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Have you experienced spending overnight on a small boat or a yacth? To be honest, I don’t go for that kind of trip where you spend the night on the water. You don’t know what’s in the water at night huh. There was a beach resort here called Matabungkay where there are rafts with a room floating...

Have you been to a campsite that is alien to you like you don’t know anything? It is a great challenge is you will consider the dangers that might be lurking. How about the rebels or criminal elements? And not to forget the wild animals that can harm you. There’s also the chance of unfriendly...

There is a saying among campers and hikers that when you go to the woods, what you leave are footprints only and what you take home are pictures only. But what about if there are fruits around? As per my experience, it is common to find fruit trees in the woods especially when the place is...

In tropical countries like the Philippines, root crops like yam and taro are common. And in the woods, there are wild versions of such edible roots. One is called Tugi which is like taro that can be boiled or broiled and even fried. Another is arrow root or locally called Uraro which is best to...

Have you experienced being near a forest fire? Some summers ago, there was this forest fire in Quezon province right in the mountain that is visited by religious pilgrims. It was suspected that some hikers have left a fire that they used overnight which spread because of the dry grasses. Several...

I had several experiences in hunting expedition but mostly shooting birds. I enjoy using the air gun of my brother because I feel like a sharpshooter. Hunting with guns is only for the hunter with enough knowledge about guns. When I was younger, there were several instances where a hunter would...

This home remedy is from my camping experience. My father had taught us to bring salt, vinegar and garlic as part of our basic gear. The salt is more for food especially when there is a big catch like a deer or a boaf, even fish, salt is used to preserve the meat. Aside from cooking purposes...

Mung beans is also called Mongo beans in Asia. It is the small beans similar to BB ammo in shape and size. Bean sprouts is a good source of carbohydrate and protein which a camper would need. The procedure is simple. All you have to do once settled in the campsite is to soak the mung beans in...

The small utility pot is actually designed for 2 persons. The primary use is in cooking rice and secondary is for the soup dishes. I had learned to bring the utility pot when I was in college. Our military training involved a survival course and our platoon leader hinted on the utility pot. The...

It is a good practice to build a latrine when camping in the woods to maintain the sanitation of the area. Always remember that animals and insects abound in the woods that they can feast on the human waste which is not a good idea. The best thing to do is to dig 2 holes, that would be one for...

The basic fire-making procedure was taught to boy scouts during my time. We would be asked to get a bamboo pole. This is a tedious task because the bamboo has small twigs that are entwined so even if you cut the bamboo pole, you cannot just pull it. The fresh bamboo is shaved and 2 pieces of...

When going to a forest hike or camping, it is better to be dressed for the occasion, so to speak. I always advise against shorts because you expose so much skin that can give you a problem with plants and insect. It’s best to wear long pants. For the tops, it is better to wear one with thick...

When preparing your shelter, be it a tent or improvised shelter, be sure to situate it away from dry grass. A forest fire can occur when you are asleep and you might not be able to escape. There are several such cases in the provinces where campers were burned to death when a forest fire...

In the campsite, what do you do with leftover dinner that you will not eat anymore? Most campers here irresponsibly throw the leftover food in the woods. As far as they are concerned, the food can be eaten by the animals and insects. But in our scouting training, we dig a hole and bury the...

Do you bring life vest when you go camping with swimming? My advice is to buy a small floater that is inflatable. Include it as part of your camping essentials. There are so many incidents of drowning that could have been avoided if those in the river had a floater. You will not totally sink...

On my first hunting trip with my father when I was in grade school, he taught us his sons simple survival techniques in the wilds. And one of that is foraging for eggs in potential nesting places. It is not a good idea to climb trees for the eggs. The best bet are the nests of birds near the...

There is a place where we used to go camping by the river bank. It was a fun camping because it’s just like an overnight picnic. We can swim in the river with waist-deep clear and cool water. The river has lots of treasure like small clams (not sure how it is called) that can add to our meals...

Have you experienced eating food that is cooked in bamboo cylinders? In one of our camping days when I was already a college student, I was taught to gather bamboo which is not easy. The bamboo pole I got was cut into cylinders of about 18 inches long. An opening was cut on the side where the...

This is a basic learning in scouting – creating a stove made of stones or rocks. But how about if there are not rocks or stones in the vicinity? Our usual campsites are near the river so getting stones is no problem. But sometimes we chance upon a forest campsite where there are no big stones...

During my scouting years, we developed that habit of hiking in the woods with a walking stick particularly if the trails are grassy. Snakes can be everywhere according to our scout master and a walking stick greatly helps to prevent a snake bite. When walking, the stick is used to grope the...