A Backpack Full Of Camping Gear Is Basically A Large Survival Kit

 A backpack full of camping gear is basically a large survival kit designed for a comfortable, extended stay on the trail. What you choose to carry depends on how far or long you plan to venture into the wild. Are you going on a short scouting trip for a few hours, a day long hike on a scenic trail, or a multi day trip in the back country? The bottom line is this, it does not matter what you carry if you don’t know how to use what you brought when the time comes and your life is dependant on your gear. So when choosing your gear, take it out in the back yard, set it up, try it out, and get comfortable with it before you take it on the trail.

Let’s start with the basics, the 10 Essentials: (then add, subtract, or substitute as needed)

1. Knife / Multi-Tool
2. Map & Compass (optionally supplemented with a GPS)
3. Sun Protection (sunglasses, sunscreen, hat)
4. Extra Food and Water
5. Extra Clothes
6. LED Headlamp / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
7. First Aid Kit
8. Matches & Fire Starters
9. Water Bottle
10. Rain Gear

Knife / Multi-Tool:  I have long been a fan of the “Original” Multi-Tool (the Swiss Army Knife) and believe you can not go wrong having one in your pocket at all times, but if you are going into the back country you may wish to supplement your SAK with a sturdy multi-tool such as the Leatherman Charge or the Gerber Suspension Multi Pliers, and a good lightweight folding saw.

Map & Compass: It goes without saying (or should) that the time to learn how to read a compass and orient a map is at home when you make mistakes and learn from them.

Sun Protection: It doesn’t take long for the sun to have an effect on your body through dehydration and burning, so always have some type of sunscreen (including lip balm), sunglasses (if possible), and a hat with a wide brim to cover your neck or a ball cap and bandanna. Under this essential I would also add insect repellent to protect you from those pesky little bites!

Extra Food & Water: Even if you are only going out for a few hours it is a good idea to take some type of trail snack to keep your energy up, if you get lost it could be life saving! Which takes us to water; I believe that the water bottle should be included in this section and a way to sanitize water before you drink it. If you are carrying a Nalgene  style bottle you could add a GSI Glacier Cup/Pot to the bottom of it and take up no extra space, or substitute the Nalgene for a metal water bottle that could be placed in the fire to boil / sanitize the water you find.

Extra Clothes / Rain Gear – This is another set of items I would group together along with a small tarp or sheet of plastic (4-6 mils) and call the listed item Shelter! It should include something to make a shelter from (plastic or tarp), rain gear (or a jacket / sweater depending on weather conditions), extra socks, knit hat, and gloves.

LED Headlamp / Flashlight: if you are have to stay in the woods overnight it is not recommended to go wandering around with your flashlight, but instead it is meant to provide light for doing tasks around camp, finding things in your pack, food preparation, etc. If ambient light is needed you can build a fire to light up your camp (as long as it is contained and not a risk of starting a forest fire). Batteries being a man made device can fail so always carry an extra set.

First Aid Kit: first aid kits can be a bit confusing to some people and with dozens of varieties and prices to choose from it doesn’t make your choice any easier. A good place to start would be how many people are going to be with you, and are they all carrying a kit or is one group kit going to be used. By figuring this out you have eliminated a lot of the options. If by yourself or each member of your group has their own all you need is a small personal first aid kit. I would recommend the Adventure Medical Kits “Ultralight / Watertight .5” or something comparable. Then add any personnel medications, extra moleskin, and water purification tablets (if not included). Again, everyone’s skill level is different but I would recommend taking a basic first aid course, at the least, before heading out on the trail. The life you save could be your own.

Matches & Fire Starter: I always carry a waterproof match container in my first aid kit as a back up, but do not use it as a first choice. That said a Bic Lighter in your pocket is always a good companion to have as is a tried and trusted Fire Steel. A fire when needed could mean the difference between life and death. It provides warmth, a way to dry out if wet, a way to cook food, a means to sanitize water, and a way to boost your spirits on a cold night in the woods. But a means to start a fire do not help you at all without dry tinder to get your fire going. Many different products are on the market from compressed wood, chemically formulated paste, resin impregnated wood (natural & man made). You could choose to make your own such as cotton balls covered with petroleum jelly, pencil shavings / saw dust, jute twine, char cloth, or try to find what you need in nature like birch bark, tinder fungus, dry grass. The point here is that you need something dry to get it started and the best way to do that is to have it ready before it is needed.

OK, now that we have turned our 10 Essentials into 8 lets add a couple of things to round out our list.

