​One of the things that we like the most about the “outdoor community” is their willingness to share their knowledge with everyone else that enjoys being out in nature. This week we received an email from Aurora James from DogEtiquette.info about the benefits of getting outside and being active. Aurora graciously asked us to post her thoughts on our HCS website – and since Spring is right around the corner, we thought that she had a great idea. So here you go – Aurora’s thoughts about “Exploring the Great Outdoors: Activities to Overcome Nature-Deficit Disorder”. She’s included lots of links to other websites so there’s a wealth of great information.

​In today's world dominated by screens and technology, your children may find themselves increasingly estranged from the natural environment. This shift, identified as nature-deficit disorder by Richard Louv in his influential book "Last Child in the Woods," significantly impacts their physical and mental well-being. By incorporating outdoor activities into daily routines, you not only bridge this gap but also strengthen your family ties and instill a lifelong appreciation for nature in your children.

Nature-deficit disorder affects children isolated from nature. It leads to sensory decline, attention issues, and health problems. This condition highlights significant behavioral concerns.

• Educate yourself and your family about the benefits of spending time in nature, including improved mood, better attention spans, and increased physical activity.
• Observe your child’s current interaction with nature to understand their engagement and identify potential new activities.
• Set realistic goals for outdoor time each week, and gradually increase as the family adapts to a more active lifestyle.

Crafting with natural materials is a creative approach. It's an affordable way to connect with the outdoors. This method brings nature closer to home.

• Create art using leaves, rocks, and branches found during your walks, which can be used for crafting projects that decorate the home and garden.
• Build a bird feeder from recycled materials to attract local wildlife and teach children about the different species in their area.
• Press flowers and leaves to make bookmarks or framed art, preserving the beauty of nature in a form that lasts.

Educational outings offer a great opportunity to broaden a child's environmental understanding. They help cultivate a deeper appreciation for nature. These trips also nurture a child's curiosity.

• Visit a nature reserve or wildlife center to learn about biodiversity and ecosystems through guided tours and interactive exhibits.
• Join a workshop or class focused on outdoor skills such as birdwatching, animal tracking, or botanical illustration.
• Attend environmental stewardship events like tree plantings or beach clean-ups to engage actively in conservation efforts.

When used correctly, technology can enhance outdoor experiences. It can also stimulate further interest in the natural world. This makes it a valuable tool for exploring nature.

• Use apps for identifying plants, birds, and stars to turn a simple hike into an informative science lesson.
• Invest in a digital camera or use a smartphone to document outings, encouraging children to notice details and beauty in their environment.
• Follow nature blogs or channels that offer regular tips and activities suitable for children, providing inspiration and continuous learning opportunities.

Nature-deficit disorder, while not an official diagnosis, poses real challenges to modern children’s development and well-being. By incorporating regular, enjoyable outdoor activities into their routines, parents can help mitigate these effects. These activities not only promote healthier, happier children but also cultivate a deeper, lasting connection with the natural world. The key is to start simple, stay consistent, and most importantly, have fun together as a family in the great outdoors.

If you want to read more from Aurora – please check out DogEtiquette.info.

​As people that love the outdoors - we also love outdoor movies. This week we received an email from Terra, the Outreach Coordinator from Octane Seating, about a list of “Disaster and Prepping” movies that they pulled together for their customers. Terra thought that we, and our readers, might find their movie list interesting. And she was right; we've seen most of these movies and they have some great viewing ideas. 

To quote Terra’s note to us:

​We read through their article, and agree with what it says: 

​Their list of “Prepping and Disaster” movies includes 24 movies - with 3 from each of the following categories – each with a brief movie summary, list of who stars in it and release date – so that you can easily find it wherever you stream or purchase your movies from:

• Adventure Survival
• Space Survival
• Survival Horror
• Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Survival
• Comedy Survival
• Romance Survival
• Family-Friendly Survival
• Real-Life Survival

 
Their write-up also includes a listing of their "Top 15 Survival & Disaster TV Shows" and their point of view about “What Can Disaster and Survival Movies Teach You About Real-Life Prepping?”

So. if you’re like us and enjoy watching movies about the outdoors when you’re not able to be in the outback, you should definitely check out the article that Terra sent us. (Note; As always, we’re not being paid to say this – we just think that it’s true).
 
You can find the article, and all the other details about this curated movie listing here.
       https://octaneseating.com/blog/disaster-movies

​Everybody that's been Hiking, Camping and Shooting for a while has a list of gear that they always take with them on their adventures. For some people their method of keeping track of their gear is to keep it all in one place. Others make a checklist to ensure that they have everything that they need. We do both.
 
