Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

A good fishing kayak needs to have a wide deck for better stability. (Kristine Fischer/)

When I first read The Old Man and the Sea, I was captivated by the sheer adventure of it all. A man alone at sea, whose small wooden boat suddenly was at the mercy of the monster on the end of his line. I hung onto every one of author Ernest Hemingway’s words as he brought me along on that riveting tale.

I chose to kayak fish for the experience. When you strip away the comfort and convenience of a boat with 250 horsepower, you’re left with a better connection to your surroundings. Being that close to the water means you’re closer to the action. It’s similar to having a front-row seat at your favorite show. Whether you are navigating through the mangroves in hopes of tangoing with the silver king or maneuvering your kayak around rows of shallow cypress stumps, sight fishing for fat largemouth bass, it gives you an unparalleled sense of intimacy and appreciation. Kayak fishing is something every outdoor enthusiast should try, as it truly is a remarkable way to experience the sport—if you hook into a big enough fish, he might take you on a sleigh ride, like the giant marlin did to Santiago in Hemingway’s novel.

I’ve been in relentless pursuit of big fish from my kayak for nearly eight years. My obsession has taken me from Florida, chasing pelagic fish to Oregon for pre-historic marvels. Oftentimes, I’m met with raised eyebrows and concerned expressions from other anglers: “You caught a sailfish in THAT?” “You’re out here fishing musky on Lake St. Clair in a kayak?” And my personal favorite: “That’s crazy. You’re lucky you haven’t flipped.” Hooking into big fish from a kayak has its challenges, but so does fishing from a conventional boat. In a kayak you can get into places you might not be able to otherwise. I love it. It’s MY way of fishing, and you can do it too. Here is how to get started.

The Right Kayak

Kayaks come in all shapes, sizes, and prices, but there are a few “musts” you need to pursue big fish. Stability comes first. I need a kayak that is not only large enough to handle big water, but also stable enough to stand in and work large baits. My Hobie Pro Angler is 38” wide, and 13.10’ long, providing me adequate deck area to comfortably stand, and enough stability to hook, fight and successfully land big fish. Just know, even the most stable kayaks can tip. Keeping your spine in line with the center of the kayak can help prevent an accidental flip. I would also recommend looking at a kayak with a pedal drive system as opposed to paddling. Having the ability to hold your position in wind, current, or when fighting a fish gives you an advantage on the water.

These invasive insects can be up to two inches in size, with a giant stinger to match. (Washington State Department of Agriculture/)

This article was originally published on Popular Science.

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the term “murder hornet” sometime over the past few days. And while it might feel like they’re the next harbingers of the apocalypse, these freaky insects should probably be on the lower end of your ever-growing list of worries—even if you are a bee-lover.

The United States isn’t truly being invaded by bloodthirsty super wasps. But it’s still best to not go chasing after them on your own. Here’s what you should know about the ominous-sounding interlopers.

The ‘murder hornet’ is actually an Asian giant hornet

The Asian giant hornet, otherwise known as Vespa mandarinia, is indeed a giant bug—some reach lengths of nearly two inches. For reference, your average honeybee is a bit over half an inch long.

There's a lot of good meat on a pair of turkey legs, but you have to prep them properly. (Alex Robinson/)

If you’re used to Butterball turkeys, you’re going to be surprised when you butcher up the legs of a wild turkey. First, you’ll notice that the meat is much darker and most importantly, there are tough tendons running through the drumsticks and the thighs (though to a lesser degree). A wild tom spends his days walking, strutting, and fighting on his two legs and while that old gobbler is tough to hunt, his legs are even tougher to chew through—unless you know how to prepare them properly.

The key here is to separate the drumsticks from the thighs because they are anatomically different. The drumsticks have thick, heavy tendons running through them vertically, almost like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. No matter how you prepare the drumsticks, you won’t be able to cook down these tendons. So, you’ll need to shred the meat of the drumsticks. The thighs have tendons too, but they are not nearly as thick. If you slow cook the thighs, you can eliminate the chewiness of these tendons and wind up with delicious dark meat. The other benefit of splitting the thighs from the drumsticks is that two thighs or two drumsticks make a meal for two people (if you’ve got more to feed, you’ll just have to shoot more turkeys).

