One advantage of getting older is that you know stuff. A disadvantage is you can forget things you may have learned the hard way. I’ve realized that I have lost a lot of skills commonly referred to as ‘woodcraft’—knowledge that makes being in the woods easier. Before next season, I’m brushing up on these woodcraft skills.

Tip 1: The Knotty Problem.
Knowing what knot to use, in what circumstance, and how to tie it correctly every time, will make your life easier—and not just in the woods. Instead of merely using a series of too many half-hitches, knowing just a few knots will make both securing and removing a line much easier. Some basic knots are the clove hitch, square knot, slip knot, sheet bend, figure 8 knot, timber hitch, and bowline.

Tip 2: Lashing Out.
A hatchet, saw, and a hank of paracord or thin braided rope are all you need to construct useful items—if you master basic lashing skills. A good part of my youth involved camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Since we didn’t have much, we made do, sleeping in lean-tos, eating squirrels in the fall and fresh fish year-round. Depending on how long we were in the woods, we also constructed chairs, tables, shelves, and supports. Lashing is easy, with six basic types depending on what you need to accomplish (square, tripod, diagonal, sheer, round, and continuous).

Tip 3: Sweet Smell of a Compass Rose.
GPS has ruined me, but I’m fixing it. While I do love GPS technology, I’ve found that I tend to rely on it too much, and when it cuts out or I get confused, I feel helpless and perplexed. I still use various GPS devices, but I no longer blindly trust them, and I’m back to doing a good map recon of my route in the car and have returned to always having a compass and map (even if it’s hand-drawn) when venturing into the woods.

Tip 4: Fired Up.
On these camping trips, we developed an ethos that the fire should be started with no more than one match, regardless of the conditions. We got pretty good at it, and I was reminded of this lost skill a while ago when I put some split logs in a fire ring and used a hand-held propane torch to fire them up. It was easy and it worked, but I was embarrassed and happy no one saw me do it. Learning to always find dry tinder, making a good feather stick, and building a structure that ensures proper air flow is not hard, and I don’t care if no one but me appreciates the skills.

Tip 5: Be Prepared.
A few years ago, I added tourniquets to the first aid kits in my car and backpack and thought I was prepared for an emergency. However, I never took them out and practiced, and when I was in a seminar where we actually practiced, I realized that while having emergency gear was good, knowing how to correctly use it was better. Having an expensive rainsuit is great, but if it’s in your duffle bag in the cabin while you are in a 40-degree rainstorm in the field, it won’t do you any good. It’s better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

Tip 6: Just Watch and Learn.
Take some advice from Yogi Berra and pay attention when you are outside; the more you know, the more you can enjoy whatever you are doing. Learning to identify animal tracks, scat, burrows, and other signs, along with knowing what plants grow in what conditions and how things change through the seasons is a fascinating pastime. Foraging for wild food used to be a dying skill, but now is increasingly popular. It’s amazing the number and variety of smaller critters that are there if you slow down and pay close attention. Beyond plants and animals, knowing more about the weather, water resources, local geology, and natural history around you will make your time outside more productive and enjoyable.