Why Feeding Birds at Camp Creates More Problems Than It Solves
A practical guide for beginner backpackers on why feeding birds at camp can alter wildlife behaviour, create food and sanitation problems, and make responsible camping harder.
Wildlife and Environment
Understanding animals, insects, plants, natural hazards, seasonal conditions, and responsible ways to protect wild places.
What to Do When You Find Fresh Bear Sign on the Route Ahead
A practical guide to assessing fresh bear sign on a hiking route and deciding whether to continue, reroute, or leave the area.
What to Do When You Find a Snake in Your Sleeping Area
A practical guide to creating distance, avoiding a defensive bite, checking your tent and gear safely, and making a repeat encounter less likely.
What to Do When You Encounter a Moose, Bear, or Mountain Goat on the Trail
Practical guidance for giving moose, bears, and mountain goats enough space, keeping a hiking group calm, and responding when wildlife blocks the trail in Canada.
What to Do About Wasps Around a Backcountry Campsite
How to reduce attractants, identify a growing problem, protect the group, and decide whether to relocate without provoking insects unnecessarily.
Safe Camp Choices During Mosquito Season in Boreal Forests
Practical guidance for choosing a lower-mosquito campsite in Canada's boreal forests, with advice on water, wind, vegetation, timing, and safe campsite practices.
Recognizing Dangerous River Crossings Before You Step Into the Water
A conservative, practical guide to assessing river crossings in Western Canada, including current, depth, footing, weather, alternate routes, and when to turn around.
Mosquitoes, Blackflies, and Ticks: Building a Practical Insect Strategy
A practical, layered approach to dealing with mosquitoes, blackflies, and ticks in Northern Canada using clothing, shelters, repellents, timing, and post-trip checks.
Identifying Poison Ivy and Similar Plants Along the Trail
A practical field guide to recognizing poison ivy and similar irritating plants in Eastern Canada and the United States, avoiding contact, cleaning exposed skin and gear, and preventing plant oils from spreading.
How to Use a Bear Hang When the Available Trees Are Too Close to Camp
A practical guide to deciding whether a bear hang is suitable when the trees near camp are too close, including distance, tree structure, wind, local rules, and safer alternatives.
How to Store Smelly Clothing Without Attracting Wildlife
A practical system for separating sleeping clothes, cooking layers, and food odours in different wildlife environments.
How to Store Food Safely in Bear Country When Campsites Have Different Rules
A practical guide to storing food safely in bear country when campsites use different systems, from lockers and bear caches to approved canisters and hanging methods.
How to Protect Shorelines When Camping Near a Lake
Practical, low-impact ways to collect water, wash, cook, swim, and move around camp without damaging a lake shoreline.
How to Protect Alpine Plants and Fragile Ground When the Trail Is Crowded
Practical, low-impact choices for protecting alpine plants, soil, and narrow mountain routes when crowds, mud, and unofficial shortcuts make a trail difficult to navigate.
How to Pack a Bear Spray Holster So It Is Reachable but Not in the Way
A practical guide for backpackers in Western Canada on positioning, testing, and maintaining a bear spray holster so the spray stays accessible without interfering with hiking, scrambling, or changing layers.
How to Keep Rodents Out of a Tent at High-Use Campsites
Practical, wildlife-friendly ways for beginner backpackers to prevent rodents from entering tents and damaging food or gear at busy forest and alpine campsites.
How to Handle a Dead Tree Near Your Tent Before the Wind Picks Up
How to identify overhead hazards, choose a safer site, and respond when changing weather makes an earlier campsite decision unsafe.
How to Decide Whether a Campfire Is Worth the Extra Work and Risk
A practical framework for deciding whether a campfire is worth the work, environmental impact, and changing safety requirements on a Canadian or U.S. camping trip.
How to Choose a Bear-Resistant Food Container for a Trip With Conflicting Rules
A practical guide to comparing bear-resistant food containers when parks, campsites, and transport rules don’t agree.
How to Camp Responsibly Near Beaver Ponds and Wetlands
A practical guide to choosing a low-impact campsite near beaver ponds and wetlands, with advice on waterlogged ground, wildlife movement, fragile vegetation, insects, food storage, and local regulations.
How to Avoid Spreading Invasive Seeds on Boots and Backpacking Gear
A practical pre- and post-trip routine for cleaning boots, packs, clothing, and other gear so invasive seeds don’t hitchhike between trails, farms, parks, and backcountry campsites.
How to Avoid Disturbing Nesting Birds on Spring Backpacking Trips
Practical ways for beginner and intermediate backpackers to recognize nesting habitat, keep a respectful distance, and adjust spring trips to reduce disturbance to breeding birds.
How Late-Summer Wildfire Smoke Changes Backpacking Decisions
A practical guide to adjusting backpacking plans when late-summer wildfire smoke affects air quality, visibility, water, route choices, and the decision to leave early.
How Drought Changes a Familiar Backpacking Route
A practical guide to reassessing a familiar backpacking route during drought, with advice on water planning, fire restrictions, wildlife encounters, and low-impact travel in Western North America.