrooms, include other elements that leaven the ponderous feeling that dark colors bring on. Shiny, reflective chrome or brass sink fixtures or cabinet pulls add bright stars of light to dark spaces. Also, make sure that your bathroom lighting is adequate both for the space and for the color palette. Source: TheSpruce

While you’re on a mission to create a new look for your bathroom, check out the classy fixtures we have on our website.

 

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A Shaman Shares a Spiritual View of Mental Illness

In 2014 Stephanie Marohn interviewed Malidoma Somé, a West African shaman of the ancient Dagara tradition, for an article that quickly went viral, “What a Shaman Sees in a Mental Hospital.” It looks deeply at spiritual emergency, that is, when a person is overwhelmed and disoriented by spiritual experiences. He asserted that people diagnosed as mentally ill need a very different form of care than what is available today in mental hospitals. Malidoma suggested that many who experience spiritual emergency are healers and mediums in need of training, instead of psychiatric medications.

“Unless the relationship between the living and the dead is in balance, chaos ensues.”—Malidoma Somé

Why is this important? Consider Bipolar: Each year bipolar disorder affects about 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population 18 and older, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It is recognized as a mental illness that causes intense mood shifts from depression to mania and negatively affects a person’s ability to function at work, manage a home, or be a successful student. It is estimated that nearly thirty percent of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder will attempt suicide at least once in their lives. The suicide rate for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder is twenty times that of the general population. It is one of the ten leading causes of disability in the US and the world. Malidoma believes that many with bipolar symptoms are psychic and in search for the ideal way to use their psychic abilities. Their search to manage their experiences and hone their abilities must be met with qualified training.

 

Malidoma Somé’s Perception of Mental Patients:

In 1987 I became friends with Malidoma Somé, a shaman of the Dagara tradition of Burkino Faso, West Africa. After visiting a mental ward Malidoma remarked that it seems that most people who are given labels of serious mental disorders in the USA are sensitives who need training and support to become the healers and psychic mediums they are meant to be. He perceives that a highly sensitive person is picking up all kinds of energies—like a radio receiver that is open on so many channels simultaneously that it cannot deliver one clear message. Instead, the sensitive delivers what it picks up and that can be a tumult of conflicting ideas, feelings, and impulses, interpreted by the medical profession as symptoms of psychosis. Malidoma offers this assessment:

“The person going through the crisis has been chosen as a medium for a message to the community that needs to be communicated from the spirit realm. Mental disorders, behavioral disorder of all kinds, signal the fact that two obviously incompatible energies have merged into the same field. … These disturbances result when the person does not get assistance in dealing with the presence of the energy from the spirit realm.” —Malidoma Somé

Malidoma Suggests What Can Help:

• Supportive community and fellowship with others who accept the person as they are and recognize they have a unique message to offer. The community actually helps a person reconcile the energies of the ordinary world and the world of the spirits, so that their potential as a healer or medium can be manifested.
• Energy work to clear the subtle body of extraneous energies that are not helpful, and to align the person with the positive energies that need to come forth.
• Training from shamans and elders who can help the person become deliberate about what they tune into. Think of a radio with a “tuner” control to get us to the channel we seek. Some spirits are trying to get through to the person to help them. Other energies need to be tuned out so the beneficial spirit messages can come through unobstructed.
• Rituals are essential. They can safely structure reconnection with the natural world, ancestors who seek attention, and spirits who want to help the person become a healer. Malidoma has created various rituals for our culture to assist in making and maintaining these connections.

Respect for the Full Expanse of Issues

It is not just the spirit world we need to honor in managing spiritual emergency. Not all disturbances come from the spirit world. If someone is out of balance, or emotionally disturbed, there may be other factors involved that need attention, too. The best of care includes teamwork with holistic medical doctors, nutritionists, social workers, and psychotherapists. Here are some reasons why:

• Physical imbalance, e.g. a tumor in the brain, can cause emotional disturbance. Lack of nutrition or micronutrients can cause emotional disturbance. A physically toxic environment can cause emotional disturbance. Thus, clinical assessments with those keenly aware of nutritional components of mental health are an important part of assessment and treatment.
• In our modern world we do not have the close connections of tribal membership that are a safe container for those who become imbalanced. Family and community life have become fractured; they offer less stability. We have more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that come from neglect or abuse by parental figures. We are struggling with racial prejudice, misogyny, and food insecurity. The effects of these psycho-social traumas need to be reckoned with, as they are also components of mental disturbance.