So separate the the drumstick from the thigh by cutting through the knee joint. First cut through the meat on the back of the joint, the line that separates the drumstick from the thigh will be obvious—just cut along that line. Then bend the drumstick backward and feel for the middle of the joint with the tip of your knife. When you find the soft spot in the joint, cut through it and the two pieces will come apart.

How to Barbecue Turkey Thighs

Let’s start with the thighs because they’re my favorite. My go-to method is sous viding them and then finishing them on the grill. If you don’t have a sous vide cooker yet and you plan on eating a lot of wild game birds … get one. They’re not just for fancy French chefs. They’re relatively cheap, super easy to use, and they allow you to cook meat for a long time at a low, consistent temperature, which is key for wild bird meat.

Ridgelines and traveled paths are a fine place to find a strutting tom. (John Hafner/)

Not all of us have the opportunity to turkey hunt vast public lands. In some places there just aren’t enough public acres for us all to utilize without setting up on top of one another. And certainly, many folks don’t own huge farms or have permission on multiple private properties to shoot a spring tom. In most cases, the more property you have access to, the better your chances for punching a turkey tag. I’ve been on tracts big and small, and can attest that killing a gobbler on a small farm—unless it’s the perfect farm and roosting a bunch of turkeys—is difficult. For the last few seasons, I’ve had just 40 or 80 acres to hunt.

On most small farms, the birds are only moving through the property, looking for food or to find more hens to breed. It’s one of the most difficult scenarios to kill a gobbler in, because birds have to be on the move near your setup in order for you to coax one into the decoys. If you hunt a small property, there are a few smart rules to follow. Just know, you have to put in more time than those hunters with better access. I’ve been on both sides of that fence—hard hunts and easy ones—and can tell you that patience and determination kill tough turkeys.

Manage the Land

Creating prime turkey habitat is key to killing small-farm toms. The best locale I ever had access to was a five-acre field at the top of a ridgeline. It was my buddy’s deer-hunting property (which he has selfishly sold since getting married and having three kids), and he always planted soy beans in that field for the deer, but also for spring turkeys, because they love to come scratch in beans to find grubs and worms. It was an ideal setup: a small food plot in a clearing at the top of a hill.

Toms walk in the bottoms along creeks and then make their way up hills by late morning. They use the top of the ridge for strut zones and presumably can see farther, so it’s a good vantage point to be on the lookout for predators. Plus, high ground leads to flat areas like fields and food plots, which turkeys love. On a small farm I hunt now, there’s a clearing my uncle cut for fall deer hunts. There’s no food plot yet, but it’s flat and it’s at the top of a deep bottom where three ridgelines converge. My brother and I struck up a tom there this season. It came to within 35 yards but stayed behind enough brush and trees that neither of us could put a bead on him. He was a smart, old bird that came in cautious even though it was a locale we had just started hunting and hadn’t received any pressure. He knew something was up and walked away from us, spitting and gobbling as he disappeared behind a blowdown. Our intuition was spot on, we just failed to execute.

All you need is a bit of sunshine. (Zach Betten via Unsplash/)

Outdoor Life has already covered the best solar chargers and the best camp solar light systems. So let’s just assume you’re already covered on those fronts. Here, then, we’ve rounded up four other prime pieces of sun-powered gear that will prove super handy on your next big backcountry excursion.

There are all sorts of well-built, full-size emergency weather radios out there—you know, like Eton’s ubiquitous American Red Cross Emergency NOAA Weather Radio. With the Scorpion II, Eton has crammed all the key features of its Red Cross radio into a 4-ounce device. It has a radio with AM, FM, and NOAA weather bands; an LED flashlight; a USB output for phone charging; and both hand-crank and solar-charging capabilities. On top of that, it includes a bottle opener and a built-in carabiner for easy hanging.

Music makes camp better—that’s a verifiable fact, as far as we’re concerned. The Abfoce Solar Bluetooth Speaker is a perfect mini backcountry sound system. It weighs about a pound, is Bluetooth enabled and waterproof, has a laminated solar panel, plays 60 hours of music per charge, and has a USB port for phone charging. It can get very loud, too.

