Would you make it? This is the question that haunts us when we hear about survival situations. All of our training, our experience, our will- would it be enough to make it home? We go in for a deep dive on the topic of survival, all backed by science, using Laurence Gonzalez’s excellent book on the topic as our guide. Listen through to the end to learn Gonzalez’s 12 rules for survival- a must listen for anyone interested in making it through dire situations! 

By far, this interview was our favorite podcast. Sitting down with Dana Gleason was a lifetime highlight for both Matt and myself, and Dana shared some awesome stories, advice, and laughs as we discussed his 30+ years as one of the best makers in the outdoor gear industry. Some of the topics covered:-Advice for gear designers and entrepreneurs-How (and why) Dana started Mystery Ranch-Dana’s journey as a businessman and gear designerHonestly, this podcast is for anyone that has any interest in the outdoor gear community- Enjoy!  Ruthsac vaporware. Picture Courtesy of The North Face.

What are the boundaries of consciousness? Where do cognition and a sense of self begin? These are some of the questions we seek to answer, and we use an unlikely vehicle- the raven. Join Matt and I as we explore the world of avian consciousness, and by doing so, maybe learn something about our own.  

(image courtesy of wikipedia) This episode is all about bugs- we start with a classic short story on Man Vs. Nature, and then transition to a discussion about our relationship with insects, and what we can do to minimize their interference with our enjoyment of the outdoors. Also, if you've ever wondered why the indigenous people of the Amazon are so badass....you'll want to tune in.   Art of Manliness- Rites of Passage

This episode features an interview with former Air Force Pararescueman Mike Lauria. Mike has just finished his time at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, and will be starting his residency shortly. We discuss his step by step process for promoting peak mental and technical performance while under stress, and he gives us a how-to demonstration, with lots of supporting information. If you want to know how to perform at your absolute best when it really matters, be it a survival situation, a combat zone, or an important negotiation, this is definitely the episode to tune in for. LINKSwww.michaellauria.comhttps://www.airforce.com/careers/detail/pararescuewww.emcrit.orghttps://twitter.com/resuspadawan?lang=en  BOOKS Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War By Karl Marlantes Buy on Amazon On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society By Dave Grossman Buy on Amazon On Combat, The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace By Dave Grossman, Loren W. Christensen Buy on Amazon With Winning in Mind 3rd. Ed. By Lanny Bassham Buy on Amazon Performance Under Stress (Human Factors in Defence) CRC Press Buy on Amazon Warrior Mindset By Dr. Michael Asken, Loren W. Christensen, Dave Grossman Buy on Amazon Neurocognitive and Physiological Factors During High-Tempo Operations (Human Factors in Defence) By Rebecca Steinberg Buy on Amazon

In this Special Episode, Matt and I go through our kits (the various levels thereof), and their contents. If you've been wondering about how we decide what gets a place in our bags and what doesn't, this is the episode for you! Moleskine Cahier Journal (Set of 3), Pocket, Ruled, Black, Soft Cover (3.5 x 5.5): Set of 3 Ruled Journals By Moleskine Buy on Amazon Emerson Sark BT with Plain Black Blade Emerson Knives Buy on Amazon LOKSAK aLOKSAK Waterproof Bags - Small Multipack (4.75" x 4", 4"x 6.5", 6.25"x 5.25",8.4"x 5.25" ,8.4"x 5.25" ) ALOKSAK Buy on Amazon MSR Aquatabs Water Purification Tablets Cascade Designs Inc. Buy on Amazon Leatherman - Skeletool CX Multitool, Stainless Steel with Nylon Sheath Leatherman Buy on Amazon Tenacious Tape Repair Strip CLR 3" x 20" Dreme Corp Buy on Amazon Seam Grip+WP Sealant & Adhesive 1oz Gear Aid Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon In this podcast, we discuss the sometimes divisive figure Christopher McCandless (AKA, Alexander Supertramp).  We focus on three main questions: Who was Chris McCandless, Why did he die, and Why do we care? Some answers belong to science- and some to the individual. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL Photo of the "Gran Desierto" where McCandless watched the moon rise on the New Year Marked Map, showing location of the "magic bus" Chris McCandless' last photo. Courtesy of the Christopher McCandless Foundation.  BOOKS Katahdin and Chesuncook (Classic Reprint) By Henry D. Thoreau Buy on Amazon  LINKS Art of Manliness- Rites of Passage

