Zachary Craig Hanson's Blog, page 8

Cook the Beans

Day 26 - It takes time to get good at things. Famously, Malcolm Gladwell came up with the 10,000 hour rule as a guideline for becoming proficient at a particular “thing.” So in order to become an expert at say, sharpening knives, you need to spend at least 10,000 hours honing your skills with solid practice. Excessive? Maybe. But the point remains… you need to spend time, and lots of it, in order to be proficient at your craft(s).

But, what does this mean for people like me (and those who read this journal) who are trying to tackle so many different “new” things all at once? Well, it frankly means that we are going to suck at all of those different things for a long time. Because for people trying to make up for a lifetime of millennial malaise, we are starting the clock at zero on everything from tool/vehicle maintenance, house repairs, livestock handling, hunting, trapping, etc., etc…

And seeing as we live in a world of instant gratification and the online sources we do go to learn more about each of these topics are experts with 10,000 plus hours of experience, it can be extremely frustrating and demoralizing. Which is why I adopted a saying from an old jiu jitsu coach, “You have to cook the beans.” You see, when you cook traditional beans you have to let them soak for hours before cooking them, otherwise you end up with something that could chip your tooth. 

The concept of “cooking the beans” is fitting because with so many interest and skill gaps, it’s impossible to dedicate enough time each day to become an expert, quickly. So, you have to be ok with soaking all of your “beans” and letting them slowly become tender and cookable over a much longer timeline. So, don’t let the experts get you down, you will get there and will arrive with a broad skill set on your own timeline!

Soaking the “how do you not freeze to death in the backcountry” beans…

Daily Prompt: Where can you “cook the beans” in your life? Are there areas where you have put too much pressure on yourself to be an “expert” too quickly? How can you rectify that?:

Motivational Passage:

To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.

-Socrates

Rewilding Action: Journaling has been an important part of my knowledge retention path for many years. As my pursuits moved outdoors, so did the medium in which I started to capture my thoughts and personal feedback… On my trapline I now capture notes in a waterproof notebook using a waterproof pen. These can come in handy if you are going to be out and about in unpredictable weather and still want to capture ideas to revisit later. The brand I have used the most is Rite in the Rain, but I am sure others exist, too. Pick one up and start jotting down ways to improve your bean cookin’ wherever you are at.

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"Good"

Day 26 - There is one word that has resonated with me during my time learning to hunt, trap, and live a more sustainable life… “Good.” It’s a mantra that I find myself repeating over and over again no matter what the situation is that I run into. For instance, the 7 mile long marten line I am currently running has had mink, bluejays, and mice steal bait – causing me a huge headache to go and re-bait them… but you know what I say to myself? “Good. More time to figure out how to make my traps non-target critter proof.”

But it doesn’t stop there… Lost my job? “Good - time to explore areas I am passionate about.” Can’t track the deer I shot? “Good, an opportunity to learn more about shot placement.” Can’t afford that ranch to start homesteading? “Good. I’ll find a way to start with what I have.”

The mindset shift from feeling sorry for yourself to embracing every challenge and setback as an opportunity to learn is powerful. It takes training to achieve this and you have to make a conscious effort to say “good” as soon as you run into an obstacle. Give it a try this week when something goes sideways and feel the power and resolve it provides. Heck, it may even bring you clarity on what steps to take next!

**Disclaimer** This mind trick is not something I came up with. As with most things, it was learned from someone… and thankfully that someone has a video that codifies this principle in a simpler (and objectively more motivating) way… Watch and then see if you don’t feel like the KoolAid man ready to run through some brick walls:

Daily Prompt: Where could you have said “good,” during the past few days? What would uttering that word have changed for you?:

Motivational Passage:

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

-Jeremiah 29:11-13 

Rewilding Action: MerinoWool. One of the best things I did after moving somewhere where I would be outdoors for extended periods of time was invest in merino wool base layers. I started with socks, which were an absolute game changer for me. I started with Smart Wool and eventually landed on the Darn Tough brand (which has a lifetime warranty). Why is merino wool so great? Well it wicks away moisture, dries quickly, doesn’t hold odor, and retains warmth! All of the things you need when you don’t know what type of conditions you may run into… a truly versatile cloth and one that is easy to start stockpiling.