It truly boggles the mind why more trail cameras don’t run on solar power. Spypoint has figured it out with the Solar-Dark, a solar-charging camera that, according to one user, will stay charged for about six weeks under low-light conditions. On top of that, the 12-megapixel camera has a 0.07-second trigger speed, a 90-foot flash range, and a 110-foot detection range, and it shoots 1080p HD video.

You’ve probably seen or already own a small solar panel for charging a smartphone in the backcountry. Such panels are handy—but in no way equipped to juice up a vehicle battery. That’s what separates the Eco-Worthy 120W Complete Off-Grid kit. The 120W solar panel includes a 9.8-foot alligator clip for jumping a 12.6V car battery, along with an LCD USB Controller with two USB ports. In short, if you’re stranded in the backcountry, this is the solar panel you want stashed in your truck.

Keep an extra charge handy. (Amazon/)

In a perfect world, we like to think we head into the woods and leave our electronics behind. But we know that isn’t our world. Technology allows us to keep in touch with our loved ones on extended trips into the backcountry, document our adventures, and even ensure we don’t get lost. Fortunately, recharging technology also understands those needs. Here are four powerbanks suited for the outdoors—whether you’re on the water or tucked away at base camp.

Charging your phone while warming your hands might sound like something from the future, but the technology is available now, and it’s also quite affordable. The dual-sided, lima-bean-shaped device heats up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit with adjustable high and low settings providing warmth for up to three hours. The USB charger works for cell phones, cameras and even tablets.

This battery pack can charge an iPhone X up to seven times or a Galaxy S8 up to six times and only takes six hours to completely recharge. But the best part may be that it’s waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. If charging isn’t enough, it also has a flashlight with flash and SOS lighting modes, making this battery pack good for backwoods adventures and as a failsafe at home during natural disasters.

As long as the sun is shining, you will have power. This water-resistant, durable, foldable charger is highly portable and compact, making it easy to hang in trees, on backpacks, or on tents. The USB smart technology helps the charger recognize your device and maximize charging speed while protecting your devices from overcharging. The PET panel and fabric canvas protects it from breaking or morphing in whatever sun or weather come your way.

Anything under 100W can charge on this portable generator including a mini cooler, laptop, mini fan, or drone. It has enough power to charge an iPhone X 10 times or run a 5W lantern for 20 hours. For less than 3 pounds, the lithium backup battery pack has three recharge methods including a wall socket, a solar panel kit or a car cigarette socket. It also has strobe and normal lights for emergencies and indicator lights to show residual battery capacity.

If your mom is anything like mine, she’s doing a little extra worrying these days. So you’d better not forget to do something thoughtful for her on Mother’s Day. If you’re short on cash or a gift won’t arrive in time with the current shipping delays (definitely not because you remembered too late), make her something. You could turn a friction-call striker, make a paracord turkey tote (try blaze orange—moms are usually sticklers for safety), or print out a bunch of her favorite family hunting and fishing photos and slip them in an album. If you’re not the crafting type, break out the backstraps you’ve been saving and cook her dinner, even if you have to sit on the other side of the porch.

If you’d rather buy her a gift, check out our new favorites for hunting moms. For more ideas, check out our ultimate women’s hunting gift guide here.

Magellan Outdoors Lodge Socks

The official initiation into adulthood doesn’t happen when you turn 18, or even 21. It happens when someone gifts you a pair of socks, and you’re actually happy about it. And if you’re going to get your mom a pair of socks for working from home or camp this fall, it should be these. They look like ordinary socks, but the only word for them is plush. They’re soft and thick, and come in patterns that fit right in at camp—sort of like slippers, but without the robe-lady look. (Apparently these socks are infused with aloe, which I would normally find weird…but maybe that’s why they’re so great?)

Liberty Bibs

The skills you’ve acquired and gear in your pack are often the difference in making it through a life and death situation. But you first need the mental fortitude to survive. Without the drive to survive—and a strong mindset—no piece of gear will save you. The most important tool to bring along is mental toughness. Having a survivalist mentality (the will to live no matter how difficult the adversity) is multi-faceted. There are hidden hazards abound, but also remedies that can help us recover our advantages and get home safe to our families.

Tenacity

Whether you call it intestinal fortitude, tenacity, or grit, this facet of your survival mindset is all about endurance. Can you hang in there even when your hope has failed?

