I know you have covered it in past articles and it’s a somewhat divisive topic but I would appreciate more hunting focused articles. I am not a hunter myself but would like to get into it as I see it as a more ethical and sometimes more sustainable way to consume meat. This coming year I have committed to cutting back my meat consumption to only things I have harvested, so it looks like I may be a vegetarian.
Appreciate all your articles, keep up the great work
I’d be interested in reading more about your thoughts on developing and living up to a personal ethic on a variety of topics, such as a work ethic, land use ethic, an ability to be generally capable in a variety of situations (i.e. skill development).
Another topic of interest: functional fitness routines for people who have other things to do in life aside from working out/being an athlete (work, social obligations, family, etc)
Perhaps it's because our spare bedroom turns into a mess of hunting, fishing and cycling gear every fall, I'd love some ideas on organizing a gear closet/garage/workshop.
Also, I'm running a chest rig from FHF Gear these days for carrying a pistol (and InReach, phone, wallet, etc.) when I'm hunting. Any thoughts on other chest rigs?
Just life in remote locations. I know both of us "escaped " from more urbanized areas.
I spent the first quarter of my life in rural farm life. The second quarter in an increasingly sub urbanized county that could not support that type of endeavor. I kept moving to states that were more rural. Now I live off the grid in in the Southern Rockies in a county that is still losing population. It's not 21st Century Jeremiah Johnson, but you still have to figure out how to manage many projects on your own or with other Jeremiahs down the road. And keep the balance sheet clean.
I like your EDC, sort of base camp/around town gear reviews. I'm not a hunter or overlander myself, so the super technical stuff sails safely over my head, but I enjoy the detail you put into to all your reviews and lists.
How about gear and techniques for personal hygiene in the outdoors, whether hiking, hunting, or camping? For example, gear like portable toilets, sinks, showers, towels, wipes, etc. and techniques like dealing with contact lenses, etc.
Beginner/generalist gear. I want to be able to backpack and (eventually) hunt without having to have a discrete system for each. Like when you recommended the Filson raincoat as good for everything, and it has been!
Not sure if it's really in your wheelhouse, but thru-hiking is my current passion. So "all things ultralight". That includes ultralight packs, bags, pads, clothing, cook gear, shelters, etc.
It would also carry over into the area of nutrition ... how to create ultralight nutrition that'll enable one to hike 20-30 miles per day .. day after day after day.
Regarding pack weight ... it's generally considered "ultralight" if you can get your base weight (EVERYTHING except food, water, and what you're wearing while hiking) down to under 10 pounds.
As for food, the ideal weight of food/ day is in the 1.5 - 2 pound area.
But again ... this niche might be too specialized for your audience. That being said .. maybe some of the concepts and specific gear of ultralight backpacking would be of interest to your readers.
Some ideas for not crazy adventures that can lead to a love of the outdoors and eventually crazy adventures. I hiked, backpacked, and camped all over growing up, but my kids are really young (under 6), so would love to find ways to get them to that same place as they grow older. Currently have them skiing and car camping. Think they're ready for something between backcountry and car camping, but I have no idea what that is (avid hikers, but they're legs are tiny so 3-4 miles is our limit).
Also love your gear recommendations. They're so much more practical and reality based than most others.
I think it would be useful to build off of your thread about gun safety and expand it to how to effectively engage anti-hunters and help them understand ethical and safe hunting and gun ownership. I think our society is fragmented into hard siloes on so many topics and the only way to break down the siloes and our hardened positions is through positive engagement. I would love to hear how you and others have created positive dialogue/engagement.
Why everyone should get into shooting firearms or archery even if they don't ever plan on hunting. Easier said than done on the firearms side, of course, but I believe (though you may disagree) that the more people who see firearms as basic tools to perform specific tasks (hunting an animal, breaking a clay target, protection in bear country), the fewer people will buy into the bullshit mythologizing of these tools as promoted by many in the gun industry and a bunch of right-wing shitheads.
Maybe a bit of a curveball, but how has the philosophy of “sex sells” been used differently in all the industries you’ve covered? Has that changed w/ the rise of social media and changing values? My wife and I were riffing on this driving back from camping, specifically the big differences among automotive, hunting and climbing advertising/influencing.
I want a 9 part series on how Hi Lifts are ornamental bullshit on 99% of trucks/Jeeps.
