How do we learn things like survival, bushcraft, self-reliance, and leadership? People teach us. We watch others. We read. And we learn by experience. How do you plan for the unexpected? Well, you can’t always. In the 1970’s I taught wilderness survival skills at a Boy Scout camp for several summers. It was a lot of fun. The BSA had created the Wilderness Survival merit badge around 1974. During each week at camp the scouts learned basic skills of survival in the outdoors. They put together personal survival kits, learned how to create fire using a handful of methods, how to conserve...

There are many options for carrying water and other liquids while hiking and backpacking. These range from simple, lightweight empty sports drink bottles to stainless steel water bottles to durable plastic Nalgene bottles. The Mayo Clinic advises that your fluid intake may be adequate if “you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day.” Heavy exercise such as backpacking and running increases our need for water. Several reliable drink bottles or hydration bladders are inmportant pieces of gear. A reminder: Check your...

St. Bernard of Menthon is the patron saint of alpinists, climbers, backpackers, and skiers. His memorial day is May 28. A French monk who founded hospices in the Alpine passes, St. Bernard is variously called St. Bernard of Menthon, St. Bernard of Montjoux (“Jove Mountain”), or St. Bernard of Aosta. He lived from 923 to 1008. It appears that the history and legend of his family heritage have merged over time. It is written that he was descended from a rich, noble family and received a thorough education. He refused a marriage proposed by his father and decided to devote himself to...

Take a look at your gear. Each new piece of gear adds weight to your base pack weight, so you choose carefully. There are bound to be items in your pack that don’t weigh very much at all, yet you find them indispensable. Here are a dozen items that each weigh less than an ounce (28g) – some of them much less.  And more often than not I’m thankful they’re in my pack. Earplugs. Snoring tent mates. Crazy katydids and crickets. Talkative travelers on buses, trains, and planes. Loud campers at a nearby tent site. There’s nothing worse than trying to relax or get to sleep in the midst of...

What’s in your first aid kit? The basic first aid kit I’ve carried in recent years really has only two things:  a roll of gauze and a small roll of duct tape.  Say what?  (It’s true. Well, not entirely. I’ll explain in a minute.) The contents of a first aid kit (or a survival kit for that matter) are different for each person. My own choice of items for a first aid kit is based on its usefulness, the added weight of an item, and whether or not I already have something in my backpack that can do the same job. My First Aid Kit Philosophy We’ve seen first aid kits for sale that are...