Archive for the ‘Equipment’ Category

After arriving at the trailhead earlier this week to teach our Basic Military Land Navigation course to a group of soldiers preparing for Army Special Forces assessment (SFAS), the first thing that I did (as usual) was to take off my street-shoes and swap them with the hiking boots that I store in the rear of my Jeep.  Then, as I reached for a neighboring set of gaiters and started to clip them to my laces and wrap around my lower leg, I decided to make a short video sometime later in the day during a break which would recommend them.  After all, there is nothing glamorous or exciting about gaiters (so they are easily ignored) but they dutiful perform an important function, which is why I rarely fail to use them in the outdoors.  So, if you spend any amount of time in the woods as a hiker or […]

In the last ten days, there were two search and rescues missions reported in the national news.  This, in and of itself, is by no means remarkable as I see at least a dozen such incidents reported each week alone as I scan the online headlines.  What is remarkable is how absolutely unprepared the parties were.  The first involved two brothers who set out for a “four hour hike” only to end up, after getting lost, spending three harrowing days in the woods — After their rescue, one of them stated to a group of reporters, “I didn’t think that it could happen.”  The second involved a lost hunter who, after already spending one night in the mountains, was left behind by a military helicopter searching for him because he didn’t know how to properly signal to it.  By contrast, whenever I head into the outdoors, no matter how short […]

One piece of gear that I believe that you should get in the habit of carrying with you during your outdoor adventures in any remote or reasonably remote location, especially where you’re out alone, is Bear Spray.  It’s one of those pieces of gear that you’ll likely never need to use, but should the occasion arise, you’ll be extremely relieved that you had it. So, I’d like to explain to you what it is; show you how to use it; and share with you some tips and issues to consider. What is Bear Spray? Bear Spray is an aerosol made from the oil of hot peppers – the same ones that many of you eat in spicy foods – only far more concentrated. It’s effectively the same “pepper spray” or “OC spray” that police officers use in the front-county.  The main difference, though, is that Bear Spray generates a larger, […]

The essence of being able to navigate in the outdoors with only a map and compass is easy, but in practice it’s a bit more difficult.  For example, you typically need to adjust for magnetic declination when setting a bearing.  But fully understanding this concept can take some mental effort, and finding the most current setting for your location can be harder.  If you don’t, then you greatly risk finding yourself well off course.  So, let me share a tool with you that I am confident that you’ll find convenient and helpful. I regularly use the application What’s My Declination? on my iPhone because, in effect, it helps me to find North, the touchstone of land navigation. But you’re probably already asking yourself, “Huh? The needle of his compass should already be doing that.”  And, you’d be correct.  Sort of. The reason is, in effect, there are four Norths.  The […]

Whether we choose to hike, hunt, paddle, or take part in any other number of outdoor activities where we can enjoy the harmony of nature, either alone or with friends, emergencies can occur.  While medical problems can be one possible reason, one of the most common is simply getting lost.  Regardless of the specific reason, it can be a huge boost of relief, after first instinctively reaching for your mobile telephone and dialing 9-1-1, to hear, “County 911, what is your emergency?” on the other end.  However, it can be absolutely crushing to discover that you have no signal at all, or just as badly, having your telephone battery die half-way through the call. Unfortunately, both happen all too often in the outdoors. So here are few important safety tips for you to consider … 1. Being Found is Mostly Your Responsibility You should be prepared at all times to “reach […]

The purpose of this article is to share with you three easy tips on how to best deal with — better yet, altogether avoid — a surprise encounter with wildlife that could mean the difference between a great story to share with friends and a bad outcome. Still, it’s important to know that unprovoked wild animal attacks are exceedingly rare.  Consider that more people die in any given year from bee stings in urban locations than by animals — like bears, cougars, snakes, even sharks, combined.  In fact, as own Senior Instructor J.C. McGreehan is quick to point out in our survival courses, the animal most consistently responsible for the greatest number of deaths in the United States each year is the humble cow.  In short, based on my thousands of hours spent in wilderness locations, I’ve learned that wild animals generally just want us to leave them alone.  They simply […]