When thinking of deer antlers, the first thing that naturally comes to mind is deer hunting. Campers and outdoor lovers who don’t hunt typically disregard them. There are, however, ways to indirectly interact with wildlife that don’t involve waking up before dawn or firearms. The endeavor I’m talking about is surprisingly popular; it’s called shed …
5 Small and Convenient Items for Your Survival Kit
As a sharp and prepared outdoor adventurer, odds are you probably have an emergency kit stashed away along with all your other gear. It has the typical items – fire starters, flashlights, an MRE or two, and maybe even a bottle of water. But no matter how full it might seem, you could probably fit …
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Camp Cooking Tips: Using a Dutch Oven
Dutch ovens, for reasons unknown, have been somewhat forgotten by many modern campers. Though they might lack a certain new or cool factor, these sturdy-lidded steel (or cast iron) pots are still one of the best tools for making camp cooking easy. The reason for this, of course, is their versatility. Anything that can be …
Outdoor Tips: Hiking For Fitness
Aside from being a great recreational outdoor activity, hiking is also a fun and surprisingly effective way to stay in shape. Though nothing beats a traditional workout such as road running or lifting weights, they are often less effective than other, more indirect fitness activities in the long run. How could this be? It’s simple: …
How to Identify Common Diseases in Wildlife
In order to both preserve wildlife and protect yourself in the outdoors, it’s important to know how to identify a sick animal. There are several indicators to watch out for when trying to determine whether an animal is healthy. It could be clearly struggling to survive, acting abnormally aggressive, or even just looking a little …
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4 Reasons to Bring Vinegar on a Camping Trip
When you’re getting a list of supplies down for a camping trip, vinegar isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, it doesn’t even come to mind at all for most people. In many households, the vinegar sits tucked back on a high kitchen shelf, only dug out for a unique recipe …
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Outdoor Tips: Building a Cooking Fire
Cooking fresh caught fish or a hearty stew over an open fire is one of those iconic, idealized images about the outdoors. It’s envisioned right along with other traditional, cowboy movie-esque things like sleeping under the stars and riding on horseback. But when it comes to actually cooking food efficiently and effectively, open fire cooking …
Tips for Sleeping Better on Your Next Camping Trip
Though many find the outdoors to be a place for peace, rest, and relaxation – actually getting to sleep while camping can be pretty difficult. There’s no cozy beds or temperature controls to help lull you to sleep, just you, your tent, and a sleeping bag. But even the fussiest sleepers can find a way …
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How Weather Patterns Affect Fishing
If the world’s meteorologists could somehow find the time for competitive fishing, they’d probably rise to the top of the ranks in a hurry. One of the first lessons in learning how to fish– right after bait selection and presentation – is how weather affects game fish. Their brains might be puny, but freshwater and …
4 Common and Practical Medicinal Plants
When thinking of plants with medicinal uses, it’s hard not to picture cheesy marketing campaigns that tout unbelievable “miracle cures”. While much of the holistic approach to medicine is up for debate, there is little doubt that some plants actually do have legitimate medical uses. The real questions for the outdoor lover, though, are whether …