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The Case for Harvesting on the Road
The essay emphasizes that harvesting food during extended overland travel is an essential skill, akin to navigation. It addresses issues like weight management and meal monotony while providing economic and ethical insights. The practice fosters a deeper connection to the land, promoting fluency in navigating and utilizing local resources for sustenance.
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How to Repair a Chipped Kiritsuke Knife Without Ruining the Ura
A kiritsuke (切付)— the flat-tipped, single-bevel cousin of the yanagiba (柳刃)— is a knife whose entire personality lives in its geometry. So when a chip takes a bite out of the edge, the repair is never just about “grinding it out.” Every pass of the stone changes the relationship between the blade face, the hollow…
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Morning Process to Make a Great Espresso Using the Picopresso and Whole Beans
The Picopresso, made by Wacaco, is a remarkable portable espresso maker that, despite its pocket-sized form factor, is capable of pulling genuinely excellent shots — provided you approach it with care and consistency. Unlike automatic machines that hide the craft behind buttons, the Picopresso demands that you engage with every variable: dose, grind, temperature, tamping,…
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From Clumsy to Confident: Knife Skills for Every Home Cook
A sharp knife and a few practiced techniques can transform a home kitchen from a place of frustration into one of confidence and efficiency. Professional chefs spend years perfecting their knife work, but the truth is that home cooks can handle the vast majority of everyday tasks by mastering just five core skills. These techniques…
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Designing a Self-Sufficient Camp Kitchen for Overlanding
This essay is a summary of the long-form article, “ Designing a Self-Sufficient Camp Kitchen for Overlanding Adventures,” published Wednesday, September 9th 2026. A well-planned camp kitchen is the heart of any multi-week overlanding trip, and this article walks through every dimension of building one that actually works. It opens by grounding all decisions in…
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Mastering Single-Bevel Knife Sharpening: Kiritsuke Guide
Most Western cooks sharpen knives with a symmetric edge: the blade is ground to the same angle on both sides, meeting in a vee at the centre. A Japanese single-bevel (kataba) knife is fundamentally different, and it is impossible to sharpen one correctly without first understanding that difference. Where a double-bevel edge is symmetric, a…
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Essentials for Brewing Espresso in the Wild
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a proper shot of espresso in the open air — the hiss of steam against a backdrop of birdsong, the aroma of fresh coffee drifting across a still morning. But espresso is an unforgiving craft. It demands pressure, temperature precision, and a fine grind. Doing it at home…
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Mastering Food Hygiene on Long Adventures
This is a summarized essay based upon my long-form article, Food Safety as a Cornerstone of Long-Term Travel, also available via my Articles page. Food safety doesn’t get the same attention as tire choices or recovery gear. It should. When you’re weeks into an overland trip, far from the nearest clinic, a bout of food poisoning…
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Master the Art of Knife Sharpening Techniques
Sharpening is both a practical skill and a meditative craft, transforming dull blades into precise instruments. Whether in the kitchen or the wild, understanding the nuances of sharpening different knives and steels is essential for performance and longevity. This essay explores sharpening techniques and tools for Western chef’s knives, Japanese single-bevel knives, and bushcraft knives,…
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Overland Meal Prep: Tips for Successful Trips
Overland trips offer a unique blend of adventure, self-sufficiency, and immersion in nature. One of the most crucial aspects of a successful journey is meal planning. Unlike traditional camping, overlanding often involves extended periods away from resupply points, making thoughtful food preparation essential for both nutrition and morale. General Observations and Tips Understand Your Trip…