Tenacity doesn’t have anything to do with physical toughness or stamina. It’s a manifestation of the strength of your will and the toughness of your mind. A truly tenacious person will push themselves to tolerate the intolerable, suffer through the insufferable, and survive the situation that no one expected them to survive. It’s all about overcoming your inner weaknesses and fighting your desire to give up.

The Problem: A number of things can wreck your innate tenacity, but the one that worries me the most is declining mental health. In a lengthy wilderness survival setting or in the wake of a major disaster, it’s hard enough just to stay alive, let alone endure feelings of anxiety or depression or suicidal thoughts.

Books to build knowledge and anticipation. (Lê Tân via Unsplash/)

No matter how enthusiastic you or your friends and family may be, it’s always a good idea to plan before heading into the woods. If you’re not sure where to go or what to do, or if you need a little guidance with your kids, we have the books for you. And even if you’re a pro, but would like to improve, we have an option for you.

Everything you need to know about camping with kids is in this book. It has information about preparation, logistics, activities, and food. Some of the tips might seem like common sense, but even people who have camped for years will find value in this. Camping with kids—especially young children—is a different kind of adventure. Don’t go in unprepared.

Maybe those prepared meals in bags are all you need for a happy backpacking trip. But if you’re like most of us, chili mac and cheese is only enticing for so long. Why don’t you start dehydrating your own food? This cookbook walks you through everything you need to know about dehydrating and reconstituting food for any adventure in the woods. They’re nutritious, mouthwatering, and foster self-sufficiency.

Sometimes it’s nice to open a book, look up an activity, and see what you’re supposed to bring. Sure, you’ll likely modify the list to fit you and your family, but look to this book as a template. It will offer you suggestions for what you need for camping, hiking, and backpacking. It also has lists to help you troubleshoot a crisis in the wilderness, helping you expect (and plan for) the unexpected.

Maybe you’re a wilderness guide. Chances are you’re not. But wouldn’t it be nice to have the skills of one? This book, written by a guide with 65 years of wilderness experience, will help you plan, prepare, and troubleshoot your next outing like a professional. Wilderness trips are often only as successful as the trip leader and guide makes them, so plan your next adventure with advice from the best.

Lake Commandos host and Freshwater Fishing Hall of Famer Steve Pennaz with a keeper walleye. (Steve Pennaz/)

Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Famer Steve Pennaz is one of the nation’s highest regarded multi-species anglers. Over his career, Pennaz has successfully fished thousands of locations around the world in both fresh and saltwater. He is highly skilled at finding and catching fish on new waters, a skill that drives his highly-rated television series Lake Commandos nationally aired on Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network.Walleyes are, perhaps, his favorite game fish of all, so we caught up to Pennaz recently to pick his brain on how to catch more and bigger fish in your home waters.

Q. On Lake Commandos, you guys fish lakes that you’ve not previously fished before. If I wanted to catch a limit of walleyes o n an unfamiliar lake, what are three keys to narrowing down where to fish?

A: “Approaching a new lake allows you to fish without getting bogged down with memories of previous trips. This frees you to make decisions based on what you are experiencing on the water.

“The key when fishing any water, unfamiliar or not, is eliminating unproductive water as quickly as possible. I rely on three things to get on fish as quickly as possible:

“1. Research—I study a body of water before committing to fish it. What does DNR survey information reveal? What I am hearing from other anglers that I trust.

Recharge after a long day outside. (Steve Halama via Unsplash/)

Very little can make or break a trip into the woods than proper sleep. If you’re too cold, your body will struggle overcoming the day’s activities and leave you drained for the next day. A heavy bag on a backpacking trip will leave you aching and a hot bag in the summer will lead to sweaty nights. Choose the best sleeping bag for each situation and get the z’s you need.

Rarely will you find a sleeping bag that squishes down to only slightly larger than a Nalgene bottle, but this one does. And it will keep you warm in as cold as 20 degrees. The bag achieves incredible warmth while only weighing 22 ounces by trapping radiant body heat and insulation with 70 percent fill on the top and sides and 30 percent on the bottom. For those eco-friendly consumers, the fill is Responsible Down Standard Certified, meaning the waterfowl were treated humanely.

This 20-degree bag will keep you warm in most situations, and at under 3 pounds is light enough to strap to your back for the deep woods. It might not be as light as some of the high-end bags, but it’s also much more affordable. If you need a bag for car camping, backpacking or even sleeping in the backyard under the stars and you’re on a budget, give it a try.

