Duane Radford | Article & Photos

Duane ( R ) stopped smoking so he could go fishing with his son as they got older .

The online definition of “ comfort ” is a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint . In the context of outdoor living , “ physical ease ” comes down to freedom from labour , pain , or physical annoyance . For the outdoorsman or woman , “ pain or constraint ” can be a serious issue that can affect activities they might want to pursue . Further , for seniors , mobility issues tend to creep up on them as part of the aging process , so a mitigation plan is important if they want to stay active .

When my son , Myles , was young we were on a fishing trip on the Elk River in British Columbia , in the canyon where it flows into Lake Koocanusa . I was an occasional smoker at the time . When we got out of the canyon , I was huffing and puffing from the exertion . I knew then and there that if I didn ’ t stop smoking , I might not be able to go fishing with Myles when he was older . After we returned home , I threw out my last package of cigarettes . I haven ’ t smoked since . It was one of the most important things I ever did , a turning point respecting my comfort level and protecting my health .

I subsequently suffered a herniated disc in my lower back . The injury caused extreme sciatic nerve pain in my legs . I have no idea how this happened , but it ’ s usually the result of twisting or excessive strain , causing a disc to rupture . I could hardly walk , let alone go camping , fishing , or hiking , which are some of my favourite outdoor activities . I had to sleep on the floor for over a month . I took painkillers to get through the day . I couldn ’ t do many things people take for granted . After successful physiotherapy , I was advised to walk as often as possible to strengthen my back muscles to

18 | arta . net COMFORT