The Armchair Outfitter

photo by Sweet Jane

It’s been a while since I wrote or posted anything to the site.  In fact, it’s been a lot longer than I knew until I checked in last week and realized almost an entire summer is gone.  With the Deepwater Horizon oil spill dominating the news down here, that’s exactly how it feels.  The summer just disappeared.  The effect on our beaches here in Baldwin County hasn’t been that bad, considering the nightmare scenario that could have been, but the effect on the local economy has been devastating.  Speaking for myself, the whole situation has exacted a mental toll as well.

Most areas have been open to catch and release fishing for weeks, but I have not fished.  The beaches are open, but I have not been snorkeling.  The seafood is inspected and certified safe to eat, but I have not visited my favorite restaurants.  Unconsciously, I’ve been avoiding anything, including this site, that would remind me of the reasons I moved here.  White sand, blue water, and abundant marine life somehow become tragic when you realize how fragile they are.  Sure, I know about hurricanes.  We’ve been through some historic ones since we’ve lived here, but this was different.  Hurricanes destroy the works of man, but nature remains unchanged.  In this whole debacle, we very nearly destroyed something we did not create and could never replace.

The yellow flag recently flying over the beach indicates “Medium Hazard.”  I’m glad to see the cautionary yellow instead of the double red flags meaning “Water Closed to Public” that flew far too long this season.  I’m “cautiously optimistic” as our politicians are so fond of saying.  Catch and keep fishing opened again at 6:00 this morning for the first time all summer.  Anglers at Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores are catching bluefish, flounder, and sharks where only a week ago a significant amount of oil washed ashore.  Watching the footage of people filling coolers with their catch on the local news, I am feeling the itch to go down there and try my luck.  “Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” said Alexander Pope, and I am hopeful that if we have not seen the end of this, we have at least seen the worst.

Lest anyone think owl conservation is the only cause to which we are committed around here, I present these photos from a recent Relay For Life event in Gulf Shores, AL.  Relay For Life benefits the American Cancer Society.  You can find out more here:  http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/.  I’m no expert, but I’ll go out on a limb and say cancer can put a serious crimp on your hunting and fishing activities.  We sponsored a hole at a miniature golf tournament.  Here is the Sporting Wife installing our sign and getting a sunburn on the top of her head.  Skin cancer alert!

The Zippo lighter is such an iconic product that I hesitated to review it.  After all, who hasn’t owned or at least used a Zippo?  I recently added another one to my small collection, and I realized I was taking a vital piece of equipment for granted by not mentioning it on the site.

When I go into the woods, I carry at least two completely independent methods of making fire.  If the circumstances warrant, I’ll carry three.  One of those methods is always a Zippo lighter.  I’ll grab a cheapo disposable lighter as a backup, and I’ll add matches if I think the risk of a survival situation is particularly high.  The remoteness of the location, the nighttime temperatures, and the likelihood of a dunking or a soaking all factor into my decision.  As I learned years ago in Hunter Safety Course, the most common cause of death in hunting accidents is hypothermia.  Temperatures in the 40s and 50s can be cold enough to settle your hash if your clothing is wet and you have no heat source.

Even if you are not in a survival situation, a fire can do quite a bit to lift your spirits if you are facing the prospect of a unplanned night in the open.  As shown in the photo, the Zippo will maintain a flame without your having to hold down two safety catches and sign a waiver.  This makes it much easier to light tinder with freezing hands.  After just a short while lit, it serves as a mini hand warmer once you close it.  The Zippo folks tout it as windproof, but I would say extremely wind resistant is a more apt description.  You can blow it out, but it takes some effort.

Zippos are and always have been made in the U.S.A.  If you ever have a problem with a Zippo lighter, you can return it to their plant in Bradford, Pennsylvania, for repair.  Here is their guarantee taken directly from their website:  “Any Zippo pocket lighter, when returned to our factory, will be put in first-class mechanical condition free of charge, for we have yet to charge a cent for the repair of a Zippo pocket lighter, regardless of age or condition.  The finish, however, is not guaranteed.”  Folks, for any company to display that much confidence in their product speaks volumes.  

As noted, the guarantee covers only the functioning of the product and not the cosmetic finish.  I once picked up a Zippo in the middle of the road that looked as though it had been run over several times.  Recognizing the familiar shape, I pulled my truck to the side and went to get it.  I was looking forward to testing the famous Zippo guarantee, but I did not get the opportunity.  The darn thing lit on the first strike as soon as I had refilled it with fluid.  It’s not pretty, but I still use it.  Speaking of pretty, they come in every finish and design you could imagine.  My newest one is bright orange so I can find it if I drop it in the woods, a fate I suspect was the end of an olive drab one I owned years ago.  As an added bonus, the logo  encourages support for conservation of owls.  I am for it, I say.  I am for it.