May's Friday Five to Follow, Especially if You're Hungry!

I must have been hungry when I chose this month's five to follow on Twitter - hungry and outdoorsy. Neither of those is unusual. It's inevitable that eventually it will show in my Twitter recommendations. Here are five that I actively look for in my feed. You should as well.

Michelle (@browneyedbaker) has a great recipe blog you should read! While I tend to get stuck in the cupcake section, she has everything from appetizers to main dishes to vegetarian dishes to cookies. And cupcakes. I love her cupcake recipes and so do my co-workers. She even has dog treat recipes. I've tried a few of them and now Michelle is a go-to for "what do I want to eat" days or when I need something for a work potluck! This snack recipe would make a great take-along for a camping trip or day hike.

Primitive Cafe (@primitive_cafe) is a great resource for wild food foragers. Run by Hue, he'll help get those edible plants from your yard to the plate in fantastic fashion. From wild bruschetta to coconut red curry soup, you'll find great recipes as well as events to attend. There are plenty of edible "weeds" out there that could easily grace your table. All you need is to learn how to identify them and prepare them. Primitive Cafe will help you do that.

The Bushcraft Journal (@TBCRAFTJOURNAL) is a great new online bushcraft magazine available by subscription. Some of the foremost experts on bushcraftt skills and outdoor survival contribute to the magazine and it is published quarterly. The publisher's goal is great and doesn't need me to re-word it: "is to cover all you need to enhance your journey in the natural world so you will be able to immerse yourself safely and comfortably in it for longer periods of time, regardless of your age or skill level or global location." Check it out!

Chris Swanda (@ChrisSwanda) is one of the cast members of one of my favorite shows, Dude, You're Screwed. He's an outdoor survivalist, knife knut, and a techie geek too. You don't often find that package, so following him will satisfy the outdoors enthusiast and the technophile in anyone. As an added bonus, he loves bacon. (FYI, never trust anyone who doesn't love bacon.) He does have a strange aversion to shoes - he did most of his episode barefoot. 

Ultimate Survival Tech (@UST_Survival) makes survival gear of all types. Firestarters, lights, cutting tools, lights, etc. are all available. I have a few of their products. I am particularly fond of their 3" ParaKnife. Mine is magenta. The sheath fits well on a woman's figure and the handle is a nice size for smaller hands. I also have a couple of their MagBar Firestarters. Well, I had a couple. My daughter absconded with one of them. I'll have to replace that. I like to have a spare.

My Twitter: @cmstevens06

April's Five to Follow - No Fooling!

It's the start of another month and allegedly it is spring time. It also means I should probably write my monthly post about some of my favorite Twitter people. (I refuse to uses the term "tweeps" because it sounds stupid and I don't follow stupid people.) April's Five to Follow  for #FF are smart, punny, and loaded with great photography.

Tristan Gooley (@NaturalNav) is the author of The Natural Navigator: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide. I am pretty sure you could drop him anywhere on the planet and he'd be able to tell you the way home in no time. What is more impressive is that he can explain it in a way that makes sense even to me and I get turned around in my own home! (I'm still going to have to read his book twice. No one is THAT good.) His Twitter feed is full of great tips, beautiful photos, and interesting nature articles.

George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) is one of the punniest men on the internet, and I love a good pun. There are few things more entertaining - and harder to pull off - than a well-crafted word game. Of course, he is also one of the best characters EVER on Star Trek and I am a long-time Trekker. On a serious note, his quest to ensure this country doesn't forget its dark past and the internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans during WWII is near to my heart. Anyone who strives to keep our history alive is a hero to me.

Dude You're Booked (@DudeYoureBooked) is a Twitter book club started by three fans of the TV show Dude, You're Screwed. The stars (Terry Schappert, John Hudson, Jake Zweig, Chris Swanda, Casey Anderson, and Tim Smith) recommend so many good books via their Twitter feeds that we couldn't keep up, so we created an Amazon wishlist to accompany the Dude, You're Booked feed. Matt Graham doesn't do social media, but his book due out this summer is on the list. The face of the club changes every month and the Dudes keep us supplied with new book suggestions.

Survival Sherpa (@SurvivalSherpa) is a bushcraft and survivalist guru. (What? You thought I'd have a Five to Follow without a survival guy?) His blog is a wealth of information and and his Twitter feed is loaded with useful links to other resources as well. You'll learn about making primitive pottery, lashing (posts, not people), making a "plumber's stove on steroids", and so much more. His blog has DIY projects, wood craft ideas and so much more! Plus, he's a tad cheeky. You gotta love that!

Yonder App (@YonderApp) is the Twitter feed for a mobile app for the outdoorsy types. My favorite Crazy Goat Farmer told me about this one. (Truthfully, I'm surprised he found it!)  It's a photos-only feed of people out exploring Mother Nature. You can follow others just like any other social media. The difference is you don't have to filter out subjects you don't really care about. It is just an endless feed of incredible scenery and ideas for your travel bucket list.

My Twitter: @cmstevens06

Survival, the Outdoors, and Beer for #FF

I enjoy Twitter. It keeps me occupied on the train on the way to work. On the way home, it's books. I have, to me, a lot of people I follow. I realize that there are people who have numbers in the thousands, but I think my brain might explode. As it is, I sometimes feel like I miss the people I am most interested in. These are a few of the accounts that I go out of my way to find in the barrage of tweets on my feed. Per usual, they are heavy on survival, outdoors, and beer!