Cordage / Rope: it could be made in the wild if needed but it is time consuming and time may be something you don’t have. From hanging you food bag or replacing your boot laces, to building a temporary shelter or tying a splint around a broken leg you can always find a use for rope when on the trail or in the woods. 50’ to 100’ of 550 Para Cord is like gold to those that need it but have forgotten it.

Cell Phone: it may seem out of place but if you are alone in the woods and injured being able to call for help could save your life.

Here I would add an 11^th item, arguably it could be considered part of one of the items above I feel it needs to be addressed in a little more detail.

Emergency Bivy Bag / Space Blanket: though it could be added to the shelter section a good emergency bivy bag (around $30) or all weather space blanket could make the difference if you are unable to build a fire, your shelter fails in the middle of a storm, you are caught above the tree line, or if you or a member of your party is suffering from hypothermia. They don’t take up much space or add much weight but they do add a level of safety that is hard to match.

It’s always better to be prepared for an emergency and not have one than to have an emergency and not be ready for it. Contact your local Red Cross for some first aid training, brush up on (or learn and practice) fire building skills, hit your local library or the internet and learn how to build a primitive shelter and some traps to secure food if you are in a self reliance situation, and remember STOP!

Sit down – stop wandering around.
Think – how did you get to where you are?
Observe – can you see a definite landmark? What time is it? What is the weather like?
Plan – are you going to have to spend the night? What will you need? Fire wood, Shelter, Water!

Don’t panic, keep your wits and you will make it back with a great story for your friends, and remember, this is a starting point. Add what ever comfort items you would like to make your time in the woods more enjoyable.

Pictures courtesy of Yahoo Images.

Gear Review: Jansport Big Bear 82 (2008 model)

This is the first internal frame pack I have owned, and was purchased based on brand familiarity and price (around $60) 7 months ago. Since purchase this pack has seen rolling, wooded hills, flat open prairie, bright sunny trails and a 6 hr steady rain and has done, in my opinion, a stellar job. I would recommend this pack to anyone; in fact after its first trip (a 20 mile round trip weekend) I purchased the Big Bear 63 for my wife. I believe this pack exceeded the manufactures claims

Specs: (from manufactures description)
82 L (5000 cu in)
33h x 15w x 12d
6000 denier polyester
3.14 lbs
Fit’s 18” to 20” torso’s
Ergonomic S-curve shoulder straps
Wide hip belt
Dual side water bottle pockets
Top loading with compression hood
Large front panel sleeve
Mesh wet / dry pocket
5 daisy chain clip points
Ice axe loop
Side compression straps

Pros:Comfort, price, large capacity.

Cons:Top load only, the shoulder strap adjusters slipped when wet.

As a scout leader and moderate backpacker I have always used an external frame pack (the most recent a 4500 cu in pack made by Coleman) due to the ease of packing and the ability to lash on whatever I have needed or felt like carrying, but recently had decided to give an internal frame pack a try. I like the stability and fit of the pack the most (even with loads around 30-35 pounds) compared to the way an external shifts when climbing over logs or ducking below a branch, and feel it is a good trade off for the loss of lashing points (I just started carrying a folding saw instead of a hatchet…lol). I am not sure if I like the top being the only access to your gear and feel a little more care in how you organize your pack is needed to accommodate this. If I had to knock this pack for something I would have to say it was the way the shoulder straps would loosen up after they got wet.

Char Cloth: The Best Primary Tinder

Char cloth (Charred Cloth) or sometimes called Charpaper, is a swath of 100% cotton fabric (linen and jute can also be used) that has been converted through pyrolysis (chemically decomposed by heating or combustion in the absence of oxygen) into a slow burning fuel that will catch and hold a spark creating an ember for ignition of a larger tinder bundle (dry grass, leaves, etc.).

Now that we know what char cloth is, lets talk about what it’s for, how it’s made, and how we can use it. Simply put, char cloth is probably the cheapest and best form of do-it-yourself fire starter ever made. It can be manufactured at home outside on a grill, on camp stove, or on a trailside campfire in your favorite cook pot. When it is finished all you need is a Flint & Steel or Ferro rod to create a spark for ignition and a tinder bundle and you’re in business.

Regardless of how you throw a spark onto it, it is superior to other tinder in that it catches the least of sparks and is not only unhampered by wind, but aided by it. Historically it was the “tinder” in tinder boxes of soldiers, hunters, trappers, and frontiersmen that forged this great nation. By now your probably asking, “So if it’s that great how could it be the cheapest and best tinder for the do-it-yourselfer?” Easy.

