Building the perfect campfire is an indispensable skill for any outdoors enthusiast, given the life-saving properties of an emergency blaze, not to mention the fundamental bragging rights. While there’s really no one formula that translates to the “best” campfire, there are various good options for fuel arrangement and materials, as long as you understand the basic principles of combustion. For some lucky souls, efficient fire-kindling is intuitive, their method honed through...

Whether you’re hiking in the mountains, the desert, or anywhere in between, preparation for the natural elements is a big part of planning any outdoor trip. Exposure on a hike can mean many different things, none of them good: lack of shade or shelter, prolonged time spent at altitude or in extreme temperatures, natural obstacles, and biting or stinging insects. They can vary from mild annoyances to possibly life-threatening injuries—and...

The first director of the National Park Service, Stephen Mather, once said, “Scenery is a hollow enjoyment to a tourist who sets out in the morning after an indigestible breakfast and a fitful sleep on an impossible bed.” On an epic day in the wilderness, Mather’s observation seems a tad dramatic. But after a zero-degree night spent sleeping outside in a decidedly non-zero degree bag, his words ring true. If...