Final Words

Knowledge of our psychic connections with spirits and the skills to deal with those connections in an empowering way need to be added to mental health care. Over 100 years ago William James, MD, considered to be the father of American psychology, collaborated with researchers of psychic phenomena. He said we must research psychic phenomena and consider it as having a vital role in the challenges of being human. This message is still a faint echo in today’s research and practices within psychology.

…”in the West (we) are not trained in how to deal or even taught to acknowledge the existence of psychic phenomena, the spiritual world. In fact, psychic abilities are denigrated. When energies from the spiritual world emerge in a Western psyche, that individual is completely unequipped to integrate them or even recognize what is happening. The result can be terrifying.” —Malidoma Somé

May this blog help to further James’ message and the wisdom of the Dagara. May it empower those who don’t belong in categories of mental illness but are the would-be healers seeking to serve our communities.

Emma Bragdon, PhD, is the author of 7 books and co-producer of two documentary films on the relationship between spirituality and health. She teaches online courses on “How to Effectively Support Someone in Spiritual Emergency” and trains and certifies “Spiritual Emergence Coaches®”. She is currently raising money to produce films to educate healthcare providers and the general public about spiritual emergency. IMHU.org, EmmaBragdon.com

Malidoma Somé can be reached through his website, malidoma.com. He teaches widely and continues to offer personal consultations. He is also the author of several books that illuminate his wisdom about shamanic initiation, ritual and community.

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Planning an Outdoor Shower

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

For people who love hiking, going to the beach, and other outdoor activities, having a shower before entering the house means less mess to clean. You get to avoid bringing sand, sludge, and dirt inside. Have an outdoor shower ready by summer when you start doing the project today! Here are some pointers to consider:

Photo by Abigail Lynn on Unsplash

Determine where to place it
“Outdoor showers are a nice feature for pool owners or beachfront homes,” says Jarret Acevedo, a master plumber and owner of Jarret Acevedo Plumbing and Heating. However, depending on how low your temperatures drop in the winter, you’ll need to take precautions with your shower. “Care is definitely needed to plumb it properly to protect from freezing if it’s an area with frigid temperatures,” Acevedo warns.

Placing your shower strategically kills two birds with one stone. “Depending on your layout, you can punch through the shower wall and build a shower that opens up to another rain shower outside,” says Jonathan Self. Source: Freshome

Have a good drainage system
Where water goes is just as important as where water comes from. Most homeowners drain their outdoor showers into a separate manhole, a storm ditch or a gutter system linking to the home’s graywater tank. Locating your shower in a place that receives a lot of sunlight is another way to eliminate water buildup.

“Be sure to check your local building codes about the disposal of gray water,” says Gloven.

Chris Marchese, CEO of Marquis Gardens, suggests using Permeable Pavers or artificial turf for drainage and flooring because they blend into the environment. He also notes that it’s critical to only use biodegradable soap and shampoo when your drainage line is being naturally discharged.

If you’re concerned with slipping or mildew, composite boards make great flooring for outdoor showers. “They dry quickly and feel fantastic underfoot,” says Thomas O’Rourke, owner of Decking Hero. “Plus, they last between 25-30 years, so it’s a good value for your money, about $70 per square foot.” Source: FoxNews

Add a privacy wall
Outdoor showers typically offer less privacy than their indoor counterparts, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. A well-placed wall creates a quaint little nook in which to shower while enjoying the sunshine. The secluded area allows for peaceful bathing in the buff—no matter how nosy the neighbors. Source: BHG

Your outdoor shower wouldn’t be complete without great looking bathroom fixtures to match. Check out our website for tons of options!

