Hot Outdoor Recreation How-Tos

How To: Ride on flatland with your BMX bicycle

This segment is from the old "Basics" video by Transworld RIDEbmx. From rolling moves to spinning moves, Chad DeGroot and Day Smith teach you some of the building blocks of flatland riding. If you are so used to riding on ramps and hills, you might have forgotten how important it is to learn flatland BMX riding. Well, Chad DeGroot and Day Smith teach you all about flatland BMXing. Just see how to ride on flatland with your BMX bicycle, learning bike tricks and everything else.

How To: Cast a Spinning Rod Backhanded

When fishing with a spinning rod, you may encounter a situation that does not allow you to cast off the side of the body that is holding the reel, like sharing the bow of the boat with another angler. In such situations, it is easier to cast backhanded or with the tip of the rod on the left side of your body if you are a right handed caster. This video demonstrates the backhand cast for spinning rods and reels.

How To: Make Tight Loops When Fly Casting

When casting a flyrod, in most cases, tight loops will allow the fly to travel farther, more accurately, and with less effort. To cast these tight loops, the tip of the rod must travel in a straight line path, slack must be eliminated, and there must be a constant acceleration to a sudden stop. The most common mistake is using the wrist to move the rod which causes the tip to travel in a half circle or windshield wiper type motion.

How To: Avoid Wind Knots in Braided Line

Many people who use braided line complain that it gets wind knots which may have to be cut off and expensive line discarded. Almost all "wind knots" have nothing to do with the wind and are caused by user error. This video explains how to avoid those knots and start taking advantage of braided fishing line.

How To: Cast a Spinning Reel

Learning the most effective way to use a spinning reel will help you to catch more fish in a variety of situations. In this tutorial, fishing guide Capt. Chris Myers explains how to operate and cast a spinning reel combo.

How To: Tie the Easiest Loop Knot for Fishing

A loop knot can be used to attach most fishing lures and all hooks and flies. A loop allows greater action of the lure or fly and always ensures the line will pull straight down the shaft. With knots that cinch tight agains the eye of the hook, the may move off to one side causing it not to pull straight.

How To: Catch Lake Trout

Lowrance Pro-Staff, Gerry Heels, explains how he caught this nice Lake Simcoe Lake Trout. Fishing in over 70 feet of water the strike came about 10 feet below the ice. Without the Lowrance HDS5 Gerry never would have know it was there.

How To: Windsurf

This tutorial is for everyone who is trying to learn how to windsurf. If you already know how to windsurf and just want to freshen up on the theory or if you have never tried it and want to give it a go, this is the series to check out.

How To: Make a Survival Light Source

This is just a simple survival light source. You can use a cheap outdoor solar yard light like the one in the video from walmart. There only about 3 to 5 bucks but you can use them not only as a light source but a way to recharge AA rechargeable batteries.

How To: Keep Mosquitoes & Other Annoying Bugs Away from Your Campfire or Backyard Fire Pit

I'll be honest—I've never been a huge fan of camping. It's not that I have anything against nature, I'm just partial to showering and sleeping in my own bed. In fact, the only part of camping I've ever really enjoyed is sitting around a campfire. Outdoor fires are perfect for socializing and cooking hot dogs, but they're also great at helping remove one of camping's biggest annoyances.

How To: Build a Campfire in the Backcountry

In this video, John E. Hiker walks you through the basics of building a campfire at a cold winter campsite in Olympic National Park. John shows you step by step how to gather the best wood and light a fire using a fire starter. Fire starters are considered to be one of the "ten essentials" for backcountry travelers, so you should carry it with you and plan to use it at your camp. Getting to camp cold and wet at the end of a long day is no time to be a survivalist and try to light a fire with ...

How To: Ford/Cross a River Safely in the Backcountry

In this video tutorial, former Outward Bound instructor and mountaineering guide John E. Hiker demonstrates a basic technique for safely fording (crossing) a river. Typically, more hikers are killed each year from drowning while fording rivers than by bear attacks, falls, avalanches, and all other wilderness hazards combined. The technique shown here is especially useful for those crossing a deep river with a heavy backpack.