How to Stay Safe Around Wildlife
Give animals space, store food right, and know how to react to an encounter — a calm, safety-first guide to sharing the outdoors with wildlife.
Tess Nordby
The library
All guides
Every guide we've published, newest first — 28 plain-English articles across all our topics.
Tess Nordby
Camping in the Rain: How to Stay Dry and Safe
Camp comfortably when it rains: reading the forecast, pitching for wet weather, keeping gear dry, and knowing when a storm means it's time to head home.
Tess Nordby
How to Hike Safely in Hot Weather
Hot-weather hiking demands respect — learn how to time your hike, carry enough water and salt, dress for heat, spot early warning signs, and know when to stop.
Tess Nordby
How to Choose a Sleeping Bag and Pad
How to pick a sleeping bag and pad that keep you warm — decoding temperature ratings, down versus synthetic, and why the pad matters as much as the bag.
Rowan Hayes
How to Make Water Safe to Drink Outdoors
Boiling, filtering, and chemical treatment explained simply — how to make backcountry water safe to drink and avoid getting sick miles from the trailhead.
Caleb Frost
Campfire Safety: Build It and Put It Out
How to build, manage, and fully extinguish a campfire safely: checking fire rules and weather, keeping it small and contained, and never leaving it unattended.
Tess Nordby
A Beginner's Camping Gear Checklist
A practical camping gear checklist for your first trips — what you truly need for shelter, sleep, cooking, and safety, and what you can borrow or skip at first.
Caleb Frost
How to Hike Alone Safely
Solo hiking is one of the great outdoor pleasures — here's how to do it safely, from telling someone your plans to staying found, staying fuelled, and knowing your limits.
Rowan Hayes
How to Choose Hiking Boots That Fit
A practical guide to buying hiking boots that actually fit — how to size for the trail, when to pick boots over shoes, and how to break them in without blisters.
Caleb Frost
Cooking at the Campsite: A Beginner's Guide
Cook simple, satisfying meals outdoors: how to choose a stove or fire, plan easy campsite food, cook safely, and keep your kitchen clean and wildlife-free.
Caleb Frost
How to Build a Safe Campfire
Build, tend, and fully extinguish a campfire the safe way — a beginner guide to fire rings, wood, and the drowning-out steps that prevent wildfires.
Caleb Frost
How to Choose Your First Backpack
How to pick a first hiking backpack — choosing the right size in liters, getting the torso fit right, and the features that matter versus the ones you can skip.
Caleb Frost
How to Plan a Day Hike Start to Finish
A step-by-step guide to planning a safe, enjoyable day hike — choosing a route, checking weather, timing your day, packing right, and leaving word of your plans.
Rowan Hayes
How to Sleep Warm While Camping
Stop shivering through the night outdoors: how sleeping pads, bags, layers, and simple habits keep you genuinely warm and rested when you camp in cool weather.
Caleb Frost
What to Do If You Get Lost Outdoors
Stop, think, and act — a calm, safety-first guide to what to do the moment you realize you are lost outdoors, so a wrong turn stays a small problem.
Rowan Hayes
How to Pack a Backpack the Right Way
Where each item goes and why — how to load a backpack so it carries comfortably, balances well, and keeps the gear you need most within easy reach.
Caleb Frost
How to Pace Yourself on a Long Hike
A practical guide to hiking pace — how to start slow, use breaks and food well, manage climbs and descents, and finish a long trail with energy to spare.
Tess Nordby
How to Set Up a Tent the Easy Way
A clear, beginner-friendly guide to pitching a tent: practice, ground prep, poles, staking, and guy lines so your shelter stays taut, dry, and steady all night.
Caleb Frost
Leave No Trace: The Seven Principles
A plain-language walk through the seven Leave No Trace principles, with real habits for keeping wild places clean, quiet, and healthy for everyone who follows.
Rowan Hayes
How to Choose Hiking Boots and Shoes
A practical guide to picking hiking footwear that fits — boots versus trail shoes, when you need ankle support, and how to avoid blisters and sore feet.
Rowan Hayes
How to Choose a Trail for Your Fitness Level
Learn to read a trail's distance, elevation, and terrain honestly so you pick a hike that matches your fitness — challenging enough to enjoy, safe enough to finish.
Tess Nordby
How to Choose a Good Campsite
Learn how to pick a safe, comfortable campsite: reading the ground, the weather, and the surroundings so your tent stays dry, warm, and out of harm's way.
Rowan Hayes
How to Read the Weather Outdoors
Read clouds, wind, and pressure to see weather coming before it arrives — a practical, safety-first guide to judging conditions on the trail and at camp.
Tess Nordby
How to Layer Clothing for the Outdoors
Learn the three-layer system that keeps you warm, dry, and comfortable outdoors — what each layer does, which fabrics to pick, and how to adjust as you go.
Tess Nordby
Your First Camping Trip: A Beginner's Guide
A calm, practical guide to your first camping trip: how to plan it, stay safe, pack sensibly, and actually enjoy the night outside instead of enduring it.
Rowan Hayes
How to Start Hiking as a Beginner
A calm, practical first-timer's guide to hiking — how to pick an easy trail, what to bring, how to stay safe, and how to actually enjoy your first walks.
Tess Nordby
The Ten Essentials: What to Always Pack
A beginner-friendly guide to the ten essentials — the small kit of gear that keeps a day outdoors from turning into a bad night, and how to pack it light.
Tess Nordby
How to Use a Map and Compass
Learn to read a topographic map, take a bearing, and follow it in the field — a calm, beginner-friendly guide to navigating outdoors without leaning on your phone.
Tess Nordby
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