(Half kidding)
Maybe interview other adventure/overlanders who seem to do well on the road, and dive into how they make it work, what they eat, how they plan where to go next? Find the right folks and it could be interesting (like GoneDirtin)
Wes - I first discovered you through your motorcycle writing back when you were living in LA. Do you have any thoughts on the state of the industry these days? On the one hand, I would think that motorcycles be a great fit for the EV evolution we're seeing (especially considering the explosion of e-bikes and success from companies like Zero), but I also don't get the sense that there are many young riders joining the ranks these days.
Any and all large dog related articles are appreciated. We have recently retired and have begun traveling in our airstream more with two dogs. Also, I love the hunting articles. I own 98.3% of the women’s Sitka hunting gear. I love their stuff, especially the overalls, took a nap on a rock on a cold windy Spanish hillside while hunting for ibex. I am about to transition from freeze dried raw to real raw food for my 80 pound and 8 pound dogs. Thanks for the chicken legs at Costco tip. Gear reviews are always interesting to read, even though we aren’t backpackers. Do you hunt with your girlfriend? THAT would be a great article!
1. Tips for packing up tents when just moving to a new campsite (the moments when one wishes or a rooftop tent but has a hard time justifying because of amount of use, the cost, and off-vehicle storage challenges).
2. After market front camera solutions for offroad vehicles without an OEM one (ahem, current generation Ranger) - particularly for when the nose of the vehicle is pointing up making it hard to see whats coming.
3. Mobile radios for backcountry resource roads (forest service roads up here in British Columbia) - I struggle with the gap between handheld ones that are hard to hear clearly on, and the built-in ones that are not really needed enough of the time to justify (plus I don't want to leave it in a street-parked vehicle).
There might not be much to say about any the above - just brainstorming, plus I don't know what it is that I don't know.
Schools that focus on outdoor trips, farming, etc. Arthur Morgan School in NC just taught the middle school students to raise and slaughter their own turkeys for thanksgiving - and they do 3-8 day backpacking trips often with children who've never hiked before. happy to make a connection if you're interested.
I've tried most of the recipes you've shared - but need some more ideas. My wife does most of the cooking, but I'm working to share the load as we're both full time teachers and parents. How about a recipe-of-the-week or even a complete cookbook? I'd buy it!
How about roadside recovery such as tire repair, ditch recovery, snow recovery, basic 72 hour survival pack or go-bag contents if stuck in a snow storm (or Canadian mudslide)
Wheels and optimal wheel diameters,for offloading and (separately, rock crawling offload). best sizes. - I have 4runner with 20" wheels - Should I go to 17"?
You've done a great job with tires, but please talk about Bead grip wheels, e.g. Method The 705 Bead Grip
I’d love to see an unbiased knife review. There are so many out there and all excel at different things. And selfishly I’d love to see our Rewild Gear Gasper 4 included in that review, as IMHO it’s the best on the market as an all around camping, hunting knife.
Tons of amazing ones there already, like Benchmade, ESSE, White River, Argali, etc. just think you’d have a great perspective on this as an unbiased outside observer….
I lucked into a couple of hand-me-down kayaks and am slowly starting to discover how to use them for quick weekend adventures in urban and suburban areas. It was a little more intimidating than I would have thought pre-kayak-ownership. Maybe an article on what it takes to throw a kayak on your car and go somewhere, paddle, and come back?
Been following since ye olde Jalopnik, and I understand well enough that you have amassed plenty of content on Outside (the majority of which was written in a way that the fundamental approaches you conveyed will stay relevant for a long time). Therefore, perhaps more niche content about your areas of expertise that doesn't exactly overlap with what's already available on Outside (thereby also avoiding any conflicts of interest), or a more personal understanding (without oversharing, of course) of your outlook on life (i.e. looking back at bikes, business decisions, personal relationships, aging etc with your current mindset) could be a nice foray into "learn from the triumphs and tribulations of others" without being "preachy" or, how should I put this... tabloidy?
In a recent piece you said you believe, controversially as you said, that because we are past the point of no return for catastrophic climate change, you'd taken a position along the lines of preparing for it/reacting to it in your own life without relying on hope for societal change. I tend to agree with that position, but I'm super curious what your philosophy/plans/thoughts are on that beyond your choice to be kid-free. Kind of a "How I'm trying to climate-shock-proof my life." Maybe replace "shock-proof" with "insulate my family against climate change," or "plan for an old age with increased climate risks", whatever phrase fits your point of view on it.