Tired of trying to fit two sleeping bags together in a tent, resulting in one of you inevitably uncovered and cold? This sleeping bag, marketed as a sleeping bed, may be your answer. Zipper-less design increases comfort. A sleeve for a sleeping pad keeps you and your boo off the ground all night. A self-sealing foot vent offers fast and easy ventilation. Take the comfort of your bed into the woods.

At a little over 5 pounds, you’re not likely to pack this far into the backcountry. But if what you need is an affordable way to stay warm when it’s legitimately cold, this is your bag. The SpiraFil High Loft Insulation stays warm even when wet. The wave-construction top and blanket construction bottom provides the best warmth and comfort. Two zippers give you maximum options for staying warm and ventilating when needed.

Proper tick prevention is critical for turkey hunters. (Bill Bailey/)

As the weather improves, COVID-19 restrictions begin to loosen, and we all head afield fishing and hunting, it’s critical to be hyper-vigilant of a previous scourge which might have slipped our minds amid the Coronavirus pandemic: ticks. No matter what their variety, disease-carrying ticks are at their worst throughout much of the country in May. To complicate matters further, many tick-borne illnesses mimic the symptoms of COVID-19.

According to a recent online post from indyeastend.com, flu-like symptoms characterize each.

“That’s adding another dimension to this whole thing,” said Brian Kelly, owner of East End Tick & Mosquito Control. “People think, do I have COVID-19? Do I have Lyme disease? That will be another problem for the doctors to figure out. People need to remember to do tick checks and to use a tick repellent.”

To make matters worse, there is little to no research available on either simultaneous infections from either virus (COVID-19 and tick-borne) nor about the effects of COVID-19 on tick-borne illness.

So, now is the time to pull out hardcore tick-prevention protocol. Southern New England is undoubtedly a tick hotspot. In some parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut, research indicates that more than 60 percent of ticks carry Lyme Disease. To combat tick bites, Bill Bailey of Otis, Mass., abides by a rigorous yet simple blueprint for tick prevention.

Pack just right. (Marc Rafanell López via Unsplash/)

Have you ever tried running through a crowded airport lugging a dry bag? It’s not the definition of handy. Have you thrown a rolling duffle into a raft for a three-day river trip? Also not a great call. Fortunately, bags used in their intended locations are often the difference between comfort and something akin to expedition failure. We’ve picked four good ones for whatever adventure you are planning.

Yes, this bag is made by a company predominantly known for their bullet-proof coolers. They’re expanding out, and it’s a good thing. This bag isn’t a cooler, it’s not insulated and it won’t keep your cheese cold. But it will keep all of your gear dry no matter what. Capsize in the river? Not a problem. Sitting in the back of your truck in a down poor? Totally fine. The extra-tough outside means it’s not going to puncture on a stick or branch, and straps let you throw it quickly on your back for transport.

Whatever you’re doing in the woods, from hunting to hiking to photography, this bag won’t let you down. The main compartment is 10-inches by 7-inches by 4-inches, but can be divided into smaller sections. It’s made of high-density Oxford nylon fabric, making it strong and durable. Use it as a fanny pack around your waste, a shoulder bag or handbag. All versions include padded, adjustable straps. Basically, this bag will be what you want wherever you go.

This bag’s biggest attribute is that it can store an impressive amount of fishing gear with little effort. It comes with pockets everywhere, all well thought-out. It has extra rod belts for two rods, a water-bottle pocket for easy-access hydration and pockets at the bottom for pliers or fish grippers. The full-length double zippers are anti-corrosion, smooth and durable. It’s also water-resistant nylon. Use it as a hand bag, crossbody bag, chest bag, or sling bag.

This is not your grandma’s roller bag. And anyone who thinks rolling bags aren’t tough hasn’t met this one. With 105 liters of space and treaded wheels, this duffle is meant to go through airports, cobblestone streets and even down a rutted two track. Save your back, or keep your back free for a fishing pack or day bag. It’s likely to hold up to whatever situation you throw at it, but if it doesn’t, Eagle Creek’s signature No Matter What warranty means it will be repaired or replaced, no questions asked, forever.