What you need:

1. A small candy or Altoids tin with a snug fitting lid.
2. Several pieces of 100% cotton material, such as an old t-shirt or denim cut to fit in the tin.
3. A small nail or punch.
4. A heat source, I use my isopro (isobutane / propane) backpacking stove.
5. About 10-15 minutes to devote to it.
6. And a storage container for the finished product.

How to make it:

1. Using the nail or punch place a small hole in the center of the lid to allow the smoke to escape during the charring process.
2. Place the pieces of material into the tin making sure the lid is closed tightly.
3. Place the tin onto the heat source (this step should be done outside due to the amount of smoke produced during pyrolysis).
4. Wait until the smoke has completely stopped (about 10 minutes), then remove the tin and let it cool.
5. Remove your char cloth and store it in an airtight container (such as a 35mm film canister) until needed.

It is important to note that the finished char cloth should be completely black and have a fragile charcoal quality to it. If not it needs to be left on the heat longer. Another popular form is referred to as char cord and is made from 100% cotton cordage using the same process as above. The advantage of using cord is it tends to be denser than the cloth but also can be more fragile to handle. It is a good choice for use in a Fire Piston.

The following link is provided to show how char cloth is made….Enjoy.

Hiking the Jordan River Pathway in Michigan

In September I had the opportunity to take a friend of mine and his son on their first backpacking trip. Wanting it to be as much of an adventure for me as it was for them, I decided to choose a trail I had been looking at for a while but had not had the chance to do until now. So at 7:00am Friday morning we hit the road heading for Northern / Lower Michigan and the Jordan River Pathway. It was a good drive overall, taking about 2 ½ to 3 hours including a couple of rest stops due to substantial coffee intake. The weather was also on the good side, temperatures in the mid 60’s and nice clear skies, at least for the first half of the trip.

Being a trip of “firsts”, I loaned Tom my loved & trusty external pack and took the new internal pack I had purchased for its first trip as well. Our adventure actually started in the parking lot at the trail head which is also the parking lot for Dead Mans Overlook. A wild Snowshoe Hare was checking us out and thought us interesting enough to come within a foot of me and smell my hand before he wandered back into the woods. So it was, at 11:30am, we headed off down the trail, me still adjusting the multitude of straps on that new internal frame pack. We got an early enough start to enjoy the 5 hours it was going to take to get to our campsite without worrying about how many rest stops we took along the way to look at the scenery or talk to other hikers.

The first day of the trip went surprisingly well for having 2 newbie’s with me. The trail itself was moderate for about the first mile or so then flattened out for about the next 4 miles. During which time we passed from dense, old growth hardwoods, to open pastures, over marshy wetlands with foliage more than 8 feet tall crowding the trail, to bridges spanning small crystal clear lakes and streams, and on into cedar swamps that had logs placed sidewalk like across the trail to keep you out of the deep mud. Then we walked back into the old growth forest and hills for the last 3 miles for the day, with the Jordan River always at our left slowly churning along its way. The last few miles of trail had multiple elevation changes making it the most difficult part of the trail to the campground. Also the quietest, after walking up and down so many hills we were breathing too heavy for idle chit chat. It was about 4:30pm when we arrived at the Penney Bridge State Forest Campground, the only place you are allowed to camp along the trail.

The campground itself was really pretty nice with 15 rustic campsites with fire rings, picnic tables, very clean pit toilets, potable water from a hand pump, and a moderate $5 per person, per night use charge. I wish all the campsites I have stayed at over the years could have been this nice. After we set up camp we took a little time to explore the area around the campground, the river, and the woods to gather some fire wood and wish we had remembered our fishing poles to catch some of the beautiful trout that were swimming back and forth in the sparkling clear river. After dinner we started a fire and spent several hours checking out the abundant amount of stars that could be seen, and then turned in for an uneventful nights sleep.

Day 2 started with a quiet breakfast during what turned out to be the warmest time of the day (50°F) before we broke camp and readied ourselves for the trail back to Deadmans Scenic Overlook. It was about 8:30am when we finally hit the 2^nd half of the trail and immediately we wished we were back on the trail we had followed in. The trail started about ¼ of a mile from the campground with about a 280 foot (estimated) ascent straight up the side of a hill accompanied by a massive sinus headache on my part. But par to the course, about an hour into the hike my headache had subsided and the rain started, making an already difficult trail a little harder. The one bright point to this day was that we traversed the hardest portion of trail in the first hour and half of the hike, putting us back on a moderate trail when the rain started pouring down. Only having about 5 ½ hours to walk in the rain we decided to push on with very few stops along the way. We arrived at Deadman’s Hill Scenic Overlook about 2:30pm and despite the rain took a break for a few minutes to enjoy the spectacular view of the Jordan River Valley that was stretched out before us. Then it was on to the truck and our drive back. About 12 miles from the trail heads parking area, on M-32 is the town of Gaylord which has several restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels to visit after a couple days on the trail and it also has the closest access to I-75. In retrospect I would have to say the trip was a stunning success! We had a good time, the scenery was absolutely beautiful, the trail gave just the right amount heart pounding climbs for a seasoned hiker to enjoy and a newbie to cut their teeth on, and both father and son want to go again next summer. Two more converts to the world of backpacking! I would like to hike this trail again if for no other reason than to see the second half of the trail without the rain… and to have a chance at some of those trout we saw.

