UCO OUTDOOR ESSENTIALS BLOG

WHAT IS WISH CYCLING?
Meta: Wish cycling starts with the best of intentions — but it often does more harm than good. Learn more about this hope-driven recycling habit and how to avoid it both at home and on the go. Have you heard...
FIRE STARTING SKILLS FOR CAMPERS AND SURVIVALISTS
Dry leaves, pine straw, dry grass, small twigs, larger twigs, and sticks. The stuff fires are made from. FIRE IS A TOOL A fire is a basic tool of both comfort and survival yet many people are frustrated in their...
8 REASONS WHY CAMPING ALONE CAN BE GREAT
When you think of the perfect camping trip, chances are you imagine a group of friends sitting around a campfire, or Mom and Dad erecting a tent while the kids explore the campsite. Sure, humans have camped together since forever,...
REVIEW OF THE MORAKNIV GARBERG & KANSBOL SURVIVAL KNIVES
by Jim Dickson   Sweden’s Morakniv factory has been making high-quality low-cost knives since 1891 and their Garberg and Kansbol knives reflect the Scandinavian attitude toward survival knives. The Scandinavian woodsman is also one of the world’s most expert axe...
THE CHEAPEST CAMPING FOOD OPTIONS FOR A TIGHT BUDGET
Food is key when you’re camping. You can’t live on hot dogs all week if you want to keep your energy up—and it’s easy to get tricked into thinking you have to spend tons of money on freeze-dried meals so...
FERROCERIUM ROD BASICS: HOW TO START A FIRE USING A FERRO ROD
Titan Fire Striker shown above   The reason the ferro rod is referred to as the ultimate emergency fire starting device is because it is impenetrable to all weather and has an extremely long lifespan. It will not be affected...
HOW TO BUILD A SELF-FEEDING CAMPFIRE
By Dan wowak If there is one thing that makes camp life uncomfortable, it is waking up in the middle of the night to a fire that has burned out.  Crawling out of a sleeping bag, scavenging for firewood, digging...
FIRE STARTING 101 – LESSON 1 – THE BASICS OF STARTING A FIRE
By Dan Wowak The theory of starting a fire is simple. Fire is at the core of human existence as it provides warmth, utility, and comfort. Enabling us to cook food at camp, keep warm on a cold night, and...
THE 10 C’S WITH DAVE CANTERBURY
1. CUTTING TOOL This is the most important of all our items and it must be capable of several other tasks. A blade that is too small will make it difficult to process fire wood. A blade that is too...