Gear buying guides

A fixed-blade bushcraft knife is a full-tang or robust stick-tang cutting tool between roughly 3.5 and 5.5 inches, purpose-built for wood processing, food prep, and finishing tasks a folder can't handle safely.

Updated 7/16/2026

A camping axe or hatchet is a wood-splitting and shelter-building tool with a hickory, ash, or composite handle and a forged or drop-forged steel head between 0.75 and 3.5 lb.

Updated 7/16/2026

Outdoor boots include hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, and bushcraft boots — mid- or high-cut footwear with lugged outsoles, a stiffness rating, and (usually) some form of water resistance.

Updated 7/16/2026

Rain gear is a coordinated jacket/pant system built around a waterproof-breathable membrane (Gore-Tex, eVent, Pertex Shield) or a fully waterproof coated shell.

Updated 7/16/2026

Wool and cold-weather layers include merino base layers, mid-weight wool shirts, boiled-wool sweaters, and wool blankets — insulation you can rely on when wet.

Updated 7/16/2026

A sleeping bag is an insulated body-length envelope rated for a specific comfort temperature, using either down (700–950 fill power) or synthetic (Climashield, Primaloft) insulation.

Updated 7/16/2026

A backpack is a load-carrying system rated by capacity (liters), suspension type (internal or external frame), and torso-length fit. Overnight backpacks range from 30 to 85 L.

Updated 7/16/2026

Tents, tarps, and hammock shelters are portable shelter systems categorised by season rating (3-season vs 4-season), wall construction (single-wall vs double-wall), and pole/pitch system.

Updated 7/16/2026

Water treatment covers physical filters (0.1–0.2 µm hollow fiber), chemical treatment (chlorine dioxide, iodine), UV purifiers, and boiling — each of which removes different pathogens.

Updated 7/16/2026

Canoe and portage equipment covers tandem and solo canoes, paddles, portage pads, packs, tumplines, and dry bags built for wilderness canoe trips.

Updated 7/16/2026