Presented with support from Brynje

Animal Encounters in the Backcountry

A few weeks ago, as a bull moose wandered through our campsite at sunrise, I kept my distance and paid close attention to its behavior, and its awareness of me. I stayed quiet, discreet, and still. I didn't want to be perceived as a threat, especially since he was walking within just a few yards of my sleeping companions. Eventually, he willow-munched his way through camp and was on his way.

A few days before the wandering moose, three bears entered our camp while we were cooking dinner (fried fish, go figure). The sow and her twin yearling cubs were a strange trio. First, they circled our camp in the woods, then emerged in the meadow adjacent to our tents and stared at us intently. I yelled at the mom and waved my arms, sending her and one cub down the valley. I never saw them again. The other cub, however, was a little more bold. It circled back and revisited our campsite three more times. Finally, with a handful of stones and an aging pitching arm, I was able to chase it downvalley a quarter of a mile, and it finally took the hint and left us alone.

Encounters with large animals in the backcountry always raise the hair on my spine.

If you spend enough time around big animals, you're bound to have some conflicts. Over the past 40 years of adventuring, I've been charged by moose (Sherman Range) and grizzly bear (Absarokas), had my camp surrounded by a pack of wolves in the middle of the night (Teton Wilderness), stalked by a mountain lion (Central Cascades), and had a bison (Yellowstone) snap my hammock cord - sending me tumbling to the ground (yes, I was in the hammock).

That's why our webinar Animal Encounters in the Backcountry is one of our most popular. In this course, we present guiding principles that you can use to help manage wildlife encounters, including avoidance, disengagement, and de-escalation. We address bears, ungulates, cats, bison, livestock, canines, and horses - and discuss surprise vs. defensive vs. predatory encounters, seasonality, and distancing recommendations.

Stay safe, give 'em space, enjoy the wild - but most importantly, learn about the animals with whom you're sharing the wilderness.

Watch the Webinar

Happy Trails,

Ryan Jordan
Founder, Backpacking Light

Let's summarize the advantages of fishnet mesh base layers.

If you've been following us recently, you know that we've been extolling the virtues of fishnet base layers, like those available from Brynje USA.

👉🏽 Fishnet (mesh) has big holes. That means the warm, moist air generated during moderate- and high-exertion exercise (like backpacking) can be transferred away from your skin rapidly, before it has a chance to condense into sweat. That sweat then causes both conductive and evaporative cooling.

👉🏽 Fishnet made of merino wool is comfortable and soft next to skin, but when it's made of polypropylene, the fabric is more hydrophobic and doesn't absorb as much moisture. This means it dries faster and doesn't wet out like more hydrophilic base layers (e.g., so-called "wicking" polyester knits).

👉🏽 Those big holes do double-duty as you layer over your fishnet base layer by trapping warm air. That makes fishnet very warm for its weight - when paired with another layer over it - and much more breathable than conventional knits when well-ventilated. These two properties are rare in base layer fabrics. Fishnet mesh with these properties makes for a very effective type of fabric construction for cool- and cold-weather hiking.

Brynje of Norway has set the gold standard for manufacturing technical, fishnet base layers for more than a century. It's no surprise that you'll find Brynje base layers on the backs (literally) of the world's most prominent alpinists, explorers, and Nordic skiers.⁠

Animal Encounters in the Backcountry

Let's summarize the advantages of fishnet mesh base layers.

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