Based on our experience the gear that you need for Hiking comes in 10 categories, Camping has 10 categories, Disaster Preparedness has 9 categories and Shooting gear comes in 17 categories:

​To make it easier for you we have updated and added downloadable PDFs of the Hiking, Camping, Disaster Preparedness and Shooting gear checklists that we use. The checklists include the types of gear that we think you need in each of these 46 categories.

Our website has all the details on the specific gear that we use (536 items from these 46 categories at last count), the reasons that we selected it and links to Amazon, or other locations, where you can buy the gear. Our gear checklists have 54 Hiking items, 122 Camping items, 123 Disaster Preparedness items and 237 Shooting items.
 
You can find these downloadable PDF checklists on our Hiking, Camping, Disaster Preparedness and Shooting pages.

As we’ve mentioned in previous blogs, one of the main reasons that we started our HCS website back in 2016 was to share the knowledge that we had acquired during our many years of Hiking, Camping and Shooting. So we’re always gratified when someone reaches out to us to say that they found our gear evaluation criteria, product information, blogs, adventure photos, "Useful Apps", and "Other Helpful Information Sources" links to be helpful.
 
In that vein, this week, Marc and his son Tyler (who is in the process of earning his Boy Scout Wilderness Survival Merit Badge) dropped us a note to say that they found our site to be helpful. And, as with many contacts that we receive, Tyler wanted to “pay it forward” by letting us know about another great online resource that he had found; an article from Advantis Medical on “First Aid and Outdoor Recreation”.

Since we’re always looking for additional information, we checked out the article. The article starts out with 9 paragraphs discussing a few of the most significant First Aid risks that you can face when hiking - at a high level:

• Wilderness First Aid Basics
• First Aid Kits
• Wounds
• Dehydration and Heat Exhaustion
• Burns
• Strains, Sprains, and Broken Bones
• CPR
• Hypothermia
• What to Do in an Outdoor Emergency

 
But the real payoff of the article is the fact that it has links to 14 other webpages that cover a wide variety of wilderness First Aid topics from a broad set of viewpoints. So it’s a great starting point to jump off from.

• Wilderness First Aid Basics
• Outdoor Safety
• First Aid and Travel Safety
• Wilderness and Remote First Aid Emergency Reference Guide
• Wilderness First Aid vs. First Aid at Home or at the Office
• Wilderness Survival: First Aid and Health
• Packing a Personal First Aid Kit
• What to Put in a Wilderness First Aid Kit
• How to Build a Hikers' First Aid Kit
• Why Wilderness First Aid Matters
• Essential Items for an Outdoor First Aid Kit
• The Basics of Wilderness First Aid
• What You Should Put in Your Wilderness First Aid Kit
• Nine Things to Know About Wilderness First Aid

 
For us the topic of First Aid is so important that we have different gear for Hiking and Camping and Disaster Preparedness – since because Camping normally includes getting further from civilization, staying overnight and making meals outdoors, the level of activities and risk increases, and in Disasters there are more extenuating circumstances that require additional supplies.
 
So, if you’re interested in relooking your First Aid gear and knowledge before you head out into the wilderness again you should take a look at some of this material. 
 
I know that with these resources Tyler won’t have any problem obtaining his Boy Scout Wilderness Survival Merit Badge.

​Our previous post on the “10 Essentials” got us thinking. Since what to take with you on your outings into the wild is always a hot topic, we decided to look into the issue a little further – searching for significant “real world” examples based on actual data – not just anecdotal history.  Based on the fact that we like to get out there, we decided to investigate the opposite end of the spectrum from a day-hike that we covered in our “10 Essentials” blog and look into:

In our opinion one great source of information related to the gear that you need to survive in the outback for months is the History Channel’s TV series “Alone”. If you haven’t seen it, Alone follows the daily self-documented activities of 10 individuals (seven paired teams in season 4) as they survive alone in the wilderness for as long as possible using a limited amount of survival gear. With the exception of medical check-ins, the participants are isolated from each other and all other humans. They may voluntarily quit at any time, or can be removed if they fail a medical check-in. The contestant who remains in the wild the longest wins a grand prize of $500,000.

​Some other people may quibble, but to us, an analysis of the 10 essential items that the Alone competitors took with them into the wild is a great window on what gear you really need – regardless of what all of the internet wisdom and sales people tell you that you need.
 
Over the 9 Seasons of Alone there have been 94 people that spent a total of 3,669 days in the outback (an average of 39 days per person – with the shortest being 6 hours for someone that was scared off by a bear encounter and the longest being 100 days) – so that’s a lot of great data to pour over.
 
To analyze their gear the first thing to look at is where the Alone competitors had to try to survive during each season - since these locations and filming dates were significant because the climate and weather conditions that they were trying to survive fundamentally impacted the gear that they needed (as it will on all of your adventures). 

