Last week, I wasn’t behind the mic—not because I was tired or lazy, but because I was out in the hills of North Georgia with a group of young men who needed more than content… they needed direction. I was serving with Truth in Nature, a ministry that mentors fatherless boys through outdoor experiences. We built birdhouses, swam in creeks, shot skeet and rifles, and I watched several of those boys give their life to Jesus and get baptized.

That kind of camp—that kind of real—is why I started all of this.

But while I was sleeping in a bunkhouse up there, something stirred in me. I realized I’d been chasing the wrong things: algorithms, TikTok trends, follower counts. Somewhere along the line, I forgot what this was about. So now I’m shifting gears.

In this episode, I talk about why I’m freeze drying my own camping meals. Not because it’s trendy, but because I got tired of overpriced, over-salted, chemical-loaded pouches that aren’t worth handing to a kid, let alone trusting in the woods.

I walk you through:

Why I bought a Harvest Right freeze dryer with my own cash

What led me to launch a new YouTube channel: The Watchful Prepper

Why I’m documenting every batch I make (and not posting until I have 20 videos filmed)

How I’ll be legally selling my meals through my restaurant, under the name Primitive Camping Rations

What it takes to prep, vacuum seal, and store real food that actually lasts

And how I’m tying it all into a bigger mission that includes my book, my coffee, fire kits, and now, rations.

This isn’t about emergency stockpiles or fear-based prepping.
It’s about faith.
It’s about being ready—for a camping trip, a discipleship moment, or a hard week at home.

So if you’re tired of freeze-dried food that just "makes a turd"...
This one’s for you.

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Chris pulls straight from the Primitive Camping and Bushcraft Facebook group to reflect on the posts, questions, and tips shared by its members. From tarp shelter setups and gear hacks to battling Mississippi mosquitoes and testing DIY fish hooks, it's a gritty mix of story, survival, and spiritual insight. You’ll hear about Rhett’s summer tarp camp, the underrated genius of 10x10 tarps, bush pots and bedrolls, and even freeze-dried meals cooked in a state-licensed restaurant. The episode wraps with a heartfelt devotional from Psalm 51 on repentance, restoration, and the kind of real transformation that only God can bring.

What You'll Learn

The pros and cons of different tarp sizes (8x8 vs 10x10 vs 12x12)

Why low-budget gear might outperform high-end brands

How to use dog fennel as a natural mosquito repellent

Tips for summer camping in high heat and humidity

Behind the scenes of launching freeze-dried camping meals

How Psalm 51 speaks to personal repentance and community encouragement

Mentioned in This Episode

Primitive Camping and Bushcraft Facebook group
→ Join here

Cold Cracker Bushpot & Self Reliance Outfitters Bedroll

DD 3x3 tarp and the new DD 4x4 tarp

Tony Powers’ custom “Bobcat” knife (Dirtbound Survival)

Thermacell & Tiny Repel mosquito solutions

Freeze-dried meal experiments: Stroganoff, Chili Mac, Breakfast Skillet

Faith Reflection
Psalm 51:15 — “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise.”
Chris reflects on David’s brokenness and how the words we speak reflect our heart, especially in a group where encouragement and honesty go hand in hand.

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

When you're deep in the woods and gear breaks down, do you have what you need to patch it up and keep going? In this episode, Chris answers a listener question from the Primitive Camping and Bushcraft Facebook Group about field repair kits. From duct tape on a Bic lighter to sail needles and floral wire, he walks through real tools, real fixes, and why preparation isn't just about survival—it's about staying in the game when things go sideways. Plus, a quick look at the Entropy Survival Go Bag and why it's a solid pick for unexpected situations.

