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Don't get lost without your CD.     If you have lost your signal mirror in all of the equipment that you have, don't despair. Just go to your mail box and thank AOL for one of the many fine disks that they send you. You can throw this into your backpack and be prepared for disaster with your new signal mirror.     Protect Yourself against West Nile Virus - Deet, Oil of Eucalyptus or  Picaridin Deet is the old reliable ; although many do not like the smell of deet or it may  cause skin irritation and it is not recommended for infants. Now there are alternatives for insect repellants. Oil of Eucalyptus and Picaridin. There are some warnings also on these so be careful when choosing your insect repellants. Also please read all labels before using.   Apply insect repellant sparingly to exposed skin. But, do not spray into face; rather, spray on hands and then apply to face ? avoid eyes and mouth. The more Deet a repellent contains the longer it can protect you from mosquito bites.   Don?t apply repellant on skin that is under clothes, but spray clothing with the repellant, because mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing.   Wear Long pants and Long sleeved shirts when you are outdoors.   Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors with infants.   Dusk , dawn, and early evening are peak periods for biting mosquitoes.   Repellants provide protection for the certain amount of time depending on the Deet content. Usually 1 hour for 4.75%  Deet, to 5 hours for 23.8% Deet.   Avoid perfumes and deodorants during peak hours that mosquitoes are most active; mosquitoes may be attracted to the scents.   After returning indoors, use soap and water to was skin that has been treated with insect repellant.   Mosquito Repellant and Protection Times:             Off! Deep Woods-24%- 5 hours             Sawyer Controlled Release-20% -3.9 hours             Off Skintastic-7% -1.9 hours             Bite Blocker for Kids-2% soy oil-1.6 hours             Skin-So-Soft Bu Guard Plus-7% IR3535-23 min.             Natrapel-10% Citronella-20 min.             Green Ban for People-10% Citronella-14 min.             Buzz Away-5% Citronella-14 min.             Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard-0.1% Citronella-10 min.             Gone Original Wristband-9.5% Deet-.3 min. Grandma's  formulas for mosquito repellant: Plant to Keep Mosquitoes Away!  The castor bean plant.  Seeds available from any nursery.  Plant outdoors.   Decorative and they grow like weeds! Caution! These plants are very poisonous, and should not be planted where kids or pets will play.   Mosquitoes Won't Bite:  Four parts glycerine, 4 parts alcohol, 1 part eucalyptus oil.  Or make a solution of equal parts of isopropyl alcohol and methyl phthalate.   Mosquito Remedy!  Mix oil of citronella in  common Vaseline and apply to exposed areas.   Mosquito Repellent!  Ethyl hexanediol sprinkled around breeding areas.         CLEAN CAMPSITES KEY TO PREVENTING ENCOUNTERS WITH BEARS Campers should make sure to keep their campsites clean, and food and trash properly stored to avoid encounters with bears. Keeping food and trash away from bears is more important than ever during the hotter temperatures.     Bears have come into campgrounds in search of food and when they find it they do come back. So it is very important not to make it available. Keeping coolers away from the campsite is most important. So store it in your vehicle or hang from a tree using rope - at about 10 feet high. One suggestion about when cooking at your camp site; the smells of food can linger on your clothes. So it is wise not to sleep in the same clothes that you wore during meal times. Bears will be destroyed if they become accustomed to finding food at the campgrounds, so help save the bears and other Wildlife  by following the rules. High Elevation Health Factors: Altitudes of 8,000-14,000 feet are normal altitudes for hikers, skiers and climbers in the continental United States. Most difficulties at high altitudes are a direct result of the lowered concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere. With the declining barometric pressure, the amount of oxygen decreases. At 18,000 feet there is half the oxygen available at sea level.             