I just spent three days in Eldorado National Forest. I've got to say, it's been some of the best camping I've found on the west coast. I stopped in the ranger station on the way in, and they gave me the drill --- no registration needed, no fees. Just camp where you want to, heed the fire restrictions, and pack out what you pack in. It was great. Basically, I was turned loose in a national forest, and allowed to camp WHEREVER I WANTED. I crossed a river, and hunkered down on the other bank. I made...

Whether you're camping or using it at home, the Burt's Bees Citrus & Ginger Root body bar is an interesting way to start your day.

While it's not my favorite bar of soap out there, the natural smell of the ginger mixed with citrus fills my nose with an invigorating aroma. It's also great to know you're bathing with a bar of soap that's almost completely all natural (99.72%).

The smell doesn't last on your skin after the shower, but that's a good thing. It's such...

There are two things Les Stroud of Survivorman never left behind when he went out into the wilderness -- his trusty harmonica and a handy multi-tool.

Almost everyone here will agree, a good multi-tool is a must not only for every camping trip, but for even a day hike or picnic. But for those who are on a budget, the $50-$100 models sold by Leatherman and Gerber might be a tad out of reach.

Personally, I had an incident involving a raging river ... well, let's just say...

I went trail running yesterday on Mt. Tam in the Bay Area of northern California. It was fun, and a darn good workout. The trail I used was downhill on the way in, and uphill on the way out. So I really had to push myself at the end. I couldn't just "ease" to the finish line. There were a few times when I had to slow down to a walk, for safety. The terrain was to uneven, rocky or rough. Staying at a run over those areas would have simply been irresponsible. But the hard work it took to...

On my recent camping trip, I used my Light My Fire Firesteel Scout to light everything for the weekend.

For lighting fires, I used it once with magnesium shavings and once without. With the shavings, the fire went up in two strikes. But the shavings took about 15 minutes to make, and it sure is a way to dull a knife quickly. The second night, I worked more on my tinder bundle. Making sure it was soft and packed correctly took away the need for the magnesium. The second fire took about...