2/19-21/24 Big Pond Catskills NY (+ hearing aid discussion)

[coldfeet]

Needed to go outdoors, been 2 years, finally some cold/cool weather, no rain and school vacation!
Big pond in Catskills has a few walk in primitive sites. Parking lot good for 10 cars. People ice fishing over there.
Perfect for my laziness and bringing as much as the truck can hold!
Temps in 20’s and night around 5f.
My wife is a great cook so we had chicken noodle soup, chicken pesto, egg quiche, pop tarts! And much more.
Finally got the Snowtrekker out. My buddy MOC had his teepee with wood burning stove.
Tuesday night we get little furry visitor mouse pop his head up from our wood pile inside my tent.
All was good. Another great short memory but priceless.
I know winter camping is not for everyone but with the right gear and company I enjoy it. Sadly my hearing isn’t so well and I missed the owls hooting. Best to all
Coldfeet aka David

 

[snapper]

Looks like a nice outing! Sorry I missed you but my wife enticed me with a xc ski outing in the southern Adirondacks so I headed north instead of down your way. Hope you had enough snow as we've lost ours here outside Cooperstown very quickly.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[coldfeet]

Hi Snapper, interesting angle of the sun in the winter. Our side never got direct sun and had snow, but 100 ft behind us it was melting.
Hope you had fun, the Indian was cross country skiing by Heart Lake last weekend, cold. brrrr...hope to see you soon again. be well

 

[UCanoe_2]

Coldfeet, I envy your winter camping -- but for every day I prefer the mild climate here in Virginia.

Do consider hearing aids. You're missing a lot if you can't hear the owls. My audiologist tells me that hearing aids help prevent dementia.

 

[Patrick Corry]

My audiologist tells me that hearing aids help prevent dementia.

I will second this. My son is an audiologist, and he helped me get hearing aids which not only help with generally improved hearing, but also link to my smartphone so phone conversations which were difficult are now much improved because the phone conversation comes directly in through the hearing aids rather than competing with external sounds.

Hearing better, especially among groups of people or in noisy environments, does aid with slowing dementia. One way is that those who have a hearing disability tend to isolate themselves and not engage in conversation simply because it's difficult. Hearing aids help with this and can even be focused to help isolate extraneous noise and focus on a particular speaker or direction when necessary.

I strongly encourage anyone with hearing loss to consider hearing aids. A lifetime in the construction industry (and a lack of awareness about hearing damage) has caused me to have significant loss, but the hearing aids have helped!

 

[Ripple]

Patrick, what is the name or brand hearing aid is that? I would guess it works on blue tooth. I also hear some can connect to the tv. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[UCanoe_2]

Ripple, my aids are 10 years old and nearing the end of their expected lifetime. My audiologist recommended Oticon, and said their technology is way ahead of other manufacturers. YMMY, so get a recommendation from an audiologist you trust.

Don't try to save money by going to a discount store. There you would probably see a "hearing aid specialist" instead of a doctoral level audiologist. The added expertise and level of service are well worth the price.

I just wish my wife would stop whispering...........

 

[coldfeet]

Thank you guys for coming to my “aid”. Sorry silly humor. I totally appreciate it.
Like most city folk and some serious rock and roll concerts I did fail certain hearing tests in the early 2000’s. My wife needs to cover her ears when I put the tv volume up. But like UCanoe_2 she continues to talk to me from upstairs when I’m in the basement.
My sister did agree about not going the cheap $1800 way, more like $4K which is not covered under any of my insurance.
It is a safety issue also I believe with many silent electric vehicles these days in the parking lots.

 

[Patrick Corry]

Patrick, what is the name or brand hearing aid is that?

Oticon More 1. They are rechargeable, and the charger stores power for several charges even when not plugged in. I wear an older battery powered pair when paddling over several days.... it's hard to find a charging receptacle out in the woods! I do want to hear the owls... and bears (oh my!). Yes, it uses Bluetooth to connect, and yes, with an additional device you can connect to a smart TV. I'm very fortunate that my son is a Doctor of audiology!

she continues to talk to me from upstairs when I’m in the basement

I tell my wife that if she can't see my face, I won't be able to hear her.

 

[Crazy Trout Craft (CTC)]

Coldfeet-

Looks like a great time… I too enjoy my snowtrekker and was north in the ADK’s for the same reasons. I noticed you have the Firebox. I value mine…I have tried many different types of stoves and found this version of stove to be the most versatile for my situations. I hope you are enjoying yours!

Cheers
Drew

 

[coldfeet]

Hi Drew, it was my first burn. Took a while for me to buy it. Saw a few friends over the years using it then I finally decided. Yep, bought the SS one. I didn’t cut the pieces short enough but will do so the next time.
I have 3 small wood burning stoves. I really cheap $20 titanium one from Walmart that folds really flat. Love it, that’s why it took a while to get the solid Firebox. I stayed closer to home last week. I’m in Long Island.
Maybe future winter gatherings up north.
Be well.

 

[Halpc]

More info on hearing aids. I have had mine for nearly a year and like them. I have Phonak brand and got them through an audiologist for about 2k. The cost will vary depending on the type and severity of hearing loss. I really like the bluetooth connection to my IPhone. I can listen to audiobooks easily with no headphones or earbud. They can be controlled from the phone, i.e. volume, which is very handy. A friend of mine lost both hearing aids when he flipped his raft in a Class 3 rapid on the Main Salmon last summer. That was an expensive flip and reinforced my decision to never wear them while canoeing, kayaking or rafting!

 

[UCanoe_2]

An expensive swim indeed!

Paddlers might consider an taking old or spare pair of aids to wear on the river. The ability to hear whistle signals and the voices of other paddlers is a safety concern. There are several brands of relatively inexpensive devices that provide amplification only but can't be tuned to your individual hearing loss. "Walker's Game Ear" is one well known brand, but I have not used them and am not recommending for or against.

In addition to my regular aids, I have a pair of "Hunter's Hearing Protectors" made by Starkey. These have amplification only, but will shut down in milliseconds to dampen damaging noise such as gunshots. Mine have a high frequency boost which helps with hearing game rustling leaves in the woods. They also have some sort of telephone connection which I have never used.

These hearing protectors have ear molds that were custom fitted by an audiologist. I like to think they would stay on board in a capsize. They also have a lanyard that goes behind my neck. Expensive, but if I lose them it's less money floating down the river.

 

[jdeerfoot]

I have used aids for probably 30 years. About 6 years ago I got a cochlear implant for my R ear. Later this month, I will see the specialist ENT surgeon for one in my L ear. Then I will have totally bionic hearing which really impressed my grandchildren. They showed me off to their friends.