GearFlogger

Bushcraft Illustrated by Dave Canterbury

You know a book is going to be good when your eight-year-old gets to it before you do and you have to go spelunking in their room to find out where the little flogger hid it. Bushcraft Illustratated is that kind of book, a wonderful picture-filled book that will educate adults and children alike in the arcane arts of staying alive in the woods.

The book is the latest in a successful line of books on bushcraft by Dave Canterbury, a survival specialist who runs The Pathfinder School teaching basic to advanced survival techniques. The first impression on picking up BI is that it's a really nicely produced book, beautifully bound and printed with great organization and plentiful and clear illustrations. It's easy to forget what good design looks like, and BI reminds us by feeling immediately familiar and accessible.

The book starts out with a section on packs and other tools and progresses through various skills like knots, shelter, firemaking and navigation. There are sections on harvesting animals and plants and first aid. Dave's philosophy might be summed up when he writes, "You will then use what you packed to create what you need," laying out his approach to using naturally available resources to build with and consume. There's a lot to be said for his idea that this will connect the experience more closely to nature.

That said, if there's one nitpick I have it's the first aid section. It really needs to add CPR, which is a technique requiring no special gear, just a little bit of knowledge that you're just as likely to need as the ability to stop a bleed. Also, in the same spirit as bringing a basic set of tools to aid survival, I would argue that a basic trauma kit should be a part of anyone's backcountry loadout. Overall Bushcraft Illustrated is a great read with a nice philosophy and many useful techniques. It's also a great way to get kids interested in backcountry adventure, and to equip them to handle the twists and turns of life.

$17.70 at Amazon

Slumberjack Low Cot

A cot is a handy thing, useful for everything from hosting unexpected house guests to sending with your kid to a friend's house overnight to glamping. Slumberjack has a number of cot options, and we looked at the one with the smallest profile, the Low Cot.

It's called the Low Cot because... well, duh. It sits just six inches off the ground, just enough to get off the cold ground and to get onto and off of easier than a sleeping pad. The Low Cot is a sturdy beast, weighing just over eleven pounds and capable of holding a solid 350 pounds, which translates into you trying to sleep in while a child jumps on your falciform ligament. And yes, that's just as painful as it sounds.

So it's a low, relatively small and lightweight cot that comes in a handy travel case with handle. What's the downside? Snapping those supports into place. Let's just say you need to use your bodyweight to press them into position. And commitment. You need commitment too. And the courage to commit. You get the idea, it's a little work to set up, but once you get the hand of it it's not so bad the next time. The upside is a very solid cot that will put up with some abuse, and one that pitches fairly taut and is comfortable for multiple nights. You may still want a sleeping pad, depending on how firm you like your sleeping surface, but it really is nice to get off the ground, and the Low Cot is a great alternative.

$40.55 (on sale from $69.95) at Slumberjack

PuroQuiet Kid's Noise Cancelling Headphones

Puro has a solution to a problem that is all in our kids heads. OK, technically the problem is on their heads, in the form of omnipresent headphones that crank out ridiculous levels of sound. Anything over 85 decibels can cause noise-induced hearing loss with prolonged exposure, say the kind you might get from listening to music on a smart phone that can easily crank out that level of sound, every day on the way to school. And back again.

Puro's founder, Dave Russell, had to deal with NIHL from excessive headphone use and volume with his youngest daughter, and the solution he developed is a sweet set of volume-limiting (to 85dB) headphones designed just for kids. The PuroQuiet bluetooth headphones offer active noise cancelling as well, in an over-the-ear design that kids will love enough that you won't have to badger them to use it.

The PuroQuiet headphones charge via micro-USB and are an attractive package, available in a cool blue and hot pink/white design, and with left and right ears clearly marked with large letters inside the ear pads. The pads and headband themselves are supremely comfy, even when worn on-the-ear style by an adult with an average size head.

Speaking of adults, we found ourselves stealing these headphones just for convenience. The ease of wireless and the very good sound quality, as well as the ability to hit the noise cancelling switch to tune out ambient noise, all combine to make the PuroQuiet popular with the whole family. When it's time to hit the road, the aluminum construction and included hard case and fold-flat ear pads ensure that the PuroQuiet travels well. There's even an included headphone cable if that's your thing. Overall it's hard to beat the PuroQuiet, and the value for the price is as crystal clear as the sound.

$99.99 at Amazon