PRIMUS ETAPOWER STOVE

Online Adventure site of the week: Dirtbag Diaries (www.dirtbagdiaries.com)

Your resolution isn't realistic. Happy New Year.

TACOMA, Wash.-The Northwest skiing and snowboarding landscape is constantly changing. Here are 10 new features worth checking out this season.

Illinois deer hunters have until Monday to apply for permits for the Late-Winter Anterless-only Deer Hunting Season in January.

Southwestern Illinois deer hunters mirrored their brethren around the state during the first weekend of shotgun season.

With the wood fire crackling in the stove, it is hard to believe it can be 70 degrees in the yurt and the temperature outside can be somewhere in the 20s.

Online Adventure site of the week: Vancouver 2010 (www.vancouver2010.com)

If this Nordic skating idea seems new and foreign, here are some tips adapted from the Web site www.Nordicskating.org to provide some guidance.

Oink, oink. That's me since my favorite chocolates went on sale earlier this month. I bought bags of them, swearing I would parcel them out slowly. But of course, I didn't. Worse, I went to a couple of parties and devoured pasta with rich sauces, fresh French bread, creamy cheesecake and other top-of-the-calorie-line deserts. In one week, I gained back five pounds, and my party jeans were tight again.

Kevin Ross has a nickname for the unique whitetail deer he harvested Saturday. "We're calling it 'Duck,'" Ross said with a laugh. "You know, a cross between a doe and a buck -- a duck."

Winter creates a problem for iPod and iPhone users: Mittens, or even thin gloves, block fingers' natural magnetic field, which means touch screens and iPod wheels won't work. The Etip solves the problem. These lightweight fleece gloves' silicone grippers offer excellent grip in all conditions. They feature silicon pads, plus a special pointer finger pad that works with iPods, iPhones and laptops.

Holiday shopping for camping enthusiasts can be a bit weird. What to say? Here's a mosquito net you can use twice next year? Or here is a cook set that will sit in your basement for the next 10 months?

Hikers and climbers often have to cope with water, dirt and snow that finds its way into the tight spaces of boots. The solution to limiting this problem often lies with a pair of gaiters, which can cover and protect the tops of footwear.

Ski season might seem a bit far off, but just like a squirrel putting away nuts for winter, we need to make plans and take action now to get in shape.