Buy on Amazon A collection of vignettes about Craig Child's experiences with a wide ranging type and number of animals, we found many of the stories in here to echo our own thoughts and beliefs. Not the sort of book that needs to be consumed all at once, you can sit down, read a story or two, and come back to it later. And you will. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS The Bloody Sire, by Robinson Jeffers It is not bad.  Let them play.Let the guns bark and the bombing-planeSpeak his prodigious blasphemies.It is not bad, it is high time,Stark violence is still the sire of all the world’s values. What but the wolf’s tooth whittled so fineThe fleet limbs of the antelope?What but fear winged the birds, and hungerJewelled with such eyes the great goshawk’s head?Violence has been the sire of all the world’s values. Who would remember Helen’s faceLacking the terrible halo of spears?Who formed Christ but Herod and Caesar,The cruel and bloody victories of Caesar?Violence, the bloody sire of all the world’s values. Never weep, let them play,Old violence is not too old to beget new values.   Skull of a Mountain Lion. Notice the wide zygomatic arch beneath the orbits.  BOOKS On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society By Dave Grossman Buy on Amazon The Last American Man By Elizabeth Gilbert Buy on Amazon The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction, and Use, 2nd Edition By Reginald Laubin, Gladys Laubin Buy on Amazon  GEAR The Mountain Hardwear Kiva 4 Person Tent. No longer made. HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEARMYSTERY RANCH  Jetboil Zip Cooking System (Black) Jetboil Buy on Amazon MSR WindBurner Personal Stove System, 1.0-Liter, Red Cascade Designs Inc. Buy on Amazon MSR PocketRocket 2 Ultralight Backpacking, Camping, and Travel Stove Cascade Designs Inc. Buy on Amazon MSR WhisperLite International Stove MSR Equipment Buy on Amazon Starbucks VIA Instant Pike Place Roast Medium Roast Coffee (1 box of 8 packets) Starbucks Coffee Buy on Amazon Snugpak Jungle Blanket, Olive Sportsman Supply Inc. Buy on Amazon MSR Mini Groundhog Stake Kit, 6-Pack Cascade Designs Inc. Buy on Amazon  

Buy on Amazon This book was a formative one for both Matt and myself. I was given a copy by a very good friend while we hunted elk together in New Mexico- Nelson gives voice to many thoughts that I myself have had. It's raw, and honest, and speaks to something deep inside.  BOOKS The End of Nature By Bill McKibben Buy on Amazon Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on the Earth (The World As Home) By Bill McKibben Buy on Amazon GEAR Speedy Stitcher SEW110-BRK Sewing Awl Kit Dreme Corp   REferencesAssefi, N. P., Sherman, K. J., Jacobsen, C., Goldberg, J., Smith, W. R., & Buchwald, D. (2005). A randomized clinical trial of acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture in fibromyalgia. Annals of Internal Medicine, 143(1), 10–19.Berger, L. R. (2006). Brief communication: Predatory bird damage to the Taung type-skull ofAustralopithecus africanus Dart 1925. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 131(2), 166–168. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20415Krzywicki, H. J., & Chinn, K. S. K. (1967). Human Body Density and Fat of an Adult Male Population as Measured by Water Displacement. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 20(4), 305–310. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/20.4.305

Buy on Amazon Free HTML Version of To Build a FireIn this podcast, Matt and I go through one of London's most famous works about the elemental relationship between men, dogs, and fire. In the second half, we discuss our preferred fire starting techniques and kits, and share some anecdotes about our times in the backcountry.GEAR Ultimate Survival Technologies WetFire Tinder All-Weather Fire (3-Pack of 12) Ultimate Survival Technologies Buy on Amazon Exotac nanoSTRIKER XL Ferrocerium Fire Starter, Black Exotac Buy on Amazon Fallkniven A1 Fine Edge Fixed Blade Knife, Black Sportsman Supply Inc. Buy on Amazon Bahco 396-LAP Laplander Folding Saw, 7-1/2 -Inch Blade, 7 TPI Snap-On Industrial Brand BAHCO Buy on Amazon Sven Saw SVEN01-BRK Folding 21" Blade Dreme Corp Buy on Amazon  LINKShttp://london.sonoma.edu/Writings/LostFace/fire.html (1908 Version)http://london.sonoma.edu/writings/Uncollected/tobuildafire.html (1902 Version)https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/arts-culture/the-juhoansi-tribe-in-action/ REFERENCESDana Lynn, C. (2014). Hearth and campfire influences on arterial blood pressure: Defraying the costs of the social brain through fireside relaxation. Evolutionary Psychology, 12(5), 147470491401200500.Fessler, D. M. (2006). A burning desire: steps toward an evolutionary psychology of fire learning. Journal of Cognition and Culture, 6(3), 429–451.Kox, M., van Eijk, L. T., Zwaag, J., van den Wildenberg, J., Sweep, F. C. G. J., van der Hoeven, J. G., & Pickkers, P. (2014). Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(20), 7379–7384. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1322174111Wiessner, P. W. (2014). Embers of society: Firelight talk among the Ju/’hoansi Bushmen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(39), 14027–14035.