With the warmer weather, comes thoughts of the wild edibles that will soon be popping up across the Country. In Texas, we have already seen a good blackberry crop. In this short video, Ellen describes a blackberry picking hack that her great uncle, Lou Zupancic, showed her. It is a simple and easy way to pick berries faster. Check out our favorite blackberry crisp recipe below the video.
Read MoreIn the spring, Dan drove from Pennsylvania to Texas for a backpack-style pig hunt. Going into this hunt, we weren't expecting to backpack into a remote and secluded valley; Texas simply lacks the large tracts of public land that people often associate with backpack hunting. That being said, we still wanted to try and get off the beaten path as much as possible. We packed our bags and headed into the National Forest of eastern Texas where we hunted and camped for 5 days.
Read MoreEarly one chilly morning after I dropped the kids off at school, I hungrily parked the 14-year-old Land Cruiser in Ruthie’s Diner’s graveled parking lot, alongside several other muddy vehicles. I was treating myself to a quiet indulgence of two eggs, bacon, toasted sourdough bread, home fries and coffee. My mouth was watering in anticipation. Heavenly aromas greeted me at the Diner’s front door.
Read MoreEvery weekday morning, the alarm would chime at 4:30 am. For most other circumstances I would be inclined to roll over and aimlessly smack at the snooze button. But during the weeks that I ran my trapline, the alarm-clock’s usually annoying chimes, were very much welcomed. Some days, I found myself up before the alarm sounded (I think my wife really appreciated those days).
Read MoreThe first weekend in February, I found myself heading north from Fairbanks into the White Mountains National Recreation Area for a whirlwind overnighter in Eleazar’s Cabin. I skied the 12 miles to Eleazar’s with five friends who mushed, skied, and fat biked at their own pace. As I watched the fat biker smoke all of us on skis, ideas started to form.
Read MoreIn the backwoods of America, there are seldom gas stations equipped with air compressors or friends with garages full of air tools, so bringing your own air compressor is a must. On this episode of Overland Lab, I will showcase a simple DIY project to assemble an affordable, effective, and tough air compressor setup on a budget.
Read MoreSome of the less sought after sources of protein for the dinner table are furbearers, but some adventurous eaters believe they’re delectable treats. Of all the furbearers Alaska offers, beavers provide a bountiful meal and are relatively easy to trap once you’ve learned a few tricks.
Read MoreAaron and I got together for a couple of beers on Friday evening. We wanted to discuss a fly-fishing excursion on the Guadalupe River, north of New Braunfels, Texas. The Guadalupe River holds the southernmost trout population in the United States and It also boasts the largest Trout Unlimited Chapter in the Nation.
Read MoreUpon tasting my first persimmon, I had a vision for preserving this sweet, creamy fruit. I imagined a thick, apricot colored jam, filled with exotic spices and smeared on warm sourdough bread. It took two years to attempt this vision, a vision that was met with a reality check.
Read MoreDespite the cold October morning, I felt quite warm and comfortable as I fired-up the vehicle in the morning darkness. Much to my delight, my girlfriend Ellen, chose to join me and my two friends, Dan and Ben, for a morning duck hunt on a tributary that flowed into the Allegheny River. It was still dark when Ellen and I pulled to the shoulder of the road, right behind Dan’s parked pickup.
Read MoreAs outdoor enthusiasts, we often find ourselves taking the path less trodden. We enjoy exploring back-roads, old forest roads, 4x4 trails, or exploring where there isn’t a trail at all. We use our vehicles in order to get to that remote fishing location or to find that secret campsite. But sometimes, exploring those remote locations can come at a price. Getting your vehicle stuck isn’t a matter of “if”, it’s a matter of “when”. In this video, I outline some basic vehicle recovery equipment that you should have in order to get yourself, or others, unstuck.
Read MoreThe joys of successful trapping are accompanied with the trials of finding time for processing the animal. The pelt of the furbearer you harvested will be dried and either shipped off to a fur auction, sold to a buyer, or tanned for display. However, the joys of everyday life won’t provide the average person with adequate time for the skinning and fleshing process...
Read MoreI was 16 years old when I started trapping in Minnesota. I knew there was something unique about it that hunting and fishing didn’t have. Unfortunately, no one in my family trapped, but I was lucky enough to have my friend’s father, Andy, teach me how to trap. I always enjoyed exploring the woods, fields, creeks, and marshes for animal sign, and trying to find the perfect place to set a trap with the correct bait and lure. Andy first taught me how to trap in the numerous lakes, streams, and rivers that Minnesota provides.
Read MoreOver the last four consecutive winters, my friend, Ashley, and I have taken turns either moving to or from Alaska. Every year whoever was moving somehow convinced the other to drop everything and accompany the 4,000+ mile road/ferry trip to/from the frozen north in the coldest, darkest depths of winter.
Read MoreBuying the right tires for your truck is the most important purchase you can make. With all the different makes, sizes, and styles on the market, picking the right tires can be challenging.
Read MoreI see you’re not from ‘round here,
But I’ll grant you fair discourse,
If you’ll lend, to me an ear,
For a story standing coarse
There are several of us at RGT that have trail-cameras. We use these devices for a variety of reasons. They help us decide where and when to hunt a certain area, they are used as an aid in wildlife research, and sometimes we just enjoy seeing what critters are roaming the wilds when we aren't able to be there physically.
Read MoreI was delighted when my sister, Madi, called me to say that she and her boyfriend, Ross, were coming down to visit us in Texas. They were coming in from Fairbanks, Alaska. It was the second week in December when they arrived, and the weather was wet and cold by Texas standards.
Read MoreDeciding to turn a stock vehicle into the ultimate adventure truck is no easy (or cheap) task. With a litany of parts available for almost any 4x4 on the market, its important to have a plan in place based on a specific application.
Read MoreI have a treestand location that’s basically just outside my backdoor that I call “Wi-Fi”. This stand got its name because it is close enough to my house that I still get a wi-fi connection from the router. Don’t let the fact that the stand skirts the tree line in my backyard fool you. This stand gets a lot of use, and many game animals have been seen and harvested from it. The close location of this stand to my house is extremely convenient, especially when time constraints from everyday life only allow for a short hunt after work. Because of this, “Wi-Fi” is my go-to hunting spot on the weekdays
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