Spiders are out building webs and getting in hikers' faces pretty much all summer. But this time of year, moving from late summer into early autumn, it seems the big spiders are all building (typically) beautiful webs and making the most of the insect buffet. I saw this pair of Yellow Garden Spiders (aka Writing…Read more Spider Season
adventure
Small Wild Spaces: Greenwell State Park, MD
I've been limited in my ability to do "big" trips lately (probably since backpacking in the Smokies), but have been doing a lot of exploration that's fairly local. Greenwell is an interesting little State Park in Southern Maryland, an old farm that has been (largely) allowed to return to a natural state, but also serves…Read more Small Wild Spaces: Greenwell State Park, MD
Medieval Camp Cooking (Part 2)
This is Part 2 of a post I began earlier in the week. That one focused on a dinner featuring items from England and the Netherlands in the 14th and 15th centuries. This one follows up with a lunch item and a dessert option. If you haven't read that one to understand why I was…Read more Medieval Camp Cooking (Part 2)
Medieval Camp Cooking (Part 1)
Let me be clear up front - this is not a post about how people might have cooked while "camping" during the Middle Ages. It is, instead, a discussion of repurposing historical, Medieval recipes for modern campsite meals. The setup was a Scout Camporee a few years back, where the event was built around a…Read more Medieval Camp Cooking (Part 1)
Better Camping Through Hyper-Organization
I'm kind of a slob. I don't have a complete disregard for order and cleanliness, but my life - both at home and work - does tend to accumulate a bit of clutter. It's a symptom of trying to have too many hobbies or too many things going on at the same time. Ideas and…Read more Better Camping Through Hyper-Organization
Micro-Adventure and Seizing Opportunity
I got the chance this weekend to take a short, random night out, and took advantage. I live in an area that is far away from any commercial air service, and yet I had an obligation to take a very early flight Saturday morning - 5:30 am from an airport 2 hours from home. Rather…Read more Micro-Adventure and Seizing Opportunity
Lower Your Expectations
I'm going to jump right to the conclusion here - if you want to have a better time outdoors (or perhaps, really anywhere), learn to enjoy the easy trips and take things as they come. Not everything has to be an epic journey. I have long been guilty of looking for bigger, better, longer hikes,…Read more Lower Your Expectations
NuCamp T@G Modifications – Galley Upgrades
After our kids got old enough to move out and go to college, my wife and I started adapting to an "empty nest" at home. The kids' departure left me with fewer excuses to go out camping and backpacking every month, but my wife made an offer. She said she'd be interested in spending more…Read more NuCamp T@G Modifications – Galley Upgrades
Paddling: Mattaponi River, VA
Several years ago, I started paddling sections of the Mattaponi River one of the two primary tributaries of the York River (the other being the Pamunkey), in eastern Virginia. It's a beautiful, narrow stream with low but steady current despite only a slight downhill gradient, and its rural watershed transports a paddler into what feels…Read more Paddling: Mattaponi River, VA
Technology In The Backcountry
For many of us - certainly myself - getting out into the backcountry is an escape from the modern, connected world we live in. As a matter of fact, when I first started writing this blog in 2016, back before the first of several society-shaking events that have occurred since then, my goal was ostensibly…Read more Technology In The Backcountry
Gear Shaming Is Gate Keeping
Not too long ago I went into the shop to get a new backpack. Some of the inner stays on my older pack had broken while on a long trip, and while I was able to lash things together long enough to complete the trip, it was time for something new. The purchase went fine…Read more Gear Shaming Is Gate Keeping
What Type of Outdoor User Are You?
As I've delved more and more into the broader online community, I've been confronted with a bit of a crisis of identity. Like a teenager moving to a new town, I am unmistakably a part of the student body at my new school, and I'm pretty good at getting along with most everybody, but the…Read more What Type of Outdoor User Are You?
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 