To start a fire, only two things are needed—heat and fuel. Whenever you visit backcountry, always be sure to carry both heat and fuel. Heat is easiest to carry in form of waterproof matches or a weather proof lighter. Fuel is tougher to carry although starter fuel such as lint and mineral oil shouldn’t be too difficult to carry. Nature provides an abundance of fuel if you know what you’re looking for. Whether rubbing sticks together (yuck) or using waterproof matches (yea), be sure you know how to start a fire before you start your journey. There are many ways to start a fire and you should find at least three of them that work for you. You can find lots on-line regarding this life skill.

The most enjoyable way to experience our backcountry is “low impact” way. You’ve most likely heard phrase “leave only footprints, take only pictures.” If we take good care of our wilderness areas, not only will we be able to enjoy them our entire lives but our descendants will have opportunity to enjoy them too. There are many organizations actively educating outdoor enthusiasts as to best way to “low impact” recreate. Two very popular organizations are Tread Lightly! and Leave No Trace.

Knowing these five life skills will provide you with confidence to fully enjoy your time in backcountry. Once you’ve mastered these skills be sure to pass them on to your friends and family. Get Outdoors!

* While compact binoculars weigh as little as a pound, by using them you will undoubtedly sacrifice performance. If performance is your main consideration, full sized binoculars are preferred. Anything weighing over about 1.5 pounds will get heavy fairly fast. Use a binocular support system to evenly distribute weight across your shoulders instead of using a strap around your neck. * The amount of light available while using your binoculars will determine –more than any other consideration – which binoculars are best for you. Low light uses such as hunting, birding and astronomy require larger objective lenses. * The distance you will be from object you view will determine magnification power required in a pair of binoculars. If your application is bird watching, theater or sporting events, a low powered binocular will suffice in most cases. But if you're into astronomy, you'll need a high powered pair. * The minimum focal point in binocular terminology refers to how near an object can be to you and be still be viewed in focus. This tends to be important for birding but not so important for most other uses. * Binoculars with a magnification power greater than 10x (and without a stability feature) will be difficult to hold steady. This becomes important when viewing night sky or distant mountains. A tripod may be a good thing to have if you’re using binoculars with high magnification. * Using your binoculars outdoors will usually subject them to moisture. Waterproof binoculars are preferred for all marine, hunting, birding and other nature related activities. * The greater magnification, narrower field-of-view. If field-of-view is important to you, don't purchase most powerful binoculars you can find. This becomes very important when viewing objects that move quickly such as antelope, race horses, shooting stars or race cars. * As with almost everything else in life, with binoculars you get what you pay for. There are binoculars that cost under $10 and others which cost in excess of $2,500. My experience says you will need to spend at least $250 for a pair of binoculars worth having. * There is no such thing as “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to sporting optics. If you have multiple uses for binoculars, you will most likely end up with multiple pairs of them – and that’s O.K.

Your understanding of these few simple tips will not only help you in acquiring correct binoculars for your application, but they will also help you with successful viewing – no matter what you’re looking at. Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!