PSA: My book, Turning Feral, is still in the top 10 best sellers in the hunting category on Amazon. If you haven’t yet, go pick up a copy and leave a review!

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Just MacGyver It...

Day 25 - Sometimes you don’t need to know the best approach to fixing something to make it work. Often just diving in with a roll of duct tape, some bailing wire, and a paperclip, like MacGyver, is the most bountiful approach for learning. In fact, trying to fix things with what you have on hand is a great way to “open the hood” on the problem to see what you actually need to fix it properly… 

… and yes. You guessed it. This is a metaphor. I have met a lot of people over the years who are afraid to tackle their own problems because they are too afraid to try and fix it with the tools they have. So, they ignore the problem until it metastasizes into something unmanageable that wrecks their world. When, in reality, if they had just faced the problem (even if ill-equipped to truly fix it) they would have at least understood what tool they were lacking to solve it and then go acquire that tool or skill.

Now, it should be noted that adopting this approach can lead to a world where you have a bunch of half-fixed things that are all working sub optimally, which is also not good. The key here is on the follow through after you face your problem and apply whatever janky bandaid you had at the time. You have to go and learn how to solve the problem with finality and workmanship. But, the point here is that not being afraid to at least address a problem and give it the “ol’ college try,” can be a major step forward in learning true independence and gaining a lot of confidence.

A ratchet strap and bailing wire saved the day here setting up this huge live trap for a Marten study.

Daily Prompt: What things in your life are you ignoring because you don’t have the skills to fix it? Is it your leaky sink? Has your “check engine” light been on for a while? Is it your marriage? What can you do now to address those things?:

Motivational Passage:

"Some people say that there are no more frontiers left for us to conquer. But then again, some people still go out into the wilderness in search of their dream." 

- MacGyver

Rewilding Action: Some folks have messaged asking how to get started in hunting and trapping. The first place you need to go to is your state fish and game website, sign up, and get registered for a hunter education course. Most of these can now be taken online with a “field day,” where you learn all about safe hunting practices and weapon handling. Once you are hunter-ed certified you can then peruse your state's hunting seasons and decide what animal(s) you want to pursue and when the season(s) are open.

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It's OK to Waterboard Your Friends

Day 24: This one goes out to all of the parents… Have you ever been trapped in a vehicle with your little “mini-me,” only to be interrogated about every single thing in the universe 100x over? Well, I just experienced three days of this verbal waterboarding as my daughter and I drove our trapline for two hours each morning. I am proud to say that despite her best efforts she never broke me and I am sure somewhere a lone SERE instructor is smiling.

But, reflecting back on her innocent and relentless lines of questioning it dawned on me that she is in the complete immersion phase of life. Everything is new and magical to her and she wants to understand it all as best her little mind can comprehend… and she is learning a lot, quickly! The absorption rate of these young kids is completely astounding, and it’s because she’s not afraid to ask the question “why?!” - the question many of us adults are petrified of asking.

For whatever reason as we age, we feel that we should just know things, and that by asking “why?” we are showing incompetence. I am guilty of this fear, too. When I moved out West I feared showing the real me… the me that was completely inept at almost everything related to being a “mountain man.” – which was the exact persona I was trying to adopt and cultivate. Yet, the irony was that my fear of asking “why?” was actually holding me back from becoming the person I wanted to be.

So, take today to be a bit of a kid again and don’t be afraid to water board people with the best and most basic question… “why?!”

The ‘why’ machine in her natural environment…

Daily Prompt: Where has your fear of judgment prevented you from asking “why?!” How do you think that has held you back from becoming the person you want to be?:

Motivational Quote:

It is very important for people to keep their sense of wonder and keep asking why.

-Stephen Hawking

Rewilding Action: Bailing Wire. Also known as “tire wire” has been an absolute lifesaver to have on hand. I have used it for trapping, fixing cars, tents, and all sorts of things… think of it as sturdier duct tape! It is multifaceted in its application and takes up minimal space sitting in a workshop drawer! Keep it and some wire cutters on hand and you will be surprised what you end up using it for.

