Camping Survival Journal RSS

Real meals. Real gear. No reservations needed. Hey fire-starters, fort-builders, and folks who know a tarp makes a fine roof; pull up a log. So there we were, deep in the woods, three miles past where the trail ended and about six hours past when we should’ve eaten. The sun was setting, the firewood was damp, and my buddy, bless his overconfident soul, had packed a single can of beans and what he claimed was a spice blend but turned out to be crushed-up ramen seasoning. Bold move. Naturally, dinner was…memorable. And not in the good way. That night, between...

Fellow wanderers, weekend warriors, and first-timers If you’ve been following our blog, you know we’ve had our fair share of camping mishaps. We’ve set up tents on ant hills. We’ve forgotten coffee. We’ve eaten things that… shouldn’t be eaten. And sure, we’ve learned from every misstep. But this week, instead of telling another story about our soggy boots or cold beans, we’re flipping the script with a little game. We’re calling it Would You Rather: Camp Edition. Each round comes with a real dilemma we’ve faced—and what we do now to avoid repeating it. So play along. Pick your poison....

You ever try to pee in the woods without a light? It’s humbling. And not in the spiritual, “find yourself in nature” kind of way. I mean tripping over a root, whacking your knee, scaring a possum half to death, and realizing your dignity is now somewhere in a bush behind you kind of humbling. I used to be the kind of camper who laughed at gear lists. You know the ones: 17 types of lights, three stoves, an inflatable sink. “We’re only going for the weekend,” I’d say. “I’ll be fine.” Spoiler alert: I wasn’t. We got to the...

Not a Prepper, Just a Practical Camper Preparedness without the panic Hey you— We’re not here to preach about stockpiling for the end of the world. This isn’t that kind of story. This is about the time we hiked eight miles into the backcountry, only to realize our one and only pack of matches had been soaking in a leaky water bottle since mile two. It’s about the morning we tried to make coffee using a metal cup, damp firewood, and an increasingly creative string of curse words. It’s about the kid who wouldn’t stop asking for pizza at the...

Let’s be honest — part of the fun of heading into the woods is wondering what else is out there. Sasquatch? Maybe. Aliens? We’ve heard stories. That eerie feeling you get when your headlamp catches something moving in the trees? Absolutely. But when it comes to surviving the wild — or even just enjoying it without ending up cold, hungry, or hopelessly turned around — it’s not the legends that save the day. It’s the little things you pack. The knowledge you carry. The gear you remember at the last second that ends up making all the difference. So we...