Allen Outside

Thanks for taking the time to peruse my ramblings.

I developed Allen Outside as a place to write about the things I enjoy outdoors: hiking, camping, fly fishing, and hunting. It's my therapy, but you are welcome to join me on the couch. Here I will talk about some of my trips and adventures (or more likely mishaps), wax eloquent (sarcasm) about fishing and dogs and family and getting old, share some tips (most of which were learned the hard way), and review gear.

Along the way I will likely hit on a few other topics such as books I’ve enjoyed, inspiring artists, desirable destinations, and stories and advice from various friends in the know. Through it all I hope to provide some inspiration and insight or, at the very least, give you a chuckle.

Welcome.

Two men standing around a campfire with a tent in the background

Stories

Tips

Close up of a blue backpack with mountains in the background

Gear Reviews

Shot in the Dark

"If this works it's going to be insane." Admittedly there's a trace of doubt lacing my pronouncement. I'm in a canoe with my buddy Ozzy, paddling upriver in the middle of what can be best described as "the boondocks." Even though the calendar is ready to flip to July, it's the first warm evening in recent weeks, and we're chasing Michigan's famous hex hatch, targeting big, nocturnal fish on unproven water. It's literally a shot in the dark or perhaps, I worry, a fool's erran

Allen Crater

6 days ago7 min read

Three Days in The Gorge – Trout Nirvana in Western Colorado

Day One: I'm startled from my sleep – something is licking my face. Given the high-desert setting – home to black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, lizards, northern scorpions, and the occasional prairie rattler – and the fact that we elected to cowboy camp at the trailhead last night, I'm mildly alarmed. And only mildly because I haven't had my caffeine fix yet. Swiping in the general direction of the wet tongue, I pry my eyes open to meet my fate. And there stands Reba, Rich'

Allen Crater

Jun 2213 min read

Gear Review - Nemo Kunai 3 - 4 Season Tent

Overview: My faithful old tent died recently, and what a fine time to give up the ghost. A fine time, indeed. If you sense a hint of sarcasm in that statement, you’re not wrong. At the time, Allen and I were bivouacked on a remote island in northern Ontario, where we were fishing for pike and living feral for a short week. Conditions had been comfortable, until one evening, the barometer plummeted and foul weather rolled in. Sheets of rain pounded our campsite, and we w

Jon Osborn

Mar 63 min read

When Things Get Western

PART ONE: THE BEGINNING Michigan winters are tough for me. The glow of hunting season has fully faded into the rearview, and the humid, halcyon evenings that bring long-awaited hatches lie still far ahead; impossibly out of reach, like a shimmering mirage teasing a parched desert traveler. The days are short, the air is cold, and the sun seems like a long-forgotten friend who rarely calls. This season of hibernal inactivity always leaves me restless and out-of-sorts. To add s

Allen Crater

Feb 2715 min read

Chasing the Bull

It's well past dark when we finally make the second creek crossing and drop our packs. The halfway mark offers a brief solace. But we still have the big climb – two miles and nearly 2,000 feet of icy elevation before we gain the saddle, then a relatively flat final mile back to the truck. Sitting in silence we down chalky energy bars and nurse the last of our dwindling water. Lost in thought. Recalling what's recently behind and daunted by what lies directly ahead. I tug off

Allen Crater

Dec 12, 20258 min read

Gear Review - Argali Alpine 0 Degree Sleeping Bag

Overview: When it comes to cold-weather camping I'm certainly not a newbie, having weathered my fair share of snow storms and single-digit nights in my backpacking and backcountry hunting adventures over the last 30 years. And, due to investing in quality gear, I typically stay decently warm and comfortable. But sometimes the conditions are just more than the gear can handle. It's not to say that it's bad, but just not suited for the job at hand. That was the case with my col

Allen Crater

Nov 19, 20256 min read

Gear Review - Seek Outside Six-Person Tipi Hot-Tent Bundle

Overview: Ever since watching Brad Brook's fantastic film " Hunting The Last Wild Places I The Frank" I've wanted a hot tipi for my backcountry hunting trips. After a miserable Colorado elk hunt (at least from a weather standpoint) spent in a small backpacking tent with my two boys in 2023, I finally pulled the trigger on getting one for a 2025 return trip to the same place. The ability to have a shelter that provided warmth, a place to dry out, and ample space for boots

Allen Crater

Nov 7, 20256 min read

The Last Day of Camp

Overturned dirt lies in a heap, damp from recent rain, still carrying the earthy petrichor of so many seasons. Empty bottles clutter a stump beside the fresh hole. An army-green ammo tin carrying your ashes rests quietly alongside. As your brother Kevin struggles through heavy words and the box is placed into the earth, hot tears streak behind my sunglasses, like August rain sliding down a dirty windowpane. I take my turn and toss a handful of soil over top. As hard as I try,

Allen Crater

Sep 29, 20258 min read