Wilderness Skills
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Into the Unknown, with Sturdy Footwear
We asked, you answered: Lightweight Testimony Contest Runner Up!
Every Ounce Counts
We asked, you answered: Lightweight Testimony Contest Winner!
Lighten Your Heaviest Gear: You!
As lightweight backpackers, we obsess over the weight of every piece of gear we carry, but many of us give little thought to the weight of the heaviest piece of gear of all: ourselves. How do we begin to treat our own weight with the same care that we treat the weight of our gear? By doing what we already do well: going light.
Sno-Seal Original Beeswax Waterproofing for Leather
Treat your leather nicely, THEN abuse the ever-loving daylights out of it.
One Night At A Time
Quit making it so hard: jeepers, just cram a few things in your pack and let's go!
Get Out Now!
Six steps to streamline your planning from dreaming up a trip to walking out the door.
All the Gear a Guy Could Want
I like gear. I collect gear with an almost rabid enthusiasm, and I almost always have a place to put it.
Wilderness Cred for the Packrafting Noobs
I was perfectly content to let others do all the lightweight lifting, but at the first chance of a packrafting class (learning to play without buying the gear!), I jumped... and pulled my husband, Rob, with me.
Turbo Bear Bag Hanging
Learn the tips and techniques to ensure that YOU, not bears, are eating your food at the end of the day.
Ultralight Economies of Scale: Budgeting for Your Pack & Wallet
How can lightweight backpacking translate and relate to financial management? Doesn't all that lightweight loot cost money?
Backcountry Fly Fishing with Tenkara: Ultralight Style and Simplicity
The literal translation of the Japanese word 'Tenkara' is 'from Heaven.' Fitting for a lightweight fly rod characterized by elegance, grace, and simplicity.
Up in Smoke: Backcountry Fire Building Videocast
Building a fire is nothing short of an art form, and no one can teach you everything you'd need to know to perfect it in a ten-minute video. Instead of attempting to do this (perfecting your form), we've simply highlighted some of the gear and techniques used to start a fire.
Trouble in Paradise: Altitude Illness in SEKI
Serious illness in remote areas can end poorly. Knowing your group's fitness level, experience, and lightweight ethic are key parts to a successful self-rescue and a happy ending.
Philmont Scout Ranch: How Light Can You Go?
After taking a Wilderness Trekking course from Andrew Skurka and Don Wilson, I wanted to try the Philmont Scout Ranch in a UL style. By stepping out of my existing comfort zone, I discovered a whole new one.
Selling Lightweight: How Retailers Can Help Your Pack Weight
The interactions between retailer and consumer can have a dramatic influence on the gear carried and experience had by a consumer. We examine the tools both retailers and consumers can use in evaluating gear and determining the best lightweight options for individuals.
Walking on Fire: A Light-Hiker’s Guide to Wildfire Awareness, Survival, and Evasion (Part 3 of 3)
We've covered several skills of assessing and avoiding fire. Whether passing through, sheltering in, or simply going near a fire area, there are particular hazards beyond immolation to be aware of.
Walking on Fire: A Light-Hiker’s Guide to Wildfire Awareness, Survival, and Evasion (Part 2 of 3)
We can now distinguish parts of a fire, know some basics of wildfire behavior, and are familiar with the fundamental suppression method. We come to the crux question: how do you get away?
Walking on Fire: A Light-Hiker’s Guide to Wildfire Awareness, Survival, and Evasion (Part 1 of 3)
As light hikers, we cover large distances and travel more deeply into remote areas than many other wilderness users. As a result, we're more likely than most wilderness users to encounter uncontrolled and unreported fires. How do you assess the fire and anticipate its movement? What do you do?
The Performance of Alcohol Fuels for Backpacking Stoves
Part Two: Water/Alcohol Blends
The performance of a particular alcohol stove fuel is generally related to the amount of heating energy in that fuel, which changes when you blend water into different alcohols. But how does it change, and which blend should you use?
The Performance of Alcohol Fuels for Backpacking Stoves
Part One: Three Straight Alcohols and Alcohol Blends
Light alcohol stoves are very popular, but there is a lot of confusion over what sort of alcohol should be used and whether blending different alcohols together has any effect. In this, Part One, we comprehensively examine the performance and safety of three common alcohol fuels and of a range of blends.
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