So go ahead and find these guys for your #FF!

Glacier National Park (@GlacierNPS) is one of the most beautiful places on earth and is absolutely my most favorite place to be. There is something incredibly peaceful about just looking out over Lake McDonald. One day, I am going to live close enough to visit whenever I want. Until then, I can look at all the gorgeous photos on their Twitter account.

Silver Eagle Group (@SilverEagle_Grp) is my favorite range in Northern Virginia. In addition to being a very nice facility, the people there are fantastic. The first time I took my college-aged daughter there, the staff was incredibly supportive and helpful.They really encouraged her and it definitely contributed to her having a great time and wanting to go back. Silver Eagle also offers self defense classes and has a retail store as well.

Survivor Jane (@SurvivorJane) is rapidly becoming an inspiration for me. She's a girly-girl who will survive when the SHTF. My dad always taught me to fight back and survive, and he gave me the foundational skills to build on, but people like Survivor Jane make it attainable in style. Her book, Survivor Jane's Guide To Emergency/Survival Hygiene: A Prepper "Cookbook" for Making Survival Personal Hygiene Products, is available on Amazon and in my to-read stack of books.

Wainwright Prize (@wainwrightprize) satisfies the book geek in me and the back-to-nature displaced Montana girl all in one. The Thwaites Wainwright Prize rewards the best of nature, travel, and outdoors writers in the UK. No, it isn't international, but the books they honor are and you should read them. Did I mention that the prize is sponsored by a brewery? No? Oops... Another great reason to follow 'em. (Oh, and if anyone from the Thwaites Wainwright Prize is reading this, Tristan Gooley's book, The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs, should absolutely be on the short list!)

Dog Tag Brewing (@DogTagBrewing) is a craft beer company out of the greatest state ever, Montana. Add to an awesome location that they support our nation's veterans and make beer, you have a fantastic company! You can't get their beer everywhere yet, but they are working on it! I'm planning a drive to southern Virginia just to get a case. I'm still waiting for them to hit NoVA. They also respond to tweets, so they are a friendly lot as well.

My twitter if you want to follow as well: @cmstevens06

Who to Follow for Fun on #FF and Why

Not too long ago, I wrote about some of the more amusing people I've encountered on Twitter since following survivalists and preppers and goat farmers, Oh My! I also find that there are quite a few not really worth following. I'm pretty particular about who I trust and who I turn to for information.

There's a hashtag trend on Fridays to get people more followers (#ff). It's a great idea, but I always wonder why I'm being told these people are worth my time. I hate having too much chaff in my Twitter feed while I figure out if the names after #ff really are worth #ff.

So instead of just a random list of names, these are a few people I've learned quite a bit from and believe are worth your time. You should #ff them. Wow, that sounded much dirtier than I thought it would. Just follow them on Twitter and keep the other stuff to yourself.

A few are survivalist pros, You'll learn something from everyone of them and you'll get a chuckle or two as well. (In some random order...)

Tim MacWelch uses the lure of Maple wine to entice students to attend his classes. (It works, by the way. I took Winter Wild Edible Plants. The wine? It was awesome!) (@timmacwelch) I've already signed up for two more wines - I mean classes - and his tweets include links to his blog posts for Outdoor Life Magazine.

John Hudson is often called "the professor" by fellow Dude You're Screwed star Terry Schappert. It fits.You'll absolutely learn something from every tweet and link he posts. He's a great source for interesting articles and the occasional music tip (the Stone Roses were a nice Christmas pressie). He also makes puns that would make even my father, the master of all things punny, proud. Truth be told, Mr. Hudson is to blame for at least three pun wars on Twitter between Becky Jo and me. This could be considered a strike against him if you follow our Twitter feeds. (@jhsurvival)

Terry Schappert doesn't describe himself as a survivalist, but as a U.S. Army Special Forces, Ranger, Templar and Dog Lover. He is one of the most thoughtful, wise warriors I've read in quite a while. He encourages discussion and is respectful of those who disagree with him respectfully. He always has links to articles you should read, even if you disagree. Besides, any man who will carry a puppy for four days through Romania deserves a follow or 50. (@terryschappert)


A couple are everyday people who have plenty worth saying...or are crazy goat farmers. (Please note, I only included in this section those who gave me permission.)

Chris Griffin is the guy I affectionately call the Crazy Goat Farmer. I'm pretty sure he's the one in the hat. He's really not crazy, but he is funny and full of sage advice on everything from animals to soap to knives. He runs a micro-farm in Virginia and has a website for his farm, Griffin's Ark. The farm also sells amazing goat milk soaps. (@griffinsark)

Becky Jo is one of my favorite pun sparring partners on Twitter. She's sharp, a Dude You're Screwed fan, punny, and full of interesting recipes and homesteading tips. Her current mission is to get the Discovery Channel to pick up the show for another season, thus the profile pic. (It was either this or a raging Xena, Warrior Princess, and I'm not sure that was quite appropriate.) Mostly, she's punny and we have a lot of fun going back and forth. She wins most of the time, but every once in a while, I slip in a good pun. (Is there such a thing?) (@BeckyJoSpray)

And saving the best for last...

You HAVE to follow Rosie! Rosie is the awesome puppy that Terry Schappert carried through Romania for Dude You're Screwed and she totally won the game (use #RosieWinsTheGame)! She lives in Colorado with the cameraman now, but she peeks in from time to time on Twitter to say hi. (@RosieDYSStar)