​The locations that have been given for each season of Alone are as follows:

• Season 1: Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (Fall 2014)
  • Oceanic to Subpolar Oceanic - Köppen Climate Region Cfb to Cfc
• Season 2: Vancouver Island, Quatsino Territory, British Columbia (Fall 2015)
  • Oceanic to Subpolar Oceanic - Köppen Climate Region Cfb to Cfc
• Season 3: Nahuel Huapi National Park, Patagonia, Argentina (Spring 2016)
  • Temperate oceanic/subtropical highland climate - Köppen Climate Region Cfb
• Season 4: Vancouver Island, Quatsino Territory, British Columbia (Fall 2016)
  • Oceanic to Subpolar Oceanic - Köppen Climate Region Cfb to Cfc
• Season 5: Zuunkharaa, Selenge, Mongolia - Northern Mongolia (Fall 2017)
  • Monsoon-influenced subarctic climate - Köppen Climate Region Dwc
• Season 6: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada (Fall 2018)
  • Continental Subarctic Climate - Köppen Climate Region Dfc
• Season 7: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada (Fall 2019)
  • Continental Subarctic Climate - Köppen Climate Region Dfc
• Season 8: Chilko Lake, British Columbia (Fall 2020)
  • Continental Mediterranean Climate - Köppen Climate Region Dsb
• Season 9: Big River, Labrador, Canada - Northeastern Labrador – Artic (Fall 2021)
  • Tundra Climate - Köppen Climate Region ET

​Here is a world map showing the Köppen–Geiger climate classification to help you better visualize the climate that the competitors had to survive in:

The winners and the number of days that they lasted in the wild are as follows:

• Season 1: Alan Kay survived for 56 days
• Season 2: David McIntyre survived for 66 days
• Season 3: Zachary Fowler survived for 87 days
• Season 4: Jim and Ted Baird survived for 75 days
  • This season had 7 teams of 2 people each that started 10 miles apart from each other
  • Fixed blade knives, ferro rods and sleeping bags were given to each competitor and did not count against their 10 items
• Season 5: Sam Larson survived for 60 days
• Season 6: Jordan Jonas survived for 77 days
• Season 7: Roland Welker survived for 100 days
  • In this season the winnings of $1M were to be evenly divided  between any competitor that lasted 100 days; only Roland lasted that long.
  • Roland’s closest competitor was Callie Russell who made it 89 days before being medically extracted because she had frostbite on her toes.
• Season 8: Clay Hayes survived for 74 days
• Season 9: Juan Pablo Quiñonez survived for 78 days

​​To start their adventures the competitors select their gear for their time in the wilderness. To make it a level playing field the TV producers have developed a “Participant Gear List” as the basis for this selection. Here’s the listing from Season #9 that the competitors got to choose their gear from:

Clothing/Apparel/Personal Effects
Note: These items are allowed for all competitors and do not count towards their 10 special items, but competitors may not exceed the approved quota for each item:

• 1 pair of high-leg hunting boots
• 1 pair waterproof Arctic winter boots
• 1 T-shirt
• 1 fleece/wool shirt
• 2 wool, fleece or cotton sweaters
• 6 pairs wool socks
• 2 hats
• 2 buffs or neck gaiter
• 1 shemagh or scarf
• 4 pairs of gloves
• 2 pairs of underwear/briefs
• 1 insulated parka-style jacket
• 2 pair of outdoor pants/bibs
• 1 pair of fully insulated or waterproof winter pants/bibs
• 1 waterproof un-insulated shell/Jacket
• 2 pairs of thermal underwear
• 1 pair of gaiters
• 1 leather belt
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 pair of eyeglasses
• 1 personal photograph

 
Additionally, each participant is given a satellite phone (for either dire emergency use or to call to say that they are quitting), life jacket, medical kit, camera batteries and a tarp to stop the rain from damaging the camera equipment.

10 Items Selection List
Notes: Participants are allowed to select 10 items from the following gear list.

• Participants are responsible for sourcing and purchasing their 10 items.
• Participants may only choose up to 2 Food items.
• No duplicate items can be taken from the following list.
• Any loops of string attached to any tool, weapon or used as a neck loop will be deducted from the participants 80m of paracord, cotton cord or trapping wire allowance.

