Closest call you’ve ever had outside. Weather, wildlife, navigation — whatever. I’ll share mine in the comments.

Drop your favorite under-$20 piece of outdoor gear. The little stuff that punches way above its price. 👇

Many years ago I heard about a tragic incident involving a friend of mine, an experienced guide who knew the mountains well. He had camped with his group in what looked like the safest place imaginable — a dry riverbed that hadn’t seen water for at least seven years. On hot nights it was a favourite spot: sheltered by huge boulders, soft with dry river sand, and always completely still. That night, everyone went to sleep as usual. Around 3am a wall of water tore through the valley without warning. My friend never heard it coming. Some members of his group were woken by the distant roar and managed to scramble up the bank to safety, forced to watch helplessly as his 4x4 and safari trailer were swept away with him inside. The flood hadn’t come from their valley at all. A thunderstorm had broken more than 60 miles away in another mountain range, sending a sudden surge of water racing downstream into what had seemed like a harmless, bone‑dry riverbed. Here is an example of a smaller but powerful flash flood: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1KCDndrbU3/

This week I want to recognize @Gareth Parkes 🌲🔥 Gareth doesn't just show up — he teaches. And when he teaches, people pay attention. If you missed his Storm Water post, go back and read it. He shared a story about a friend, an experienced guide, who camped in a dry riverbed that hadn't seen water in seven years. A storm broke 60 miles away, and a wall of water came through at 3 a.m. His friend didn't make it. That's not a campfire story. That's a lesson that could save somebody's life out there. 👉 https://www.skool.com/camping-wilderness-skool/storm-water?p=a828250b Gareth brings perspective most of us don't have — writing in from Eastbourne, England, with experience that stretches across Europe and Africa. Different terrain, different conditions, real-world lessons earned the hard way. And he shares it without ego. Just steady contribution. The Persimmon Jelly recipe in the Camp Kitchen. The Lion Roar share. The Storm Water warning. He shows up to make the rest of us sharper. That's exactly what this community is built on. @Gareth Parkes — appreciate you bringing the depth and the warnings nobody else in the group could give. 🤝 Gareth is also building The Wildlife Lens — a warm community for naturalists and photographers who'd rather be out there. If you like getting outside with a camera or just want a different lens on the wild, his community is worth a look 👇 https://www.skool.com/the-wildlife-lens-3119/about?ref=e090755b399a401f94793a80b9c6e175 Where the Map Ends, The WILD begins!! Stay Rugged.

You plan a trip. Maps in one app. Gear list in another. Skills you meant to learn got skipped. Nobody knows when you're supposed to be back. Me too. Every trip. So I'm about to build Camping Wilderness Skills — ONE CWS app for the whole loop: Before: App flags your skill gaps for THIS trip, pulls the right Blackwater lessons, builds a gear list with the WHY on every item. Packing: One tap downloads maps, lessons, itinerary — everything works with zero service. Field: GPS without cell towers. Live location share with your crew. Battery-aware tracking. Your Coach (AI): Knows your trip, your skill level, what you've completed. Answers specific to YOU — not generic advice. Finds outside training videos when our library doesn't cover it. Redirects emergencies to 911. After hours: Auto-alerts your emergency contacts if you miss check-in. All 4 Blackwater courses at launch. 11 more coming. Screenshots below are mockups of the planned design. Everyone: drop feedback — what's missing, what's dumb, what's gold. Field testers: say so below. I'll reach out when v1 is ready. 👇 Comment: Next trip (when + where) Experience level Must-have feature What's missing from the plan "Field tester" if you want in Stay Rugged.