How to Build a Shelter with Only Natural Materials—A Step-by-Step Guide
A Corporate Executive’s Systematic Approach to Primitive Wilderness Shelter Building My Wake-Up Call in the Backcountry Learning how to build a shelter with natural materials fundamentally changed my approach to wilderness survival. For instance, in my former corporate life, I spent years analyzing risk matrices, reviewing structural stability reports, and evaluating million-dollar operational decisions based […]
10 Essential Wilderness Survival Skills Every Beginner Must Learn
I never thought I’d need survival skills until I found myself twenty miles deep in the Rockies with a twisted ankle and an oncoming storm. At first, wilderness survival seemed like something only rugged mountaineers or reality TV stars needed. However, there is an undeniable freedom in knowing you can rely on yourself when you’re […]
Swamp Survival: Essential Skills to Navigate, Escape, and Stay Alive
When people plan about outdoor adventures, swamp survival usually isn’t at the top of the list. But sometimes the weather turns, the trail floods, and you’ve got two choices—push forward or turn back.. I found myself in exactly this situation at Wood Buffalo National Park. Heavy rain had turned what should have been a normal […]
Dangerous Wildlife: How to Survive an Unexpected Encounter
I’ve spent many years exploring Canada’s wilderness and come face-to-face with animals that can kill you. Polar bears can be found in the Northwest Territories – those are the scary ones. Grizzly bears in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, mountain lions on Vancouver Island. Out there, handling dangerous wildlife encounters isn’t some optional skill […]
Survival Knots 101: Learning Essential Knots for Wilderness Emergencies
My introduction to rope work began at the fire station. Back then, I viewed knot practice as just another drill requirement. The instructor made us repeat the same eight survival knots until our hands moved automatically. I grumbled about the repetition, but those sessions proved invaluable during my first real emergency call. The training proved […]
Bushcraft Trapping Secrets: How to Catch Wild Food When Survival Gets Real
When the chips are down and your survival depends on finding food in the wild, bushcraft trapping becomes one of the most crucial skills you can master. My own experience with trapping started with a humbling lesson. I once learned to set a rabbit snare, but it caught nothing. That failure taught me that trapping […]
The Hard Truth About Survival Lighters: What Actually Matters
I’ve been in enough situations where fire meant the difference between comfort and misery—sometimes even survival—to know that most advice about survival lighters is complete nonsense. After years of testing gear in real-world conditions, from rain-soaked camping trips to emergency situations, I’ve learned that the most expensive tactical gear often fails when you need it […]
Choosing the Perfect Water Filtration System That Could Save Your Life
When I’m out backpacking in the woods, finding water is usually the least of my worries. The problem is finding water you can safely drink. I’ve hiked with plenty of folks who see a beautiful stream and want to fill their bottles directly from it. Bad idea. That crystal-clear water can hide all sorts of […]
How Boreal Footwear Saved My Feet in the Extreme Cold
Having spent many years in extreme environments, I’ve learned that footwear is absolutely critical to survival. My evolution began with traditional heavy leather hiking boots—veritable monsters weighing nearly two pounds each—before discovering boreal footwear and transitioning to their much lighter modern options with superior insulation. Their specialized Arctic series revolutionized my approach to extreme environments. […]