Interesting, but he takes somewhat of a bitter tone, railing against backyard classes and internet trainers. He's right, of course, that there are probably too many imposters in the field, but I think there is a place for backyard,internet, and campground training classes. I will stick my neck out and say that these engender more interest and enthusiasm in the general population than any other format. How is that bad? The youth of today are more isolated from the wilderness, and anything that exposes them is a good thinng.

My interest probably stems from Cub Scouts where we learned simple camping skills and crafts from our Den Mothers, mostly in backyards or parks. I have spent the following 50 years recreating in the wilderness as a counterbalance to my urban-based vocation. I have taken the little nuggets I was given in Scouts and expanded greatly on them during my lifetime, as I range through the lakes, swamps, and rivers in boreal forests of the northern states.

I watch U-Tube video reviews of outdoor equipment and techniques to while-away the winter blahs. Some of these are amateurish, repetitive, and maybe even incorrect. That said, some of them are well done, with excellent production values and well presented and correct information. I have never seen a video that was 'dangerous'. If a thirteen year old kindles the fire of a lifetime recreating in the woods by making a sappy U-Tube demonstration of fire starting or knife throwing in the back yard, who cares? If a magazine article regurgitates the same-old same-old, maybe it catches the attention of a newbie. Cody wasn't born an expert, and he must have passed through the phases he detests somehow.

It would be hard to imagine an outdoor training class where nothing of value is learned. If nothing else, it is fun to spend a day in the woods and watch other people learn these skills. To assume that persons who take a campground survival course would automatically think they are ready to parachute into the Borneo wilderness with only a SAK and a match seriously insults the intellegence of most people. Do we judge it all on the few dim-bulbs or copy-cats that might abuse the training?

As in all things, gather your information from multiple sources, be patient and discerning, and don't go beyond your experience, training, and common sense. It is possible to have fun in the good times while simultaneously preparing for the worst of times.