For me, that'd be where I am planning to move in the next few years, what the criteria are for choosing that (e.g. projected climate risks), what kinds of communities I participate in, and then even "prepper super-lite" stuff like making sure I know how to fix things or go without if supply chain disruptions and infrastructure blips keep me from getting certain goods, stuff like that.
2) How to effectively talk with ultra conservative people you meet in the conservation/outdoors world about liberal politics/positions - or how to get that stranger in the blind spouting off sexist minsogynst homophobic bs to shut up
3) How to best outfit a vehicle for the monthly backcountry trip - I'd go all out if I lived somewhere more remote/mountainous than I do, but given I don't I get stuck on what I should prioritize/or not
4) I'd love to read articles on the intersections of X/hunting, ie economic class and bird hunting
An article discussing how to be realistic with one’s vehicle needs. Most people (at least from my own experience) own waaaay to much vehicle for what they actually do (ie: people who own wranglers who only drive on pavement or fire roads)
Perhaps discuss how you got into journalism, and if you weren’t in journalism, what you would be doing instead. I’d be interested in your opinion/perspective on the book “under the sky we make”, if you’re into doing book reviews that is. Opinions/thoughts on how to get lower-income and lower-education individuals into the outdoors, and not in the exploitive/damaging way that the stereotypical redneck enjoys the outdoors.
How about how an older adult can get introduced to hunting. Where and how to start. I didn't have family members who hunted growing up.
I know you have covered it in past articles and it’s a somewhat divisive topic but I would appreciate more hunting focused articles. I am not a hunter myself but would like to get into it as I see it as a more ethical and sometimes more sustainable way to consume meat. This coming year I have committed to cutting back my meat consumption to only things I have harvested, so it looks like I may be a vegetarian.
Appreciate all your articles, keep up the great work
I’d be interested in reading more about your thoughts on developing and living up to a personal ethic on a variety of topics, such as a work ethic, land use ethic, an ability to be generally capable in a variety of situations (i.e. skill development).
Another topic of interest: functional fitness routines for people who have other things to do in life aside from working out/being an athlete (work, social obligations, family, etc)
Perhaps it's because our spare bedroom turns into a mess of hunting, fishing and cycling gear every fall, I'd love some ideas on organizing a gear closet/garage/workshop.
Also, I'm running a chest rig from FHF Gear these days for carrying a pistol (and InReach, phone, wallet, etc.) when I'm hunting. Any thoughts on other chest rigs?
Just life in remote locations. I know both of us "escaped " from more urbanized areas.
I spent the first quarter of my life in rural farm life. The second quarter in an increasingly sub urbanized county that could not support that type of endeavor. I kept moving to states that were more rural. Now I live off the grid in in the Southern Rockies in a county that is still losing population. It's not 21st Century Jeremiah Johnson, but you still have to figure out how to manage many projects on your own or with other Jeremiahs down the road. And keep the balance sheet clean.
Anything that will encourage people to be better people, to respect others, and generally get along with everyone else...
I like your EDC, sort of base camp/around town gear reviews. I'm not a hunter or overlander myself, so the super technical stuff sails safely over my head, but I enjoy the detail you put into to all your reviews and lists.
Tips for sighting in a rifle? First time owner of a rifle with scope.
How about gear and techniques for personal hygiene in the outdoors, whether hiking, hunting, or camping? For example, gear like portable toilets, sinks, showers, towels, wipes, etc. and techniques like dealing with contact lenses, etc.
Ideas in no particular order
Places in the US you would take an adventurous group of Scouts - or kids in general
Electric vehicles (read: trucks) and overlanding
State of the outdoor/wilderness recreation industry, post-COVID or once COVID becomes endemic
“If I ran the National Park Service for a day, I would…”
Introduction to overlanding + overlanding safety!
Beginner/generalist gear. I want to be able to backpack and (eventually) hunt without having to have a discrete system for each. Like when you recommended the Filson raincoat as good for everything, and it has been!
Backpacking gear that's good for hunting & throughiking, EDC gear that's always handy, that kinda thing. Stuff like https://gizmodo.com/how-to-pack-a-backpack-1673275587 https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/hiking-gear/why-you-dont-want-or-need-ultralight-backpack/ or the article where you recommended the REI 38L backpack that I can't find now...
