What to Bring on a Day Hike? (Beginner Kit and Normal/Contingency Philosophy)

One of your friends or family members comes up to you and says “Hey, I have been thinking about doing some day hiking and I was wondering what I should carry for emergencies. I don’t want anything big, heavy, or expensive, and I don’t want to spend a ton of time learning how to use it. What should I do?” This question is the topic of today’s post…

Pic Dump: Feathered Friends

A post comprised entirely of bird pictures…

Nifty Knots: The Bowline

Today’s installment of the “nifty knots” series is a common knot that I have never learned to tie until now…the Bowline. The Bowline, one of the most common and useful knots, creates a fixed loop in the end of a rope that can be used for all sorts of tasks.

What is a Commonplace Book?

A commonplace book, in its most simple form, is a way to compile knowledge. The commonplace is your personal collection of any information you want to keep. This can range from recording recipes on note cards, jotting quotes or jokes into a notebook, or keeping thoughts for future blog posts in a Word document. This post is a collection of articles on what a Commonplace book is and why you should keep one.

Nifty Knots: The Tautline Hitch

I’m this week’s installment of “Nifty Knots”, we learn a handy knot called the Tautline Hitch. The Tautline Hitch is a loop knot used for tensioning ropes. It is especially useful for tensioning ridge lines for tarp shelters or for tying down cargo. Grab a piece of rope and follow along!

Micro Repair/Utility Kit

Gorilla Tape, safety pins, paper clips, needle and thread…all staples of a repair kit. However, these little bits can be hard to keep track of, and often end up floating around your pack. In this post, I’ll show you how I organize my micro repair/utility kit.

Rainy Day EDC

Here are some items I pulled from my pockets while overlooking a rainy wetland nature reserve.

Field Expedient Shelter: The Plow Point

This is one of my favorite ways to pitch a tarp, as it is quick to set up and offers great coverage. Whether you are using an emergency blanket, a poncho tarp, or a large trash bag, you can easily make an emergency shelter by using the plow point pitch.

Fight in the Shade

I have a patch that says simply “Fight is the Shade.” The origin? Spartan King, Leonidas…

Minimal EDC

Fast and light. Unhindered yet prepared. The goal of any EDC loadout. This minimal set of tools covers my bases while disappearing into a pocket and remaining unnoticed until it is needed again.