Poison Ivy/ Whats the worst thing about the woods.

Okay first the question. What is the worst thing about the woods for you. For me, its poison Ivy. Poison Ivy is pretty much the only thing I hate in the world, and I have quite a nice rash on my leg now. Had it for over two weeks and just now decided to go to the doctor and hopefully it gets better.
Mites (not ticks) that infest your whole body are also pretty bad, but not quite as bad as poison Ivy. I had southern red mites once.

Well what is the worst thing about the wilderness for you.

I also have found through experience that the Wilderness outwest (Rockies, Alaksa, etc) doesnt have as much annoying shit. Or at least none that I have contracted.

My Aquarium

Ok I dont know if I have the experience or command enought respect to make an "official" thread but im going to anyway. I have been waiting for ages for an animal fourm in totse and now we have it!

Anyway I thought I would start A thread for the discussion of Aquariums, Terrariums and Paladiums. Il be happy to try to answer any questions on Aquariums and fish as it is my main interest. I hope this thread will grow and prosper.

I will start by posting some pictures to kick-start the thread.
http://tinyurl.com/qlbro http://tinyurl.com/qslzg
My nano 3g Planted cube aquarium
http://tinyurl.com/fxak4
My L48 "Yuka"
http://tinyurl.com/k4fax
A common bristlenose Ancisterus on the glass
http://tinyurl.com/l4khf
My planted 30g Today
http://tinyurl.com/sxy88
My planted 30g a few months ago
http://tinyurl.com/favwl
And a few months before that!
http://tinyurl.com/m3mwz
My crayfish's "Boris" Shell after moulting
http://tinyurl.com/heqt8
My Prize fish "Ned" an L14
http://tinyurl.com/hc9ay http://tinyurl.com/jgw3o
My Senegal Birchirs
http://tinyurl.com/zt7zm http://tinyurl.com/fzqpa
Boris Hiding
http://tinyurl.com/zawp9
Boris in the bucket
http://tinyurl.com/f2p5u
My Girlfriend's L262 ("Dylan")
http://tinyurl.com/kv28g
My Girlfriend's Fighter ("Poo")
http://tinyurl.com/hg8lf
Girlfriends Planted 10g

These pictures sum up a fraction of my aquarium hobby I could never fit it all into one post in one go, I used to work in an LFS a while back but I had dissagreements with the management, I had bullying problems from a new manager, I was unfairly treated and eventualy sacked for a completely unfair reason (It took them months to find any kind of reason at all!) In that time I gained huge ammounts of knowlege from books, collegues and customers and I would very much like to pass that knowlege on to you all.

Owning Spiders

So, as some of you might remember, I keep a load of bigass spiders.
The last spiderthread I made ('bout a year ago or so) was a hit; in the meantime I've gotten a lot more spiders, and I promised Morb a new thread dedicated to this subject, so here we go again.

Most of my spiders would normally be found on the american continent, but I've got four asians as well.
None of them are wild caught as far as I know, but raised in captivity.

Generaly, there's three "types" within the family Theraphosidae, or "Birdeating spiders".

-The aboreals live in the trees, or in tall grass where some of them build their retreats out of silk, leaves, or whatever they can find.
Others use whatever holes there might be in the tree, or tuck in under loose bark.
They're generaly built light, are fast, can quickly be recognized by their big feet, and tend to hide more than the following.

-The terrestrials/fossorials live in, or on the ground.
Some of them build their retreats where there is a natural overhang, for example under roots, rocks or branches, or where they can expand a depression in the ground, by digging.
Others use existing holes like mouse or rat holes, that have been abandoned by their previous owners.
Some of the spiders that are big enough, just eat the critter, and take over the place.

It is amongst the terrestrials we find the largest spiders, with a legspan in excess of 30 cm.
They're more robust than the aboreals, but not quite as fast (although they're way faster than you), and many of them spend the daytime outside their retreat, making exellent display animals.

Last but not least, there's the "true" fossorials-the tunneldiggers.
They dig, as the name suggests, tunnels.
From about 30-40 cm, and up to around 1.5 m.
Most of them are built like the previous ones, but tend to have shorter hair (well, it's not really hair, it's called setae, and not connected to a follicle, like our hairs are. They're an extension of the exoskeleton and used as sensory organs).
These spiders are often pretty high-strung, and almost never seen outside their retreat during the day.

The ones I have, are mostly aboreals and terrestrials, and then a single one that is built like an aboreal, but behaves like a tunneldigger. Odd spider.

And now on the good part: Pics.
Unfortunately, I still don't have a camera, but I'll try to find some pics that gives the best representation of what the various species looks like.
*Thanks to all you people, who's pics I am about to shamelessly steal -you know it's for a good cause.*

Starting with the aboreals.

