There’s nothing like a trip to the great outdoors. As any avid camper, hiker, backpacker, or paddler knows, stepping out of the civilized “front country” for a few hours, days, or even weeks offers physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration unlike any other experience. But if you’re not already an outdoors enthusiast, where would you even start as an outdoor adventure? Why should you even start? Isn’t the outdoors an experience of “roughing it” with bugs, bears, and bad weather?
Author(s): Elizabeth K. Andre
Series: The Great Courses
Publisher: The Teaching Company
Year: 2019-08
Language: English
Pages: 226
Professor Biography......Page 3
Disclaimer......Page 5
Table of Contents......Page 6
Scope......Page 9
Lecture 1—The Call of the Wild......Page 12
Reasons to Go Outdoors......Page 13
Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Health Benefits......Page 14
Common Perceived Barriers......Page 16
Suggested Reading......Page 19
Lecture 2—Backpacking and Trip Planning......Page 20
Planning a Backpacking Trip......Page 21
The Art of Hiking with a Pack......Page 24
Making Backpacking Easier and Safer......Page 27
suggested Reading......Page 28
Lecture 3—Canoe or Sea-Kayak Camping......Page 29
Venturing Out onto the Water......Page 30
Boat Selection and Loading......Page 32
Paddling on Different Bodies of Water......Page 33
Keeping Your Gear and Body Safe while Paddling......Page 34
Suggested Reading......Page 36
Lecture 4—Campcraft: Selecting and Organizing Gear......Page 37
Selecting Camping Gear......Page 38
Packing Your Gear......Page 41
Suggested Reading......Page 43
Lecture 5—Clothing and Footwear for Outdoor Adventure......Page 44
Clothing System for Summertime Backpacking......Page 45
Clothing for Different Climates and Conditions......Page 48
Appropriate Footwear......Page 49
Suggested Reading......Page 51
Lecture 6—Basics for Wilderness Safety......Page 52
Addressing Basic Physiological Needs......Page 53
Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters with Animals......Page 55
Having an Emergency Plan......Page 57
Checking Your Skin......Page 58
Suggested Reading......Page 59
Lecture 7—Weather Forecasting and Moon Phases......Page 60
Keeping an Eye on the Sky......Page 61
Thunder and Lightning......Page 63
Tornadoes......Page 66
Tracking the Sun and Moon......Page 67
Suggested Reading......Page 68
Lecture 8—Introduction to Navigation......Page 69
Basic Awareness Training: SLOWS......Page 70
Practicing Navigation......Page 72
Estimating Distance Traveled......Page 74
Suggested Reading......Page 75
Lecture 9—Navigating with Topographic Maps......Page 76
How to Read Contour Lines......Page 77
How to Choose a Map for an Adventure......Page 78
How to Use a Compass......Page 81
Suggested Reading......Page 82
Lecture 10—Assessing and Managing Risk in the Outdoors......Page 83
The Risk-Matrix Model......Page 84
The Dominoes Model......Page 88
Suggested Reading......Page 91
Lecture 11—How Emotions Affect Your Decision Making......Page 92
The Emotional Part of the Brain......Page 93
Heuristic Traps: FACETS......Page 95
Managing Risk in the Backcountry......Page 98
Suggested Reading......Page 99
Lecture 12—Selecting a Campsite and Pitching Shelter......Page 100
Choosing a Campsite......Page 101
Setting Up Camp......Page 102
Setting Up Your Kitchen......Page 106
Suggested Reading......Page 107
Lecture 13—Outdoor Kitchen Setup and Safety......Page 108
Handwashing and Safe Cooking......Page 109
Waste Disposal and Dishwashing......Page 113
Suggested Reading......Page 115
Lecture 14—Building a Campfire......Page 116
Where to Build Your Fire......Page 117
The Four Ds of Firewood Collection......Page 119
Breaking and Splitting Wood......Page 121
Lighting Your Fire......Page 122
Suggested Reading......Page 124
Lecture 15—Safe Drinking Water in the Wilderness......Page 125
Water Treatment......Page 126
Water Filters......Page 127
Chemical Treatment......Page 129
Other Ways to Make Water Safe......Page 131
Suggested Reading......Page 132
Lecture 16—Outdoor Menu Planning and Cooking......Page 133
Unrefrigerated Food Options......Page 134
Menu Choices......Page 136
Planning and Packing Food......Page 139
Cookware......Page 140
Suggested Reading......Page 142
Lecture 17—Minimizing Your Impact on the Wilderness......Page 143
Principle 1-Plan Ahead and Prepare......Page 144
Principle 2-Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces......Page 145
Principle 3-Dispose of Waste Properly......Page 146
Principle 5-Minimize Campfire Impacts......Page 148
Principle 6-Respect Wildlife......Page 149
Principle 7-Be Considerate of Other Visitors......Page 150
Suggested Reading......Page 151
Lecture 18—Hygiene on a Camping Trip......Page 152
How to Avoid Sharing Germs......Page 153
How to Keep Your Body Clean......Page 154
How to Practice Good Bathroom Hygiene......Page 157
Suggested Reading......Page 159
Lecture 19—Wilderness First Aid: Handling Emergencies......Page 160
The “Big Three” Systems......Page 161
The Nervous System: STOP EATS......Page 164
Suggested Reading......Page 168
Lecture 20—Wilderness First Aid: Nonemergency Care......Page 169
Stable versus Unstable Injuries......Page 170
How to Construct a Splint......Page 171
Simple versus High-Risk Wounds......Page 173
How to Clean and Dress a Wound......Page 174
First Aid for Blisters and Burns......Page 176
Suggested Reading......Page 178
Lecture 21—Navigating with a Compass......Page 179
How to Shoot a Bearing......Page 181
How to Follow Back Bearings and Get around Obstacles......Page 185
Suggested Reading......Page 186
Lecture 22—What to Do When You’re Lost......Page 187
How to Avoid Getting Lost......Page 188
Self-Rescue or Stay Put?......Page 189
Finding Shelter and Water......Page 191
Suggested Reading......Page 194
Lecture 23—Maintaining and Repairing Your Gear......Page 195
Caring for Your Gear......Page 197
What to Do about Gear That’s Wearing Out......Page 198
Thoroughly Checking Your Gear before Use......Page 200
Basic Repairs in the Field......Page 201
Lecture 24—Connecting to the Wild within You......Page 203
Visual Connections to Nature......Page 204
Solo Connections with Nature......Page 206
Looking Up at the Sky and Down at Plants and Animals......Page 209
Nature Reading......Page 211
Suggested Reading......Page 212
Lecture 4: True or False?......Page 213
Lecture 8: True or False?......Page 214
Lecture 13: True or False?......Page 215
Lecture 17: True or False?......Page 216
Lecture 21: True or False?......Page 217
Lecture 24: True or False?......Page 218
Answers......Page 219
Bibliography......Page 220
Image Credits......Page 226
