Author: Wilderness Experts

The cheapest and most frequently purchased of the Coast Guard-approved ration bricks: 3600 no-cook calories that sit in a pack or car for five years. Our value pick.

In a surprise bear encounter, a cloud of deterrent you can deploy in a second beats anything else you’re carrying. SABRE Frontiersman is a maximum-strength bear spray with a 35-foot (11 m) range, the kind of insurance you hope never to use. Heading into bear country? Read our guides to wildlife encounters and protecting food…

In bear country your food is your responsibility, and increasingly, a hard-sided canister is required by law. The BearVault BV500 is the transparent, tool-free canister that keeps bears out and your trip on track. Heading into bear country? Read our guides to protecting food from wildlife and handling wildlife encounters. Our field rating ★★★★★4.7 What…

Most people who die in the backcountry die of exposure, not injury. A 3.8-ounce (108 g) emergency bivvy that reflects most of your body heat is the cheapest insurance you can carry against a cold, unplanned night out. Planning for the worst? Pair this with our guides to emergency shelter and staying warm on a…

On a sunny day you can start a fire with no fuel, no spark, and nothing to run out, just focused sunlight. A credit-card Fresnel lens weighs nothing, fits in your wallet, and doubles as a magnifier. New to fire-building? See our guide to building a fire for turning an ember into flame. Our field…

If you want fire covered in one grab-and-go tin, the Überleben FIREKIT bundles a ferro rod, striker, tinder, and a bellows tube in a pocket-sized case. A complete starter kit for a pack or glovebox. New to fire-building? Our guide to building a fire walks the whole process end to end. Our field rating ★★★★★4.5…

The spark is only half of fire. You need something that will catch and hold a flame. Fatwood, the resin-rich heartwood of pine, lights easily and burns hot and long, even when it is damp. New to fire-building? Our guide to building a fire shows how tinder, kindling, and fuel fit together. Our field rating…

When your hands are cold and the wind is up, nothing beats a match that simply will not go out. UCO Stormproof Matches burn through wind and rain, and even relight after being dunked in water. New to fire-building? See our guide to building a fire for how to have tinder ready before you strike….

A ferro rod is the one fire starter that works soaked, frozen, or wind-blasted, no fuel, no battery, tens of thousands of strikes. The Überleben Hexå is a thick, ½-inch rod that rides in your kit for years, for the day your lighter is lost, empty or soaked. New to fire-building? Read our guide to…