stg-sectionhikercom-buttons.kinsta.cloud Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs

I headed back into the winter woods to practice building a winter fire, a survival skill that I want to master in case I ever need an emergency fire. (see Winter Survival Fire Lighting Skills – Why Don’t We Teach Them? and  Winter Fire Building Trip.) The objective of this practice session was to see if I could build a fire with …

If you’ve never seen Dick Proenneke’s movie Alone in the Wilderness, you need to watch these two videos. It’s the story of a mechanic turned naturalist, who retired at age 50, and went to Alaska to live alone in the wilderness for 30 years. While there, he chronicled his life on film, vividly demonstrating the use of so-called “primitive skills” …

The route up Mt Carrigan (4681′) in winter is one of the longest, but most rewarding, scenic hikes in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Fourteen miles in length with 3800′ of elevation gain, the winter climb up Carrigan is one of those hikes where more often than not, you’re likely to hike out after dark by headlamp. That doesn’t make it …

I'm still at it this winter, building practice snow shelters and caves in my front yard. This time, I built a simple snow cave featured in the Revised Edition of Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book, which is the illustrated bible of traveling and camping skills for winter environments. This one is really easy to build with an …