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Here's a video that is both heartwarming and a bit scary at the same time. It's a Sky News report on Kevin Richardson, an animal behaviorist who specializes in lions. Backpacker, whose blog I found this video on, harkens this to be much like the Timothy Treadwell story. You remember him right? He's the guy that was the subject of the movie Grizzly Man, who lived amongst the bears only to come to a tragic end. At least in the case of Richardson, he is trained to be with these big cats, although watching them manhandle him, it does make you wonder.

I can't help but chuckle at watching the video however, for two reason. One, it's clear that these cats have an affection for Richardson just by the way they interact with him, which is far different from Treadwell's experience. The other reason is that I have a big old house cat who exhibits the same traits as these lions. He just happens to way several hundred pounds less and fits in my lap.

A first aid kit, much like car insurance, is one of those things that we buy and hope we never have to use. It's one of those 10 essential items that we should always have in our pack when we head out on the trail, and yet, it's one of the items that gets the least attention. We stuff a few band aids in a box, maybe some ibuprofen and thats about it. Well, I"m here to tell you that the first aid kit is one item that you shouldn't scrimp on, but fortunately Adventure Medical Kits is here to make it easy on us all.

As their name implies, Adventure Medical Kits provides top notch, pre-made med kits that are ready to go in our backpacks and stay there until we need them. The kits come in a variety of sizes and specialities, for what ever your outdoor pursuits happen to be. For instance, their Paddler Series comes with everything a kayaker would need out on the water, and it's all sealed up in a nice drybag, while the Mountain Series is designed for longer alpine expeditions.

My AMK comes from the Ultralight line, which is specifically marketed for multisport athletes such as adventure racers. The kits are perfect for races where a med kit is standard equipment, and any race above a sprint probably does require one, because they are small, compact, and light weight, yet still carry everything you'll need and more. For instance, I have an Ultralight .9 which comes pre-packed with several varieties of bandages in different shapes and sizes, trauma pads, gloves, moleskin, duct tape, safety pins, splinter packs, antihistamines, ibuprofen, a plethora of wound care items, and a lot more. All of that is packed into a waterproof pack, and it all sits nicely inside a backpack.

In addition to all the great stuff that comes in each of the medical kits, the AMK website has some great supplemental gear that you can add to your kit to enhance its usefulness in the backcountry. For instance, they have a variety of insect repellants, hygiene products, blister protection, and other essentials. There are even repair kits that allow you to fix your broken gear, even while on the go. Put all this stuff together, and you have everything you ever need to cover medical issues no matter where you are.

I have to say that I am throughly impressed with the Ultralight .9 pack that I have. It lives up to its name, barely adding any weight to your pack and despite its size, the kit remains very versatile and useful. While AMK recommends it for adventure racers and other outdoor athletes, I believe that it is equally useful for backpackers, long distance trekkers, and even travelers in general. It really is a nice piece of gear that will fill most people's needs right out of the box. Add in a few extra items that may be essential to you specifically, and you have the perfect customized med kit that is always ready to go when you are.

All of the kits from Adventure Medical are also very affordable, which means that we don't have any excuses to not have one with us in the backcountry. Select one of the kits that works best for you, and you won't want to ever leave it behind either. You might even think that it's essential.

It has been called the Holy Grail of Mountaineering, and for some it is an item worth searching for with the same fervor as Arthur's knights. I'm speaking of the camera that accompanied George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on their ill fated expedition to Everest back in 1924. The pair never returned of course, and the mountain would remain unclimbed until Hillary and Norgay topped out in 1953. But questions have always remained. Did Mallory reach the summit? Many believe he possibly did, and that the missing camera may contain some images that would prove that he had.

There have been a number of expeditions to the mountain over the years searching for the bodies of both Mallory and Irvine. A talented group of climbers did discovery Mallory's body back in 1999, but a decade later, Irvine and the camera remain missing. Now, two new climbers who bonded in the midst of the K2 tragedy last year, aim to go searching for Irvine, and one of them says he thinks he knows where he is.

