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I love campfires, I never go without them given the choice, and when I can't have a fire something feels seriously off. My brother (who is my #1 camping partner) is the same way. I don't need a big fire, in fact I usually prefer a small one. Usually I build stick fires that only last an hour...

I have always wondered about those sideways hammocks. I too prefer being up off the ground, not just for the flat ground part but because the ground isn't comfortable! The added visibility and protection from puddles sure is nice too. The older and more experienced I get, the less I get...

I think of it this way. Leave no trace unless it's a safety issue. If someone pulls into camp late, wet, freezing and hungry, I don't want them wandering around in the woods after dark and breaking their ankle. I always leave my leftover firewood.

I live in the PNW where three major rivers meet, and every garage in town has some kind of paddle craft in it. Even still I hardly see canoes. I think kayaks (mainly SOTs) are more popular because they are safer in the eyes of the average person as they don't fill with water and sink if you get...

I love hammocks but I got really sick on a trip once and kept waking up with this fever dream imagining that my tarp had fallen down over my face and was suffocating me. Each time it happened I genuinely believed that I could not breathe and was going to die, and this happened several times...

I was wondering if one could use a drift sock to pull a boat downstream. Think of it like a sail but it it catches water instead of wind. Would this work like I imagine it working? I'm in no rush to actually try this, I was just curious what you all think.

I love cheap glass! I have a nice Vortex monocular that I hardly take anywhere because I have a bunch of $20 ones floating around that I'm not afraid to drop. I can't use binoculars or other two-eyed equipment but I love a good, inexpensive monocular. Even name brands like Bushnell and...

Some of the normal food options I like to use are: DIY instant oatmeal. I get a ziplock bag and put 2-3 packs of flavored instant oatmeal into the one bag, then add nuts, dried fruits, flax seeds, chia seeds, protein powder, a little butter and salt and anything else I feel like would be good...

If I'm car camping and/or it's a big, comfortable camp then I will use an ax for chopping firewood. If I'm traveling light then I prefer a small stick fire and I'll carry a commando saw as a backup. When splitting wood with an ax I do it on my knees, that way the ax will hit the ground and not...

I have a headlamp and small pocket flashlight that I really like, but I'm in need of a small, packable lantern. My brother got one of those inflatable lanterns and it's a sound idea, but I have yet to find one that is just right for me.

I use the Katadyn BeFree filter bottle. I tried a few others but I like this one because its "bottle" is really a bag that rolls up tiny and weighs next to nothing (never hurts to have one extra water container) and the filter media is pretty open/accessible, making it easy to swish around in...

Even when I was an obnoxious teenager myself, I always HATED when people blasted music in public, especially in the woods. If you have music in the woods you need to be making it yourself, and at a low volume.

My new favorite small/light multitool is the Gerber dime. They are cheap, very light, and have just enough tools to get you by. I hardly even carry my big Leatherman anymore since I got one of these.

I got an actual paddling life vest! The comfort is worth every penny! I also got a large waterproof duffel bag with backpack straps. It makes packing and unpacking the boat for a landing, launch or portage much easier and will keep me from losing a bunch of loose small items if I roll the boat...

A chair! It doesn't matter what kind of camping (car, canoe, backpacking, etc) there's nothing better than sitting in an actual chair at the end of a long day. The more they tell you that a chair is an unnecessary luxury (looking at the ultralight, long distance, hard trail backpackers here) the...

Something I always bring and never use, and never hope to use, is an extra meal. Not for me, but in case I find someone who is lost. I always bring a little extra for myself too, but I always bring and save one more serving of food for someone else. When I'm on the water I always bring an extra...

I'm about a quarter of the way through Don Quixote, and about ready to give up. Yes, it's funny that he's so delusional, but it just keep going and going... and going...

The worse the trip the better the stories. I have learned to embrace the challenges and laugh at my own misfortune (once I know I'm safe.) Like when I got so sick during a backpacking trip that I thought I was going to freeze on a 50f degree night (in a mummy bag, fully dressed in sweats...

A hammock is the best sleep I've ever had in the woods, and the whole setup weighs far less than a tent does, even the most expensive, ultralight backpacking tents. I can't believe I went all these years not knowing.

I like under armor type garments for anything athletic in nature, especially because it is quick drying and keeps my legs from rubbing together if I have to walk a lot.