Post summary
It’s fall, the best time to GTFOutside.
But it’s also when quick “no big deal” outings can turn dangerous. Most outdoor mishaps don’t happen on epic expeditions; they happen close to home.
The root cause: People forget to pack two essential items.
We’re covering these two essentials you must pack anytime you head outside for more than a couple of hours this fall (and winter, spring, and even summer, if you’re at higher altitudes and latitudes).
Housekeeping
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Audio version
It’s located at the bottom on the post.
The post
This coming Monday, we’re running a conversation with John Barklow, an outdoor survival and gear savant. John led a Navy division that researched and developed survival strategies and gear for extreme mountain environments in Afghanistan.
When I spoke with John, we both noted something strange: people typically don’t encounter dangerous situations when they venture deep into the wild for long stretches. They’ve prepared for those.
Instead, they tend to get in trouble closer to home—on quick hikes, hunts, runs, or rides in nearby wilderness. A cold squall blows in, a foot slips, the route vanishes—and suddenly the “quick outing” becomes perilous.
Barklow has seen this happen many times in his hometown of Bozeman.
Donnie Vincent, who I went to the Arctic with in The Comfort Crisis, nearly died hunting in woods he’d hunted hundreds of times.
My most dangerous situation occurred on a trail run in the desert outside my home.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you go—you need good gear whenever you head into nature this fall.
Hence, this week’s Gear Not Stuff column covers the two items that’ll save your life.
From here you’ll learn:
-The two most important pieces of outdoor gear.
-Why each item is so necessary.
-What to look for in each item.
-Top picks and budget picks for each.
-Some dorky but necessary outdoor gear philosophy.