At high altitude there is a decreased tolerance for exercise and physical stress.  To a certain extent a person can acclimate and become more efficient with the lowered oxygen environment. To prevent altitude related disorders it is best accomplished by gradual acclimation to the lowered oxygen content. Drink more water is the general rule, to reduce dehydration.             When traveling at high altitude, avoid the use of alcohol, stay warm, keep out of the wind, avoid exhaustion, and eat regularly to avoid weight loss. A diet relatively high in carbohydrates is preferable to one high in fat and protein. Although by the recent trend we may get a little feed back on this one.   Even someone that is partially acclimated for the altitude may be stricken if they ascend to a higher altitude, overexerts or uses sleep medication. Symptoms may be headache, insomnia, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, dizziness, weakness and apathy. Adequate fluids are needed, along with rest and transport to a lower altitude to where the symptoms were first noticed, would be the suggested treatment. Our reminders when going to the Outback: When going out hiking or just enjoying the Outdoors:     1. Let friends or relatives know where you are going and when you will return.     2. Always prepare for the worst,  even when you are going for a short outing.     3. Carry enough water,  and have extra for the  hotter days.     Suggested available water for adults. Two Quarts of water per day will usually sustain moderate activity under cool conditions; this being the minimum. On hot days one to two gallons may be needed. At higher altitudes an additional supply would be wise. In the hotter part of the summer just a few hours without water leads to dehydration and fatigue. More than one quart of water every hour can be required to perform heavy physical labor under extremely hot conditions.             All surface water sources in the United States should be considered unsafe to drink without treatment. Just because water is clear, smells good, and tastes good does not mean that it is safe to drink. The use of filters would be good, but not all filters perform equally well.  There are many different portable water filters on the market. A filter called a ?purifier? if it is certified to remove protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. Other certified filters may remove only bacteria or perhaps just cysts. Many home water filters will remove unpleasant tastes and odors, but will not remove microorganisms.  Read the labels before purchasing.             You can tell if a filter?s pump is working or if the filter is clogged, but your can?t tell if the filter itself is working effectively against organisms. Unless you know that you will only use your backcountry water filter with extremely clean water, figure on the realistic life of roughly one third of the manufacture?s rated life.     4. Do not go shirtless, but wear loose clothing to provide an insulating layer of air, to reduce evaporative water losses by maintaining high  humidity close to the skin.

		Finding Your Way: It is a good. idea to always remember to take along your compass and maps.  But , if you forget your compass you can use your watch to find your way if you have an analog watch. Just point the hour hand toward the sun and half way between the 12:00  going clockwise will give you your North direction. This works in the Northern Hemisphere. WATERPROOFING LEATHER FOR OUTDOOR USE   Method 1:  Heat together in a double boiler, 2 1/2 ounces neat's-foot oil (be careful - oil is flammable - available from boot or shoe store), 3/4 ounce mineral oil (available from drugstore or chemical supply house)  and 1/2 ounce of tallow (be careful tallow is flammable - available from meat market).  Stir gently until well mixed.  Cool and bottle.  Use a cloth to rub into shoes and boots.   Method 2:  Mix 1 tablespoon silicone oil (available from foundry or foundry supply dealer) into 1 cup of Stoddard solvent (hardware store, drugstore or dry-cleaning shop).  Apply liberally.   FIREPROOFING CLOTH   Into 3 pints water mix 1 cup ammonium chloride (available from drugstore or chemical supply house) and 1/2 cup ammonium phosphate (available from a garden supply store).  Soak cloth well and let dry.   This preparation can be used for clothing, tents, awnings and other textiles.