Fall - My Favorite Time of Year

I would have to say that the fall is my favorite time of year. It starts with summer like temperatures and green leaves, changes to cooler temperatures and blazing oranges, fiery yellows, and brilliant reds, then ends with cold winds and stark, skeletal trees, and a blanket of brown leaves on the ground. Not to mention today could be a sunny 70°, tonight it could drop into the 20’s, then snow or rain and 40° tomorrow. By far it creates the most dramatic change in the world around us, at least in the Northern states.

If you are a deer hunter, as I am, this time of year has an even bigger hold on you than most. You start the season out hitting the trails and backcountry in search of the elusive Whitetail’s habitats, making fake scrapes and rubs to draw in that monster 14 point buck everyone swears to have seen in your area, setting up stands to give you optimum use of the ever changing winds, and turning your practice target into something resembling a pin cushion. The middle of the season is spent in a tree stand or still hunting along that heavily traveled draw, either way you, the hunter, have the opportunity to see every bit of the color phase the trees will be going through. Then you close the season out by sitting in a deer blind watching the quiet snow flakes slowly drift down to the ground to mark the beginning of winter and all the activities that go along with it.

Like I said before, it is my favorite time to be alive. In fact I enjoy the season so much I named my daughter Autumn! It was truly a coincidence that she was born on the first day of the archery deer season, though I like to tell my wife that she, Autumn, did not want dad to have to miss any of the prime hunting that occurs further in the month. No matter what the reason, hunting, hiking, camping, fishing, sports, or just having a fire in the backyard to roast marshmallows and drink warm cider or hot cocoa, fall is a great time to get outside and live!

Thank You to all those that are or have been in the Armed Services!

On Veterans Day we recognize the sacrifice made by so many of our young men, and women, to guarantee our freedom and way of life, but why should we have to set aside one day a year to recognize them? Why not recognize them everyday? It takes a special kind of person to willingly offer their life to protect thousands of people that they will never even meet, to possibly leave their children fatherless or motherless so that your children, and mine, can grow up safely with us in our home, or to leave their spouse widowed so that we can grow old with ours. Allot of them are young, never having the chance to really experience life before they are handed a gun and sent into a dark building not knowing if they will come back out. Can you really imagine the stress, adrenalin, and fear that are running through their young minds at those times? Many of us can! Many of us have been in those dark buildings, hot deserts, or dense jungles. Looking into the face of their own mortality and wondering if they will ever see the ones they love again but trying not to think of it. Trusting in the guy to your right to cover your back, or get you to safety if you get wounded.

I for one am grateful everyday for those men and women, those kids that have stood up as a wall to block us from the dangers that threaten to destroy us. In them lay our hope for a safe and familiar future. May God keep and protect them always!

For many years Psalm 91 has been considered the Soldiers Psalm or Soldiers Prayer because it gives hope and strength to soldiers in the uncertain times of their service, such as the last few hours before they get deployed to a hostile area or the moment before going into battle. It is a Psalm of trust and is in three main sections.

1.      A confession of confidence in the Lord.

2.       Assurance that those who trust in the Lord need not fear evil.

3.       Promises of Gods protection

Psalm 91

 ¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”

 ³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways.

Don’t wait for November 11^Th to thank a Veteran! Thank one everyday for the service they gave or are still giving to our country and its people, and PLEASE remember, many soldiers carry more than physical scars home from the war they were in. Say a prayer for them and their families!

Picture is from: “Solemn ceremony honors war dead” by Courtney Kube, NBC News’

Alone in the Woods

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.’"       

