Some days I become frustrated with what seems to be the intrusion of technology into our lives. I can clearly remember a time when automobiles only had a radio (and maybe only AM channels), when telephones were a true hard-wired device, and televisions received just a handful of channels. Other days I realize that we are in control of out technology and we can use it to further explore the things we enjoy. In this vein I want to highlight some of the outdoor-oriented content on the internet that I use when I can’t go to the woods.
This sharing is not intended to supplant your time in the outdoors, but rather to supplement it. We are not always able to break free and spend time outside whenever we desire. Most of us are constrained by any number of responsibilities and obligations that rightfully have first claim to our time. But we can often spare 5, 10, 30 minutes to watch a video or read a blog post as a brief reminder of something we enjoy. We may see a techniques or skill that we want to try for ourselves, or we might learn about a new area nearby that we want to explore.
There is a great deal of information on the outdoors available on the internet for just about any topic for which you have an interest. I only intend to highlight three of my favorites so that you can then get ideas about where to look for content you are interested in seeing, and to present someone that may be new to you. I will not be posting exact links to the information as we all likely know that links can go dead for various reasons. Hopefully you can find these folks with the information I provide, and that should lead you to other websites, YouTube channels, and more. All three of these individuals that I will highlight have the usual websites, as well as social media feeds, video content, books, and a variety of other resources.
The first is Les Stroud of Survivorman, Bigfoot Chronicles, and Wild Harvest fame. He may be considered the grandfather of survival and outdoor videos. While all of his work is interesting to me (I own several of his books and DVDs), what I want to emphasize here is his series Wild Harvest. This show, airing on a number of TV channels (plus his YouTube channel), focuses on highlighting edible plants and different ways to prepare those plants for consumption. In conjunction with award-winning chef Paul Rogalski, Les presents foraging in an accessible manner while Paul brings his kitchen skills to the preparation. This is truly outstanding content that always seems to present some new information with each viewing that you didn’t quite catch the first or second time around.
Dan Wowak of Coalcracker Bushcraft is an alumnus of Alone, has an in-person instruction school in Pennsylvania, a blog, and a YouTube channel. While much of the information that he presents is primarily applicable to the eastern woodlands of the USA, there are many skills and techniques that he presents that could be used almost anywhere. His straightforward approach to teaching wilderness skills is appealing and demonstrates a mastery of the subject through extensive experimentation and experience.
Finally, Donny Dust is a primitive skills enthusiast that refers to himself as a “professional caveman”. He is also an alumnus of Alone, and was one of the hosts for Mud, Sweat, and Beards. An author with 2 books and multiple magazine articles to his credit, he also has an in-person instruction school, social media, and a YouTube channel. Many of his videos are short (under 5 minutes) and present new skills that many likely have not considered (such as flint-knapping, or throwing an atlatl). These skills provide another way to look at the resources available in the wilderness and challenge us to consider ways that may be new to us to adapt to, or prepare for, varying conditions in the field.
Hopefully I have piqued your interest in one or more of these individuals. Or perhaps you are more inclined to seek out new information about the wild places and skills to thrive in those places. The wild world encompasses many disciplines for which we may apply many techniques. Find something on the internet that feeds your soul, study some new skills, and apply those skills the next time you are out in those wild places.