This week’s plant for #WildEdibleWednesday is Sassafras albidium, or Sassafras. Out of all the hundreds of obscure edible and medicinal plants in the Eastern Woodlands that people can’t remember, sassafras stands out. Most people seem to at least be aware of sassafras, whether or not they know what it’s good for. Maybe it’s the name
The Kochanski SuperShelter is something you’ve heard of if you’ve been studying wilderness survival for any length of time. And you know that shelter is one of the Core Four survival priorities. Some would argue that it’s priority number one, although if you know us, you know that we don’t believe in hard and fast
Today’s plant for #WildEdibleWednesday is Viola sororia, or the Common Blue Violet. Beautiful yet often overlooked, violet is a useful and widespread edible and medicinal plant. I probably sound like a broken record by now, but this plant is yet another example of a common lawn “weed” that’s far more useful than bland, generic grass.
This week’s plant for #WildEdibleWednesday is the diverse and confusing Erigeron genus. Although there are many distinct species of plants in this genus, hailing from different continents, and consisting of annuals, biennials, and perennials, they all look very similar, have similar edible and medicinal uses, and all go by the same common name – Fleabane. We mentioned
This week’s plant for #WildEdibleWednesday is Mahonia beali, or the Leatherleaf Mahonia. Often overlooked as a bland landscape plant or an semi-invasive shrub, this is, in fact, a valuable medicinal plant with a fascinating backstory that involves plant smuggling and China’s Opium Wars. For me, this was another plant that I’d seen all my life
It’s that time again… riot season, sorry – election season. Regardless of who wins the presidency in a few weeks, we can hope everyone behaves themselves a little better than four years ago. However, if they don’t, here are some action steps to take to heart to help you prepare and make it home safe,
There are two schools of thought in work. One is the “there are no shortcuts, only hard work” school. The other is the “there’s always a smarter, faster way” school. Both are wrong. And both are right. It’s not an either/or. It’s a both/and. At the same time. Applied consistently, and correctly. The higher the
Land navigation is a core skill for anyone who spends a great deal of time outdoors. And if you’re Army or Marine Corps infantry, search & rescue, a game warden, or a park ranger, it’s a critical part of your job. But it’s also one of the outdoor skills that people struggle with the most.
One of the foundational aspects of being an entrepreneur is how intimately your business is tied to your personal life, for better or for worse. When things are good, they’re great. You’re crushing it. All of the pieces of your life are moving in unison, like a well-timed orchestra. The business supports and complements your
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the difference between wilderness survival and bushcraft as outdoor disciplines. You can check that post out here, but the bottom line is that wilderness survival is a tactical skill set, and survival is inherently an emergency. Bushcraft is a way of life that’s committed to keeping old-school skills
Survival Knives vs. Bushcraft Knives… What’s the Difference? Read More »
Oxeye daisy is today’s plant for #WildEdibleWednesday, also known as Leucanthemum vulgare. One of the most recognizable wildflowers in the world, daisies have been used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years. As a member of the Aster family (Asteraceae), their kin includes such medicinal luminaries as Chicory, Valerian, Liatris, Purple Aster, and Goldenrod,
Wood Sorrel is one of our favorite wild edibles, also known as Oxalis genus. The species pictured, and the most common one in our area, is Oxalis stricta, or Yellow-Flowered Wood Sorrel. Habitat and Identification Wood sorrel is one of our favorite wild edible and medicinal plants. Like so many of the plants we’ve featured,
In traditional societies around the world, every tribe had a shaman. He was a kind of hybrid between a natural healer and spiritual leader, and was deeply revered for his kinship with nature, and his ability to unlock the healing secrets of plants and mushrooms. If a member of the tribe had an illness, he
Lyre-leaf sage is this week’s plant for Wild Edible Wednesday, also known as Salvia lyrata. This plant is a polarizing one – some people love it as a wildflower and plant it in their gardens, and others call it a noxious weed and do everything they can to kill it. It’s a member of the
I confess, I can be an axe snob. SARCRAFT is a dealer for Hults Bruk and Council Tool, after all. And I probably brag a little too much about the vintage Gransfors splitter I rescued and restored. I’m also a shameless hoe for any classic American axe I come across at an antique store –
Today’s plant for Wild Edible Wednesday is Trifolium pratense, or Red Clover. Although closely related to white clover, it’s a far more powerful medicinal herb. And it may hold a legitimate cancer treatment in its leaves. And like chickweed or plantain, in addition to being medicinally valuable, red clover is another one of those wild
If you’re familiar with the 9 c’s of survivability that are popular in certain bushcraft videos and literature, you know that one of the items on the list is a candling device. Most people take that to mean a flashlight and leave it at that. And you do definitely need one of those. Unless you’re
This week’s plant for Wild Edible Wednesday is Glechoma hederacea, or Creeping Charlie. It goes by a whole host of weird alternate names, including Ground Ivy (the most common one), Gill-Over-the-Ground, Hedgemaid, Tun-hoof, Runaway Robin, Lizzy-Run-Up-the-Hedge, Catsfoot, and Alehoof. No, not kidding. It’s hard to say how those names came to be, other than people
We live in a society obsessed with hacks. We’re always looking for ways to optimize, streamline, shortcut, and “hack” everything we do, whether it’s our work habits, our health, or even our relationships. On one level, that’s fine. Time is short, and life is fleeting. If there’s a more efficient way to do something, without
This week’s plant for Wild Edible Wednesday is Purple Deadnettle, or Lamium purpureum. Although it sounds like an alt-metalcore band name (at least to me), purple dead nettle is another common “lawn weed” that you’ve probably walked by every day without knowing what it was. Closely related to Henbit purple dead nettle has a great