 -Henry David Thoreau

When written, Henry David Thoreau was describing his own experience living a Spartan life in the woods, for 2 years and 2 months, in a 10’ x 15’, one room house he built himself on a piece of land he borrowed from Ralph Waldo Emerson. In exchange for the use of the land he worked on Emerson’s 14 acres clearing brush, re-planting trees (the result of a 300 acre fire caused by Thoreau and friend Edward Hoar), and building gardens, working an average of one day per week or about seven weeks out of the year. Thoreau used mostly reclaimed and second hand materials that he augmented with natural materials found on the property and at the waters edge giving him a total construction cost of about $28 - $29 dollars. By adjusting for inflation the same structure by today’s standards would cost $1500 to $3000, still cheap by anyone’s standard.

Even in the 1840’s when Thoreau was living in solitude at Walden Pond it was not the sort of endeavor that could be undertaken by a person of average means. Thoreau, a graduate of Harvard, worked most of his adult life in his fathers business, in addition to running his own school for several years which put him in a position, financially, to take a couple years off from everyday life and devote himself to his “experiment in solitude”. I am not saying that he was financially supported by his family, but he was always assured of a place to stay, at his family home, and a source of income, through the family business, that he could return to at any time he chose which allowed him to pursue his dreams with a serenity derived from the certainty of his preservation.

So what about the American dream of self reliance for the average person today? That pioneering spirit that made our country great, that “go west young man” attitude! Is it gone for ever, or can it still be achieved by anyone with enough strength of character and fortitude to give it a try? I think it can. In fact I believe that right now, here in America, bad economy and all, that we are in a perfect place to achieve the “simplicity” that Thoreau sought during his time in Walden Woods through the emergence of alternative energy sources, some of the new “green building” practices that have been implemented over the last few years, good old hard work, and by cutting out the things that we can really live without.

From what I can tell, Thoreau believed that happiness and peace of mind came when all of the “material” distractions were removed and you were left with only the basics. He proved it by living as simply as he could, a fireplace to heat his dwelling and to cook on, a bed and dresser, a table and chair, and a writing desk. It left him free to concentrate on what was important to him, his writing. Though we may not all be writers or deep thinkers, like Thoreau, I believe we can learn something from his experiment that would relieve some of the stresses in life that we face today and give us some of that “simplistic” peace of mind Thoreau was after. Namely, simplify your life!

Do we have to leave everything behind and live in a single room cabin in the woods to do it? No, but it may be fun for a while or as a weekend retreat! I am talking more about the way we look at life in general. Do we have to have a second (or third) car to get around town? How about the newest smart phone or laptop computer? Do they really add that much to your overall well being, or do they make it impossible for you to be disconnected enough to even collect your thoughts? Have we as a people become afraid to spend time alone with nothing but our thoughts to keep us company? Though it is sad to say, we have and the results to our economy and our quality of life as a nation have suffered drastically for it. In the last 20-25 years we have switched from being a nation of manufacturers and innovators to a nation of consumers which has in that short period of time collapsed our economic base and destroyed our children’s work ethic. Through our own greed to get the next raise that “we deserve”, or our lust to have the “latest & greatest” thing on the market we have forced our manufacturing to go to other countries where they can actually afford to produce the products that we want. The problem is, now that we have forced our jobs out of the way, how are we going to pay for what we want or even provide for our basic needs? It has caused us as a nation to stop and take a good look at itself, but in doing so we have to be willing to take the steps necessary to stop our downward plunge and start climbing back to the surface.

That simplifying we were talking about is, I believe, the place to start. For example, when your cell phone contract allows you to “upgrade” to the newest phone (for a small fee added to you bill), take a look at the phone you have. Does it work? Is it in decent shape? It may not have all the latest gadgets but you will save a little by keeping it a while longer. What about your internet connection, with the exception of a few government agencies and financial firms, do we really have to have the fastest connection for $60-$70 a month when we can settle for a mid range connection like DSL for around $30 a month. One of my favorites is the TV, time and time again I have heard someone say “100 channels and still nothing is on”, why spend that much money for cable or satellite when you can get broadcast television for free. Granted, you have a wider range of choices when you want to watch something, but if enough people stopped subscribing to those services how long do you think it would take before Broadcast Television started airing more of the sporting events, and movies people were asking for? They use too! Better yet, how about turning the electronic devises off altogether a few times a week and going outside. You would save money on your electrical bill, get some of the exercise that we all can use more of, and… dare I say it….. have a chance to collect your thoughts! You may even have time to think up the next “Latest & Greatest” thing to hit the market!

To some it up, I will go back to Thoreau and what he thought about his time alone with his thoughts:

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours....

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

                                                                            -Henry David Thoreau

(The above picture, Circa 1908, is the site of Thoreau’s cabin in Walden Woods)