Winter driving advice and more outdoor news

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more:

Tip of the week

Enjoying a winter outdoor adventure starts with being able to get where you’re going and, just as importantly, get back home again. That can be difficult when snow and ice blanket the roads. So prepare for winter driving by carrying some basic supplies. That should include a first aid kit, cell phone charger, flashlight, warm clothes (including boots, hat and gloves), an ice scraper, jumper cables, flares, tire chains and — especially if you have kids in the vehicle — snacks, drinks and games. And always make sure to have a full tank of gas when heading out.

Gear of the week

Gear name: The Forty

Company: DryCase (everybodyshops.com/forty-waterproof-duffel-bag-black.html)

Gear type: Waterproof duffel bag

Product description: Made of high-quality vinyl, this bag is roomy, holding up to 40 liters of gear and gadgets. That makes it a good duffel bag for any application. But what’s noteworthy is the main compartment is totally waterproof, something that makes it suitable for using on your boat, trips to the beach and more. It also has a Velcro closure with an integrated pocket to hold smaller items and a mesh pocket to keep wet items from getting into the waterproof area. This bag also includes webbing to secure carabiners on the top along with removable and adjustable shoulder straps. D-rings allow for attaching other things to the bag.

Available options: This bag has four reflective strips that make it visible after dark. It also has daisy-chain side webbing.

Suggested retail price: $99.

Notable: Like all DryCase equipment, the Forty has an integrated purge valve. It allows you to compress the bag to save space or put in some air for cushioning.

Outdoors oddity of the week

To the uninitiated — dare we say those who aren’t hooked — the point of fishing might seem obvious: to catch fish.

Wrong.

The Outdoor Foundation recently commissioned a study looking at trends in fishing. One of the things it examined was people’s reasons for going.

Catching fish is important to people, certainly. Of those interviewed, 30.9% listed that as the best thing about the sport.

But that ranked fourth.

According to the survey, the No. 1 thing people enjoy about fishing — 34.3% said so — is the opportunity to spend time with family or friends.

Ranking second and third among the best things about fishing was enjoying the sounds and smells of nature (31.7%) and getting away from the usual demands of life (31.4%).

Rounding out the top five was being close to nature, cited by 23.4% of anglers.