How-To Articles

Feature Articles - How-To Articles

Modifying gear is a terrific way to spend an afternoon (or several!), and it allows for a person to tailor their mass produced gear specifically to them.  It lets them get a custom feel and performance to their kit without the custom price tag.  Some of the most common modifications are fairly simple, and include things like sewing extra webbing to packs, stripping extra webbing off, or sharpening a tool differently than it came from the factory.  Further modifications can easily become more involved, requiring more time, tools, and skills.  It’s always great fun though, and the rewards are terrific.

Read more: Creating a Folding Bushcraft Knife

Feature Articles - How-To Articles

Remember the old, campy Batman episodes with Adam West?  I do, because I remember being jealous for the first time as a kid.  That Bat-belt had it all!  If he needed an anti-knife spray, it was there.  Gas mask?  No problem.  Boomerang?  Of course.  There was no situation Bruce Wayne wasn’t prepared for.  Having been raised on this sort of super hero, it’s not surprising that I (like many folks) took everything but the kitchen sink the first time I went backpacking.  Memorable components were a 2.5 pound Wally-world hatchet that couldn’t cut through butter, a few glowsticks, a first aid kit the size of my head, one of those 4-C cell Mag-lites that you could kill a bear with, and mil-surp cookware that dwarfed the equipment of many small restaurants.  I believe my pack probably weighed in the 70 pound range by the time it was fully loaded.  I’m no military grunt of course, but I didn’t relish carrying (what was at the time) half my body weight up a mountainside!

Read more: The Backwoods Bat-Belt

Feature Articles - How-To Articles

In the middle of the forest, you’re on your own.   This demands your respect insofar as it requires proper preparation.  Running willy-nilly into the bush is a recipe for disaster, as so many news reports of lost or injured hikers have shown us.  A bit of preparation, luckily, goes a long way.  Acknowledging the possibility that an ‘incident’ may occur leaving us injured or lost is key to both safety and peace of mind.  This does not mean we should carry fifty pounds of emergency gear on our backs!  But a few necessities and a hefty bit of knowledge are clearly a must.  Fire, shelter, water, and food are (for the most part) easy enough to prepare for.  We can learn how to make or procure all of these from what’s around us.  For better or worse, proper first aid is a different story.  Nature doesn’t provide us with the best tools to treat a serious injury, and an ambulance is no longer just a phone call away.   Because of this, a well-designed first aid kit must be part of our gear, as well as the knowledge to properly use it.

Read more: Assembling Your Own Wilderness First Aid Kit

Feature Articles - How-To Articles

Here's a great DIY article about making your own deyhrated meals for camping or backpacking.  It's a good overview to get you started and directs you to some other reference sites for even more detailed information.

Read more: Deyhdrating Simple and Light Backpacking Meals

Feature Articles - How-To Articles

“How to take a basic utility shotgun and turn it into a handy and durable camp and trail gun.”

Ask five people their idea of what makes a good camp gun and you’re likely to get at least five different answers! Well, my personal idea of a camp gun is something that’s rugged enough to withstand harsh conditions, can withstand long periods of exposure to the elements or periods sitting idle in a closet or vehicle trunk. It also must be simple to use and inexpensive enough that I won’t feel bad if it gets banged up, scratched or rusted.  A camp gun is a tool to me, its something that’s going to get used, not babied. It also has to be compact and handy enough to easily pack, carry, or store in a vehicle trunk, behind the seat of a truck, or out of the way in a cabin somewhere. That leads me to the topic of this latest review of New England Firearms’ 12 gauge Pardner shotgun, suitably modified for camp and trail use.

Read more: The 12 Gauge Uber Tamer

Feature Articles - How-To Articles

Editor's note:  Marty Simon, owner of the Wilderness Learning Center in New York sent us a list of good tips for dealing with cold weather.  Even though most of us are close to spring weather, a lot of these tips are still applicable during througout the entire year--particularly at higher altitudes where the temperature is lower.  Always plan ahead for weather changes.

Winter camping is a great way to experience the outdoors but you must be careful and know what you are doing.  The key to cold weather camping is to stay dry, warm and hydrated.  Follow these tips to have a great, safe and fun winter camping trip.

Read more: Twenty Cold Weather Tips