Tom Watson, Author at Guide Outdoors

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Tom Watson

Tom Watson is an award-winning writer who honed his outdoor skills while living in Minnesota and Kodiak, Al...

Tom Watson is an award-winning writer who honed his outdoor skills while living in Minnesota and Kodiak, Alaska. He is a frequent contributor to several outdoor magazines, author of four books: "Sixty Hikes within Sixty Miles of Minneapolis," "Best Tent Camping-Minnesota," "How to Think Like a Survivor," and "Kids Gone Paddlin' ." He's also an avid kayaker and canoer, camper, naturalist, writer/ photographer specializing in paddle sports, outdoor adventuring and self-reliance skills. He resides in western Minnesota. He writes a column on camping/outdoor adventure tips.

Transitioning Your Summer Sleeping System

The transition from summer camping to overnight into the shoulder season of fall and even into early winter requires a change in gear – especially clothing and your sleeping system.

Eating Snow? Yes or No?

You don’t need to have any backcountry experience to know – “Don’t eat the yellow snow!”

Pairing Up Nature Guidebooks

Between a quick glance as it flits between the branches, or obscured by the shadows of dense foliage, trying to identify a bird or beast in the outdoors can be quite a challenge. While habitat, movements, and physical size help … Continued

Battling Blisters

Blisters manifest themselves due to several different medical factors. For the outdoor enthusiast, however, it’s usually an external irritation that gives rise to a blister from ill-fitting footwear.

Solo Sleeping Shelters

Whether you’re heading out alone for a simple overnight get-away or embarking on an extended, minimalist-style adventure, choosing the right type of sleeping shelter is a major consideration. Besides weight and volume, utility also plays into deciding what type of … Continued

Fishing Without a Pole

Most emergency/survival kits include a small assortment of hooks, line and perhaps a few swivels and weights – but no fishing pole.

Paracord: It’s more than just rope.

Paracord is an essential piece of emergency/survival gear. There are several characteristics and properties that qualify cordage as authentic “paracord”. All ‘rope’ is made of strands that are either braided or twisted together. Structurally, paracord uses the kernmantle technique similar … Continued

The 101 on Tinder

Tinder is any dry material that readily takes a spark, match or other intense heat sources and easily ignites.

Choosing the Best Campsite for YOU

Two men camping in woods with chair, cooler, fire, and tent

A good campsite can be defined in many ways depending upon your preferred level of back-country comfort, the lay of the land where you can pitch your tent and to a lesser extent, the season in which you are out enjoying Mother Nature.