 

Contact:
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Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cake

3 Ways to Stop Hair from Clogging the Bathroom Drain

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Do you often experience the struggle when you shower and then there’s a mini flood going on, because the drain gets clogged with your hair? It’s so annoying and disgusting. Stop it from happening again by doing the following tips:

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Prevent hair fall
Some hair is going to fall out in the shower while you are washing and conditioning, but there are some things you can do to keep hair out of your drains to start with. Brush your hair thoroughly before entering the shower. When loose hair collects on your fingers while shampooing and conditioning, set it on a shelf or the edge of the tub instead of dropping it into the water. If you prevent as much hair from entering the tub drain as possible, use a strainer to keep the rest out and then regularly use a cleaning or clog-preventing product on your drains, you should not have a clogging problem. Source: Hunker

Install a drain screen
This is a piece of metal mesh that can be purchased at a local hardware store and that will fit directly over your current drain opening. It will trap any extra soap scum, hair, or other debris, keeping it from going down the drain. Read the installation directions closely, as you may need to secure the screen on top of the drain with plumber’s putty.

Make sure to remove the screen and clean it on a periodic basis to keep the water from backing up into your shower. Source: WikiHow

Drench it with vinegar
Always keep a bottle of vinegar in the bathroom. Along with its many uses around the house, vinegar is a cheap way to keep your drains clear. Simply pour half a bottle of white vinegar down the drain every 3 months and it should do the trick. The secret is to let it sit for 10 minutes (the acid will remove any clogs that are forming) and then flush with hot water. Source: Home.BT

If you need fixtures to match your luxury bathroom, then check out our website for high-quality pieces. We also have the latest home sauna models that are perfect for you! Call us to find out more.

 

Contact:
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Is Backpacking a Sustainable Hobby?

Being outdoors, sleeping in nature, hiking through the forest, paddling on rivers and cycling on beautiful single trails - being outdoors seems on a first look to be a very sustainable hobby. But is it really?

This article is part of the Bergfreunde Series of “Sustainable Outdoors” and several bloggers write about this topic - you can find a list with the other articles at the end. We are not paid to write these articles and have full editorial control.

Going outdoors feels like a sustainable hobby - especially if you compare it to sports and hobbies which need large buildings or areas to be played & practiced. But is it really sustainable to drive in a big car to a trail head, being dressed in garments made from oil-based materials and hiking in sensitive areas which contributes to land erosion and degradation? That is a question which I am pondering in this article, so read along to find out what in my opinion are our biggest “sins” as backpackers.

Getting there

Only very few of us life in nature and can start hiking or skiing from their doorstep - most of us life in towns and villages and need to travel to the start of a trail or to the hills. Those who read me since a while know that I neither have a driving license and our family also does not own a car. If I go backpacking somewhere it is always by public transportation, most usually a combination of train and bus when in Finland, or by ferry, plane and then bus or train when abroad. As I have been travelling like this since 20 years this is normal for me, but for those who have grown up with a car in front of their house this might seem strange. Yes, I am dependent on schedules and trains and busses to get somewhere, but I have learned to life with that and it usually works out nicely. My waiting time I use for reading and studying the map, or stocking up on calories!

Getting to a local trail here in Pohjanmaa means either jumping on a bike or taking a bus or train and possibly a Taxi. Sometimes I make the bike ride part of the journey and just call it a Bikepacking and Hiking Adventure as cool and catchy names are important =) I really love to ride my bike and it’s my favourite way to get around when in town or if I’m travelling, it just feels great. Going by train or bus is fine, though - I can charge my phone and listen to music or chat on Discord and the speed is good and if going by bus I usually also can get off quite close to a trailhead and just hike the last bit.

When going abroad flying is something I hate. I hate the noise, the people and the emissions I accumulate while travelling by plane, but for long distances in a short time there’s no alternative for me right now. I am cutting down on my flights and assignments abroad drastically, though, and each trip I can realize by taking the ferry, train, bus and Taxi are a win in my book. Plus going by plane also often means I have to add a night in an AirBnB or Hotel at the beginning or end, depending on the connections at the destination to get where I want to go which adds to the costs and length of a trip. But some trips are just too good to miss out on, like my Causeway Coast Way thru-hike or backpacking on the Via Dinarica in Bosnia Herzegovina. These were amazing hikes and totally worth getting into a plane for, and also the John Muir Trail is high on my list, as well as several other trails abroad.

