Hey Friends,
Ever find yourself halfway into the woods, only to realize Mother Nature didn’t get the memo about your plans?
Let me tell you about one of those trips. You know the kind…where everything that could go sideways, does, but you’re still smiling (mostly) because you came prepared.
We decided to veer off-trail for a little backcountry weekend. The map was sketchy, the trail was muddy, and the sky was threatening mutiny. But hey, nothing says “adventure” like ignoring good judgment and chasing that perfect hidden campsite. And for a while, it was perfect. Until it wasn’t.
About 3 AM, I woke up to the sound of wind trying to rip my tarp from the trees like it owed it money. Within minutes, the rain hit, and I mean sideways, ankle-deep, you-gotta-be-kidding-me rain. Our buddy forgot his raincoat, but thankfully I had a couple Ready Hour Emergency Ponchos stashed in my bag. Lightweight, compact, and ready to save the day when the clouds turned personal. We tossed him one, and just like that, disaster turned into a slightly soggy inconvenience.
But here’s the real kicker: once the storm passed and the sun peeked out like it hadn’t just tried to drown us all, the mosquitoes arrived. And not just one or two polite little buzzers—a swarm. Nothing tests your patience like a mosquito bite right on your nostril or the inside of your ear. (Ask me how I know.) Thankfully, a couple of us had packed Mosquito Head Nets, maybe the most underrated piece of survival gear ever invented. Laugh all you want, but I’d rather look like a beekeeper than donate blood to every winged vampire in the woods.
Now, after the rain, our water source turned into something between weak coffee and chunky soup. It looked like the kind of stuff you'd see behind a gas station, not in a mountain stream. No problem though, because we had the Aquamira Frontier Max. That thing’s a beast. It’s light, rugged, and works with hydration bladders, bottles, or even as a gravity filter if you rig it right. We filtered that swampy mess into crisp, clean hydration like we were running a 5-star spa out of a tent.
Of course, no trip is complete without someone taking a tumble. That someone, unfortunately, was me. Slipped on a wet slope, arms flailing, pride evaporating. Scraped up my elbow and knee like I was in the 4th grade again. My buddy pulled out a pack of SuperSkin Bandages by My Medic and let me tell you, these things are not your corner-store band-aids. They stick through sweat, mud, more sweat, and the occasional embarrassed laugh. I was patched up and back to telling jokes in under five minutes.
And here's the thing: I’m not Davey Crockett, and I definitely wasn’t raised by wolves (though I’ve camped with some people who might qualify). But I do believe in being prepared. That’s why I pack smart. Lightweight, multi-use, rugged gear that doesn’t just look good on a gear checklist—it works when the rain hits, when the bugs bite, when the trail disappears.
Camping Survival isn’t just where I get my gear—it’s where I make sure my weekends don’t turn into horror stories with bad endings. If you’re out there chasing adventure, or even just thinking about how you’d handle the next “uh-oh” moment, trust me: having the right stuff on hand makes all the difference.
Until next time, stay curious, stay ready, and never forget the bug net.
The guy with a scraped leg,
Thomas Hawkins
Camping Survival
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