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Since you're a boy scout, do the responsible and helpful thing and carry loppers. Sure, they're heavier, but they're an essential tool of what we use to do trail maintenance and they work extremely well. Lop off branches as close to the ground as possible, while taking care not to get dirt into the blades so they don't get premature worn out or damaged, then throw the branches as far away from the trail as you can. Long handles will make it a lot easier to reach deep into brush.

If you ever participate in a trail maintenance project, you'll already have a great tool to work with. That's really the best way to deal with overgrown trails. While there, you'll learn the right way to clear a trail.

If you need to clear bigger branches or small trees, you can use a folding or small fixed saw. The Silky BigBoy 2000 is highly recommended, but there are less expensive options. Again, don't cut in the dirt or your tool will be damaged. A little WD40 or biodiesel is very useful for thinning sap and lubricating the blade.

If you want to learn more, the Forest Service has some free publications, or you can buy Lightly On the Land. I can't remember the link, or the name of the general maintenance guide, but some of the more focused guides are An Axe to Grind and Saws that Sing...both excellent resources if you get serious about trail maintenance.

one book that really caught my eye when i was younger was

http://www.amazon.com/American-Boys-Handy-Daniel-Beard/dp/0804844038/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458068521&sr=1-2&keywords=boys+outdoor+survival+guide

and then this one more so as a teen...

http://www.amazon.com/Camping-Woodcraft-Handbook-Travelers-Wilderness/dp/0870495569


they are both old texts, and really don't focus on what you shouldn't do, but all the really awesome shit you CAN do and make while you are outside. Safety advice isn't near as inspiring as awesome possibilities, and you cant be an outdoorsman if you don't want to get out there in the first place!

If your son is young enough to still enjoy being read to, definitely read gary paulson's "hatchet" and his other books, as well as "my side of the mountain" by some author i can't remember now. nothing makes camping more fun for a kid than having it relate to something awesome and enjoyable BEFORE his first experience relates more to mosquito bites and sleeping on an uncomfortable sleeping pad in a wet tent.

I've always loved my First Need purifier. Its not the cheapest, lightest or coolest-looking unit, but I am always impressed by how easy it is to use, how fast it pumps water, and how good the water tastes. My friends have other filters, but after seeing mine in action, they always end up borrowing it. You just screw it onto your nalgene and youre good to go. It pumps both ways too, so while you are pumping there is constantly water flowing. Also worth mentioning: it filters out viruses, which a lot of other filters won't do (which is why people are suggesting tabs).

Link

Pro tip: use a rubber band to hold a coffee filter around the filter pod. It makes pumping a little harder, but keeps the big stuff out and saves you from trying to clean out the little filter pod.

I was in a similar situation as you a few years ago. In an unpopular locale for backpacking (north TX) and had zero friends that were into it.

There's endless resources online but I wanted an all encompassing guide in my hands to start. The Backpackers Field Manual was really helpful. It was originally used as a textbook for a backpacking class at Princeton until it was published. It's organized really nicely with everything from equipment to weather and navigation.

I started with this book and then began sifting through websites like www.backpackinglight.com, Erik the Black's blog, Section Hiker and various other websites.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck.

Nice. I envy your trip, as I sit at my desk in the midst of a conference call that started 4 hours ago and shows no sign of ending any time soon.

Gonna throw a couple of questions out at ya (no need to answer me - more for you to think about). Experienced WW/flatwater kayaker & canoeist here, with some rescue training... I can't see everything you have, but am wondering what safety stuff you've got with you.

+1 for the attached knife to PFD (tip - get a bungee ball thing, wrap it thru the hole in the base of the knife and flip the ball portion up above the tip, over the part that is permanently attached to the PFD. That way, it can't end up on the bottom of the lake/river (with umpteen others just like it). Also, when you pop it off intentionally, you can slide the bungee thing over your hand so that if you drop the knife, it hangs from your wrist. (need to be careful not to stab yourself, though. ;-) ) Here's a link to Amazon for the balls I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/ABCCANOPY-Bungee-Canopy-Elastic-String/dp/B07M7TLS1C/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=bungee+ball&qid=1573753498&s=hi&sr=1-6

*) any bailers or bilge pump coming with to empty water from a swamped kayak

*) anything to help you climb back in in deep water - a paddle float or a length of webbing/rope to be used as a step off of the

​

Just a couple of things to think about.

​

Enjoy your trip - I SOOOO envy you right now. :-)

• Deeper/Further/(Eventually)Higher - If I can't be out riding, might as well watch people riding things I never could.
  