Not sure if it's really in your wheelhouse, but thru-hiking is my current passion. So "all things ultralight". That includes ultralight packs, bags, pads, clothing, cook gear, shelters, etc.
It would also carry over into the area of nutrition ... how to create ultralight nutrition that'll enable one to hike 20-30 miles per day .. day after day after day.
Regarding pack weight ... it's generally considered "ultralight" if you can get your base weight (EVERYTHING except food, water, and what you're wearing while hiking) down to under 10 pounds.
As for food, the ideal weight of food/ day is in the 1.5 - 2 pound area.
But again ... this niche might be too specialized for your audience. That being said .. maybe some of the concepts and specific gear of ultralight backpacking would be of interest to your readers.
Some ideas for not crazy adventures that can lead to a love of the outdoors and eventually crazy adventures. I hiked, backpacked, and camped all over growing up, but my kids are really young (under 6), so would love to find ways to get them to that same place as they grow older. Currently have them skiing and car camping. Think they're ready for something between backcountry and car camping, but I have no idea what that is (avid hikers, but they're legs are tiny so 3-4 miles is our limit).
Also love your gear recommendations. They're so much more practical and reality based than most others.
I think it would be useful to build off of your thread about gun safety and expand it to how to effectively engage anti-hunters and help them understand ethical and safe hunting and gun ownership. I think our society is fragmented into hard siloes on so many topics and the only way to break down the siloes and our hardened positions is through positive engagement. I would love to hear how you and others have created positive dialogue/engagement.
In context of four wheel drive off-highway travel, I am interested in emergency communications, vehicle recovery, and personal survival strategies.
Get back into motorcycling and adventure motorcycling? May be build a bike the same way you built out the Ranger?
Why everyone should get into shooting firearms or archery even if they don't ever plan on hunting. Easier said than done on the firearms side, of course, but I believe (though you may disagree) that the more people who see firearms as basic tools to perform specific tasks (hunting an animal, breaking a clay target, protection in bear country), the fewer people will buy into the bullshit mythologizing of these tools as promoted by many in the gun industry and a bunch of right-wing shitheads.
Maybe a bit of a curveball, but how has the philosophy of “sex sells” been used differently in all the industries you’ve covered? Has that changed w/ the rise of social media and changing values? My wife and I were riffing on this driving back from camping, specifically the big differences among automotive, hunting and climbing advertising/influencing.
I want a 9 part series on how Hi Lifts are ornamental bullshit on 99% of trucks/Jeeps.
(Half kidding)
Maybe interview other adventure/overlanders who seem to do well on the road, and dive into how they make it work, what they eat, how they plan where to go next? Find the right folks and it could be interesting (like GoneDirtin)
Topic Idea:
Wes - I first discovered you through your motorcycle writing back when you were living in LA. Do you have any thoughts on the state of the industry these days? On the one hand, I would think that motorcycles be a great fit for the EV evolution we're seeing (especially considering the explosion of e-bikes and success from companies like Zero), but I also don't get the sense that there are many young riders joining the ranks these days.
Any and all large dog related articles are appreciated. We have recently retired and have begun traveling in our airstream more with two dogs. Also, I love the hunting articles. I own 98.3% of the women’s Sitka hunting gear. I love their stuff, especially the overalls, took a nap on a rock on a cold windy Spanish hillside while hunting for ibex. I am about to transition from freeze dried raw to real raw food for my 80 pound and 8 pound dogs. Thanks for the chicken legs at Costco tip. Gear reviews are always interesting to read, even though we aren’t backpackers. Do you hunt with your girlfriend? THAT would be a great article!
Some ideas:
1. Tips for packing up tents when just moving to a new campsite (the moments when one wishes or a rooftop tent but has a hard time justifying because of amount of use, the cost, and off-vehicle storage challenges).
2. After market front camera solutions for offroad vehicles without an OEM one (ahem, current generation Ranger) - particularly for when the nose of the vehicle is pointing up making it hard to see whats coming.
3. Mobile radios for backcountry resource roads (forest service roads up here in British Columbia) - I struggle with the gap between handheld ones that are hard to hear clearly on, and the built-in ones that are not really needed enough of the time to justify (plus I don't want to leave it in a street-parked vehicle).
There might not be much to say about any the above - just brainstorming, plus I don't know what it is that I don't know.
I would be interested to get your opinion on the more primitive hunting methods, archery and muzzeloading.
