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A fire reflector Fire A wall of green logs or a rock face behind the fire, so the heat comes back to you and your shelter instead of into the woods. Aiming off and catching features Navigation Missing your target on purpose so you know which way to turn, and picking a line on the map that tells you when you have gone too far. Axe and saw work Tools and Blades Cutting wood without cutting yourself, and keeping the edges alive. Bannock Camp Cooking Camp bread from a bag of flour, in a pan over coals or wrapped on a stick. Bark, moss and spruce gum Plants and Trees What the woods hand you for free: tinder, bedding, cordage, patching and a bit of rough medicine. Batoning and feather sticks Tools and Blades Splitting small wood with a knife and a stick, and carving curls that catch a flame when everything else is wet. Beavers and beaver ponds Animals and Tracks What beavers do to a stretch of country, and how their dams, ponds and lodges can help you or get in your way. Berries worth picking Food and Foraging The berries worth filling a bucket with, and the rule that keeps you safe. Blackflies, mosquitoes and ticks Animals and Tracks The small animals that ruin more trips than bears do, and how to keep them off you. Boots and rain gear Gear and Packs The two pieces that decide whether a wet day is a nuisance or a rescue. Bottled moose Food and Foraging Putting up moose in glass jars the safe way, with a pressure canner, so it keeps on the shelf all year. Bowline Knots and Rope The loop that will not slip and still unties after it has been loaded. Burns and blisters First Aid Cooling a burn properly, covering it, and stopping a blister before it ends the trip. Cabin power Off Grid Battery, panel and inverter, and how much you actually need. Calling for help on a phone Signals and Rescue Getting a call through from the woods, what to tell the 911 operator, and keeping the phone alive until they reach you. Calling moose Hunting Bringing a bull to you in the rut with a cow call, a grunt and a bit of noise in the brush, and where to sit while he comes. Camp kitchen and dishes Camp and Cabin Where to cook, how to keep it clean, and what to do with the washing water so nothing gets sick and nothing comes visiting. Camp stoves and fuel Camp and Cabin Which stove for which trip, and the rules that keep it from killing you. Canoe strokes Kayak and Canoe The handful of strokes that keep a canoe going straight, turn it, and move it sideways to a dock or away from a rock. Capsize and cold water Kayak and Canoe What cold water does to you, and how you get back in the boat. Carbon monoxide poisoning First Aid The gas you cannot see or smell. How it gets into a tent, a hut, a truck or a boat, the signs, and what to do. Carrying a firearm in the field Firearms The carries, which one to use with people ahead, behind or beside you, and how to get a firearm over a fence, up a bank and into a boat. Carrying and storing water Water How much to carry, what to carry it in, and how to keep a supply at camp or the cabin clean. Carving camp gear Tools and Blades Tent pegs, a pot hook, a spoon and a pot lifter, made with a knife and a bit of wood. Casting a fly Fishing The overhead cast and the roll cast, for trout and salmon on a brook, a river or a pond. Catching rainwater Water Turning a tarp, a roof or a tree into a water source when it rains, and keeping what you catch clean. Cattails Plants and Trees The tall marsh plant with the brown seed head. Something to eat in every season, and fluff that catches a spark. Choosing a knife Tools and Blades The one knife that does most camp and field work, what to look for, and how to use it without cutting yourself. Choosing a tent Gear and Packs What makes a tent stand up to our wind and rain, and how to pick the right size, weight and kind for the trips you actually take. Cleaning a rifle Firearms A safe, simple clean after the range or the hunt, and keeping a rifle working through wet and cold. Cleaning your catch Fishing Gutting a trout on the bank, keeping it cold, and what the law wants left on the fish. Closing and opening the cabin Off Grid Shutting the cabin down for the winter so nothing freezes, rots or moves in, and opening it again in the spring without a nasty surprise. Clove hitch and timber hitch Knots and Rope Two quick hitches for poles and logs: the clove hitch to tie off to a post and start a lashing, the timber hitch to drag a log out of the woods. Coiling and caring for rope