Category: Hiking Tips & Skills

  • The 3 Layers of Winter

    The 3 Layers of Winter

    Winter is one of my favorite times to camp and explore the outdoors. There is nothing more beautiful than the sound of winter in the woods. But before venturing out into the cold it is important to have a plan on how to stay warm.

  • Are You Tick Aware?

    Are You Tick Aware?

    It is spring and the prime season for ticks. These little creatures can be intimidating and scary. They have the power to dampen what could be a fun hiking or camping trip. But the reality is, we need to learn to co-exist with them because they aren’t going anywhere. To…

  • A Beginners Trail Guide to Hiking

    A Beginners Trail Guide to Hiking

    Going on your first hike can be overwhelming and intimidating. With all of the information out there, it’s hard to know what to do and how to do it. Based on my experiences as a hiker and a trail runner, I decided to put together this basic guide to trail…

  • Outdoor Ethics: Leave No Trace

    Outdoor Ethics: Leave No Trace

    Warmer days are coming and with it, people will be looking at resuming their outside activities. Whether you’re hitting the trails, spending a weekend camping, or participating in other forms of outdoor recreation, it is extremely important to know and practice Leave No Trace.

  • Homemade Wax Firestarters

    Homemade Wax Firestarters

    Firestarters can make the process of building a fire faster and require less work overall. While the basic principles of fire building still apply, these tools can have a big impact on how easy your ideal fire starts.

  • Camping with Black Bears

    Camping with Black Bears

    There are 2 common viewpoints when it comes to bears. Cute and cuddling or aggressive and mean. The reality is Black Bears can be both. They are curious, playful creatures but can be dangerous in certain situations.

  • 10 Essential Items for Hiking

    10 Essential Items for Hiking

    Being new to hiking can be as overwhelming as it is exciting. What do you have to take? What don’t you really need? After all, you can’t carry everything. What are the must-have items and why? Here are some basic items that are good to include in gear for any…

  • Hiking Preparation

    Hiking Preparation

    It’s almost time for our 42.2 mile hike through Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. This will not be our most challenging hike but it will be our longest. We’ve taken many things into consideration planning this trip and thought it would be a good time to reflect. Why Pictured Rocks…

  • How I Expanded My Skills with Topographical Maps

    I recently expanded my skill set to include reading topographical maps. Oddly enough, I’ve never learned. But when I started planning hikes that have little to no information and no established trails, I resorted to these maps for help. So what is a topographical map?