Schools that focus on outdoor trips, farming, etc. Arthur Morgan School in NC just taught the middle school students to raise and slaughter their own turkeys for thanksgiving - and they do 3-8 day backpacking trips often with children who've never hiked before. happy to make a connection if you're interested.
I've tried most of the recipes you've shared - but need some more ideas. My wife does most of the cooking, but I'm working to share the load as we're both full time teachers and parents. How about a recipe-of-the-week or even a complete cookbook? I'd buy it!
How about roadside recovery such as tire repair, ditch recovery, snow recovery, basic 72 hour survival pack or go-bag contents if stuck in a snow storm (or Canadian mudslide)
Wheels and optimal wheel diameters,for offloading and (separately, rock crawling offload). best sizes. - I have 4runner with 20" wheels - Should I go to 17"?
You've done a great job with tires, but please talk about Bead grip wheels, e.g. Method The 705 Bead Grip
I’d love to see an unbiased knife review. There are so many out there and all excel at different things. And selfishly I’d love to see our Rewild Gear Gasper 4 included in that review, as IMHO it’s the best on the market as an all around camping, hunting knife.
Tons of amazing ones there already, like Benchmade, ESSE, White River, Argali, etc. just think you’d have a great perspective on this as an unbiased outside observer….
Hi Wes- I'd love to see a list of books/reading that you've enjoyed/would recommend . Thank you
I lucked into a couple of hand-me-down kayaks and am slowly starting to discover how to use them for quick weekend adventures in urban and suburban areas. It was a little more intimidating than I would have thought pre-kayak-ownership. Maybe an article on what it takes to throw a kayak on your car and go somewhere, paddle, and come back?
Been following since ye olde Jalopnik, and I understand well enough that you have amassed plenty of content on Outside (the majority of which was written in a way that the fundamental approaches you conveyed will stay relevant for a long time). Therefore, perhaps more niche content about your areas of expertise that doesn't exactly overlap with what's already available on Outside (thereby also avoiding any conflicts of interest), or a more personal understanding (without oversharing, of course) of your outlook on life (i.e. looking back at bikes, business decisions, personal relationships, aging etc with your current mindset) could be a nice foray into "learn from the triumphs and tribulations of others" without being "preachy" or, how should I put this... tabloidy?
In a recent piece you said you believe, controversially as you said, that because we are past the point of no return for catastrophic climate change, you'd taken a position along the lines of preparing for it/reacting to it in your own life without relying on hope for societal change. I tend to agree with that position, but I'm super curious what your philosophy/plans/thoughts are on that beyond your choice to be kid-free. Kind of a "How I'm trying to climate-shock-proof my life." Maybe replace "shock-proof" with "insulate my family against climate change," or "plan for an old age with increased climate risks", whatever phrase fits your point of view on it.
For me, that'd be where I am planning to move in the next few years, what the criteria are for choosing that (e.g. projected climate risks), what kinds of communities I participate in, and then even "prepper super-lite" stuff like making sure I know how to fix things or go without if supply chain disruptions and infrastructure blips keep me from getting certain goods, stuff like that.
1) Travel + hunting
2) How to effectively talk with ultra conservative people you meet in the conservation/outdoors world about liberal politics/positions - or how to get that stranger in the blind spouting off sexist minsogynst homophobic bs to shut up
3) How to best outfit a vehicle for the monthly backcountry trip - I'd go all out if I lived somewhere more remote/mountainous than I do, but given I don't I get stuck on what I should prioritize/or not
4) I'd love to read articles on the intersections of X/hunting, ie economic class and bird hunting
5) book recommendations!
An article discussing how to be realistic with one’s vehicle needs. Most people (at least from my own experience) own waaaay to much vehicle for what they actually do (ie: people who own wranglers who only drive on pavement or fire roads)
Perhaps discuss how you got into journalism, and if you weren’t in journalism, what you would be doing instead. I’d be interested in your opinion/perspective on the book “under the sky we make”, if you’re into doing book reviews that is. Opinions/thoughts on how to get lower-income and lower-education individuals into the outdoors, and not in the exploitive/damaging way that the stereotypical redneck enjoys the outdoors.
Interested if you have used mesh long underwear. I am a big guy and just walking to the ski slope in merino and a mid-layer I am soaked.
What boots are in your rotation?
I'm fascinated with PK Grills which I think are pretty ideal for dispersed camping adventures and are more affordable than your usual grill reviews.