Our culture is so used to ranking things, that it’s become entrenched in the mindset of most people (myself included). We want to know the “Best” way of doing things, and often desire a form of documentation to show that we’ve “progressed”, it’s almost as if learning and living in the outdoors was a video [...]
This discussion has come up a bunch recently, so I wanted to define some terms that I use regarding celebrity outdoorsman and professional outdoorsman. A professional outdoorsman is a person who makes their living guiding, teaching, and otherwise working outdoors. A celebrity outdoorsman is a person who is well known on social media, reality tv [...]
At it’s simplest “Active learning” is learning by doing. On our semesters, student’s make their own canoe paddles, and that’s their first big woodcarving project. They have a basic set of tools and simple instructions on how to shape a paddle from a pine board. A lot of student’s struggle at first with what [...]
On January 19, 2018 I was interviewed by Gundy on The Big Wild radio show, heard all over the midwest on the radio and the world via their podcasts. We were the first interview on this episode of the show (and the podcast). To listen, go to their website at: http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/the-big-wild-011918_121684 You can also download [...]
We recommend an 8-inch, 2 quart dutch oven for the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, and for any other field school program. Ideally, it will have a flanged lid but no legs. If yours has legs, no big deal as these make it easier to cook in the field. But it also makes it more difficult to [...]
That water is cold! Loved this clip – like an old-school silent film.
2018 marks our 19th year of multi-week snowshoe and toboggan expeditions. In a world where bushcraft is becoming more about the gear and knives and celebrity outdoorsmen, I’m thankful for winter expeditions. In the cold, living and traveling in the forest, the extraneous fluff falls away. What’s left is authentic and real. And that’s getting [...]
Facebook, Youtube, And The Rest Can Keep Their Private Sandboxes We hit peak social media a few years ago and have been on the downward slant since then. Time spent on social media feels like an arms race of narcissism, and those are the good days. And now they tell us they’re changing the rules [...]
A walk around a remote camp on the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition.
Life on our dirt road is exceptionally beautiful today after yesterday’s snow storm. Photo: Lucky the wonder pooch in the woods across the road.
It’s 2018 and we’re finally retiring our old rotary phone. Our recent podcast (episode 30 featuring Sam Larson) was a turning point for our podcast. Prior to recording it, all of our podcasts had been recorded in person. As such geography was a huge factor in when we could record. For episode 30 we entered [...]
Episode 30 of our podcast featured Sam Larson. It’s the first episode we’ve recorded remotely (ie. not in the same room), as well as the first episode where we’ve recorded video, as seen above. If you’re looking for just the audio, go here. Sam Larson is the founder and owner of Woodsong Wilderness Outfitters, was [...]
In this episode I talk with Sam Larson. He’s the founder and owner of Woodsong Wilderness Outfitters, was the runner-up of season 1 of the TV show Alone, and is a Jack Mountain Bushcraft School alumnus. This is the first podcast we’ve also recorded as a video. You can see it at: http://blog.jackmtn.com/sam-larson-video-from-podcast-episode-30/ Links: Woodsong [...]
Snowshoes are lashed to the toboggans and we’re having a leisurely stroll down the lake. Enjoy days like these because they don’t happen often.
From a past Boreal Snowshoe Expedition. A participant fixed a broken axe handle in the field by wrapping it with saplings and lashing it together. It worked great. In the background is a canvas tent that was lived in for the winter. It’s not one of our expedition tents. In the photo below are my [...]
This fantastic video was shot on a JMBS alumi trip and assembled by Paul Sveum. If watching this doesn’t make you want to do an epic winter trip, you’re on the wrong website.
Snowshoeing across the crown of Maine on a cloudless morning. Not all expedition mornings are perfect. This one was.
18 years old and still getting the job done. Our 2 Egyptian cotton Ungava tents made by our friends at Tentsmiths. They have introduced many people to the sublime beauty of the winter trail.
When folks think of living a self-reliant outdoor lifestyle, usually what’s envisioned is picturesque tent sites and all the things that go along with camping. However, that’s not the whole picture. A large part of living a sustainable lifestyle in the modern world is maintaining systems that provide renewable resources without damaging the land we live on. So [...]
I’ve been taking time out of each day this winter to snowshoe on some of the local trails. It’s good exercise and keeps the cabin fever at bay. It’s also where I’ve been doing most of my thinking about course curriculums for the upcoming year. Being out in the woods by yourself on a crisp [...]
Featured In:
Maine Wilderness Guides Organization Quality Endorsement Award