Knots and Rope Coiling a rope so it comes off clean next time, sealing the ends, keeping it dry, and knowing when a rope is done. Cooking on coals Camp Cooking Cooking on a fire without burning the outside and leaving the middle raw. Cooking trout Camp Cooking Pan fried, in foil or on a stick: three ways to cook a fresh trout over a fire and know when it is done. Coyotes and foxes Animals and Tracks The two wild dogs you will meet here, how to tell them apart, and what to do when one comes too close to you, your camp or your dog. Cuts and infection First Aid Cleaning a knife or axe cut properly in the field, closing and covering it, and knowing the signs that it has gone bad. Debris shelter Shelter A shelter built with nothing but what is lying on the ground. Dutch oven cooking Camp Cooking Baking, stewing and roasting in a heavy cast iron pot with coals under it and on the lid. Emergency bivy and space blanket Shelter The light shelter that lives in the day pack for the night you did not plan, and how to get the most warmth out of it. Fiddleheads Plants and Trees The spring shoots of the ostrich fern: how to know them, how to pick them, and the cooking that keeps you from getting sick. Field dressing Hunting Getting the animal opened, cooled and clean before the meat turns. Finding water Water Where the water is when there is none in front of you. Fire in wet weather Fire Getting a fire going when it has rained for three days and everything on the ground is soaked. Fire safety in camp and at the cabin Fire Alarms, an extinguisher, two ways out, and what to do in the first minute when a tent, a pot or a cabin catches. Fire without matches Fire Getting a flame when the matches are gone or soaked. Firewood for the stove Camp and Cabin What burns, how to season it, and how to stack it so it stays dry. Fish and brewis Camp Cooking Salt fish and hard bread with scrunchions: the old Newfoundland meal made from food that keeps without a fridge. Fishing knots Fishing Four knots that tie on a hook, a lure or a leader and hold a good trout, and how to tie them so they do not slip. Fixing gear in the field Tools and Blades The small kit that turns a ruined trip into an annoying afternoon. Flares and strobes Signals and Rescue Signals that show up at night and across water, how to use them, and when to save them. Fog and coastal wind Weather and Sky Why the fog comes in over the headland, what the wind does around it, and how to move in both. Freezing rain and ice Weather and Sky Rain that freezes the moment it lands. It glazes the ground, bends the trees and brings down the power. Frostbite First Aid Catching frozen skin early, warming it the right way, and the one rule about when not to thaw it. Getting found Signals and Rescue Whistle, mirror, fire and beacon, and what searchers are actually looking for. GPS and phone navigation Navigation Using a phone or a GPS in the woods with no signal: maps saved before you go, battery kept alive, and the paper map still in the pack. Ground to air signals Signals and Rescue Big shapes on open ground that a plane or helicopter can read, and the few codes worth knowing. Hammock camping Gear and Packs Sleeping off the ground: hanging a hammock level and safe, and keeping warm and dry in it. Hanging and cooling meat Hunting Getting the heat out of an animal fast and keeping the meat cool, clean and dry until it is cut up. Hauling a toboggan Winter and Cold Pulling your gear on a sled instead of carrying it: how to load it, rig it and keep it from running you down on the hills. Heating with wood Off Grid Running a wood stove at the cabin: dry wood, a clean chimney, ashes put away right, and what to do if the chimney catches. Hunter orange and being seen Hunting Being seen by other hunters is the cheapest safety there is. What to wear, and how to move and carry game in the fall woods. Hurricanes and fall storms Weather and Sky The storms that come up the coast from the south in late summer and fall, what they do when they get here, and how to be off the water and ready before they land. Hypothermia First Aid Spotting it and turning it around before it takes the decisions away. Ice fishing a pond Fishing Trout through the ice: testing it, cutting a hole, and staying warm while you jig. Jerky and dried meat Food and Foraging Lean moose, caribou or beef cut thin, heated safe, and dried into light food that rides in a pack. Jigging for cod Fishing Handlining a cod up off the bottom from a small boat, the old Newfoundland way, in the recreational