Topics Covered:

What should be in every bushcraft repair kit

Creative uses for duct tape, zip ties, and tie wire

How floral wire earns a permanent spot in your gear

First aid crossovers: super glue, needles, dental floss

Real stories of gear failure and on-the-spot repairs

Using the Entropy Survival Go Bag as a foundation

Why spiritual and gear readiness go hand in hand

survival bag https://youtu.be/k7bmtYVoCyY

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Step-by-step method for smoking fish in the field without fancy gear

What types of wood are safe for smoking (and what to avoid)

Why Magnolia wood might be one of the most underrated smoking woods for fish

How to build a simple smoking tripod using green saplings and floral wire

The difference between grilling, roasting, and real smoking in a bushcraft setup

Why floral wire is one of the most versatile tools you can pack in your kit

How to preserve fish while still getting bold flavor at camp

Real-world examples from Mississippi river trips, including stories of pike, bass, and catfish

Field hacks for getting steady smoke without catching your gear on fire

Simple tricks to build a smoke tent for long smoking sessions

Tools and Tips Mentioned:

Magnolia, oak, hickory, pecan, mesquite woods

Avoiding resinous woods like pine and cedar

Building a cooking tripod

Using mechanics or floral wire to hang fish

Scoring fish to cook it evenly

Using sheets to trap smoke without flame-up

Key Takeaway:
Smoking meat in the wild isn’t about perfection — it’s about patience, method, and knowing your materials. When you understand how smoke works, you can preserve and flavor your catch right where you caught it.

Extras:

Grab the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft book on Amazon for full setups and photos

Join the Facebook group and share your favorite smoking wood

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

In this episode of the Primitive Camping and Bushcraft Podcast, host Chris Speir takes you deep into mosquito season with no fluff and no gimmicks—just real outdoor experience. Broadcasting from under the tarp at Camp Wut-Da-Heck, Chris shares personal stories of getting eaten alive by bugs, the dangers of mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile and Lyme disease, and his hard-learned lessons from red bug bites and backwoods blunders.

We walk through:

Real risks: West Nile, Zika, Alpha-Gal, and more

Why natural repellents like dog fennel and American beautyberry work—and how to make your own tinctures

Which commercial repellents are actually worth using (Permethrin, Thermacell, Picaridin, and more)

Common bug myths that don’t work (bracelets, dryer sheets, essential oil patches)

DIY candle experiments with garlic powder, coffee grounds, and citronella

A spiritual parallel: how bug defense mirrors preparing for spiritual warfare

Practical steps to get spiritually ready: Scripture intake, prayer, obedience, and accountability

Chris ends the show by tying together real camping advice with raw biblical truth. Because it’s not enough to know what gear to pack—you also need to guard your soul.

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

In this episode of the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Podcast, Chris breaks down practical, field-tested ways to stay clean in the woods. From simple DIY soap paper strips to pack-friendly sponge-based products, this talk covers everything you need to know to wash up when you’re off-grid. The episode also features a brief look at traditional soap-making concepts using lye and fat, and closes with a reflection on spiritual cleansing based on 1 John 1:9.

Real-world hygiene challenges when camping

Listener question from Clay: “How do you make soap from nothing in the wild?”

Making lightweight soap paper at home using liquid dish soap and regular paper

Testing and using “Skunky” 60-second shower sponges for bushcraft use

The benefits and downsides of different packaging methods (tins vs. Ziplocs)

Intro to soap-making: hardwood ash (lye) and rendered fat

Modern tools you can bring to reduce risk of infection and illness

The connection between physical cleanliness and spiritual cleansing

Supplies: Regular paper or newspaper, liquid dish soap

Steps:

Cut paper into squares or strips

Lay the paper flat and apply soap

Let it dry completely (air-dry or use a dehydrator)

Store dried sheets in a Ziploc bag

Tips:

Avoid paper towels—they don’t dry well

Ziplocs are better than tins for waterproofing and convenience

Add water when needed to activate soap

Compact sponges infused with soap

Lightweight and mess-free

Biodegradable and disposable

Use: Just add water, scrub, rinse

Ideal for hands, body, and general trail hygiene

Use hardwood ashes to make lye (not explained in detail)

Render animal fat to mix with lye

Caution: Real lye can be dangerous without proper ratios and handling

This method is for long-term wilderness setups, not short trips

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

You can make soap out of ash and fat. You can wash your hands with the best gear. But none of it changes what’s inside. Christ is the only one who can cleanse the heart. Just like hygiene takes work and preparation, so does spiritual cleanliness. Confession brings cleansing. Not because you earned it, but because He promised it.