 

• Shelter
  • 12x12 ground cloth/tarp
  • 8-mm climbing rope - 10M
  • 550 Paracord - 80m
  • 3-mm cotton cord - 40m

 

• Bedding
  • 1 multi-seasonal sleeping bag
  • 1 bivi bag
  • 1 sleeping pad
  • 1 hammock

 

• Cooking
  • 1 large pot - 2 quarts
  • 1 steel frying pan
  • 1 flint or ferro rod set with standard-sized striker
  • 1 enamel bowl for eating
  • 1 spoon
  • 1 canteen/water bottle

 

• Hygiene
  • 1 standard size bar of soap
  • 1 8-oz tube of toothpaste
  • 1 face flannel
  • 1 40-mm roll dental floss
  • 1 small bottle bio shower soap
  • 1 shaving razor
  • 1 towel
  • 1 comb

 

• Hunting
  • 1 300-yd roll of a single-filament fishing line up to max of 20 lbs weight test + 35 assorted barbless hooks
  • 1 Primitive Bow Recurve or longbow + 9x Arrows
  • 1 small-gauge gill net
  • 1 slingshot/catapult + 30 steel ball bearings + 1 replacement band
  • 1 net foraging bag
  • 2 lbs of 20, 21 or 22-gauge stainless steel and/or brass trapping (snare) wire
  • 3 lbs of one solid block of salt

 

• Food (2 items max)
  • 2 lbs of beef jerky
  • 2 lbs of dried pulses/legumes/lentils mix
  • 2 lbs of biltong
  • 2 lbs of hard tack military biscuits
  • 2 lbs of chocolate
  • 2 lbs of pemmican
  • 2 lbs of GORP
  • 2 lbs of flour
  • 2/3 lbs rice / 2/3 lb sugar / 2/3 lb of salt

 

• Tools
  • 1 pocket knife
  • 1 hunting knife
  • 1 Leatherman multitool or similar
  • 1 sharpening stone
  • 1 roll of duct tape or 1 roll of electrical tape
  • 1 small shovel
  • 1 small sewing kit
  • 1 carabiner
  • 1 LED flashlight
  • 1 pair of ice spikes
  • 1 scotch-eyed auger
  • 1 adze
  • 1 2-handed draw knife
  • 1 hatchet
  • 1 saw
  • 1 axe

Prohibited Items
Note: This list is not exhaustive, any item not listed in the preceding lists inclusive above are prohibited items; this list serves as an illustration.

• Fuel, lighters or matches
• Bug spray/mosquito repellant
• Sunscreen/chapstick
• Sunglasses or prescription transition lens eyeglasses
• Goggles
• Beauty products
• Map
• Compass
• Unapproved technology
• Professional snares
• Firearms of any kind
• Ammunition
• Explosives or gunpowder
• Animal poison
• Professional fishing rods
• Fishing lures, flies, bait kits
• Fishing traps
• Food/beverage
• Decoys
• Animal calls
• Tree stands
• Professional bows/crossbows
• Scopes of any kind
• Tents or shelters
• Stoves, pressure cookers or other cooking appliances
• Hydration packs
• Fire pits
• Electric or propane lanterns
• Inflatable boats
• Filtration, purification devices, iodine tablets
• Coolers or food storage boxes

​The tables below show all of the 10 items of gear that the competitors selected on a season-by-season, person-by-person basis; color coded to identify which gear was most commonly taken and which gear was least common selected (click on any data table to enlarge it): ​

Season 1: Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (Fall 2014)

Season 2: Vancouver Island, Quatsino Territory, British Columbia (Fall 2015)

Season 3: Nahuel Huapi National Park, Patagonia, Argentina (Spring 2016)

Season 4: Vancouver Island, Quatsino Territory, British Columbia (Fall 2016)

Season 5: Zuunkharaa, Selenge, Mongolia - Northern Mongolia (Fall 2017)Season 5: 

Season 6: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada (Fall 2018)Season 6: 

Season 7: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada (Fall 2019)Season 7: 

Season 8: Chilko Lake, British Columbia (Fall 2020)Season 8: 

Season 9: Big River, Labrador, Canada - Northeastern Labrador – Artic (Fall 2021)Season 9: 

​So that you can see all of the selections in one place, here’s the listing of all the gear from all 9 seasons shown side-by-side in the rank order of how often the gear was taken:

Here you can see all of the gear selections relative to the other options based on their averages over all 9 seasons:

Here you can see how quickly the variability in the gear selections dropped off once the top 6 items were selected - and even more so after the top 11 items:

Here you can see how often the top 11 gear items were selected on average across all 9 seasons:

Well quite a bit. First off, if you get a chance to choose which gear to take with you into the wild – here are the top 11 items that will help you survive if you’ll be out there for a while:
 