Avicularia braunshauseni
Avicularia minatrix
Avicularia purpurea
Iridopelma hirsutum
Poecilotheria pederseni
Poecilotheria regalis
Poecilotheria rufilata
Psalmopoeus cambridgei
Psalmopoeus irminia
Psalmopoeus pulcher

And the terrestrials:

Acanthoscurria geniculata
Aphonopelma bicoloratum
Aphonopelma chalcodes
Aphonopelma stoicum
Brachypelma albiceps
Brachypelma albopilosum
Brachypelma auratum
Brachypelma boehmei
Brachypelma emilia
Brachypelma klaasi
Brachypelma smithi
Brachypelma vagans
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
Cyclosternum fasciatum
Euathlus truculentus
Eupalaestrus campestratus
Grammostola aureostriata
Grammostola iheringi
Grammostola pulchra
Grammostola rosea
Lasiodora difficilis
Lasiodora klugi
Lasiodora parahybana
Lasiodorides striatus
Megaphobema robustum
Nhandu carapoensis
Nhandu chromatus
Nhandu coloratovillosus
Thrixopelma pruriens
Xenesthis immanis

And finaly the one that looks like an aboreal, but thinks it's a tunneldigger:

Ephebopus cyanognathus

That's it, I've got 60 all in all at the moment, there's not 60 pics though, but that's because there are some of the species I have more than one of.

Feel free to ask me anything, and I'll see if I can help.

Senate publishes 'skeptics guide' to global warming

Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the outgoing Chairman of Environment & Public Works Committee, is pleased to announce the public release of the Senate Committee published booklet entitled “A Skeptic’s Guide to Debunking Global Warming Alarmism. Hot & Cold Media Spin Cycle: A Challenge To Journalists who Cover Global Warming.”

The book, which features web links to all supporting documentation, also serves as a handbook to identify the major players in media bias when it comes to poor climate science reporting. The guide presents a reporter’s virtual who’s-who’s of embarrassing and one-sided media coverage, with a focus on such reporters as CBS News “60 Minutes” Scott Pelley, ABC News reporter Bill Blakemore, CNN’s Miles O’Brien, and former NBC Newsman Tom Brokaw.

Senator Inhofe’s “Skeptic’s Guide” also includes hard hitting critiques of the New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, Associated Press, Reuters, the LA Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post.

Senator Inhofe has challenged the media in a series of speeches and hearings to stop the unfounded hype.

“The American people are fed up with media for promoting the idea that former Vice President Al Gore represents the scientific “consensus” that SUV’s and the modern American way of life have somehow created a 'climate emergency' that only United Nations bureaucrats and wealthy Hollywood liberals can solve,” Senator Inhofe said in October.

Skepticism that human C02 emissions are creating a “climate catastrophe” has grown in recent times. In September, renowned French geophysicists and Socialist Party member Claude Allegre, converted from a believer in manmade catastrophic global warming to a climate skeptic. This latest defector from the global warming camp caps a year in which numerous scientific studies have bolstered the claims of climate skeptics.

Scientific studies that debunk the dire predictions of human-caused global warming have continued to accumulate and many believe the new science is shattering the media-promoted scientific “consensus” on climate alarmism.

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http://epw.senate.gov/fact.cfm?party=rep&id=266711

Link to book in PDF: http://tinyurl.com/y4ptq3

Camp Food

Instead of buying those freeze-dried camp foods like Mountain House or any of the other nasty rations out there, go to your supermarket.

Good items to get for a trip in the next six months:
- Dried mashed potatoes in pouches
- Spam in pouch
- Chicken in pouch
- Tuna in pouch
- CLIF/Powerbars
- Powdered Gatorade
- Instant Oatmeal
- Hot Chocolate mix
- Uncle Ben's Quick Rice pouches
- Honey

If you're storing for survival or SHTF, then MREs or freeze-dried foods are better. The above usually has a shelf life of 9-12 months.

Remember to either eat some of the aforementioned items before your trip so your body becomes accustomed, or pack Immodium. Pack some anyway with your water purification system.

Hunting Weapons

Protection - Dont need it in my part of Britian.
Although, my paunching knife might work.

Killing - Currently stuck with the choice of 3 air rifles.
The most common one to take out for me. is my .177 Airarms Prosport costing £400 ($700)~ , its a beast weighting 9lbs.

Saying, protection wise, the rifle could probably double as a club..

I would say for hunting its a tool more than a weapon If its used for protection then i would class that as a weapon.

Depends really, on my days out i use my hw90k air rifle. I am looking to get ferrets so then i will use them along with a machette and knife, maybe my dog.

When i go camping i will take a fishing rod, snares, knife and machette.

Like matty already stated there not much to fear over here. Well with the odd boar, but they are in restricted area's none around here.

Boots wanted

i need a pair of boots that go up about mid shin and can be worn day to day and be worn camping and outher outdoor things and will last a while for about 50 dollars with no camo please and i d like themto be black leather and waterproof

i atleast want waterproof mid shin boots no camo and i had price low because im 15 so ill outgrow them soon and thats also i got a budget

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http://www.magnumboots.com/

I own a pair, but really now... This would have taken you a tenth of a second in a search...

Oh, but for fifty dollars, you aren't going to get much that'll LAST.