Last weekend I did my second adventure race. After the first one last fall, I spent the winter thinking about the fun that I had and how I could do better next time. While Spring came slowly to Wisconsin this year, we had a beautiful first weekend of May and a perfect chance to try out the Chasin’ the Bone Adventure Race from Elkbones Adventure Racing.
Campsgiving
I just heard of “Campsgiving” in the last week before Thanksgiving. Some people actually go camping over Thanksgiving and cook their entire meal outside. Other people try to incorporate something camping related into the their meal, prepare part of the meal outside, eat their meal outside, cook food that was harvested or gathered by them, etc. The idea is to do something to incorporate nature, nature skills, and an appreciation of your food and outdoors into the Thanksgiving meal. Continue reading “Campsgiving”
Hunting Back to Nature
I went deer hunting this weekend. For the first time in nearly ten years, I shot a deer. While that is a long time, I took about five years off from hunting in the middle of that, starting back up last year. For me, there is a strong connection between hunting and family. When my brother moved away and we had two babies at home, it just seemed like the right time to take a break. Continue reading “Hunting Back to Nature”
Orienteering Basics with The Wilderness Route Finder by Calvin Rustrum
I wanted to spend some time refreshing my knowledge of a compass and learning further about orienteering. I did so recently in the context of reading The Wilderness Route Finder by Calvin Rustrum. Published in 1967, Rustrum explains in detail numerous ways of determining one’s position in the wilderness at a time before the use of GPS. While the book also details navigation by sextant, radio signals, and others, I was most interested in the portions of the book related to use of the compass and general way finding. Continue reading “Orienteering Basics with The Wilderness Route Finder by Calvin Rustrum”
Getting Back to the Outdoors with Backyard Firestarting
Fire is an elemental part of the outdoor experience. Whether it is enjoyed with friends in the summer, keeping you warm on a brisk evening, comforting you after being out in the snow, or trying to keep one lit during a rainstorm. Depending upon the outdoor experience, the fire provides you with sustenance through cooked meals. Continue reading “Getting Back to the Outdoors with Backyard Firestarting”