1. Sleeping bag
   • It is imperative that you are able to be warm when needed and to get quality sleep – since without these your ability to perform your daily tasks will deteriorate.
2. 2-quart cooking pot
   • This versatile piece of gear can be used to haul water, boil water to eliminate any parasites (like giardia, shigella and campylobacter), drink from and cook your meals.
3. Ferro rod
   • Since fire is critical for warmth, water purification, meal preparation, nighttime protection from animals and your morale – having an easy way to start a fire is critical.
4. Fishing line and hooks
   • If you are going to be “living off the land” you need protein and fat – fish give you both – so you need a way to catch them; passively if possible using a trotline.
5. Axe
   • Being able to clear the land for a living space, obtain fire wood on a daily basis, and make all sorts of wilderness “furniture” and artifacts requires the ability to chop down and shape the forest around you.
6. Saw
   • As many of the Alone competitors discovered an axe and a saw both cut wood, but they excel at significantly different functions and require different levels of energy. A saw is a much more efficient cutting tool - especially when cutting down standing dead trees or fallen trees and branches less than 6 inches in diameter. A saw is also better for most construction projects since the ends are smoother.
7. Knife
   • A knife is irreplaceable for so many tasks and, in our opinion, for pure cutting they are far superior to any blade on a multitool; especially when you need leverage and strength. For tasks like cutting through wood or rope, gutting fish or dressing game you need a knife.
8. Bow and arrows
   • If you are staying in the wilderness past 21 days you are going to need a substantial amount of food – and that means larger animals. The most efficient way to hunt these animals is using a bow – but you have to be judicious with your shots since losing an arrow can be very costly.
9. Paracord
   • The ability to tie off items, lash together two logs, support a tarp, hang a bear bag, make a clothesline to dry off wet items, and a thousand other reasons requires some type of cordage. Paracord is strong and durable and weather resistant.
10. Trapping wire
    • Like with fishing, if you are going to be “living off the land” you need protein and fat - and a way to obtain it; passively if possible. Although small game is not as substantial as larger game (one 18-ounce Wild Rabbit has ~583 calories, with ~108 grams of protein, fewer than 12 grams of fat and no carbohydrates), and doesn’t have the fat found in fish, having the ability to trap them without expending the effort to “hunt” them is a great way to augment your food supplies.
11. Multitool
    1. In our opinion multitools are a mixed bag – they can do lots of tasks – but don’t do any of them that well; and they can’t replace a good camping knife. A multitool might come with pliers, a wire cutter, scissors, tweezers, a screwdriver, and several other functions, helping you cut down significantly on how much gear you carry, while a camping knife provides you with a single strong, sturdy blade. 

​Of course we also need to keep in mind the significant factors that influenced the Alone participant’s “10 items” gear choices:
 

• The climate where the participants were located:
  • Seasons 1 - 4 were in Temperate climates - Köppen Climate Region C
  • Seasons 5 - 8 were in Continental climates -  Köppen Climate Region D
  • Season 9 was in a Polar climate - Köppen Climate Region E
• Time of year was early fall transitioning into winter
• Their living locations all had proximity to water
• They were living in a fixed location versus traveling through the wilderness
• Clothes were not included in the 10 items since they were specified for each competitor to level the playing field

In Season 1 nine people took knives and one person took a multitool, but by Season 9 all ten people took multitools and two people also took knives. Clearly showing the value that people place on the versatility of their multitools.

Over the 9 seasons on average 8.6 people took axes and 8.4 took saws - a clear indication of the recognition that both are valuable and have advantages and disadvantages depending on their use.

​Fishing with a line and hooks is consistently preferred as the method for fishing over gill nets. Note that for Season 8 the rules were modified due to local regulation prohibiting the use of gill nets until 45 days into the season.

​Two participants tried to use a slingshot in Season 1 and another tried in Season 3 - but since they were not successful - no participant has brought a slingshot since them. Conversely the use of Bows/Arrows and Trapping Wire have grown virtually every season to where in Season 9 all 10 participants selected both of these items as part of their gear.

​Tarps and Emergency Rations were popular selections up through Season 4 - but since then have declined in usage - probably based on their perceived limited usefulness when compared to other items. Paracord has increased in popularity - but is still only selected about 80% of the time. An interesting fact given the number of survival sites that say you “must” carry paracord with you.

We are not the only people intrigued by what we can learn from the History Channel’s Alone TV show. A couple of other websites have taken their shot at analyzing the Alone gear too – here’s one that we liked the best:

A look at the gear from every winner and runner-up of the TV show Alone
https://theprepared.com/blog/alone-winner-gear-analysis/  

​It’s something to think about before you head out on your next wilderness adventure.

We’ve all been there, out in the wind, the dust, the sun, the cold, the bugs and the glare off the water. And we all know that you really need to protect your face and your respiratory system from the elements. So we’ve always been big advocates of bandanas, shemaghs and reusable N95 masks to make sure that you can breathe in whatever conditions Nature throws at you. Over the past couple of years we’ve also become an advocate for neck gaiters – especially in windy conditions – and with the COVID-19 craziness the number of neck gaiters on the market has exploded.
 
