If you’re new here, start with safety and planning before gear or distance.
Challenge your hands and imagination. Practice bushcraft, learn outdoor cooking, or bring art into the open air with plein air painting and sketching… hobbies that combine creativity, skill, and self-reliance.
Outdoor Safety is Priority #1
Read our full Safety & First Aid Basics for Outdoor Enthusiasts Guide or download the free PDF
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Stay Hydrated and Nourished
- Dress Appropriately
- Be Aware of Your Surroundings
- Communicate and Stay Connected
- Know the ABCs of First Aid
- Essential First Aid Kit Contents
- Common Outdoor Injuries and Basic Treatment knowledge
Bushcraft/Survival Skills
Whether you are planning a weekend in the wilderness or going off-grid, these skills can save your life and make the outdoors a bit more comfortable.
Begin Here:
Bushcraft: Your Guide to Surviving and Thriving
Next Top Resources:
- Your Grandfather’s Guide to Sharpening Any Blade: Technique, Tradition, and the Philosophy of Tool Care
- How to Make Fire Without Matches: Essential Survival Skills & Safety Tips
Blog Posts:
Outdoor Cooking/Camp Cooking
Roasting hot dogs over an open fire, making camp s’mores, or going “outdoor gourmet”, there’s just something special about cooking outside.
Begin Here:
Camp Cooking: Your Guide to Outdoor Cooking
Plein Air Painting/Sketching
If you’ve ever wanted to capture a moment in nature, from your own perspective, perhaps a bit of traditional art is the answer.
Begin Here:
Outdoor Artist: Your Guide to Plein Air
Painting and Sketching Outdoors
Hunting/Hunting Safety
Marksmanship, outdoor survival skills, and conservation principles combine in one of the oldest forms of putting food on the table.
Hunting carries ethical, legal, and safety responsibilities that vary by location, species, and season. The resources here are meant to orient beginners to safe practices, conservation principles, and the mindset required to hunt responsibly…not to replace hunter education courses, licensing requirements, or local regulations. Ethical hunting begins with preparation, respect for wildlife, and a clear understanding of the laws that govern when and how hunting is conducted.
Safety First:
Hunting Safety Fundamentals: Responsibility Before the First Shot (PDF)
Begin Here:
Hunting: Your Guide to Conservation &
Putting Food on the Table
Next Top Resources:
- Ethical Hunting in Practice: Skills, Judgment, and Responsibility in the Field
- The Responsible Hunter’s Fieldcraft: Advanced Planning, Stewardship, and Self-Reliance
- Hunting Log (PDF)
Blog Posts:
Final Note
No matter how much time we spend in urban environments, there’s just something reassuring about having the skills to survive in the wild. Along with that, there should come the appreciation for the natural environment that we all share. Just remember to enjoy nature, share it with others, and leave it better than you found it.