food fishery. Joining two ropes Knots and Rope The sheet bend for a quick join that unties easily, and the double fisherman's for one that stays put. Keeping a fire overnight Fire Banking the coals so there is fire in the morning instead of a match hunt. Keeping animals out of camp Animals and Tracks Food, smell and where you put them: the whole of it. Bears, foxes, jays and mice all read the same sign. Keeping clean in camp Camp and Cabin Washing, the toilet and clean hands, so a trip does not end with a sick camp. Keeping food cold Food and Foraging Coolers, snowbanks and brooks: keeping meat, fish and milk safe with no fridge, and when to throw it out. Keeping gear working in the cold Winter and Cold Batteries, fuel, water and zippers all quit before you do. Knots that do everything Knots and Rope Four more knots and you can rig near enough anything. Labrador tea Plants and Trees The low bog shrub with rusty wool under its leaves, how to be sure it is the right one, and how to make a weak, safe cup. Lanterns and headlamps Camp and Cabin Light for camp and the trail, what runs it, and keeping it going when the nights are long and cold. Layering for cold Winter and Cold Three layers, staying dry, and what to do the minute you stop moving. Leaving a trip plan Signals and Rescue The piece of paper that starts the search before anybody misses you. Lifejackets and boat kit Kayak and Canoe The PFD you actually wear, how it should fit, and the kit the law asks for in a canoe or kayak. Lightning and storms Weather and Sky Seeing a thunderstorm coming, where to be when it hits, and when it is safe again. Loading a canoe Kayak and Canoe Where the weight goes, how to tie it in, and how to get off the beach without swamping. Making water safe Water Boiling, filtering and treating water so it does not put you down. Matching ammunition Firearms The right cartridge for the gun every time, and how to keep ammunition dry, sorted and apart from the guns. Moose and bear Animals and Tracks What to do when you meet the two that matter on this island. Mussels and seaweed Food and Foraging What the shore gives you on this island, and the one thing that decides whether you eat it. Natural shelter Shelter Using what is already standing: a rock overhang, a thick stand of tuckamore, the lee of a big spruce or the roots of a blown down tree. Navigating without a compass Navigation Holding a direction with the sun, the land and the water. One match fire Fire Getting a fire lit on the first match in wet woods. One pot meals Camp Cooking Hot food from one pot, with what keeps in a pack and what to do when the fire is only coals. Pacing and judging distance Navigation Knowing how far you have walked by counting your steps and watching the clock, so the map and the ground stay matched. Packing a backpack Gear and Packs Where everything goes so the pack rides on your hips, stays dry, and gives you what you need without unpacking it all. Packing food for a trip Food and Foraging How much to bring, what keeps, and how to pack it so every meal is easy to find. Paddling a kayak Kayak and Canoe The strokes, the brace and the rescues that let you take a kayak along the shore and get back in when it goes over. Picking a campsite Camp and Cabin What to look at before you drop the pack for the night. Pitching a tent in wind Shelter Getting a tent up and keeping it up when the wind is trying to take it off the barrens. Plants to leave alone Plants and Trees The poisonous plants that grow where we walk, and the one rule that keeps you safe. Portaging and lining Kayak and Canoe Getting the boat past what you cannot paddle: carrying it, or walking it through on ropes. Propane and carbon monoxide Off Grid Running propane at a cabin without gassing yourself, and the alarms that tell you before you feel it. Putting a fire out Fire Drown it, stir it, feel it: making sure a campfire is dead out before you leave, and why the ground here can hold fire for days. Radios and beacons Signals and Rescue What actually reaches somebody when the phone shows no bars. Reading a forecast Weather and Sky Where to get the real forecast, what watches and warnings mean, and how to read wind and rain numbers before you go. Reading a topo map Navigation Seeing hills, valleys and bogs in the brown lines, and knowing how far a centimetre really is. Reading the sky Weather and Sky Seeing weather coming before it reaches you. Reading tracks and sign Animals and Tracks Who walked here and when: tracks, droppings, browse and the