February 1st, 2010 | by Andy | published in Gear, Survival Skills
The buzz began last week, when a spokesperson for a relief organization in Haiti made this desperate plea in a New York Times article: “Tents, tents, tents [...] That’s the word we want to get out. We need tents.”
Some 100,00 tents, in fact, will be needed to shelter an estimated half million refugees.
It didn’t take [...]
January 5th, 2010 | by Andy | published in Camping, Outdoor Living, Resources, Survival Skills, Winter Sports
Aspire to go winter camping, but have cold feet? Backpacker has posted a fairly comprehensive ‘winter camping essentials’ guide to help allay your fears and warm you up to the experience.
The collection of articles covers how to dress, what to bring, and how to do what you need to do — all without losing precious [...]
December 17th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Camping, Outdoor Living, Survival Skills
When considering the topic of winter survival, I’m compelled to believe that snow forts just SO ROCK!
In what feels like a page stolen from a modern architecture journal, Wend Magazine has posted a number of unusual igloo creations.
Igloo construction tools (like Grand Shelters’ ICEBOX) are becoming more widely used in winter camping. So it’s [...]
November 29th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Gear, Survival Skills
Of *course* you’re skeptical. But just be thankful this isn’t the 9,438th post out there on how to fit survival gear into an Altoids tin.
Can an iPhone be significantly useful in the wild? Without a signal? We just read about a blogger who’s sufficiently optimized his iPhone, to argue a good case for it.
For quick [...]
November 4th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Bushcraft, Hiking, Survival Skills, Wildlife
Wow! Tomorrow begins our adventure in the Allegheny Mountains, with the Gear Junkie. We’re extremely pumped — and you should be too, since you’re voting on our first day’s activities!
Since the trip is the grand prize of the Junkie’s Choose Your Own Adventure sweepstakes, we want you to be a part of it. We need [...]
September 29th, 2009 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Camping, Survival Skills
We’re headed off for 5 days of adventure along the Frost River — where the forecast may indeed call for some frosty mornings.
But don’t worry, we know preparedness is the key: If things go bad, we’ll just do what those two Aussie girls did on Sunday when they got lost in a sewer for hours. [...]
August 27th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Flim, Outdoor Living, Survival Skills
So what to do when, after seven weeks alone in the wild, you’re out of food, out of energy and out of clarity? You put your distress call signal to use, be glad for a quick rescue — and you realize it’s okay to call that a happy ending.
Adventurer/documentarian Ed Wardle has done just that.
As [...]
August 27th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Outdoor Living, Survival Skills
They say survival in the wild is 1/3 What to Do, and 99% What Not to Do. Or something like that.
Case in point: The Naturist, a new video series brought to us by Teva. Outdoor expert Gavin McInnes takes us into the backcountry where he finds unexpected water sources, dispels myths about bee stings, and [...]
July 28th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Camping, Gear, Survival Skills
How to salvage an epic adventure turned epic fail? Reward your buddies with Demerit Patches for surviving it all.
For everyone who may have has had a less-than-perfect camping experience, Demeritwear takes a little of the hurt off, with their selection of tees and individual patches. Tent get flooded out? Critters enjoy the food pack more [...]
March 26th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Survival Skills
Judging from recent posts, March must be Manly Month or something…
That said, the Haymaker t-shirt made me smile. Just consider the ways this fine tee could boost your personal Manliness Index. Or at least compensate…
February 18th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Outdoor Living, Survival Skills
Drop in for a quick visit inside the wintery abode of one “Igloo Ed.”
The man who could be called ‘winter camping’s first celebrity’ gives a casual interview laying out the advantages of winter camping in an igloo, as well as how he builds them with his Icebox igloo maker (dang! do I want one of [...]
February 11th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Outdoor Living, Survival Skills
Stuff that’s too cold can really mess you up. Frostbite, hypothermia, supersized Icees that give you those ice-cream headaches…
But please don’t let stuff that’s too warm (like melting lake ice) mess you up permanently.
We found some useful tips here, about how to judge the safety of a frozen lake, including this one:
Mottled and slushy or [...]
January 25th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Camping, Canada, Survival Skills
Digging out a snow shelter is always a blast, but there’s something about winter camping in an igloo that just feels even more quintessential than a quinzee.
Check out the lead photo in this article about igloo camping in British Columbia; the thing looks huge — bigger than the Thunderdome, which is only just smaller [...]
January 24th, 2009 | by Andy | published in Bushcraft, Canada, Survival Skills
The National Film Board of Canada just launched nfb.ca, a fantastic collection of online films, many of them full-length. A little digging around and you’ll find enough nature documentaries to sustain a man for some weeks.
“Survival in the Bush” here, is like Survivorman of the ’50s… almost. You’ll see. Purposefully stranding himself in the wild [...]
December 16th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Gear, Survival Skills
Nothing says “I care” more than bettering their odds against losing toes to frostbite or having to burn their clothes for warmth when firewood is short. So before they pack for that winter camping trip, stuff their stockings with these fine survival gift items recommended by Backpacker.