My take-away for getting there is probably to try to enjoy your local outdoors as much as possible. I know I am guilty of dreaming and hiking on distant trails, while I have a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site on my doorstep which would be great for packrafting, cycling and hiking. But the benefits of hiking locally are so many: You can hike more - have a free afternoon and day ahead? Just go to a local trail for a night out! Take the bike instead of the car if you feel like it, and for longer trips why not explore more of your own country?! If you fly somewhere for your yearly long backpacking trip - and you can! - offset your emissions by supporting reforestation measures or similar.

The Gear

Another topic which we have to ponder is how sustainable our outdoor gear is. Unless you use exclusively natural materials like cotton, hemp, flax, wood or Merino wool chances are you have something that’s made from oil => plastic in any form or shape (it can be called Dyneema, XPac, Cuben fibre, Polyester, Nylon, Cordura or or or). The good thing is that most of our outdoor gear is so well made that it can last us a life-time with some proper care, so the environmental footprint of a tent which gets used several times per year is relatively small after 15 years of use.

Also, most new outdoor equipment is made from recycled or recyclable materials which is an amazing step forward. I remember my first OutDoor where the sustainability topic was still in it’s baby shoes and I had more the feel of “Greenwashing” here and there. But now, five years later, it’s front and centre for many companies, and one of their most important messages. From Patagonia who doesn’t want you to buy their jackets to Houdini which lets you rent their garments instead of buying them, many companies wake up and realize we need to do something to keep our outdoors healthy.

But what’s even better is that many of our outdoor gear also can find it’s way into our everyday life. Don’t be dumb and only use your Hydroflask on the trail - take it with you when you go to work or walking the dog! Get a good mug for your coffee on the go, and also your lunch can be packed in a Light My Fire meal box. I also wear my outdoor clothes all the time - my hiking pants are my every day pants as well, when I pick up my kids I wear my Alpine Start Hoody or a shell jacket and I don’t really use any other shoes than my trailrunning and hiking shoes. If you’re working at a office where a suit is mandatory you might not get away with wearing your outdoor garments all the time, but if your employer is relaxed about the dress code there’s no good reason why you can’t wear your flannel shirt and hiking trousers to the office.

Finally, instead of buying a new piece of kit once an old one is broken might not be necessary - many pieces of equipment can be fixed, from stoves to garments. If a rain jacket doesn’t keep the rain out anymore it often just needs a wash with a good detergent to re-activate its waterproof properties, and if a tear is too big you can have it often much more cheaply fixed than buying a new one.

Land degradation

Land degradation and erosion is especially a problem at very popular trails and areas - from the Karhunkierros in Finland to certain trails in the Lake District and elsewhere, where a lot of people hike or ski the earth under our feet gets eroded and with rain and wind popular trails quickly can look like deep scars in the landscape. Well built and maintained trails minimize this problem, and also we can - by choosing to hike on “less popular” trails. Now less popular does not equal less beautiful, and as many of us go into nature to escape busy cities it’s a smart thing to search out these less popular trails and enjoy them on your own.

If a trail gets really popular then trail erosion is often the smallest problem - often rubbish which is left behind, from 💩 to plastic bottles and tissues - are a much bigger issue. What we as knowledgable outdoors men and women can do is to educate our fellow hikers when we catch them in the act, or collect the trash and carry it out. Carrying a small Ziplock bag for these situations is common for me, because I really hate it to see rubbish left in nature.

Bottomline & What you can do

My conclusion is that being outdoors, be it hiking, backpacking, biketouring, packrafting or ski-touring is inherently a sustainable activity. By spending time outdoors in nature we learn to care more about our planet, and in the long run we will adapt many of the things I have suggested throughout this article, though if you’re at the start of your hiking career and just started with backpacking you can now of course skip ahead and pick up these good behaviours and ideas!

To sum them up, these would be my three take-aways:

1. Adventure more locally and take the bike, train and bus to get to the trailhead!
2. Use your gear until the end! Resist the urge to buy new gear, repair what you have and consider renting or buying used gear.
3. Search out less popular trails, keep Leave No Trace principles in mind and pick up other people’s trash if you encounter it outdoors.

