Firestarter's Guide

Welcome to Firestarter’s Guide to Gear, Trails, and General Recklessness.

After the eighth time explaining how the scariest encounter I had on the Appalachian Trail was with a porcupine, and after helping multiple people on el Camino de Santiago adjust their load lifters on their packs to carry weight appropriately, I decided it would be easier to just write it all down online for anyone to reference.

My blog isn't monetized, I don't get paid for reviews, and I don't get free or discounted gear.

I grew up in rural Tennessee with a love of the outdoors and a reckless streak. I’ve traveled Latin America, lived in Colorado, thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, and thru-hiked the Camino Frances route of el Camino de Santiago. I’m a NOLS-certified Wilderness First Responder. I rock climb, backpack, trail run, ski, kayak, mountain bike, snowshoe, and am generally game for anything that gets me outside and moving.