Spend the day floating a river to locate wandering toms. (Lance Krueger/)

When he gobbled, the morning was as black as the inside of a crow. He was across the river from the boat ramp where my hunting partner Jill and I had just launched. We were hunting new ground, public land surrounding a picturesque river in Missouri that I’ll never name. We had been waiting for enough light to run downstream, but this tom’s early gobble changed our plan.

We let the current carry us downstream as he gobbled five more times. When we were within 150 yards, we quietly paddled to his side of the river. By now we had enough light to navigate without a flashlight, but we knew we couldn’t get much closer to him. And we didn’t need to.

We set up shoulder to shoulder 50 yards off the river. He gobbled hard at Jill’s first three yelps, then flew down our way, and I hit him hard with a cutt. Jill backed me up with some louder yelps. Two minutes later, she pulled the trigger.

Hunting turkeys on a river isn’t always that easy. The basics of turkey hunting remain the same, but here are a few boat-hunt tactics I’ve learned over four decades.

Pick Your Vessel

Aaron Warbritton of The Hunting Public with a hard-earned gobbler. (The Hunting Public/)

The Hunting Public’s annual turkey tour YouTube series is on again and it’s taking them all over the country. Along the way, they’ll see dozens of birds in a variety of scenarios. But this isn’t new to Aaron Warbritton, a founding member of THP.

Warbritton has been chasing gobblers all his life in his home state of Missouri. He’s logged a lot of time on a turkey call and has coaxed all kinds of toms into shotgun range. So, we decided to pick his brain about a few common turkey hunting scenarios that you might find yourself in this season.

Most of these tips are geared toward intermediate turkey hunters, but if you’re a beginner, you’ll find a few takeaways to bring into the woods, too. Grab your favorite calls and check out Warbritton’s fixes for these common turkey hunting problems.

How to Bring in a Henned-Up Tom

“More so than anything with henned-up turkeys, you need patience because they’ll fly down and they’ll shut up,” Warbritton says. “When they’re real henned-up early in the season, sometimes they won’t gobble all day. But the one common thing I’ve seen is when they get real henned-up like that, they don’t travel very far. They stay in the same general area all day. A lot of people used to say if you get aggressive, sometimes you can piss off the boss hen and bring her in,” he says. “I’ve definitely seen this happen, but it’s rare.”

They're quite a catch. (Evan Wise via Unsplash/)

They say you can’t buy happiness, but you can bulk order topwater flies, which is close enough as far as we’re concerned. As any experienced angler knows, there are few finer ways to spend a summer afternoon than flinging foam poppers for smallies or trying your chances with a Chubby for trout while wet wading in a local stream. To equip you for such an outing, we’ve rounded up four top-rated topwater patterns that are sure to produce huge smashes all season long.

For many anglers, the term “topwater bass fly” is synonymous with the popper. That’s because the classic, hall-of-fame-worthy pattern is loads of fun to fish and wildly effective, coaxing big smashes more consistently than just about any other fly, even on stupid-hot summer days. For some reason, it’s weirdly hard to find big topwater bass poppers on Amazon. According to users (and personal experience) many that claim to be sized for smallies are, in fact, way too tiny and suitable only for panfish. Fortunately, the Wild Water popper is the real deal. Available in sizes 2 and 1/0, it’s “a well-made product that flat-out catches bass,” as one user put it.

As satisfying as it is to chuck a meaty popper in front of a bass and cause a ruckus, sometimes you need finesse, especially if you’re targeting a slab in shallow water. For such occasions, there are hair bugs, like this red, black, and white version by Wild Water. As Field & Stream’s Joe Cermele has pointed out, there’s a case to be made that hair bugs, as opposed to traditional foam poppers, better imitate distressed bugs, frogs, or mice, since the pattern creates a small wake similar to that of a swimming critter.

The Sneaky Pete is effectively a standard-issue foam popper turned backward. The result is a slightly subtler presentation: As the fly slides across the water, it leaves ripples instead of the big burps and glugs of a traditional popper—which proves increasingly effective as the season wears on and the temperature heats up. This Fly Crate model is a typical Sneaky Pete design and should trick even the wariest of smallies on the hottest, clearest summer days.