I also want to encourage you to not geo-tag your images online and generally share & spend less time on un-social networks like Instagram and Facebook which both promote Fear Of Missing Out and other negative feelings. Finally, #FridaysForFuture are not just for kids - also responsible Adults who are not happy about how those in our governments misuse their loaned power can take to the streets and demonstrate for politics which ensure our planet, including all these amazing National Parks, hiking trails and mountains remain for future generations. Take the ext Friday off and go demonstrate!

Further Reading

The Bergfreunde write about sustainable winter holidays, Stefanie ponders the topic of travelling and sustainability, Heiko shares 11 sustainable tips for home & outdoors, Björn reports about the DAV Day Sustainable on Ski Tour and the Climbing Plus guys show how climbing has changed over the years. I’ll add more articles when I find them =)

Enjoyed this article? Support me on Patreon and get some useful rewards (like hanging out on Discord with me, where you can pick my brains!) or buy me a coffee - I work Full-Time on Hiking in Finland to bring you inspiring trip reports, in-depth gear reviews and the latest news from the outdoors. You also could subscribe to the rarer-than-ever Newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube for more outdoorsy updates!

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Different Uses for Vinegar in the Bathroom

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Cleaning the bathroom shouldn’t be expensive and difficult. You can easily do it with one of the cheapest household items you can find: vinegar! Here are some ideas you should try the next time you see filth building up.

Photo by Daniel Fazio on Unsplash

Toilet Stains
Deposits under the rim of your toilet bowl can be really hard to clean! To help dissolve the deposits and make them easier to scrub away, grab a few paper towels and your trusty bottle of white vinegar.

Soak a wad of paper towels with vinegar, then tuck the towels up under the rim of your toilet bowl. Let the vinegar work its magic for a few hours, then remove the paper towels and scrub clean. Source: OneGoodThingByJillee

Dirty Shower Head
Too much gunk blocking your shower head? Just remove the shower head and soak for a few hours in straight vinegar. After soaking, give it a quick scrub!

Tip: If gunk doesn’t remove easily, wrap a watertight plastic bag full of vinegar around the shower head, secure with an elastic band and leave to soak. Source: StayAtHomeMum

Blurred Mirror
Just like windows, mirrors can be cleaned with a 50/50 vinegar and water mix in a spray bottle and wiped with old rags from cut-up t-shirts or newspaper (paper towels leave a lot of residue with this method).

The easiest way, if you have them, is to use microfiber cloths (1 regular one wet, and one polishing one dry, or just one regular wet one and one regular dry) to clean without the need for chemicals at all. Source: WellnessMama

Shower Curtain Mildew
Put the shower curtain in the washing machine with light-colored towels; add 1 cup white vinegar to the detergent and wash. Source: DIYNetwork

Grimy Floor
Clean the floor around the drain with a vinegar solution: 1 cup of vinegar for every 3 liters of water. A handy time to do this is when you’re mopping the floors! Keep in mind that the use of vinegar on floors should be limited to no-wax floors. Source: Cleanipedia

If your bathroom fixtures are still dirty despite all the effort and cleaning items you’ve used, then maybe it’s high time for a replacement. Check out our website for the most affordable yet best-looking items in the market.

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post Different Uses for Vinegar in the Bathroom appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.

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Is Your Prescription Drug Causing Your Depression?

Let’s face it… our current medical industry loves pills.

When you go to the doctor for any kind of discomfort with any kind of diagnosis, chances are that the doctor will write out a slip of paper and send you to the pharmacy. Every illness, every injury, every bodily inconvenience has some kind of corresponding medication for us to take. So that’s what we’ve done for the greater part of the last century. It’s tempting to think that we can be “fixed” by medication because it’s quick and easy. That’s why the United States pharmaceutical market was valued around 446 billion U.S. dollars in 2016 alone.¹

But the truth is that our bodies are more complex than we’ve been taught, and more importantly, we know much less than we think we do. Only recently have we started to understand how connected the gut, brain, hormones, and immune systems are. So it’s not a huge surprise that we think of our bodies as machines—that we can feed them some chemicals and they’ll run smoothly again like a car that just got an oil change.

