Posts by Russell Steen
I meet a fair number people who would like to try backpacking. Unfortunately the initial cost seems to be pretty high. Even an overnight requires a lot of big ticket gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc...
Via WebMD Large amounts or long-term use of iodine are possibly unsafe. Adults should avoid prolonged use of doses higher than 1100 mcg per day (the upper tolerable limit, UL) without proper me...
For hanging packs, you can use vines. Find a vine you than can bend almost double (the shape of those ribbon campaign ribbons) without it breaking. You can use those as is, until they dry out. I...
Using some sort of leather conditioner, work the boots with your hands. Flex the toe bend and ankle areas. Using your thumbs apply very firm pressure to the toebox in circles. Flex it back and f...
When backpacking we often carry raw beef which we have salted and frozen, usually cut into strips that can be easily cooked through. I'm confident that this is good for 24 hours, and I know that m...
It seems that every tutorial I read and show I watch shows people using rocks for everything from a cooking surface to boiling water. However, I have had rocks crack in half on me, and I've always...
Dehydrated food is key. Water weighs a LOT. Breakfast -- Any variation on oatmeal. You can make your own or buy prepackaged meals. Lunch -- Peanut butter on hard tack. (did i mention water?) D...
Sound like a human, so TALK Wear a bright orange vest, and other bright (not white) clothing Try not to hike deer routes in the peak times (6am to 9am and 6pm to 9pm) Similar to the one above, sta...
I've never succeed in "hardening" my feet against blisters, even when I was barefoot growing up. However these things have worked for me Vaseline or (preferably) diaper rash ointment before put...
There seems to be a fixation with North in navigation. Step back to the basic purpose, why do we navigate? We navigate to get to somewhere or to find our way back. Knowing north is just one meth...
Get your material (tarp, plastic, whatever you choose) out and set your tent up on top of it, with poles. Draw about 3" around the outside of your tent. Trace circles around where the poles touch...
Train by hiking, start small, do it every week. After my injury, when I could not hike, I started by hiking less than a mile, but I did it every week. Even only once a week, this will help. Pick...
Until just a few years ago I would have said tweezers. I use a tick key these days because it removes without squeezing the tick. I get between three and a dozen ticks a year (they like me), ...
Several of the places we hike every year have trout. I'd like to have some fresh fish on a couple of those hikes but I'm pretty new to trout fishing and I don't want to carry the weight of full fi...
Medical care is needed immediately. Get it quickly. The Sawyer Kit is actually reported to reduce the severity of bites, but does not replace the need for care. It may buy you some extra time th...
Many fish will strike at any moving object of roughly the right shape. Generally shiny is better when improvising fake bait. However you can almost always catch a bug or worm of some kind to put ...
The traditional standard is the USMC Ka-Bar knife. Generally I look for Fixed Blade Five to Seven inch blade Durable (full-tang) Assuming you're going survival, whatever you choose needs to...
There are different types of being stranded; there's "lost the trail an hour in" stranded, "lost the trail twenty miles in" stranded, and "broke a leg" stranded, just to name a few. Considering yo...
Get a good book, with full color illustrations. I can't find a link for one, but you want quality equivalent to the Audubon full color field guides. Do a few field runs in the area you plan on ...
I'm looking for a good solution for clothing (or clothes washing) on long hikes with the following considerations Southeastern United States, Appalachians We hike light 10+ day trips I don't wa...
Copy and paste from the answer here: Is it a good idea to drink your own urine in a survival situation (Skeptics SE)? Summary: You can do it, as a last resort, but it's dicey. The US Army doesn'...
