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Jay McClellan

Exploring the Two Hearted River

For this excursion we explored the area around the Two Hearted River in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula. Some of us floated the river in kayaks while others explored overland on primitive roads and trails.

Learn The Best Lashing Knots

In the wilderness, lashing is invaluable when making a shelter, raft, tripod for your hammock chair, or any other structure subject only to your imagination.

Cooking With Fire

In this outdoor cook-off we challenged ourselves to cook something amazing using only a wood fire as the heat source. No fossil fuels, no alcohol stoves, no electric appliances.

Grand Island Excursion

We rode the mighty Zodiac Thor across a narrow strip of Lake Superior to Grand Island, one of the newest assets in the National Forest Service inventory. It was added in the early 1990s and was formerly a private game preserve and privately owned. Once settled in at camp, we set out to explore the many miles of roads, trails and beaches.

Know the Wilderness Protocol

The amateur radio Wilderness Protocol defines frequencies and times to send and monitor for emergency and priority communications. The LiTZ Protocol defines a method of sending a tone to notify others of emergency or priority communications.

What You Need to Know About Bears

There are basically three types of people who venture into bear country; those who are fearful of a bear encounter, those who are ignorant or naïve, and those who are knowledgeable and aware. Having a strong knowledge of bears, an awareness of your surroundings, and maintaining proper behavior in bear country will help to minimize risks and keep you and others safe.

How to Build a Fire in Any Conditions

The ability to build a fire under a variety of circumstances is a valuable survival skill and can be the difference between life and death. A successful fire requires preparation including selecting the appropriate location for the fire, the use of fire making sources, and gathering sufficient quantities of tinder, kindling, and fuel.