• Anything by Jon Krakauer. Into the Wild is an obvious choice, but Eiger Dreams and Under the Banner of Heaven are great as well.
  
• Ride the Divide is a good flick as well, and available on Netflix last I checked.
  
• 3point5. Pro-deal pricing can be addicting.Plus being in the top 5% for snowboarding, camping, and running have to count for something, right?!

I have an inflatable paddle board..not a kayak but I figured I’d share anyway. I’ve had it for two years now and love it! Haven’t had any issues with it and I don’t tend to be gentle with things.

Peak Expedition Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board | 10'6" Long x 32" Wide x 6" Thick | Durable and Lightweight Touring SUP | Stable Wide Stance | Aqua https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MQX5WV2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wyLQDb22XKS1Z

Well you could always try your hand at prepping it yourself, or you could always just substitute a variety of smoked beef jerky. Something like this http://www.amazon.com/World-Kitchens-Brown-Sugar-12-Ounce/dp/B004Q9QIPM can re-hydrate into a great quantity of protein. Between that and a bit of luck with the fishing and you should do alright!

I have one chapter left in George Monbiot's Feral and it has really opened my perspective drastically. I visited Scotland for my first time last summer, and Wales just last month (I recently moved to Europe), and although something felt "off" to me, I couldn't put my finger on it. Now I understand that it is entirely the result of grazing and poor management requirements that are even set forth by the government (declaring that oaks, alders, birches, and other trees are "invasive" although they are natural is insane).

I was lucky enough in both Wales and Scotland to find some older forests, which were absolutely stunning. I have spent a lot of my life in New Hampshire (USA), and until the early 1900s something like 95% of the state was clearcut, and I had never been able to imagine that as possible until realizing why the UK looks like it does.

If you have not read Monbiot's book, I highly recommend it for his critique of the UK "wilderness," as well as his overall thesis on rewilding.

Consider an Old Town Vapor XT. My wife and I have these, as do several other friends and family members; we all love them. It's a sturdy, stable kayak that's well suited for a casual paddler on ponds and lakes.

Do what you want, but I'm telling you, a k-bar is a lousy choice for outdoor use. It has a rat tail tang that is prone to breakage if you try something like batonning wood or other heavy-duty tasks. You want a full tang knife for those purposes.

But, I know the tacticool fanboys love their k-bars and insist on using them for everything. Knock yourself out. Maybe learn how to improvise a handle when you snap the original.

If you insist on a ka-bar, get something like this that at least has a full tang.

I cannot advise on the bite but I suggest this stuff to keep them off.

https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-Permethrin-Clothing-Repellent/dp/B00MA950E0

I have been using it for a few years now. I no longer find ticks on me. Soak your clothes with the stuff pretty good the night before or so and you are good to go.

If you go with one of those you listed, I'd go with the Oakley.

If you are interested in more options, I recommend this one . I've had mine for about two years now and it's great, especially if you bike a lot.

You need to be a bit more specific

• what gear are you planning on using on it, DSLR, point and shoot etc.
  
• How tall fully extended do you want it to go
  
• what price is affordable
  
  Someone on a forum mentioned they bought this.
  Amazon
  
  There are also some other brands that seem to do budget carbon fibre (or at least part CF) tripods for under £150, search online for tripod reviews.
  
  I have a Manfrotto 055XPROB with ball head but I bought a Velbon Ultra Rexi travel tripod for taking abroad with me, it's good, not as stable in strong winds but does the job 90% of the time and half the weight. I just swap the Manfrotto ball head between them.
  
  Amazon
  
  I use both tripods with a D800 and variety of lenses and they both hold up well with the weight. The Manfrotto is showing a bit of age as it's been used everywhere, salty sea water doesn't help too much.

Get a Sawyer Mini and some disinfectant tablets or drops (Aquamira is popular). Use the Mini when you need water right then, use the tablets when you can wait.

So say you have two water bottles and you come up to a stream and need water. Fill one with water from the source and put the disinfectants in there (making sure to bleed the threads), and put it in your pack. Then take the Mini and fill your other bottle using the squeeze bag OR you can get a bladder and fill it with water straight from the source and have the Mini connected between the bladder and the mouthpiece so it filters as you drink. By the time your bottle with the filtered water runs out, the other bottle of water will be purified. You can also fill both bottles with the filter when you stop if you're gonna take a rest, but you should always have drops or tablets as backups.

EDIT: Outdoor Gear Lab did a good review of water treatment options. It's very comprehensive (as are all their reviews).