Boots, Tents, Sleeping Bags, and More: How to Choose and Use Outdoor Gear

The Art of Manliness

A fair amount of gear is involved in making a camping or backpacking trip a success, and choosing that gear can be a little intimidating as there are lots of options, and it's expensive to boot.

Here to offer some tips on selecting gear and getting the most out of it is Craig Caudill, an avid outdoorsman, the director and lead instructor of the Nature Reliance School, and the author of Ultimate Wilderness Gear: Everything You Need to Know to Choose and Use the Best Outdoor Equipment. Today on the show, Craig and I discuss some things to know when purchasing things like boots, tents, sleeping bags, and more, and we offer some specific recommendations as to the gear that's worked for us respectively. Craig also offers tips on using outdoor equipment, including how to dry wet boots without damaging them, whether you should put a tarp under your tent, what to do if you get hot and sweaty or cold in your sleeping bag, a hack for sleeping more comfortably on the ground, and the best kind of knife for an outdoorsman to carry.

Resources Related to the Podcast

• AoM Article: How to Filter and Purify Water for Traveling, Camping, and Survival
• AoM Article: The Benefits of Hammock Camping
• AoM Article: How to Pack a Backpack for Backpacking
• AoM Article: Two Things You Should Be Doing to Take Better Care of Your Camping Gear
• AoM Article: Outdoor Hydration Showdown — Nalgene Bottle vs. Water Bladder
• AoM Article: How to Choose the Perfect Survival Knife
• Craig's books
• Native Summit in Edmond, OK
• Brett's Tent: Hubba Hubba 2-Person Backpacking Tent
• Hennessy Hammock Tent
• Warbonnet Hammock Tents
• Military Modular Sleep System
• Brett's Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes
• Kate's Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest Trail Prolite Apex
• Backpacking Cot
• Brett's Backpacking Pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros
• Brett's Water Bladder: HydraPak Shape-Shift
• Craig's Water Filter: Sawyer Mini
• Brett's Water Filter: Katadyn Hiker Pro Hand Pump Water Filter
• Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter
• Brett's Backpacking Stove: Jetboil Stove
• Fire-Maple Backpacking Stove
• MSR Backpacking Stove
• LT Wright Handcrafted Knives
• Fast Fire Firestarters
• Hill People Gear Backpacks

Connect With Craig Caudill

• Nature Reliance School
• Craig on IG
• Craig on LinkedIn