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Hot & Fresh Humble Pie Served Daily

Day 23: Yesterday I had posted a picture of a whole mess of traps that were ready to go out on my line. I left feeling confident to go set them with my daughter for a few hours and when we got home I had two missed calls. The voicemails left were from two guys I look up to in the trapping world who had seen the photo and both went a little something like this:

“Hey, Zach. I saw your photo and I’m not sure, but it looks like you are doing [insert my mistake here]. I don’t wanna step on toes or come across as I know everything, but just wanna save you some potential pain and a situation that can get real western, real fast.”

So, what did I do? I called them both and heard them out… and learned. It always shocks me when people who are experts in their craft are so humble that they don’t want to be intrusive or make someone feel bad. It’s an admirable trait, but I am also very glad that they both cared about me enough to calland let me know the error in my ways! Thankfully when I went to check my line, I had not caught anything yet and was able to fix the mistake(s) they pointed out. 

For those here who have read my book Turning Feral, then you know I am an advocate for eating humble pie. Not just when you happen to come across some, but actually seeking out opportunities where you know the bitter treat will be served. Every time I trap or do anything that’s still new to me, I expect to be stuffed like a Thanksgiving Turkey with humble pie. So, if you aren’t finding humble pie on your own, find friends like I have that will kindly serve it to you – it will make you a better human.

Daily Prompt: When was the last time you ate humble pie? What areas in your life are you avoiding it? How can you develop a taste for it so it’s not as off-putting?:

Motivational Passage:

I'm always asked, 'What's the secret to success?' But there are no secrets. Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room.

-Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Rewilding Action: Following the theme of eating humble pie, it’s time to try and fix something on your own. Think about the list of things in your life that need to get done that you have no clue how to do… It could be changing your car's oil, fixing the slow leak in your toilet, or replacing those waterlogged baseboards… Tackle whatever it is with pride and use all of the resources at your disposal. Expect that you will eat pieces of humble pie along the way and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it!

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Power of Prayer

Day 23: For the past few weeks I have been starting my day off by praying and meditating on the needs of those around me. This may not sound like much, but has been a big shift in the way that I approach faith. In the past, the reflection of my meditation and prayers has been centered around me. What are my goals, my needs, and my desires… all that time thinking about my own “to-be” state meant I was getting lost in it. 

It was as if I was looking at things through a toilet paper roll, stuck in my own myopic world where support of close friends and their struggles, desires, and goals was a thin veneer. So, I stepped out of that. Now each morning I am spending time in prayer for each of my friends, family, and (in some cases) new acquaintances in the areas they feel they need it. And then, I tell them. I will message that person to let them know I was thinking of them, to let them know they have someone in their corner who is behind them in support.

The interesting thing that has happened for me in this process, though, is that my own prayers for myself and nuclear family have become crystalized and succinct. I feel less “rambly” and more punctuated in the time I spend in practice. Is it correlated? Maybe… maybe not. Frankly, I don’t know that answer, but I do know that whether my friends know it or not… I feel closer to them. I also feel their mutual support back even if it’s for someone I don’t know that well, which is exactly what building a community is all about — mutual support.

Daily Prompt: None of us can survive without a community. Think about those who support you in your self-sustainability journey… how are you reciprocating that support? It doesn’t have to be prayer if that’s not your thing, but what can you do to help those closest to you daily?:

Motivational Passage:

“Prayer is when you talk to God. Meditation is when God talks to you.”

Rewilding Action: Medicine. One of the things that has taken us a long time to get a handle on living so far from a hospital has been our emergency kits. If one of our kids gets sick, it will take hours to get to a doctor on a good day, and potentially longer if we are snowed in. So, we only have a hodgepodge of different medicines for the most common things we feel we may encounter. As a more well-rounded solution, we are looking at Duration Health. It’s an all-in-one emergency medical kit, but it’s a bit pricey and the process to get approved is a small hurdle we haven’t had the time to execute on, yet.

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You Belong Where You Feel Free

Day 22: Strip it all away. The house, the family, the cars, the bank account, and all of the things. Start at zero and think about where you would feel most free. Is it in a pillbox apartment in a busy city where you can’t purchase anything or pay your bills? Or, is it out in nature where you at least have the chance to provide for your basic needs?