other marks animals leave. Rose hips Plants and Trees The red fruit of wild roses: where to find them, when to pick, and getting the hairy seeds out. Running a generator Off Grid Sizing a generator, where it sits, fuel and oil, and the two mistakes that kill people: running it inside and feeding the cabin through a wall plug. Safe gun handling Firearms The rules that never change, and where storage and transport sit. Salting and drying fish Food and Foraging Salt fish the old way: split, salted, and dried in the sun and wind so it keeps without a fridge. Sharpening a knife Tools and Blades Getting a working edge back with a stone and a bit of patience. Sharpening an axe Tools and Blades A file to shape the edge, a stone to finish it, and a few strokes with the stone every day in camp to keep it biting. Shot placement and the follow up Hunting Where to put it, when to wait, and how to track what you hit. Shotgun basics Firearms Gauges, chokes and shells, and patterning the gun so you know where it throws its shot. Sighting in a rifle Firearms Getting the scope honest at the range so the shot in the country is clean. Signal fires and smoke Signals and Rescue A fire laid ready in the open, lit the moment you hear an aircraft: smoke by day, flame by night. Sleeping bags and pads Gear and Packs What keeps you warm at night is the pad under you as much as the bag over you. Small game and birds Hunting Rabbit, partridge and duck, and getting them home clean. Snow shelter Shelter Digging in when the wind is up and there is nothing to build with. Snow trench Shelter The fastest snow shelter there is: a slot dug in the snow, roofed over, out of the wind in under an hour. Snowmobile travel Winter and Cold Getting in and out of the country on a machine in winter, and what to carry when it quits miles from the truck. Snowshoes and breaking trail Winter and Cold Picking a pair, strapping in, and moving through deep snow without wearing yourself out. Splinting a break First Aid Holding a broken bone or a bad sprain still enough to move on it. Staying hydrated Water How much to drink, how to tell you are running low, and why cold weather dries you out as fast as a hot day. Still hunting and glassing Hunting Moving slow through the woods and working the country with binoculars, so you see the animal before it sees you. Stopping bad bleeding First Aid What you do in the first two minutes when the blood will not stop. Storing and moving firearms Firearms Locked, unloaded, separate, and out of sight, every time. Taking and walking a bearing Navigation Map and compass to a place you cannot see from where you stand. Tarp lean to Shelter The fastest roof over your head with a tarp and a length of cord. Tarp lines and lashings Knots and Rope Getting a ridgeline tight and a load tied so it stays tied. The boil up Camp Cooking A kettle on a small fire in the woods, a cup of tea and a bite to eat. The Newfoundland way to stop for lunch. The day pack Gear and Packs What lives in the bag all year, for the day trip that turns into a night out. The toilet in the woods Camp and Cabin Where to go, how to dig the hole, what to wipe with, and how to carry it out when the ground is rock or frozen. Travelling on snow and ice Winter and Cold Reading ice, breaking trail, and what to do when you go through. Tree well shelter Shelter Using the hollow under a big spruce or fir in deep snow: a roof already there, and boughs all around to finish it. Trees worth knowing Plants and Trees The trees that give you fire, shelter and material here. Trouting a brook Fishing Fishing running water: where trout hold in a brook, walking it upstream, and letting the bait go down with the current. Trouting a pond Fishing Brook trout on a small pond, what to bring and where they hold. Trucker's hitch Knots and Rope The rope pulley that cinches a load, a canoe or a ridge line drum tight and still lets go when you want it to. Water and waste at a cabin Off Grid Getting water in, keeping it from freezing, and putting the dirty water and the rest out of the way. Water in winter Water Getting drinking water when everything is frozen. Water not to drink Water Salt water, scummy ponds, runoff below mines and roads, and the other water that boiling and filters will not fix. When you are lost Navigation Stopping, working out where you are, and walking yourself back out. Winter camping Winter and Cold Sleeping warm in the snow: what goes under you, what goes in the bag with you, and how to wake up with water that is not frozen.