The surest way you can improve your fuel cost problem is to change your motoring habits. Listed below under four categories are 30 effective methods of doing so... no need to buy expensive add-on equipment.   ENGINE WARM-UP 1. Avoid prolonged warming up of engine, even on cold mornings - 30 to 45 seconds is plenty of time. 2. Be sure the automatic choke is disengaged after engine warm up... chokes often get stuck, resulting in bad gas/air mixture. 3. Don't start and stop engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the gas amount equivalent to when you start the engine. 4. Avoid "revving" the engine, especially just before you switch the engine off; this wastes fuel needlessly and washes oil down from the inside cylinder walls, owing to loss of oil pressure. 5. Eliminate jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from dead stop. Don't push pedal down more than 1/4 of the total foot travel. This allows carburetor to function at peak efficiency.   HOW TO BUY GASOLINE 6. Buy gasoline during coolest time of day - early morning or late evening is best. During these times gasoline is densest. Keep in mind - gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. You are charged according to "volume of measurement". 7. Choose type and brand of gasoline carefully. Certain brands provide you with greater economy because of better quality. Use the brands which "seem" most beneficial. 8. Avoid filling gas tank to top. Overfilling results in sloshing over and out of tank. Never fill gas tank past the first "click" of fuel nozzle, if nozzle is automatic.   HOW TO DRIVE ECONOMICALLY 9. Exceeding 40 mph forces your auto to overcome tremendous wind resistance. 10. Never exceed legal speed limit. Primarily they are set for your traveling safety, however better gas efficiency also occurs. Traveling at 55 mph give you up to 21% better mileage when compared to former legal speed limits of 65 mph and 70 mph. 11. Traveling at fast rates in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed. 12. Manual shift driven cars allow you to change to highest gear as soon as possible, thereby letting you save gas if you "nurse it along". However, if you cause the engine to "bog down", premature wearing of engine parts occurs. 13. Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%. 14. Drive steadily. Slowing down or speeding up wastes fuel. Also avoid tailgating - the driver in front of you is unpredictable. Not only is it unsafe, but if affects your economy, if he slows down unexpectedly. 15.Think ahead when approaching hills. If you accelerate, do it before you reach the hill, not while you're on it.   GENERAL ADVICE 16. Do not rest left foot on floor board pedals while driving. The slightest pressure puts "mechanical drag" on components, wearing them down prematurely. This "dragging" also demands additional fuel usage. 17. Avoid rough roads whenever possible, because dirt or gravel rob you of up to 30% of your gas mileage. 18. Use alternate roads when safer, shorter, straighter. Compare traveling distance differences - remember that corners, curves and lane jumping requires extra gas. The shortest distance between two points is always straight. 19. Stoplights are usually timed for your motoring advantage. By traveling steadily at the legal speed limit you boost your chances of having the "green light" all the way. 20. Automatic transmissions should be allowed to cool down when your car is idling at a standstill, e.g. railroad crossings, long traffic lights, etc. Place gear into neutral position. This reduces transmission strain and allows transmission to cool. 21. Park car so that you can later begin to travel in forward gear; avoid reverse gear maneuvers to save gas. 22. Regular tune-ups ensure best economy; check owner's manual for recommended maintenance intervals. Special attention should be given to maintaining clean air filters... diminished air flow increases gas waste. 23. Inspect suspension and chassis parts for occasional misalignment. Bent wheels, axles, bad shocks, broken springs, etc. create engine drag and are unsafe at high traveling speeds. 24. Remove snow tires during good weather seasons; traveling on deep tire tread really robs fuel! 25. Inflate all tires to maximum limit. Each tire should be periodically spun, balanced and checked for out-of-round. When shopping for new tires, get large diameter tires for rear wheels. Radial designs are the recognized fuel-savers; check manufacturer's specifications for maximum tire pressures. 26. Remove vinyl tops - they cause air drag. Rough surfaces disturb otherwise smooth air flow around a car's body. Bear in mind when buying new cars that a fancy sun roof helps disturb smooth air flow (and mileage). 27. Auto air conditioners can reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Heater fan, power windows and seats increase engine load; the more load on your engine, the less miles per gallon. 28. Remove excess weight from trunk or inside of car - extra tires, back seats, unnecessary heavy parts. Extra weight reduces mileage, especially when driving up inclines. 29. Car pools reduce travel monotony and gas expense - all riders chip in to help you buy. Conversation helps to keep the driver alert. Pooling also reduces traffic congestion, gives the driver easier maneuverability and greater "steady speed" economy. For best results, distribute passenger weight evenly throughout car. 30. During cold weather watch for icicles frozen to car frame. Up to 100 lbs. can be quickly accumulated! Unremoved snow and ice cause tremendous wind resistance.   If you would like to find out about more tips;  you might like ordering the "Million Dollar Publishing" CD from our catalog -  Click Here