For me it is unequivocally the latter. When I leave my cabin, I am not burdened with cell service and for those untethered moments in the woods, I feel free. Free from “normal life” and connected to the earth around me, with the animals, with the strong forces of nature that make me feel small. And I am lucky enough to feel that almost everyday.

No matter where you are, remember, you belong somewhere that you feel free. Find that freedom.

Daily Prompt: Where do you feel the most free in your current state of existence? Is it in a park? In the privacy of your car on the way to work? Where does your freedom truly exist?:

Motivational Passage:

"The secret of happiness is freedom, the secret of freedom is courage."

— Carrie Jones

Rewilding Action: Make a mental freedom map today. Think about all of the places you have been (or haven’t) that excite your soul and make you feel free. Start to devise ways to visit those places in the next year to reignite that fire.

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Don't Drown Your Waders

Buy The Turning Feral Book

Day 21: Let me start today off by saying that I am *not* a fisherman. I have not yet caught the bug to be out in the river casting a line to fly fish for hours (though it does look peaceful). So my perspective on the ol’ fishing saying “don’t flood your waders,” comes from my time river trapping… and boy did I wish I heard of that saying before I started. 

For people like myself who may have not spent a lot of time in rivers throughout their life, waders are usually chest high, insulated, and waterproof overalls that you wear over your clothes so you can safely wade out into water to fish or trap. My first pair was made of cheap plastic, which I picked up at D&B for a little under $75. They worked great for my first season and somehow managed to stay “hole” free despite the dense woods I often had to push through to get to the river's edge or to beaver lodges I was targeting.

But last year the inevitable happened. While working in a deep beaver pond, I could feel the weight of the water compressing my waders a little bit above my waist. I didn’t think it was a big deal because I was above the water line and instead focused on my task at hand… which involved bending over to set up traps underwater.

On the second or third trap set, I had forgotten about the depth of the water and leaned just one inch too far down, which allowed the tiniest bit of water to breach the chest high top of my waders… followed by a torrent of cold river water that completely flooded my suit. In shock, I clipped out of my waders and swam to shore thinking about how dumb I was for not paying more attention — a hard lesson to learn and an even harder one to try and fish my suit out of that deep pond. Once I warmed up in my truck, I had some time to think about that saying “don’t flood your waders.” I had just experienced it in its most pure form, but people apply it to all sorts of everyday life situations… and it got me thinking about how great of a metaphor it really is.

We all wear proverbial “waders” everyday… think of it as your capacity to do work and provide. Your waders allow you to complete your day job, spend time with family, pursue new outside interests, etc… But, there is a limit and we often forget where our chest line is at relative to the water. Then, when we take on just one tiny thing that is “too much,” our entire waders are flooded and everything they were protecting us from becomes useless in an instant and will need to be “dried out and tended to” to be usable again.

I’m not saying to never stretch beyond your comfort zone, but I am saying to not lose sight of what your waders are protecting and what you have chosen to prioritize… sometimes it’s the tiniest things you may say “yes” to that can do you in… so, be conscious and aware of what you commit to or you may be at risk of flooding your waders!

My daughter ready for beaver trapping in her new youth waders!

Daily Prompt: Can you think of an instance where saying yes to something seemingly benign ended up hurting other areas of your life you were trying to prioritize? How can you ensure that you “know where your chest line is” moving forward?:

Motivational Passage:

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

-Heraclitus

Rewilding Action: If you plan to be in the backcountry in an area with rivers or small lakes, buying a pair of waders can open up a new world of exploration. You don’t have to break the bank, and a simple $50-$100 pair will do. Take a trip with them and step out into a small stream, lake, or water source and get a whole new perspective on an area! PS: They can also be a lifesaver if you are a hunter and you shoot an animal who then runs across a river or creek… being cold and dry beats being cold and wet every time.

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Hone the Blade

Day 20: Knowing how to take care of your tools is something I had to learn the hard way. This ran the gamut from keeping up with my vehicles, cleaning wood stoves, to de-rusting traps, and most importantly… sharpening axes.