The previous three lures on this list are best suited for bass and, to a lesser degree, panfish. Not to be left out, trout, especially of the feisty Western variety, will also attack a foamy topwater lure, such as the four hopper and Chernobyl patterns in this dozen-fly set. The foamy flies are effective by themselves in summer. And if you’re nymphing, you can up your odds of hooking up by swapping out a strike indicator for a foam floater. We keep a few grasshopper patterns in our fly box at all times, since there’s basically not a freshwater sport fish that won’t eat one of the chirping insects if afforded the chance.

A place to rest your head. (Laura Pluth via Unsplash/)

Life is too nasty, brutish, and short to sleep without a pillow. Snoozing sans headrest is also a good way to jack up your neck, which you’ll especially come to regret if you have to crane your head to peer down a rifle scope. So do yourself a solid and pack a pillow. We’ve rounded up four top-rated models that are lightweight and comfortable, and which you’ll have no problem finding space for in your pack.

The Klymit Drift has a few strong things going for it: it weighs a modest 19 ounces, packs down to 11 inches by 5 inches by 5 inches, and is filled with comfy shredded memory foam. But it’s neatest feature is the reversible outer shell, which keeps the built-in cotton pillowcase clean when not in use. It’s a game-changer. We used the Klymit Drift on a recent Yellowstone backcountry camping trip and slept superbly.

Admittedly, as much as we like the Klymit Drift, it’s better suited to car camping than long-haul backpacking treks. For such an adventure, you’ll want something like the Nemo Fillo Inflatable Travel Pillow. The machine-washable cushion weighs 9 ounces and packs down to about the size of a softball, making it easy to stash in a backpack. The outside is made of 1-inch “luxury foam”—whatever that’s supposed to mean—and, after a few huffs and puffs, the pillow inflates to 17 inches by 11 inches by 4 inches.

The inflatable Sea to Summit Aeros is in a similar vein as the Nemo Fillo, yet it somehow weighs even less, at 2.7 ounces, and packs down to the size of a beer can. Nemo Fillo is generally considered more a bit more comfortable than the StS Aeroes, owing to the 1-inch-thick outer foam, which helps it more closely resemble a traditional pillow. But the Aeroes costs a bit less, if your budget is tight.

OK, if you’re really, really on a budget and even the Sea to Summit Aeros is a bit steep, there’s the Klymit Pillow X. It definitely isn’t the plushest camping pillow on the market, but it is lightweight, at .95 ounces. It inflates to 15 inches by 11 inches by 4 inches and packs down to the size of a lighter, so it has that going for it, too. At the very least, it’ll keep your head out of the dirt.

Former Navy SEAL, now shooting instructor, Jim Kauber, dialing in a student’s rifle at his hunting rifle course at THE SITE in Illinois. (Joe Genzel/)

Jim Kauber can teach anyone, regardless of age or experience level, to be accurate with a centerfire rifle. Though he spent two decades with the Navy SEALs and dedicates much of his time to helping elite shooters become even more precise, his first love has always been hunting. His fascination with the outdoors is what led him to become a SEAL. He’s proud of the military accomplishments, but equally passionate about dialing in hunters’ bolt guns.

He has a keen ability to evaluate your skill set quickly and tailor his instruction to it, which he does each summer at THE SITE as the Director of Training and a firearms instructor. Kauber has trained law enforcement and European Coalition special ops snipers, but he can also make you—the newbie shooter—a better rifle shot. After taking his hunting rifle course in Illinois, I had the chance to talk to Jim about how regular shooters can become more accurate. Here’s what he had to say.

Outdoor Life: One of the biggest hurdles in buying a centerfire hunting rifle is deciding between a packable lightweight gun vs. a more accurate, heavyweight one. What’s your take on that?

Jim Kauber: I think a lot of shooters rely too much on what their buddies tell them or what the guy behind the counter says when it comes to buying a rifle. A gun that weighs around 8½ pounds total—gun, bases, rings, scope, and sling—is just about right. It’s heavy enough to soak up recoil and it has a heavy enough barrel you can get more accuracy with. And it’s light enough to carry just about anywhere.

OL: But there is something to be said for packing a lighter rifle out West, right? All that hiking and climbing with gear…you want to have the least amount of weight possible.

