Core Skills

🐻 Animal Safety

Most wildlife wants nothing to do with you. Your job isn’t to be fearless. It’s to know how to behave so we’re not seen as a threat or prey.

• Make noise when travelling alone so animals can hear you coming. Animals are most afraid when taken by surprise and will usually retreat when they hear you approaching.

• Remember that most animals can smell you from a distance and are only attracted to your campsite if there’s food.

• Don’t run. Remain calm and still. In most cases, wildlife will be more scared of you than you are of it.

• Talk calmly to the animal using a low, steady voice.

• Make yourself look big. Hold hiking poles or your arms above your head. Hold them still rather than waving them around.

• Ensure the animal has a clear escape route.

• Carry bear spray or pepper spray where appropriate.

• Store food properly at your campsite, either in your vehicle, a bear locker, a bear canister, or an Ursack. Some campsites have food hangs, but these are generally less secure than other options.

• You can also refer to the Bear Safety Basics.

🧍 Human Safety

Most people you meet outdoors are wonderful, but it's always worth thinking about your personal safety.

• Choose your campsite carefully. If I’m camping alone, I prefer to be well away from roads on a trail or in a designated camping area.

• Trust your gut without over-questioning it.

• Pay attention to your surroundings. Who's around? Where are the exits?

• Remain sober while camping.

• Take two camp chairs to make it appear there are more people with you.

• Mention your friends/partner if someone comes to chat.

• Carry pepper spray if it makes you feel safer.

• Avoid areas accessible by ATVs or 4WD vehicles that aren't designated camping areas.

• If you don't feel safe, move sites or leave entirely. There is no shame in trusting your instincts.

📡 General Safety

• Tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.

• Have a simple check-in plan.

• Learn the basics of using a satellite device such as a Garmin InReach if you're heading somewhere without cell service.

🧭 Navigation Basics

You don't need to be a navigation expert. You just need to know how to stay found.

1. Always know your last known point. Every time you pass an obvious landmark such as a junction, river crossing, or trail marker, make a mental note of it. It's also a good idea to turn around occasionally and look behind you. Trails can look surprisingly different on the return journey.

2. Keep a general sense of direction. Where is the sun? Which direction are you roughly heading?

3. If you feel lost, stop. Most people get more lost by continuing than by pausing and backtracking to their last known landmark.

4. Take a photo of the trailhead map. Better still, carry a printed map or download the map to your phone or GPS device before you leave.

5. Mark your route if you leave the trail. Tie something bright or reflective to a tree if you're heading off trail to pee, poop, or collect water. It makes finding your way back much easier, especially if it’s getting dark.

⛺ Camp Setup

Choosing a site:

• Look for flat ground.
• Stay away from hazards such as dead trees or creeks/rivers that could rise unexpectedly.
• Avoid blocking wildlife access to water.

General camp tips:

• Aim to set up while there is still daylight.
• Only unpack what you need. A tidy campsite is easier to navigate, especially after dark.

🌧️ Stay Warm & Dry

Most outdoor discomfort comes from being cold and wet.

• Always carry a rain shell, and if you’re out for more than a day, rain pants.
• Consider a lightweight umbrella.
• Keep your sleep clothes and sleeping bag in a dry/waterproof bag and don't take them out until you're in your tent and dry.
• Eating helps your body generate heat.

The risk of hypothermia is much more likely than a bear or cougar encounter.

☀️ Sun Protection & Hydration

Like hypothermia, dehydration is far more likely than a wildlife attack.

• Pack sunscreen, a hat, and clothing that protects your skin from the sun.
• Drink plenty of water and plan your water sources ahead of time.
• If you're thirsty, you're already partially dehydrated.
• If you're not peeing every couple of hours, you're probably not drinking enough water.

💧 Water Filtration

There are multiple ways to make water safe to drink:

• Pumps
• SteriPens
• Drops
• Tablets
• Gravity filters

A simple trick is to place a bandana over your bottle before collecting water to help remove leaves, bugs, and other floaties before filtering.

Be sure to filter water upstream from any obvious human activity. If you’re on a trail, always collect water upstream from a river crossing.

If you have a choice between a lake or a river, collect from the river as a moving water source is likely safer than a stagnant one.

🔥 Fire Building

Building a fire can require some patience.

A fire needs three things:

• Fuel
• Heat
• Oxygen

Airflow also matters a lot more than you might think.

Tips:

• Look for tinder such as pine needles, birch bark, dry grasses, dry leaves, or moss.
• When it's raining, check the base of large trees and under dense shrubs for dry material.
• Start small and build gradually.
• Prepare piles of tinder, kindling, and fuel in order of size before you light anything.

The order is:

Tinder → Kindling → Fuel

⭐ Confidence

You don't need to know everything before you head outdoors.

Confidence comes from learning one skill at a time, solving small problems, and proving to yourself that you're more capable than you think. :)