Filed under: Books | Tags: ll bean, mackerel scales and mares tails, Red Sky at morning, sailors take warning; Red sky at night, sailors' delight., seamen, wather forecasting
I recently picked up an old copy of the L.L. Bean Guide to the Outdoors. The book has some beautiful illustrations, along with lots of great know-how on the “great outdoors.” There is a section however on how to predict the weather when out in the backcountry which recalls many of the old sayings that seamen used to predict the future forecast…I think I am going to start using these instead of weather.com
Mackerel scales and mares’ tails
Make lofty ships carry low sails

Cirrocumulus
Red Sky at morning, sailors take warning;
Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.

Cirrostratus
“It stands to reason that men who live close to the weather understand it best – seamen, farmers, trappers and loggers, whose work is subject to its whims. Long before the advent of government forecasting services, it was they who observed the natural signs – and they who composed some of the early weather rhymes which, while not infallible , are remarkable accurate.”
- Bill Riviere, The LL Bean Guide to the Outdoors

A warm front moving over a land mass

An approaching cold front
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[...] Links 10 Engines 2 or 3 Things I Know Apples on Fire Archival Clothing Born to be Nervous Cold Splinters Fine Little Day hi-and-low hyrcollective daily Invisible Ear Press JJJJound naturalismo New Grass Nothing Is New Ready 4 The House REFERENCE LIBRARY secret forts The Selvedge Yard Packs According to Leon L. Bean September 23, 2009, 8:59 am Filed under: Uncategorized These drawings of various pack types come from the LL Bean Guide to the Outdoors, a book which I have written about before. [...]
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