The severity of consequences that result from thinking this way hasn’t really settled into the public consciousness yet, but a June 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association² explores that very question:

What does this society-wide reliance on prescription drugs really cost us?

Apparently, often times, our wellness.

More Than 200 Commonly Used Prescription Drugs Have Depression as a Potential Side Effect

In the aforementioned study, researchers analysed the medication use patterns of 26,192 adults between 2005 to 2014, which were collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The research discovered that more than 200 commonly used prescription drugs have depression or suicide listed as potential side effects.³ The drugs on that list run the full gamut across antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, allergy medications, hormones and more.

A short and incomprehensive summary of the study’s offending drugs was compiled by the Washington Post and they include (and are certainly not limited to)⁴:

1. Beta blockers and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (blood pressure drugs): metoprolol, atenolol, enalapril and quinapril.
2. Antidepressants: sertraline (Zoloft and generic), citalopram (Celexa and generic), bupropion (Wellbutrin and generic) and amitriptyline.
3. Anti-anxiety drugs: alprazolam (Xanax and generic), clonazepam (Klonopin and generic), diazepam (Valium and generic), and lorazepam (Ativan and generic), as well as the sedative zolpidem (Ambien and generic).
4. Opioids: hydrocodone combination meds (Lorcet, Norco, Vicodin, generic and more) and tramadol (ConZip).
5. Corticosteroids: prednisone and others.
6. Over-the-counter proton-pump inhibitors: omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid and generic) and esomeprazole (Nexium and generic), as well as the antacids ranitidine (Zantac and generic) and famotidine (Pepcid and generic).
7. Allergy and asthma medications: over-the-counter cetirizine (Zyrtec and generic) and the prescription drug montelukast (Singulair).
8. Anticonvulsants: gabapentin (Neurontin and generic) and topiramate (Topamax and generic).
9. Hormones: estradiol (Delestrogen, Elestrin, EstroGel and generic) and finasteride (Proscar, Propecia and generic).

As a matter of fact, the study found that the more drugs people took, the more likely they were to have depression. While about 7 percent of those taking one such drug were depressed, 15.3 percent of the patients taking at least three were depressed. Additionally, the study showed that one-third of US adults may unknowingly use medications that can cause depression.⁵

The most alarming thing is that even your doctor who may have prescribed the drugs to you might not know about these side effects.

In an interview with Science Daily, Mark Olfson, one of the study researchers who is a professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York said, “Many physicians may not be aware that several commonly prescribed medications are associated with an increased risk of this disorder.”⁶

Are prescription medications really worth it?

This June 2018 study analysed more data than other previous studies have, but really, science has known that common prescription drugs cause depression for a while. Are we really that surprised that so many medications, all researched and developed under a one-size-fits-all assumption that all medications will work the same for everyone, are wreaking havoc on our unique bodies?

For example, depression has been consistently associated with interferon α treatment of hepatitis C—45% to 60% of treated patients developed mild to moderate depression and 15% to 40% of treated patients developed moderate to severe depression 15% to 40%.⁷,⁸, ⁹ Other studies have linked hormonal contraceptives¹⁰,  β-blockers¹¹, and more drugs to depression.

The June 2018 study doesn’t detail exactly how these listed drugs can lead to depression, and there are too many for us to explore the mechanics of each one, but we might be able to get a general sense by understanding depression as a syndrome of “evolutionary mismatch.”¹²

Think about it. Depression is our body telling us that something about our lifestyle isn’t working right. It’s our immune system yelling at us, saying our evolutionarily-unprecedented environment is out of sync with our optimal health. It’s our immune systems telling us that our lifestyle decisions—or maybe the pharmaceutical products we’re putting in our bodies— are really stressing it out.

And when our immune systems get stressed, inflammation can become chronic leading to the symptoms of depression.¹³

Even antidepressants, which are supposed to “cure” us of depression, still come with so many problems attached. Recent studies have also uncovered antidepressant tachyphylaxis, or the loss of antidepressant “efficacy” over time.¹⁴ Basically, people on antidepressants lose the initial drug effect over a time period that leaves them physically dependent so that they are rendered medicated, symptomatic, and unable to easily stop taking medication due to withdrawal symptoms. Other studies have found that antidepressant use also actually induces chronic depression, a phenomenon called tardive dysphoria.¹⁵

So, the study authors are working on bringing more awareness to the fact that depression is a potential side effect to so many drugs, but the study results might just be a red flag that is signalling something even more fundamentally wrong with how we approach healing and our bodies. Why make louder warnings that prescription drugs might cause depression when we should be finding pharmaceutical-free alternatives?