Their uses are pretty obvious and include:

• Keeping your face protected when you’re in the outback by keeping sun, wind, dust, sweat and bugs off your face - and out of your nose and mouth
• Protecting your face from getting a painful windburn – especially if you’re hiking on a mountain
• Protecting your face from getting a painful sunburn – especially if you are on the water
• Wicking sweat and moisture away from your skin

Given the amount of new products on the market, in all sizes, colors, patterns and materials (e.g. polyester, spandex, microfiber, merino wool, fleece, synthetic, etc.,) we decided to replace all of our old neck gaiters with new ones before Winter arrived. You might think about doing the same since the new products have come a long way.
 
If you want more details about neck gaiters – here are a couple of great articles discussing their uses,  versatility and evaluation considerations for different environments:
 
The ultimate neck gaiter guide
https://www.broamer.com/gaiters/neck-gaiter-guide/
 
All the ways a neck gaiter is a multifunctional wonder
https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/how-to-use-buff/
 
Neck Gaiters: A Noteworthy Face Covering
https://www.mcrsafety.com/blog/neck-gaiter

Although the Summer months have just passed us by - here in New England that doesn’t mean that all the insects have disappeared yet. Far from it since October and early November are still prime time for mosquitoes and ticks in our neck of the woods.
 
As always, there’s lots of information out there on the internet – as long as you have the time to search for it. Fortunately for us, last week Thomas from pests.org dropped us an email with a link to an article of theirs that they had recently updated for 2022:
 
“The Ultimate Pest-prevention Guide: How To Deter Insects From Overruling Your Person, Outdoor Gear, and Home”

Their article covers the following insects:

• Bees, Hornets, and Wasps
• Mosquitoes
• Biting Flies
• Spiders
• Fleas
• Ticks

 
We really like that the article has three sections with detailed information about each of the pests listed above:

• Health Risks of the pests
• Treating Stings from the pests
• Tips for Preventing these pests From Taking Over Your Personal Space

In addition to this great article on pests that traditionally plague hikers and campers, the website also has  a ton of information on how to get rid of:

• Bed Bugs
• Rodents
• Termites
• Roaches
• Rats
• Stink Bugs
• Raccoons
• Squirrels
• Birds
• Snakes
• Moles
• Opossums
• Bats

So if you’re looking to learn more about how to deal with a wide variety of insect and wildlife pests - you might want to check out “The Ultimate Pest-prevention Guide” and the “DIY Pest Control” page that pests.org has online. They are great sources of information – all in one spot.

Last week I got into a discussion with a friend of mine who’s an EMT about the type of gear that you should have for emergencies where a victim is severely bleeding, and we spent a fair amount of time discussing the importance of tourniquets. Because the data (especially the data from the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan where IEDs were prevalent and body armor decreased the number of immediate deaths) shows that using tourniquets can have a significant impact on saving the lives of wounded people, I thought that I would lay out the facts in this blog.
 
For years the approach to treating people in trauma situations was ABC (Airway, Breathing, and Circulation), but over the past 20 years the priority order for lifesaving treatments in emergency situations has transitioned to MARCH (Massive Hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, Hypothermia/Head Injury). So these days, upon arrival as you evaluate the person for trauma, the most notable, life-threatening condition is massive hemorrhage. Massive hemorrhage can kill people faster than an airway complication, because we don’t have much blood in our bodies in the first place (~5 liters is the average). Depending on the location of the wound, direct pressure, pressure dressing, wound packing (with or without a hemostatic agent) or tourniquets are the immediate field solutions to the problem.

Following the discussion with my friend I happened to have another similar discussion with a Navy Pararescue specialist. He reiterated the points covered in my previous discussion and emphasized that at the shooting range and in the back country it is imperative that you carry a tourniquet; and the only one that he recommended was the Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T) by North American Rescue - which is now the standard in the US military based on years of studies.

“In 2004, the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) conducted a study of seven commercially available, off-the-shelf tourniquets for their effectiveness in stopping blood flow with the least amount of pain during application. Three of the seven were 100 percent clinically effective in occluding blood flow. However, USAISR recommended the C-A-T as the primary battlefield tourniquet based on its overall performance—less painful, easier to use, as well as smaller and lighter than the other tourniquets evaluated.
 