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

In this episode of the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Podcast, Chris and Dave sit beside the fire the morning after a rugged night on the river. They cover everything from owls calling through the darkness, the pros and cons of high-end hammocks, cooking steak over open flames, and real talk about spending smart on gear. The episode weaves in reflections on Christian faith, learning website design the hard way, and how to stop posting random content and start filming with purpose. It’s real. It’s unscripted. It’s camp life.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hennessy Hammock Explorer XL

NightCat Lay Flat Hammock

Moores Spicy Marinade

Camp Wut-Da-Heck updates

Proverbs 3:6 and the new Speir Outdoors slogan

Transitioning Speir Outdoors into a purpose-driven brand

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

Join me at Camp Wut-Da-Heck for a raw, hands-on breakdown of three primitive fire-starting tinder's you can find and process in the wild—arrowwood, mimosa, and tung nut. I walk through scraping wet bark, sun-drying techniques, and using tools like the ferro rod and Pull Start Fire to get real flames in real conditions. If you’ve ever asked, “Can green wood actually work?”—this episode gives you answers you can take into the woods today.

Spiritual Reflection:
But this episode doesn’t just deal with physical fire. It turns the corner into a deeper challenge: Is your heart prepared like good tinder—soft, stripped down, ready to respond? Using 2 Timothy 1:6 and Hebrews 12:29, we’ll explore what it means to fan the flame of faith and what happens when the spark of God’s presence hits something truly ready to burn.

Why This Matters:

If you’re looking to expand your fire-starting skills using local resources—this episode gives you real, tested results.

If you’ve felt dry, distracted, or unprepared spiritually—this message will call you back to readiness.

And if you’re just tired of overproduced survival fluff and want faith and fire, stripped back and spoken real—you’re in the right place.

Gear Mentioned:

Ferro rod

Lagom folding saw

Pull Start Fire

Char cloth

Sun-heated rocks

Natural tinder (arrowwood, mimosa, tung nut)

Scripture Anchors:

2 Timothy 1:6 – “Fan into flame the gift of God.”

Hebrews 12:29 – “Our God is a consuming fire.”

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

Chris shares his honest process of rethinking his pack—what gear matters, what gets left behind, and why less is often more in both bushcraft and faith. He dives into the real-world testing of three different camping bags, reviews the Rothko European Rucksack, and explains why tools should serve, not define, a man. Scripture focus is Matthew 6:19–21.

Pull Start fire link: https://amzn.to/3ZkFqyQ

What You’ll Hear:

The problem with packing too much gear

Breakdown of three camping bag setups

Review of the Rothko Canvas Rucksack

What gear stayed and what got cut

A field-tested packing list under 25 pounds

A biblical challenge: pack lighter spiritually too

Why your real weight should be carried by Jesus

Mentioned Gear & Links:

Rothko European Rucksack

Pathfinder Bushpot + Skillet

Grille Geopress Filter

Nightcat Lay Flat Hammock

East Hills Jungle Explorer Hammock

Lucy Solar Lantern

Membrane Solutions Water Filter

Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel

Pull Start Fire (sponsor)

Challenge for the Week:
Lay out your gear—and your heart. Ask: what actually earns its weight?

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]

Chris returns to Camp Wut-Da-Heck for a raw, unfiltered discussion about the most essential survival tool in the outdoors: your knife. With the wind blowing and fire smoke in the air, he unpacks not just the gear—but the deeper truth behind what makes a knife worth trusting. From field-tested blades like the Morakniv Garberg to his personal favorite, the BPS Bushcraft II, Chris lays out what separates a flashy showpiece from a real workhorse. He shares stories of gear that’s been abused, sharpened, re-used, and never let him down.

But this isn’t just about steel. As Chris digs into Hebrews 4:12, he draws a powerful parallel between a sharpened edge and the Word of God—both capable of cutting through confusion, fear, and the noise of life. He challenges listeners to not only sharpen their blades, but their faith—to be ready when the real test hits.

Whether you’re a seasoned bushcrafter, a weekend camper, or someone just trying to find clarity in the wilderness of life, this episode brings it all together: real tools, real lessons, and the truth that what works—stays.

Explore More from Speir Outdoors
All my links, gear, community, and content in one spot:
 links.speiroutdoors.com

Stay Connected

📖 Book: Primitive Camping & Bushcraft

☕ Coffee: Primitive Camping Roast

🎙️ Podcast Episodes

🎥 YouTube Channel

🧭 Socials, Blog, and More

Have questions or want to connect?
📩 Email: [email protected]