There’s a lot about our bodies that we don’t fully understand, and it’s time to acknowledge a new biology. We can no longer participate in impersonal medicine,  ignoring details of our lifestyle, environment, relationships, and trauma histories. We’re humans, and that means that our beliefs, our stressors, our diets, our exposures, our sense of meaning and purpose all play a role in how healthy we are. As science helps us understand more about the complexity of our health, maybe it’s time to turn to a more holistic, more empowered kind of lifestyle medicine to heal ourselves, side effect free.

References

• ¹ https://ift.tt/2UINh5W
• ² https://ift.tt/2l2RIbs
• ³ https://ift.tt/2l2RIbs
• ⁴ https://ift.tt/2ULeZPD
• ⁵ https://ift.tt/2l2RIbs
• ⁶ https://ift.tt/2y3oG5a
• ⁷ https://ift.tt/2w2gpsI
• ⁸ https://ift.tt/2CtdgqO
• ⁹ https://ift.tt/2UKjD0l
• ¹⁰ https://ift.tt/2dP2RrT
• ¹¹ https://ift.tt/2UM92Si
• ¹² https://ift.tt/2F1BcAZ
• ¹³ https://ift.tt/2UPakMI
• ¹⁴ https://ift.tt/2CsXLPQ
• ¹⁵ https://ift.tt/2UINia0

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4 Ways to Detox Your Body

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

In a previous blog we discussed the many reasons why it’s important to do a regular detox. Today, we’ll talk about the different lifestyle changes you can make to achieve a healthier you.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Lounge in the sauna
Our immune systems are up against an arsenal of toxins that our ancestors never dreamt of: pesticides, toxic metals, PCBs in plastics, environmental pollution, and even GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Combining this with a lifelong poor diet is a set-up for accumulated toxins and a potentially weakened immune system.

Luckily, infrared sauna treatments can give your body an extra push to eliminate these toxins. Specifically, this is achieved through sweating, which has been shown in several studies to increase detoxification and lower circulating levels of toxins in the body. Source: PaleoHacks

Get a good night’s sleep
“Giving yourself a good night’s rest is one of the best ways to detox your body and reset,” Asay says. “Sleep has been connected to weight loss, reduced cortisol levels and stress, and improved overall health.” The best part about sleep is that it takes absolutely no effort—just make sure the temperature of your room is cool, and give yourself a 10-hour block to snooze. Source: TheThirty.Birdie

Avoid using unhealthy oils
Toxic oils can include vegetable oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, cotton seed oil and canola oil. Substitute with good oils, such as extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, hemp oil and flaxseed oil. Hemp oil, for example, is a great source of omega-3s, -6s, and -9s. Source: MindBodyGreen

Eat organic
While you’re munching on yummy greens and gut-friendly pre- and probiotics, make the switch to organic/pastured meats and dairy instead of using conventional animal products. According to Consumer Reports, 80% of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used for livestock and other farm animals. If you are serious about your detoxing goals, you don’t want that in your body! Source: TheTruthAboutCancer

Do you have an infrared sauna at home yet? These are the types of saunas that work best for detoxifying the body. It’s a great fit for any house. We can help you find the model that will suit your needs best. Visit our website here!

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Reflections on the IWA OutdoorClassics 2019

What does an ultralight backpacker, skier and climber do at the IWA OutdoorClassics fair? Blending in, obviously =)

Disclosure: I’m a co-founder of the Outdoor Blogger Network and we were a cooperation partner of the Nürnberg Messe for the 2019 IWA Outdoor Classics. However, I haven’t been paid to write this article, and I maintain full editorial control of the content published on this site. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on transparency.

If you’re interested exclusively in outdoor gear and don’t carry a knife in the outdoors, better read this article. If knives, warm boots, and toned-down garments are something you are interested in - dive in!

