Illustration by Les Kouba
From The New Way of the Wilderness — a beautiful little book from the 50's that covers the basics of backcountry camping. Author Calvin Rutstrum wrote 15 books, mainly how-tos and personal narratives based on his experiences growing up in Minnesota and spending time outdoors.
As the outdoor world continues to embrace the benefits of technology and innovation, there's something to be said for an awareness of how things were done "back then"—even only 60 years ago. An understanding of this kind of history allows those principles and practices to still have an influence in our modern outdoor experiences and ideally remove some of the cruft that makes it harder to disconnect when we are out seeking for something deeper.
Perhaps Rutstrum's greatest legacy is the philosophy he shared as an author and outdoorsman—of making the outdoors a priority in one's life and taking full advantage of the benefits of spending time there.