Spending time in nature has multiple health benefits. Time spent outdoors improves our physical, mental and social well-being. Being exposed to nature reduces stress by lowering the stress hormone cortisol, a Japanese study shows. 

When humans discovered how to make fire, everything changed for the better. We gained the ability to cook our food, keep warm, and use heat to produce more advanced tools and materials. But in our modern world we can easily exist without the need to ever use open flame. Still, no one brags about how they can’t build a fire. On the contrary – most people are embarrassed after a failed attempt, while their respective camping buddies mocking their measly efforts. Our advanced world sometimes leaves us in an ironic primitive state.

Knowing a range of knots is a good way to untangle yourself from tricky situations in the great outdoors. A good repertoire of knots is also every sailor or angler’s way of proving they are worth their salt.

Most of the time, however, you’re only going to need to know a couple of knots really well, and be able to tie them every time without slipping up. The infographic below will give you a list of must-have knots for various situations, and best practices for tying them perfectly every time.

Derek Hansen at Theultimatehang.com has recently put together a great demo on how to use the LoopAlien when making an Adjustable Hammock Ridgeline with a LoopAlien

Looking for a easy fast way to set up the ridgeline for your hammock tarp?

How to hike the Superior Hiking trail with Snowshoes.

On February 3rd, Trevor who calls himself Fronkey on the trail started off on his journey to hike the Superior Hiking Trail. On Feb. 25th Trevor was the first person to thru-hike the SHT on snowshoes.

If you are going to cover a bunch of miles on the backpacking trail, you’ll want to start with the right sized backpack for a comfortable fit. A properly fitted backpack will allow you to carry a heavy load further, faster and more comfortably.

Derek from TheUltimateHang.com wrote up an article showing various hammock tarps and comparing how they cover a hammock

On February 3rd, Trevor who calls himself Fronkey on the trail started off on his journey to hike the Superior Hiking Trail. On Feb. 25th Trevor was the first person to thru-hike the SHT on snowshoes.

In the article below Derek Hansen put together a Q&A with Trevor after he completed his hike. Trevor talks about how to hike the SHT in the winter. If you want to follow more of Trevor’s journey’s – he created a facebook page dedicated to his journey’s in the back country.

Chad at Sticks Blog shows how he put together his DIY water bottle holders he attaches to his backpack shoulder straps.

Here’s a great video talking about reading & using trail blazes done by a user on Youtube Woodarrows

You shouldn’t have to stop enjoying the outdoors just because the temperatures are cooler. With proper layering, you can enjoy long hikes, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and more winter activities. It is important to plan ahead and be prepared for adverse weather conditions but with proper layering and having the right types of layers you can stay warm during long cold days in the backcountry. Watch this video or read the full blog post at the Sierra SocialHub to see how Andy layers for adventures in Colorado.