WriterByNature.com

December 8, 2009 6:15 am

Why do I continue practicing wilderness skills, when lightweight camping gear makes life outdoors much easier?

In a word, RESPECT. If I understand how everything works, then if my gear fails, I have the choice to create what I need. If you understand fire by friction, you don’t take that butane lighter for granted.

That attitude, leads to action, which builds my confidence, which makes spending time outdoors fun.

For the past two months, I’ve been meeting with fellow wilderness skills enthusiasts Peter Cutul, Joanna Dickey and Paul Tappenden for an extended skills-building session. (more…)

November 8, 2009 8:12 am

Finding the right light-weight gear to make long-distance backpacking more comfortable has been more of a challenge than I anticipated.

From the moment I learned about tarps and hammocks, I was hooked. My latest challenge has been finding the right backpack.

My gear quest involves spending both woods time and computer time. It’s great to see what’s being marketed online. Some sites even include instructional videos. But unless a merchant has a decent return policy, tread carefully. You have to test the gear in the field. (more…)

August 23, 2009 9:54 pm

Having a Master of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism, I don’t bother with what passes for news. I know better. This season, I’m too busy foraging and farming to keep up with my notebook, let alone my computer.

But when it comes to feedback from my readers, I cannot ignore the fact that survival is the “top of mind awareness” concern for people who didn’t plan to be in a survival situation.

Regardless of what media pundits, corporate executives or government leaders argue, certain basic laws of nature prevail. Every living being needs, shelter, water, warmth and nutrition.

Shelter comes first for a very good reason. (more…)

August 15, 2009 8:54 am

I’m amazed at the amount of valuable information uploaded by people who love the outdoors as I do and have the ability to invent or modify equipment that makes bushcraft even more rewarding.

Kudos and a million thanks to:

Hammock Forums – I thought I was a hammock enthusiast. The people who post here have already solved some of my hammock use questions.

Trail Gear – I love the idea of J. Falk’s bushwhacker stove. He’s produced several videos to show how it works.

January 27, 2009 4:42 pm

I’ve been researching and field testing ways to spending more time outdoors in winter, so it was a treat when Jim Muller introduced himself and WinterCampers.com.

I’ve spent the last few days visiting this site, which has excellent information on subjects I have not even tried, like camping with your dog. Even when I had a dog, I hadn’t taken him camping.

This site is both informative and fun. The articles, product reviews, quizzes, and other content add up to an invitation to, in Jim’s words, “celebrate the winter camping experience.”

Whether you’re looking to go high tech, ultralite, or fine-tune your primitive wilderness skills, you’ll find information from someone who enjoys waking up in the woods on a winter morning.

Thanks, Jim for motivating me to spend more quality time in nature by camping in winter.

November 5, 2008 1:53 pm

The voting machine at my polling place was not working, so I voted by paper ballot before heading off to work my Tuesday CSA shift.

Yesterday was an amazing day. My fellow Americans embraced faith over fear to elect President Barack Obama, who clearly possesses superior leadership skills. The last eight years have been rough; now we have a chance at repairing much of the damage.

After the mayhem at the polls, I really needed to spend time in the garden. This garden has been nourishing my body and my spirit since the first day of April. When the snow finally falls, I’ll miss my work shift.

I had no idea cultivated parsnips take nine months to mature. Kale, collards, radishes, rutabagas and romaine are also thriving – and they all taste better at this time of year. As I helped Sister Carol mulch the young blueberries, I felt a part of something life-affirming.

Harmony Farms is nothing short of magical. My faith deepens with each visit, no matter what obstacle or challenge gardeners face.

Our determined group of CSA volunteers were lucky to get a boost from real farmers, who work like a Nascar pit crew – Raimundo is the Barry Keegan of the garden world.

It’s an ending time and a beginning time in nature and in politics. I am grateful for the promise of hope.

June 6, 2008 6:06 am

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January 5, 2008 8:27 am

The Hawk Circle advertisement reads:

Two Feet of Fresh Snow
17 Degrees Below Zero
No Tent
No Electricity
No Problem.

The reason: a quinzee – an Inuit word for a snow shelter made from compressed snow, which is then hollowed out.

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April 16, 2007 6:10 am

Growing up in coastal Connecticut, I’ve witnessed the power of a “Nor’easter.”

Counterclockwise air currents being pushed from the northeast, draw moisture from the south, creating a storm as dangerous as a hurricane.

When a Nor’easter dumps snow, the impact is devastating. This particular Nor’easter has me glued to the window. Even the gossip which passes for news has made the weather the #1 story. (more…)

December 8, 2006 5:27 pm

When I first heard the news that searchers found trousers belonging to James Kim, I thought: hypothermia.

It breaks my heart that I was right. I don’t go anywhere without the basics of my pocket survival kit. I also have emergency supplies in my car.

Shelter is paramount in a survival situation. I’m not judging this man. I went bushwhacking the other day and ended up in a swamp. I knew I was within 2.5 miles of my car; I had more than four hours of daylight on a partly sunny, warm afternoon with no wind.

Still, an injury could have changed my afternoon. I had headed west off the trail and knew that I wanted to travel north. I was just looking for a little loop; what I thought was an abandoned field was in fact a wetland.

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