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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.
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
Massachusetts Time
Jason Aldean twangs through the speakers " ...chillin to Skynard and old Hank... " Despite the mercury, the dance floor of the old...
Allen Crater
Sep 10, 20259 min read
Gear Review - Poncho Performance Shirts
A comprehensive review of Poncho Outdoors' extensive line of performance shirts
Allen Crater
Jun 30, 20255 min read
Gear Review - Winston Air 2 Max Saltwater Fly Rod
A thorough review of Winston's Air 2 Max Saltwater Fly Rod
Allen Crater
Jun 30, 20255 min read
The Winter Journey
Outside the nylon walls a faint morning grey nibbles the edges of a sooty night sky. I'm tucked cozily into my sleeping bag, but I really...
Allen Crater
Apr 18, 20256 min read
Gear Review: Woxna Hälsing Foldable Saw
Overview: I'm a sucker for handcrafted knives and tools. Sure, there's something practical about a synthetic handle on an axe, or knife, or saw, but esthetically it just doesn't seem right, and in-hand it's certainly not the same experience. Tools, first and foremost, need to be functional, but there's no reason they can't also be beautiful. Enter a new brand on the market: Woxna. Woxna saws evoke a timeless style that recalls centuries of Scandinavian hand-tool traditions a
Allen Crater
Feb 3, 20254 min read
Gear Review: Venustas Men's Heated Silent Hunting Vest
Overview: While I spend a lot of time out-of-doors in inclement weather and sub-freezing temps, my tolerance for the cold just isn't what it used to be. Highly aerobic activities like winter hiking, upland hunting, or stalking big game aren't an issue, but less active pursuits like sitting in a duck blind, chasing whitetail from a tree stand during the late archery hunt, or winter fly fishing on the river can be a different story. And despite investing in some of the top gear
Allen Crater
Jan 28, 20254 min read
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