In a hurry to complete your hike in three days instead of five? Have to tick off another peak, forgetting to enjoy the view? In this guest post, Grant, our mate we met with Paul at Wild Dog Creek, in the Walls of Jerusalem, agreed to post about his “philosophy” of bushwalking. Many thanks to Grant, our Wild Dog Minister, for taking the time to craft these words. We hope he got as much out of it as we did. Bushwalking has, for at least as long as I’ve been in Tasmania, been part of my spiritual journey. The solitude of solo walking, the wilderness, the potential life-threatening situations,...

Last week my youngest son asked me if I would help him build a desk for his room.  I asked him what he was going to use for materials.  He said that he had found stuff in the garage and had a plan in mind. Each night he would ask if I would come out to the garage and cut some pieces of wood that he had measured and marked.  It was hot.  I was tired.  I put him off.  He kept asking.  Finally after four days, the guilt had built up and I went out in the garage (with added prompting from my wife) to build a desk and “make a memory” that he would look back upon as he grew older. I have...

Some towns have an Apple Festival, or Chowder Festival, or a Chili Festival. Well in June, most of New England celebrates Black Fly Season – err, Festival. Yup. BFF. Black Fly Festival. Best Friends Forever. It’s a regular mutual admiration society. Those little critters really know how to put out the welcome mat, too, especially in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. No sooner do you hit the trail and stop for a break when the little flies come round and kiss you all over. You see, their biological classification is Simulium vittatum, which is (very) loosely translated as: “cute...

Over the past 10 years Steve Fugate Sr. has walked almost 25,000 miles, through 46 states, and worn out 32 pairs of shoes.  He did it all with a sign over his head saying, simply, “Love Life.” Unbelievable.  Steve’s 24,000-mile journey is about the same as walking the circumference of the Earth at the equator.  You may be wondering why.  You see, in 1999 Steve lost his only son “Stevie” to suicide. Then in 2005, Steve lost his daughter to an accidental drug overdose.  Steve walks for both his children. His goal – his mission – is to teach his love of life...

The tried and true wisdom to care for first aid emergencies in the backcountry and at home has changed significantly over the years.   Even the way CPR is performed by lay rescuers has changed.  Being prepared for wilderness emergencies doesn’t just mean sticking a few Band-Aids or a lightweight first aid kit in your pack when you start walking. The other day I was flipping through some digital books on Google books and I came across the 1913 edition of Camping for Boys by Henry William Gibson. Among other interesting things, the book details some of the standard first aid remedies for common...