This Opinel N°08 Black Oak was my favourite piece of hardware on the show. It’s lightweight (45 g) and simply beautiful. It felt great in my hand and I think I want to pick one up.

Also the other goods from Opinel were top notch and especially the two sets for kids were amazing, as a father of a seven year old boy I really loved the wood carving set which lets the child build a small sail boat. Similarly, the kitchen knife set allows the kids to help safely in the kitchen - and cooking together is a lot of fun!

Also this Marttiini Damast Steel puukko was a work of art, Made in Finland. The birch handle is waxed and felt really good in my hand, and damast steel with it’s intriguing patterns is always an eye-catcher.

Apparently All Black is a trend in the knife industry, also also the Swiss Brand Swiza had an All Black pocket knife. This one felt lightweight and could be a good knife for weight-conscious backpackers.

At Victorinox a person was showing some visitors how to carve with the knife in the middle, and it was interesting to watch. This Swiss Brand had a wide array of different knives, and it seems even some collectors editions.

And at Morakniv they were very proud of their new hook knife for carving, and it’s a great - and SHARP - knife for sure. This knife now finally comes with it’s own leather pouch which protects it during transport, which is a good thing. Also I learned that Mora produces some insane amount of knives each day - 20.000 to be exact!

As I have around my house a large pine hedge which I cut once a year, a good saw is mandatory in our house. I checked out the Silky Saws booth and these Japanese saws looked amazing, I feel when my Fiskars saw is at the end of it’s life cycle I might replace it with a Silky one.

Hultafors from Sweden makes Axes since a loooong time, and their Hultån, Åby and Ågelsjön hatchets felt amazing in hand. Sadly they didn’t have any wood for splitting along, but I am pretty sure these axes are up to the task! Oh, and that Damast Axe - it’s a unique piece which is unlikely to see mass production, and with a price tag of around 2.000€ it’s also more likely an Axe which you’ll hang on your wall than using it in the forest.

I met the guys from FixPlus which make lightweight straps with which you can connect your gear to all kinds of stuff - from closing your cook kit securely to attaching your skis to your bike, these are multiple use and lightweight - and unlike the classic Voilé straps more durable and UV resistant.

Fjällräven was with their sister companies at the fair and their new hunting trousers looked amazing - both very comfortable and made for a good time in the outdoors, in any weather. I liked the pattern, too, and imagine that we will see many people wear these for normal backpacking and hiking.

The Hawu Roll Chimney from Finnish brand Savotta was amazing if you’re into hot camping in winter, a really great chimney that’s easy to set up and pack down, and also works with UL wood stoves. At 1 kg it might be heavier than the Titanium foil UL options, but the Hawu was so easy to use that I wouldn’t bother with any other chimney.

And finally, as we’re still in the midst of winter here in Finland and Scandinavia, warm boots! Polyver Boots are Made in Sweden, not far away from Åre, and are fairly lightweight - around 700 g for a Size 42 Premium Low boot, but hold on before you start to write “That’s not….” - these are made for cold weather activities. Like, -25°C cold. Activities like ice fishing. And that’s where they will keep your toes toasty and dry, because waterproof they are too.

Take Aways

As I have said for years in my wrap-ups of the OutDoor Friedrichshafen and ISPO shows, these happenings are less about the gear for me and more about the people. And I met great people at the IWA, which care for nature and enjoy their time in the fjells and forests. I too really enjoyed my first IWA show and seeing all the new gear which I never see at one of the usual shows I attend, and best of all I had ZERO meetings which meant I was free to stroll around the fair and look at the stuff I am interested in. And so I came home with new impressions of a new fair and outdoor market, and got to know some interesting new equipment. Let me know in the comments on Facebook or via Twitter if you found this article interesting, and if you saw some interesting kit! I’ll leave you with some more impressions from the show and wish you a happy outdoor weekend!

Enjoyed this article? Support me on Patreon and get some useful rewards (like hanging out on Discord with me, where you can pick my brains!) or buy me a coffee - I work Full-Time on Hiking in Finland to bring you inspiring trip reports, in-depth gear reviews and the latest news from the outdoors. You also could subscribe to the rarer-than-ever Newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube for more outdoorsy updates!

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