In 2008, a study of battlefield data from a combat support hospital in Baghdad published in the Journal of Trauma validated the earlier USAIR conclusions. The C-A-T was identified as “the best combat tourniquet”
 
In 2011, another study published in Military Medicine further validated the earlier studies and continued to hail the U.S. military’s primary tourniquet, the C-A-T, as the safest and most effective combat tourniquet requiring 30 percent less pressure to achieve success.” - North American Rescue - Winter 2012-2013 by Ricardo Flores

Because of this discussion we updated our gear by purchasing a C-A-T tourniquet to replace our older gear. The CAT currently on the market is the 7th generation of the tourniquet and is recognized as the fastest, safest, and most effective prehospital field tourniquet available. It has proven to be 100% effective in occluding blood flow in both upper & lower extremities by the U.S. Army’s Institute of Surgical Research. ​The C-A-T comes in both black and orange. We purchased the orange version so that we can very easily locate it in our kit in an emergency situation. 

As with all tourniquets the main thing to remember if you have to apply one to a victim is to place it “high and tight” – high above the wound to stop the circulation above the point of bleeding and tight enough that you cannot put your fingers under the band; even if this is painful to the victim. Once in place do not ever remove the tourniquet unless you absolutely have to so that you can make it tighter because the bleeding restarts and you don’t have a second tourniquet to place adjacent to the initial tourniquet.
 
With respect the C-A-T, “The Gen 7 CAT utilizes a durable windlass system with a patented free-moving internal band providing true circumferential pressure to the extremity. Once adequately tightened, bleeding will cease and the windlass is locked into place. A hook and loop windlass retention strap is then applied, securing the windlass to maintain pressure during casualty evacuation”. Here are the high level instructions for using the C-A-T tourniquet.

It should be noted that tourniquets should normally only used for extremities (arms and legs) when the bleeding cannot be stopped by the use of direct pressure alone, if direct pressure cannot be effectively applied for any reason, or if it is clear that the injury is so massive that attempting to use direct pressure will fail and only waste valuable time. There is an intermediate option of “wound packing” that can be used if applying direct pressure is not sufficient to stop the bleeding and the wound is on the neck, armpit, shoulder or groin. Because of the critical internal organs - the only viable field solution to wounds to the chest, abdomen, lower back, pelvis and skull is applying direct pressure.
 
The nominal order of the steps that you should take to “stop the bleed” is:

1. Direct Pressure: Application of dressing material and pressure directly on a wound (for minimal bleeding).
2. Digital Pressure: Identification (visual or tactile) of bleeding vessel(s) with fingertip(s) pressing vessel(s) against the bone (for moderate to severe bleeding).
3. Wound Packing: In conjunction with digital pressure, dressing material is systematically placed under fingertip(s) into wound cavity. Packing of wound is complete when cavity is entirely full (for moderate to severe bleeding).
4. Pressure Bandage: Applied in conjunction with dressing or wound packing material, to maintain pressure on injury site (for moderate to severe bleeding).
5. Tourniquet: Applied to eliminate ALL extremity circulation (for life-threatening bleeding).

 
If you want more details about the C-A-T Combat Application Tourniquet you can find it here:
https://www.narescue.com/combat-application-tourniquet-c-a-t.html
 
Here’s a great presentation by North American Rescue on “Small Limb Hemorrhage Control” that covers all this material in detail:
https://www.narescue.com/education/cat-tourniquet-education/small-limb-hemorrhage-training-ppt.html
 
In addition, other CAT Tourniquet Educational Materials can be found here:
https://www.narescue.com/education/cat-tourniquet-education.html
 
Just remember – with respect to traumatic bleeding – If it won’t quit - - - Tourniquet!

Well today’s the first day of Spring here in North America – so I guess it’s time to get ready to get back outside in the great outdoors; and we all know what that means – Gear Preparation.
 
To get ready for the Hiking and Camping season everyone has their own routine. What we do is take out all our gear, check it over for usability, clean up anything that needs a little tender care and evaluate what we have against the newest gear available to see if our gear has either “aged out” or if there are new products on the market that are significantly better than what we have. This allows us to make sure that the gear we take with us works when we need it in the outback, and keeps us up to date on the latest items on the market. Checking over all of your gear at the beginning of the season doesn’t’ sound like a lot of fun – but trust us – it’s better to find out now that you need a new piece of gear rather than the day before a trip, or even worse, on the trip.
 
To compare our gear against what is currently on the market we always head to our local outdoor stores (to see as many items as possible in person) and to the internet to read the great gear reviews that are online. Of course, many items don’t change that much from year to year (we doubt that we’re ever going to replace our Council Tool Woodcraft 24" Pack Axe, Gerber E-Tool Folding Spade, Buck 110 or Army Survival Knife), but we always like to keep current with what’s out there “just in case”.
 
