So many things to read, so little time. Our whole world is TL;DR these days.
In 2021, we worked to address this. We tackled a project called “Wilderness Wisdom” with 106.5 MountainFM in Canmore. The Friends, along with several other organizations, tried to distill useful outdoor information to more “bite sized” segments. We got to pick topics, and make one–minute audio segments on them. These spots aired 3 times per day through 2021 and part of 2022. Most are extracted from our larger articles on Leave No Trace, Safety, or other topics you can find here or elsewhere on this site.
Here’s our version of “Wilderness Wisdom” on a whole lot of topics. And more will come over time. Take a minute, and have a listen.
One-minute segments on Safety
When is a hike not a hike?- “Do Your Research”: What good research looks like.
- What you need to know about ticks
- Why you need an emergency kit, and what should be in it
- How the Naismith Rule can help you plan hikes
- The need for good footwear
- Winter footwear vs Summer footwear
- Why you need cleats in the winter
- Stop. Sit. Snack. Sip.
- What you should be carrying on your adventures
- Trails have right of way rules
- Why situational awareness matters
- Treating water before you drink it
- Why leaving a plan matters
- Why SPOT, inReach, Zoleo and other devices matter
- What to do in an emergency if you have communications
- What to do in an emergency if you have NO communication
- Why calling something Easy/Moderate/Hard dosn’t help
- It’s easier to go up than down
- Calorie burn rates
- It’s OK to bail
- Getting wet is bad
- Hypothermia
- You’re Off Route. Now what?
One-minute Winter safety info
- What extra stuff should be in your emergency kit for winter
- Winter trail etiquette
- Winter and Summer are different
- A little snow is a dangerous thing
- When days get shorter
- Winter overnighting risk
- Electronics hate cold
- Equipment failure risk in winter
- Avalanche Risk
- Avy Savvy
- Wet Spring Avalanches
- Dehydration in the Winter
One-minute segments on Leave No Trace
- Why Leaving No Trace matters
- How to poop in the woods
- Mud, you, and your trails
- Pet waste disposal and management
- Bear-proof garbage cans
- Why Mound Fires are better than Rock Rings
- Why you need to pack out what you took in
- Is leaving only footprints enough?
- How you can help endangered trees
- Treading lightly in Larch season
- Ways you can make the wilderness better
- Wildlife corridors and you
- Leave antlers (and everything else) behind
One-minute segments on general topics
- When is a trail not a trail?
- Western Larch grow here, too
- It’s their home, not ours (a joint segment with Bow Valley WildSmart)
- Social media and hiking
- Land Use Designations
If you don’t mind reading the whole thing, you can find of lots of extended wisdom here.