You find some dark-colored fruit while hiking in the woods. Are they delicious blueberries or poisonous pokeweed berries that could make you sick? Never eat wild plants unless you know for sure what they are and how your body reacts to them. Ingesting some plants might even be deadly. Here are some dangerous wild berries…

Whether you want to chat with friends on the ski slopes or you need to send a message during an emergency, having a communication device sure comes in handy. TWO-WAY RADIOS The classic portable walkie-talkies are used primarily for communicating with party members over relatively short distances: While some devices have a range up to…

Human waste doesn’t always decompose easily in some environments, like deserts, caves and glaciers. To reduce your impact on these places, pack out everything instead of digging catholes to bury your waste. Packing out waste requires preparation. You can make or buy a pack-out kit. To make one, here’s what you’ll need: A large self-sealing…

Everyone tends to make new friends at summer camp, but they don’t usually have feathers. A group of ducks visited girls Troop 284’s campsite as the Scouts worked on the American Heritage merit badge together, and Fiona Levick loved it. “I said hi to them,” the 12-year-old Tenderfoot Scout says. “I was so happy because…

Q: I need a good flashlight for camping. Any suggestions? — Reed, Alameda, California A: Many factors go into choosing a good flashlight: battery life, durability, output options and brightness. I tested a Fenix E35 V3.0 ($70, fenix-store.com) and Fenix E12 V2.0 ($27, fenix-store.com). Both are made with high-strength aluminum. A strong aluminum or high-quality…