While we were checking our gear for the 2022 Spring/Summer/Fall season we were contacted by Jillian, an editor from Sport Fitness Advisor about a comprehensive guide that they had just published about the "Best Backpacking Stove".

Since our site focuses on the specific gear selections that work for us, and our specific situation, and provides our evaluation criteria and rationale for selecting our gear, we don’t provide detailed side-by-side comparisons of products. That doesn’t’ mean that we don’t read a lot of the websites that provide side-by-side product comparisons – because we most certainly do – we just find that many of these sites do this better than we would (because of the size of their staff and budget). So our HCS site has direct links to many of the sites that do specialize in detailed gear reviews, just in case you want to see the side-by-side comparisons. Of course, we love it even more when a site that has evaluated the latest gear reaches out to us to let us know about a comparison our readers would be interested in; like Sport Fitness Advisor did.
 
We really liked the "Best Backpacking Stove" article because it was comprehensive in covering what features you need and why you need them. And, as all of our readers know, we think that providing you the most important evaluation criteria is vital since it allows you to assess if your situation equates to the evaluators when you make your gear selection decision. If it does – fine. If it doesn’t - then you can use the detailed information to make a gear selection that better fits your specific situation.
 
Here’s what the Sport Fitness Advisor article covers:

• What is the Difference Between a Backpacking and Camping Stove?
• Things to Consider When Shopping for a Backpacking Stove
  • Fuel Type
  • Canister Stoves: Integrated vs. Non-Integrated
  • Simmering Capabilities
  • Boil Times
  • Weight and Packability
  • Cold, Altitude, and International Travel
  • Cost
• Evaluation Categories
  • Best Overall
  • Best Value for Money
  • Best Integrated Canister Stove System with Simmer Control
  • Best Lightweight
  • Best for Windy Conditions
  • Best Alternative Fuel Stove
  • Best Wind-Resistant Integrated Canister System
  • Best Ultralight Stove

​For comparison’s sake our evaluation criteria for compact hiking/camping stoves include:

The 10 stoves that Sport Fitness Advisor covers in their article include:

• BRS 3000T
• Jetboil Flash
• Jetboil MiniMo
• MSR PocketRocket 2
• MSR WindBurner
• Snow Peak GigaPower 2.0
• Snow Peak LiteMax Titanium Stove
• Solo Stove Lite
• Soto Amicus
• Soto Windmaster

We don’t want to give away their conclusions, so you should go read the "Best Backpacking Stove" article for yourself; it’s worth a few minutes of your time.
 
In addition to their recent article about the “Best Backpacking Stove” Sport Fitness Advisor has numerous other articles related to Hiking and Camping. You should go take a look.
 
     https://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/?s=hiking
     https://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/?s=camping
 
If you would like to see another expert opinion on what the best backpacking stoves currently on the market are - you should check out Clever Hiker’s latest list of “Best Backpacking Stoves”; he’s always got great insight into the gear you need.

This week has been a busy week for our readers since we’ve had several of them reach out with comments or links to articles complementary to gear write-ups and blog posts on our website.
 
The latest was Louis from Outdoor Explorer, a new Australian website all about camping and the great outdoors. Louis had recently read our blog post about The “Outdoor Code”, “Leave No Trace” and Low Impact Camping and reached out to share his article about the 8 Benefits of Camping – Why It’s Fun AND Good For You.

We thought that Louis’ article had some great information – to include links to detailed references for each of the 8 benefits he cites – so we thought that we would pass it on.
 
All of us that love the outdoors know that being in the outback, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday city or suburban life, is invigorating and makes us feel better. But, as Louis’ article asks, what can you tell a friend that’s reluctant to head outside to convince them that “camping is not only fun, but also great for boosting your mood, lowering stress, building relationships and generally improving your overall health!” To help you solve that problem Louis “put together this list of the 8 major benefits of camping” so that you can “shoot it off to your friends that are having trouble finding the motivation to leave their creature comforts behind and go camping with you!”
 
The 8 benefits that Louis cites are:

• Fresh Air
• Socialisation
• Improved Mood
• Less Stress
• Exercise
• Better Sleep Cycles
• New Challenges and Experiences
• Get Back In Touch With Nature

 
To get all the details on these 8 camping benefits you should head on over to Outdoor Explorer and read the whole article.
 
We certainly agree with the article’s conclusions that:

• “As well as being fun, camping has a wide variety of secondary benefits that can improve your overall health.”
• “These range from improved digestion and lower blood pressure, through to better sleep quality and lower risk of heart disease.”
• “Camping can reduce your risk of disease while simultaneously extending your lifespan, improving your interpersonal relationships and staving off muscle mass decline and memory loss.”

 
So get out there and enjoy the great outdoors - and take a friend that needs a little convincing with you.