Green Goo First Aid Salve

One of the things I always have in my bug out bag, hiking pack, tackle box or range bag is a good first aid kit.  You never know when you will need it or someone near you might.    Recently I was turned onto a new spot of first aid gear to check out.  Green Goo First Aid Salve. 

According to the Green Goo by Sierra Sage web site, “Green Goo First Aid salve is a power packed homeopathic formula that helps aid the body's own healing abilities. Replacing over 20 traditionally used first aid items, this salve is the first defense for cuts, scrapes, blisters, sunburns, chafing, poison ivy and cracked hands & feet.   It helps to relieve the itch and sting of insect bites and can be used as a wound dressing. First Aid salve is a perfect all-purpose, carry-it-with-you powerhouse.  It helps with Insect Bites, Cuts and Scrapes, Cracked Hands, Poison Ivy, Cold Sores, Sunburns, Chapped lips, Blisters, Ingrown toenails and Chafing.”

I have used it on some scrapes and small cuts and it does seem to help and relieve the discomfort.  While this is not a one fix for all first aid kit it is a great addition to any outdoors kit and handy to keep in the house.  Green Goo first aid salve replaces over 25 items in your First Aid kit like Neosporin, Hydrocortisone, Calamine lotion for Poison Ivy, any anti-itch, anti-fungal creams.  We all know space is a premium in the pack so having a product like this really helps out lightening the load.  

Green Goo is safe for you, your children and your pets including but not limited to dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, horses, cattle and I am sure ferrets and hamsters probably do ok with it. 

Made from natural and organic ingredients like olive and sunflower oil, plantain, chickweed, chaparral, St. John’s wort, yarrow, sage, beeswax. It also includes essential oils of lavender and rosemary, it even smells good.  

Besides first aid products Green Goo has a line-up of other products to fit every aspect of your life.   All natural soaps, natural deodorants, skin care products, sunblock, tattoo care and even stuff for pets are some of the products they offer. 

I have been pretty happy with the samples I have used. I thought it was just for first aid but realized that while it is a great first aid kit addition it has many other uses.  You should head over to the website, check out their offerings and give them a try.   

Trash fish are not just trash

As a fly fisherman that predominately is a catch and release fisherman, I hate hearing the phrase “trash fish”.   The definition is, “a fish having little or no market value as human food”.   That does not mean they can’t be eaten.  Saltwater trash fish like the Lion Fish have been found to be quite the tasty table fare.  VERY careful preparation is required for these fish’s venomous spines though.  Stingrays are always getting in the way of Redfish and Sea Trout but they are actually pretty good eating.  The rumors of them being pawned off as scallops is still out for debate but they are tasty.  Most of the fish that fall into this category need a little more preparation to be eaten but are still good for the table. 

In sweet-water fishing, Gar, Carp, Bowfin, Pickerel or “Jackfish”, are some of the top names associated to this moniker.  Personally I like to target these fish.  They usually put up a hell of a fight and can really put your gear to the test on a fly rod.  After a quick picture I release them to swim and fight again. 

In past years I have seen a lot of groups stage tournaments around some of these fish.  Bringing anglers together to support a great cause or charity or just to have fun.  I have tangled with Gar on the fly and it is a blast!  The Gar Bros Collective is a group of folks that all love the chase and share tips and tricks on catching these pre-historic fish.  

One of the things I hate to see is a gar floating by with its beak broken off or laid up on the bank, tossed there because someone “hates trash fish”, or seeing a big carp tossed into the rocks to rot away.  Trash fish are not the sexy fish everyone wants.  Largemouth Bass are the kings of sweet-water and people will go out of their way to make sure they are not harmed if they choose not to keep them.  Why not other fish.  Gar and Bowfin love the same food as bass and can get in the way or a bass fisherman’s limit for a tournament or day of fishing but take these guys for what they are.  A fun fight and let them swim on their way.  I have lost many flies to bowfin, it was frustrating at first then it became a personal challenge.  

If you enjoy the fight of a fish, I encourage folks to give them a shot as a game fish.  Look for them and try to catch them.  In my humble opinion a Gar on the fly fights five-times harder than any bass I have caught and to me is a lot more fun.  So remember those of us who love these fish and let ‘em swim when you catch them.  

Matador NanoDry Shower Towel

On the boat we are always trying to dry off the poling platform so we don’t slip, dry our hands after releasing a fish, wiping the pluff mud off the push pole all kinds of activities that require a towel.  Usually we have an old cotton bath towel, and it works, for a time then we have this soaked, heavy, smelly, pile of cloth that becomes more trouble than its worth.  Enter the Matador NanoDry towel.  This super absorbent full sized shower towel is light and quick drying.  Soaking up 2.3 times its own weight in water the Anti-microbial Gold Coat and convenient silicone carry case with carabineer make it easy to keep handy.  

A quick rinse off the side of the boat removes the mud and muck and its ready for the next task.

Being made of nanofiber material it packs down into its silicone case that has plenty of ventilation holes so even wadded up in the case it still dries.  Not as quickly as clipping it to the poling platform in the breeze but it does dry out.  Weighing in at 2.7oz with the case it is so light you can even clip it to your belt to keep in handy.   

It is available in two sizes the Larger one The NanoDry Shower towel that is 24in x 47in and the smaller one the NanoDry Trek Towel that is 15inches square.

Easily pack-able and quick dry technology make these towels the go to choice for outdoors adventures.  You can order your very own at the Matador Website