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Best Fire Starters for Survival in 2024

Survival in the wilderness often demands starting a fire.

Whether you’re facing freezing temperatures, wind, or unexpected weather, a proper fire starter means you can stay warm, stay safe, cook food, and signal for help when you need it.

Our Picks

• Best Overall:

  • überleben Zünden Fire Starter

• Easiest to Use:

  • Bayite Survival Ferrocerium Drilled Flint Fire Starter

• Best Survival Kit:

  • Survival SPARK Magnesium Survival Fire Starter

The Parkside Hotel

Let’s talk about hotels...

We get it – this is the Outdoors newsletter.

But a lot of times, not everyone in the family wants to go outside.

Sometimes you just need some relaxing time.

So here’s an alternative: The Parkside Hotel

This all-suite hotel, certified for its eco-friendly practices, is as committed to sustainable tourism as it is to top-notch guest experiences. Each of the 126 suites has full kitchens or kitchenettes, spa-inspired bathrooms, private balconies, and luxurious linens on pillowtop beds.

The whole hotel is carbon-neutral, so you can enjoy your stay in the beautiful nature of Vancouver Island and feel good about it!

*Please click and support our sponsors!

The Ultimate Hiking Shoe Showdown: Merrell vs Salomon

If you’ve ever gone to a shoe store for a pair of hiking shoes, you’ve probably looked at both Merrells and Salomons and thought: wait, aren’t these the same shoes?

Aside from a few aesthetic features (and the logo), they do look a lot alike. Now, let’s explore the differences between these two titans of trail shoes.

Starting with Salomon…

Salomon

The French-owned Salomon, which means Solomon in French, is a global sporting goods company. Back in 1947, it started as a ski gear company but evolved over the decades into making a variety of high-performance gear, including ice skates, skis, and ski boots.

In the spring of 1992, the company launched its first line of lightweight hiking boots dubbed the “Adventure range” with much success and then 10 years later, released the XA Pro trail running shoe, which was called a “technical benchmark for multi-sport raids.” As the years passed, Salomon’s product line expanded to include trail runners for long-distance running and more. 

Merrell

As the story goes, before the Michigan-based Merrell became a hiking shoe giant, there was a custom boot maker named Randy Merrell. Back in the 1970s, the avid outdoorsman and hiker saw an opportunity when he realized that most hiking boots at the time were just mountaineering boots. Shortly thereafter, his idea of a lightweight hiking boot gained traction.

Then, circa 1981, Merrell was approached by two executives from a French ski gear company who wanted to mass produce his design, so he agreed and Merrell hiking boots were born. Although Merrell left the company that bears his name (he still makes boots, by the way) and it’s gone through multiple owners, today, it’s one of the biggest brands in outdoor footwear and apparel.

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