I remember a Tuesday in the Cairngorms, about six years ago, when the wind was hitting forty knots and the temperature had dropped ten degrees …
Hill Food That Works After Six Hours
Camping From a Canoe: Weight Stops Mattering
I once watched a group of well-meaning weekend warriors try to figure out how to canoe camp while they were actively drifting toward a reed …
The Complete Guide to Watching Wildlife
I was crouched in a patch of gorse three years ago, my knees aching and my fingers numb from a biting Atlantic wind, waiting for …
Planting for Pollinators Across the Whole Season
I was up on a ridge in the Cairngorms last Tuesday, watching a pair of peregrines circle a scree slope, when I realized how much …
Binoculars: Eight by Forty-two and Why
I’ve spent more hours than I care to count squinting through cheap, high-magnification glass only to realize I’ve missed the actual bird because the image …
Bikepacking: the Same Trip With Different Constraints
I remember sitting in a sodden tent three years ago, listening to the rhythmic slap of rain against a heavy-duty bivvy, realizing I had spent …
Carrying Water Versus Finding It
I remember a group I was leading in the Cairngorms back in 2014—not a bad group, just a bit too optimistic about the afternoon’s temperature. …
The Complete Guide to Walking at Altitude
I once spent six hours huddled under a granite overhang in the Cairngorms, watching a client try to “power through” a mounting headache with nothing …
Small Changes That Help Hedgehogs Survive a Garden
I spent a decade as a ranger watching people try to “save” nature with expensive, plastic-heavy gadgets that end up doing more harm than good. …
Fitting a Rucksack So Your Shoulders Stop Aching
I remember a group I led in the Cairngorms about five years ago—a lovely, capable lot, but they were all fighting their gear. One lad, …