Guides on trout. (Clark Young via Unsplash/)

Trout are frustrating: They’re finicky about what they eat, they spook easily, and they’ll turn off with seemingly no rhyme or reason. All of that, of course, is largely why they’re stupid-fun to catch—they’re challenging. Fortunately, scores of fly-fishing writers have devoted their careers to decoding the mysteries of the fish. We’ve rounded up four must-read books that do good work in making sense of the wiley trout.

Since it was first published in 1938, Trout by Ray Bergman has become a bible for anglers, owing to its clear, authoritative descriptions of trout and how to catch them, whether with dry flies, old-school wet flies, streamers, bucktails, or nymphs. Bergman is as credentialed as they come, having served as Outdoor Life’s fishing editor for more than 25 years. His no-nonsense, almost analytical writing gets to the point and will surely get you on fish.

With The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide, Tom Rosenbauer wrote one of the most practical and easiest to understand books on fly-fishing. (We’ve excluded it from this list because, though chock full of hard-won trout wisdom; it also covers plenty of non-trout species.) The Orvis Guide to Prospecting for Trout is no less excellent. It details how to troubleshoot for trout when there’s no hatch to match—the sort of fishing separates the newbies from the vets. To up your odds of success, Rosenbauer, with the help of illustrations and color photos, details the finer points of reading water, trout feeding habits, and how to fish nymphs, streamers, and more.

Fishing Through the Apocalypse by Matthew L. Miller is light on tips and tactics but full of interesting insights into fish, and trout in particular. Miller unpacks the future of fish and, in the process, unpacks how mutant banana trout became prominent and how lake trout overran Yellowstone Lake, among other modern phenomena. In doing so, he grapples with the state of trout and why conserving native fish has proved such a tall order, driving home why protecting public streams is more important now than ever before.

Ray Bergman’s Trout is great, in part, because of its paragraph upon paragraph of unbroken, lucid prose. Trout Tips by Kirk Deeter, on the other hand, is organized in bulleted, skimmable sections, e.g, “It’s Okay (Encouraged by Some) to Watch Your Loops” and “Three Tricks to Tame the Wind.” Newbies and experienced anglers alike will learn tons of handy tips, many of which come straight from Trout Unlimited members around the country. It’s small trim size also means that you can stash it in your fly vest for lulls between the action.

Get your forkful. (Nathan Shipps via Unsplash/)

We’ll forgo many luxuries in the backcountry—toilets, showers, a soft place to sleep. One luxury that’s in no way worth skimping on: an eating utensil. We’ve compiled four top-rated camping utensils that are lightweight, multi-purpose, and totally worth a place in your pack. Leave eating with hands to monkeys and raccoons.

You’ve probably seen the plastic Light My Fire Sporks at your local outdoors store. They’re good (and super-cheap) but a bit flimsy if you’re eating moderately firm food, not to mention prone to breaking after repeated use. This titanium variant is the same length as the original (6.75 inches) but, since it’s made of lightweight metal, it’s heat-resistant and extra durable. And it weighs only an extra .4 ounces. One user loves her titanium spork so much she wrote, “I’m bringing the spork home for the holidays so my mom stops trying to set me up with people.”

If space is a serious concern, GSI Outdoors manufactures a handy foldable spork that collapses down to a mere 3.7 inches. 3.7 inches! At that super-tiny size, this affordable spork can fit beneath a camping fuel canister or in a coffee mug for easy packing. And, at .6 ounces, it weighs basically nothing. It’s hard to imagine a smaller camping utensils.

The Muncher takes the everyday camping utensil to the extreme. It’s the total camp-cooking with built-in ten tools, including a spork, serrated butter knife, can opener, fruit and vegetable peeler, beer opener, fire flint, screwdriver, and a box cutter. And somehow the whole package weighs just 0.8 ounces. The Muncher ain’t exactly cheap, and there’s some debate whether it warrants its not-insignificant price tag, but the design is certainly clever all the same.

Do you really need a tactical spork? Probably not. That’s not the point. The point is that Ka-Bar basically turned a normal camping utensil into a sheath for a 2.5-inch separated blade. If you plan on grilling venison steaks on your camping trip, this 6.8-inch combo tool warrants consideration. One minor hiccup several users have pointed out: “My biggest complaint is that I can’t clean food out of a little hole right near the head, unless I use a dishwasher.”