Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
‘Tis the season for finding that perfect gift for the Michigan lovers in your life!
Our puzzles, prints, mugs, and apparel are family-favorites for anyone who is curious about Michigan, past and present. Read more
Jacksonville, Florida – Hatch®, a brand of The Safariland Group (“Safariland”), a leading global provider of safety and survivability products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets, announced today that it has released the new standard in needle puncture and cut resistant gloves: The FMN500 – Friskmaster™ MAX – Cut & Needle Puncture Resistant Glove.
Built for those who need a glove that provides maximum protection without impeding the ability to complete routine tasks on the job, the new FMN500 (Friskmaster MAX) glove is tested to ANSI Cut Resistance A9, the highest rating for cut resistance, and provides Level 5 ANSI Needlestick Puncture Resistance, the NIJ’s highest-rated level of protection.
“The Friskmaster MAX gloves are a lifesaver for public servants who come into regular contact with cut and needle threats,” said Vince Abrams, Category Manager at The Safariland Group. “Safariland® has drawn on our success with PROTECH™ Armor to bring PROTECH Resistance Layer Technology to our Hatch gloves. The FMN500s provide robust protection from daily cut and needle threats and maintain superior dexterity. With the FMN500, you can complete all of your routine daily tasks and still be protected from the unexpected.” Read more
Hickory, North Carolina – November 13, 2020 – WOOX continue to set new standards in outdoor gear with the introduction of the new FORTE axe.
Following the success of the AX1, WOOX have continued their pursuit of developing the best quality outdoor gear with the new FORTE axe. Combining classical American and Italian axe designs, the WOOX FORTE is another great example of “old world” craftsmanship meeting the modern age of high-performance gear.
The American hickory handle adds strength and durability, while the anti-slip coating offers a superior grip in any condition. Each head on the FORTE axe is individually hammered into shape, hand finished and made of tempered carbon steel (c60/1060). With a length of 22 inches and a weight of only three pounds, the FORTE axe can easily be packed into the backcountry for your next great adventure. Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released updated economic data on outdoor recreation’s powerful and positive economic impact on the U.S. economy showing $788 billion in economic output, comprising 2.1% of U.S. GDP and supporting 5.2 million jobs. The report includes national and state level data for both 2018 and 2019.
This is the third consecutive year that BEA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has released data on the outdoor recreation economy and the third year the industry has shown growth across the board. Today’s release shows how this growing sector was growing rapidly prior to the pandemic and where it can lead again as an economic growth engine and job creator.
Key Highlights from BEA’s new report on the outdoor recreation economy:
? Outdoor recreation makes up 2.1 percent of U.S. GDP, generating $788 billion in gross output
and supporting 5.2 million jobs.
? In terms of economic output, boating/fishing, RVing, hunting/shooting/trapping, motorcycling/ATVing, and equestrian sports are the five largest conventional outdoor
recreation activities. Read more
As a life member of the Sons of American Veterans (Sons of Amvets), I celebrate and honor America’s military veterans for their love of country, as can be seen in their patriotism and voluntary willingness to serve.
A special thank you to my uncle, Van Wunderlich, who was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 in World War II, and is still with us today in Georgia.
A warrior shows the bubble turret on the B-17
Glen Wunderlich
Posts to Thinking Afield will resume on Thursday, November 12th
Fall storms threaten important lake whitefish spawning habitat
Heavy equipment operators began work recently to dredge stamp sands north of Grand Traverse Harbor in Keweenaw County.
Roughly 100 years ago, historic copper mine tailings from the Wolverine and Mohawk mines – called stamp sands – were deposited at a milling site along Lake Superior, located in the community of Gay in Keweenaw County.
Since that time, the stamp sands have been moved by winds and waves south down the shoreline 5 miles, inundating natural sand beach areas and threatening to cover spawning habitat and recruitment areas important to Lake Superior whitefish and lake trout on and around Buffalo Reef.
A multi-entity effort, primarily funded by through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, has been mounted to combat the stamp sands problem.
During the winter of 2019-2020, workers contracted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources cleared the dark-colored stamp sands from the harbor and a portion of the beach. Read more
JACKSONVILLE, Florida – Forensics Source™ a brand of The Safariland Group, a leading global provider of safety and survivability products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets, announced today that it has added SwabTek products to the Forensics Source product line. The addition of SwabTek’s tests to Forensic Source’s line of NIK field drug testing products gives investigators access to a reliable tool specially designed for rapid surface testing for amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, and heroin.
“We are proud to be working with Forensic Source to bring SwabTek’s accurate, intuitive field-testing tools into the hands of more law enforcement, first responders, school administrators and corporations who need them most,” said Bobby Betros, CEO of SwabTek. “We’re glad to offer a resource that enables everyone to safely test surfaces for harmful substances.” Read more
Wichita, KS – Consider the NEW Room Clean by Scent Crusher® a complete reinvention of an already awesome product. The new and improved Room Clean is smaller, adjustable to your room size, and packs a much bigger punch! The Scent Crusher® Room Clean is designed with a new look and improved functionality. The Room Clean will rid odors effortlessly with one touch of a button. Whether it’s in your closet or mudroom at home or the hunting cabin in the hills, the Room Clean will effortlessly remove odors and leave your space fresh and clean.
The Scent Crusher® Room Clean plugs into any standard 110-volt AC outlet to release ozone and clear unwanted odors. The compact new design allows for additional items in the outlet and is roughly 2X more powerful! Set the variable ozone output for the size of the room and the desired time to cleanse your space. Use anywhere with an outlet—your home kitchen or bath, take this portable unit to the cabin, or on the go in an RV to rid bacteria causing odors in 30 minutes or less. Read more
Organization Supports Coast Guard Members Displaced and Injured in North Carolina Housing Fire and Family of a Pilot Lost in Alabama Training Accident
Stonington, Conn. — The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to strengthening the Coast Guard community and service by supporting members and families, announced today it is responding to two tragedies affecting Coast Guard members and their families over the past several days. A Coast Guard Ensign died in a training accident in Alabama, and four families living in a housing complex in North Carolina saw their homes destroyed by a fire. A servicemember lost his wife and two daughters as a result of the blaze.
The Coast Guard has moved the families impacted by the fire to temporary housing, and The Foundation has rushed emergency support to them to provide supplies and necessary comfort items. Once the families have a chance to assess their property losses and determine additional needs, the organization will provide them support to help begin the long road to recovery. Read more
RICE LAKE, WI – The leading lever-action firearms manufacturer, Henry Repeating Arms, donated a series of 65 custom rifles that raised a total of $47,040 to benefit the family of 3-year-old Preslie Mantsch from Iron River, Michigan. Preslie was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in April of this year and still has two years of treatment left. All proceeds from the sales and auctions of the rifles are being presented to the Mantsch family to assist with the medical expenses associated with childhood leukemia.
The “Prayers For Preslie” Edition Golden Boy Silver rifles were created under Henry Repeating Arms’ Guns For Great Causes banner, a charitable branch of the company that focuses on raising money through firearm donations for individual sick children, children’s hospitals, veterans’ organizations, shooting sports preservation, and wildlife conservation efforts. So far this year, the company has raised over $175,000 for individual families of sick children and presented Shriners International with a $52,500 check to assist with their philanthropic efforts with the renowned Shriners Children’s Hospitals.
The rifles, which sold for $620 each, sold out within a matter of hours after Henry’s initial announcement. The first and last serial numbers in the series were put up for auction and pulled in an additional $6,525 and $2,075, respectively. Read more