Texas Outdoors Network

Concealed carry helps keep you and your hiking party safe. Whether you’re in a remote area or somewhere more populated, a firearm can offer you protection and peace of mind. Learn the top reasons people carry a concealed weapon while hiking.

1. Protection From Wild or Violent Animals

One of the best reasons to carry a firearm while you hike or backpack is to fend off wild or violent animals. Fighting a wild animal with your bare hands isn’t a reliable option for securing your safety. Sometimes, just the loud sound of your firearm is enough to frighten a wild animal and prompt them to run away.

Even if you’re not facing a wild animal, encountering a violent domesticated pet is still dangerous. Every year, there are millions of dog bites from aggressive dogs in the US, and some of those cases prove fatal. Hopefully, you’ll never have to defend yourself from an aggressive animal, but if you do, a gun will help.

2. Protection From Human Aggressors

The next reason to carry a concealed weapon while hiking is to protect yourself from human aggressors. Whether you’re in a remote area or on a popular trail, stay aware of the people around you. While most people you encounter will be genuine outdoor enthusiasts such as yourself, some bad actors take advantage of trail conditions to attack people.

To increase your safety, hike in pairs and let a third party know about your plans. Also, stay visually alert and listen to your surroundings. If you wear earbuds, keep one out so that you can still hear clearly.

Learn to feel comfortable carrying a gun so that you can keep your weapon concealed from potential attackers. If someone chooses to attack you, you can defend yourself with your firearm.

3. Emergency Signaling

If you get lost or stranded in the wilderness, you’ll need all the help you can get to return to safety. Many times, you can’t rely on your cell phone in a remote area. You’ll need to signal for help.

Perhaps the most common distress signal is the signal fire. If you build a proper signal fire, you can attract attention from miles away. But in addition to this popular option, you can use your weapon to create an auditory signal.

Fire three spaced-out shots to signal distress. By spacing the shots five seconds apart, you help other people around your area identify the sound as a distress signal and identify the location it’s coming from.

Camping isn’t for the faint of heart. If you’re planning on roughing it in the wild, you need a certain level of resilience. Picking up some necessary survival skills will set you up for a fun and exciting outdoor experience.

First, you need to know how to make your camping ground work for you. Setting up the ultimate campsite will save you from having a horrible adventure. Those new to the world of camping can use these tips to start on the right foot.

Get Off the Ground

There’s nothing wrong with sleeping on the ground. However, you’ll feel more at ease if you’re able to elevate your campsite. You can use a variety of tools and resources to get off the ground and create a more comfortable arrangement.

Bring an extra layer of sleeping material, like a cot or foam padding, so you don’t have to sleep in the dirt. If you want to get really fancy, invest in a truck camper and rest on your roof. Either way, make the most of your camping trip by setting yourself up for a good night’s sleep.

Build the Perfect Campfire

It’s not a real camping trip if you don’t maintain a fire. However, newcomers might not have the experience necessary to build the perfect campfire. You need this feature to stay warm, cook food, and keep the critters away.

Be sure to keep your fire a safe distance away from your campsite; you should also keep factors like wind and rain in mind so you don’t lose your hard work. Your tinder should be dead and dry, so collect plenty of sticks, twigs, grass, and leaves to keep your fire going.

Create a Stellar Kitchen

No campground is complete without an amazing kitchen. If you want to set up the ultimate campsite, you need a place to refuel. After a long day of hitting the trails and exploring the terrain, you’ll want an area to make all your favorite meals.

Bring a portable grill to cook lean meats and high-fiber veggies that provide plenty of nourishment. And assemble your meals downwind to avoid attracting predators. You should also hang your trash and food scraps from a tree away from your site so you don’t invite any unwanted guests.

If you do it right, camping could become your new favorite pastime. Use these tips to prepare for your adventure, and you’ll always have a good experience.

Nature is a beautiful thing to experience and impacts humanity in many ways. And just as nature affects us, we also affect it and cause harm. Wildfires are common occurrences in the natural world, with multiple factors that cause them to break out, both natural and human. People should do everything they can to avoid starting wildfires to help preserve nature and keep people safe.

Lightning

Lightning is a common natural cause of wildland fires. A lightning bolt is about 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit; when it strikes the ground, it burns any nearby objects. When lighting sets a patch of earth ablaze, that fire spreads with extreme heat and begins to take the land in a blazing sweep.

While lightning is a natural phenomenon, people can put away or cover fire-prone objects such as machines or metal wiring before a thunderstorm. Doing so can decrease the chance of lightning striking and causing a fire.

Hot Coals

Lots of people have BBQs in Texas, especially during the summer, and at some point, a person may dispose of the hot coals too quickly. A fire may start if the ashes from the coals make contact with the leaves in a tree or a pile of papers. Hot coals are especially dangerous in places such as parks where plenty of trees and bushes may catch fire. Make sure your coals are completely cool and don’t have any glowing red bits before you dispose of them.

Malfunctioning Machines

Our machines are susceptible to malfunctioning and short circuits, potentially producing wildfires. Factories and plants located in grasslands and forested areas may be at risk of a wildfire if they don’t have proper safety measures such as sprinklers and fire extinguishers. If dried leaves are present around burning machines, this may cause a type of wildland fire called a surface fire that burns along the surface of the ground.

Arson

Unfortunately, arson is another cause of wildland fires. When a person burns a house or building, the fire could spread to other buildings or parts of nature and cause a wildland fire. Arson occurs more often than you may think. Thankfully, we can prevent the fire from spreading with the proper safety protocols.

Improperly Built Campfires

It’s always important to practice campfire safety to ensure people remain safe while camping. Uncontrolled campfires are a common cause of wildland fires and are an immediate threat to forested areas. Learning proper campfire safety and having items like a pale of water will help you avoid dangerous fires that may put your life at risk.

There are many causes of wildland fires, and we should always be prepared for them. Practice safety and precaution as much as possible to prevent a fire from starting in your area.

Everybody loves a good camping trip. Setting up your tent and cooking over an open fire is a common treat. However, sometimes you want to try camping with a little more comfort and accessibility. Here are some of the most helpful tips when camping in an RV that you can utilize on your next big trip.

Check Out the Campsite

Recreational vehicles come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s a good idea to learn a little bit about where you’re camping before you try to drive your RV out there. You’ll want to ensure your RV can safely reach the campsite and double-check that you will have room to set up camp around the parking space. Accounting for the size of your vehicle and the dimensions of the camping spot is essential before you make any reservations.

Ensure You Have Enough Power

You don’t need to concern yourself with this too much if your campground of choice has adequate hookups for your RV, but a proper power supply is essential when you’re boondocking out in the wilderness. Knowing how to conserve battery power in your RV ensures you don’t strand yourself in the middle of the woods. Additionally, it always helps to have a backup battery source.

Arrive Before Nightfall

Getting to your destination before the sun goes down is a valuable piece of advice no matter what form of camping you choose, but it’s an especially helpful tip when camping in an RV. When you arrive after nightfall, you’ll probably be tired and ready for bed, but you’ll still need to set up camp. Trying to properly park your RV in the dark and take care of any necessary hookups without sunlight is a hassle you don’t want to deal with. Even if it means waking up an hour earlier to get on the road, it’s a good idea to reach your destination during daylight hours.