You would think the importance of keeping a sharp axe and chainsaw in the backcountry would have been obvious… but, it definitely wasn’t for this woodsman gringo a few years ago. Heck, you go to spotify and type in “sharp axes,” and you're going to get at least one hundred hits of country songs dedicated to this topic alone. So, when I started swinging a dull axe at rounds of cord wood and got shockwaves of pain rattled up through my radius and ulna, I knew it was time to take all those song lyrics to heart – I had to take care of my tools and learn to sharpen them.

When I got my first sharpening stone and ran my husky axe blade across it, it sounded like squeaky train wheels trying to come to an abrupt stop on a track. The chips and small dents I had rendered it over months of unloved use were there and glaringly apparent. I had to work through them with a lot of patience to return my axe to its former glory. It took a lot of practice and youtube reference, but now that I know the technique I am less like Ernest in the clip below, and more like a samurai from Kill Bill. 

The point is, you can have all of the tools at your disposal in this world, but if you don’t take care of them they will eventually become useless. The same goes for mental tools as well. If you aren’t spending time “sharpening the blade” of your mental toughness and overall mindset, that too will deteriorate over time. Stay sharp.

Daily Prompt: As you think about what it may take to live a more sustainable and feral lifestyle, what tools in your current tool belt need sharpening? Is it your resilience? Your openness to change? Think about a few ways you can get apply a “wet stone” to those areas and plan that change here:

Motivational Passage: 

“ Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax. ”

-Abraham Lincoln

Rewilding Action: In keeping with the theme of sharp axes… if you plan to move off grid or even venture into the woods more often, you will need a chainsaw. I have a collection of Stihl’s and Husqvarna’s and ran through the same issue that I did with my axes on figuring out how to keep them sharp. I tried the tooth-by-tooth sharpening method with a file, but found it too laborious in the field. So, now I have a dremel-brand cordless tool with a 7/32 round file attachment. One of my neighbors showed me this technique and the file fits right in the opening of the tooth… You can quickly zap it after each use and it keeps your blade sharp… Granted, you do go through more chains than if you hand filed, but for me, this has been the best solution!

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It's all a lie...

Day 19- Yesterday while I was in the “big city” of Boise, I saw all of the normal comings and goings of modern life. Restaurants packed, people bustling around, and loads of logistics trucks traveling from neighborhood to neighborhood. But, what stood out to me was one particular Amazon truck. Stopping at three homes in a row, I watched a driver unload armfuls of packages until the truck got close enough for me to see the new inscription that it had on its side “Caution: Contents may cause happiness.”

Wow. 

It’s funny that a campaign to surely help “relate” to people and bring higher CSAT scores could encapsulate so well the negative place I feel we are at as a nation. This slow march toward consumerism being the end-all route to happiness. Is this what we teach our kids now? That the root of happiness is an amazon truck full of marginally well produced goods?

Now don’t get me wrong, hypocrisy does exist here... I enjoy the benefits of Amazon. I can order trapping supplies, last minute camping equipment, waders for the kids, and even sell my book. Then when things shows up at my door, I am happy. But, it is short-lived and surely not the root of my happiness.

My fear of this simple campaign is the normalization around where our kids and families believe they find happiness. My belief is that happiness comes from time outdoors, time with family, and time pushing oneself beyond ones limits. So, maybe a more accurate campaign for Amazon would be “Warning: Contents may cause fleeting happiness.”

Daily Prompt: What daily activities or services provide you fleeting happiness? What would happen if they were no longer available tomorrow? Think about this deeply and reflect on your own dependence on certain modern services, here:

Motivational Passage:

“Happiness comes from within. To be happy is to know oneself. It's not in the material things that we own, it's the love we have and show to the world.”

― Angie Karan

Rewilding Action: Winter is coming! This means winter driving conditions are nye. To prep, this past week I went and bought a new set of chains for my truck and put them all on to stretch while poking around some icy patches in the back country. Now, I recognize not everyone reading this journal will need heavy chains or even studded snow tires each winter, but if you do – go get them and practice putting them on. If you don’t need that level of winter protection, you should still consider building out a winter safety bag for your car. Think about all of the things you may need if your car broke down in a cold area… a blanket, fire starter kit, small amounts of food, water, etc… Prepare now for what may come tomorrow!

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