The mountaineers are Dr. Eric Meyer and Sherpa Chhiring Dorje, both of which were on K2 last year and played pivitol roles in how things played out on that deadly mountain. Now, the two men who have both summitted Everest before (Chhiring 10 times!) are making plans to go back once again to look for the missing body, and more importantly the camera. Chhiring says that he believes that he has seen Irvine's remains on the mountain before at 27,900 feet, but at the time he didn't think anything of it. It wasn't until later, upon reflection, and learning more about the Mallory expedition, that he began to put the pieces together.

You can read more about both of these men and their plans in this article over at the Denver Post. It is interesting stuff, and it is remarkable to think that Chhiring may know exactly where Irvine and the "Holy Grail" are sitting. But will it change anything if he does?

Lets say, for arguments sake, they find the body. And lets go so far as to say that the camera is still with it and at least intact enough to not have ruined the film. And what if that film is successfully developed after all these years, and it does indeed show Mallory on the summit. Does that change anything? I suppose it does give him the distinction of being the first man up there, but as many mountaineers say, the summit is only the half-way point. The fact remains that they didn't get down alive, which is part of the criteria for a successful climb in my mind. There are a lot of "ifs" in this paragraph though, and I'd be astounded if the camera was still in one piece and hadn't exposed the film by now. Of course, they still have to find it regardless.

U.K. based online magazine Wide World has a cool "How To" article posted on their site giving some great tips on How To Trek the Jungle. The informative article offers up 11 things to keep in mind when undertaking an expedition in the jungle, courtesy of expert Dominic Hall who has more than ten years of experience planning such expeditions.

Some of the tips are fairly common sense, but as usual, they deserve to be mentioned none the less. For instance, Dominic reminds us to "Drink, drink, drink..." which holds true for any outdoor adventure, but hydration is even more important when the temps are in the 30's C (80's/90's F) and the humidity is off the charts. He also reminds us to not neglect the rest of our diet as well, as keeping your intake well balanced will be key as well.

Other suggestions are not so apparent to those making a jungle trek for the first time. Hall warns us, for instance, to not worry about the big animals we'll encounter, but instead take heed of the small ones. He says we should be mindful of insects in particular, and especially mosquitos, which typically carry diseases like malaria and yellow fever. He also recommends that we ditch the tent and just bring a hammock. They're light weight, can be strung up anywhere, and comfortably keep you off the ground.

There are plenty of other good things to be gleaned from the list, but perhaps the most important one comes in at #11 where Dominic reminds us to simply "Enjoy". Sometimes we forget that tip on our adventures, being too focused on reaching a goal, and forgetting to take time to enjoy the journey. Wise words!

The latest issue of JPFreek magazine is now available at JPFreek.com. This is the summer edition of the online magazine geared not only for jeep enthusiasts but also outdoor adventurers in general, with a range of articles that stretch from an ongoing, round the world road trip to a report from Chile on the Patagonia Expedition Adventure Race.

This is an important issue for JPFreek in general and for myself personally. For the magazine, it is the first issue to fall under their new paid subscription policy. Until now, the magazine was free, with revenues being ad driven, so this is a bit of a change in direction, but one that will allow the staff to continue to bring the same great content to readers, but also look ahead to some great things in the future as well. I can assure you, the team at JPFreek have some great plans for the future.

On a personal note, I'm happy to play a role in this issue. If you turn to page 40 of the virtual magazine, you'll find an article entitled "Amazon Adventures", which I wrote about my April trip to the Amazon River and Jungle. All the photos used in the article are ones that I shot myself, and the layout that the editorial staff put together is amazing. I'm very proud of how it turned out and glad that I was able to contribute and share a little of my own adventure.

Finally, if you look closely at the masthead for the magazine, you'll see the list for the "Crew & Contributors". Looking down that list under "Editorial" you'll now notice that my name has been added. I have joined the crew at JPFreek as the Adventure Editor and I hope to be making larger contributions in the future. Thanks for having me aboard guys! :)