Survival Tips


1 Don’t eat fish from the James River more than two times a month. They aren’t the only ones peeing in the water.

2 Everyone should carry a flying disc at all times. In addition to tossing around the old Frisbee or playing disc golf, the handy little thing doubles as a plate when you’re far from home. After eating, start playing and watch the residual baked beans go flying.

3 Nathan Lott, executive director of The Virginia Conservation Network, says swimmers should wait two or three days after a storm before going to the river. Unless you’re putting together a drowned squirrel collection.

4 The rule of thumb is, the farther south people go, the more contaminated the water is. Mmm, tastes like Lynchburg!

5 It’s important to keep your energy up during the summer. But it’s also important to eat ridiculous things. So Jelly Belly has come out with Sport Beans. Yes, Sport Beans, chock-full of carbs, electrolytes and vitamins B and C. It’s not going to get you through the desert or anything, but it does appear to be the energy pellet of the future. Coming soon: high-fiber Pop Rocks.

6 ExOfficio, an outdoor clothing company, has a whole line of Buzz Off gear with built-in insect repellant. At places like Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, you can pick up hats and bandannas to ward off mosquitoes, ticks and ants. Because you can never overdress for Lyme disease.

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