Nature Reliance Podcast
by Nature Reliance Media
Welcome to the Nature Reliance Podcast, the ultimate audio destination for outdoor enthusiasts, survivalists, and nature lovers. Each episode delves into the heart of wilderness living and survival skills, guided by experts in the field. Join us as we explore a myriad of topics ranging from bushcraft and land navigation to wildlife tracking and naturalist studies. Our podcast not only educates but also inspires, empowering listeners to deepen their connection with the natural world. Whether you're a seasoned outdoorsman or just starting your journey into the wilderness, the Nature Reliance Podcast offers invaluable insights, tips, and tales to enhance your outdoor experiences. Tune in to join a community that reveres nature and thrives on adventure." Get our free online survival course!: https://bit.ly/FreeMSTG Join the NRS Online Membership here: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE
Episodes
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How Understanding Plant Names Helps You Read the Land
Plant systematics and Latin plant names intimidate a lot of people. But they shouldn’t. In this episode, I sit down with Eric Comley, a herbaceous plants instructor, to break down why scientific plant names actually matter and how they help everyday people understand plants, landscapes, and...
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Practical insights on longevity, movement, hydration, nutrition, and nature based health
In this episode, Craig Caudill sits down with Dr. Scott Hardin for a thoughtful conversation on what it really means to live well, not just live longer. You can find Dr. Hardin at his website You can find some insight into the 20-5-3 concept, here Check out the protocol from Prolon Life that Dr....
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Beyond the Field with Kevin Estela: Building a Mindset for the Outdoors
How to sharpen your skills, shift your mindset, and thrive in wild places. Craig Caudill sits down with survival expert Kevin Estela to unpack his new book Beyond the Field, a deep dive into wilderness living, hunter’s mindset, and leadership in the outdoors. If you're ready to do more than...
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Lessons from the Field: Search and Rescue Insights from 2024
Every year, Search and Rescue (SAR) teams risk their lives to save outdoor enthusiasts who find themselves in trouble. In 2024 alone, SAR teams have responded to numerous critical incidents—many of which could have been prevented. In this episode, Craig Caudill sits down with Tracy Trimble, an...
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How 4H Camps Get Kids Off Screens & Into the Outdoors
In today’s world, kids are spending more time on screens than in nature. But 4H Camps are changing that by giving them hands-on experiences in outdoor adventure, self-reliance, and leadership. In this episode, I sit down with Jake Farmer and Kyle Comley to discuss how 4H Camps provide…
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Daddy Long Legs: Myths, Truths & Surprising Facts
The best way to get the outline and other important info for this podcast is to check out our Podcast Blog on our website for this episode. You can find it here Craig Caudill and Blake Newton, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky, discuss the misconceptions about harvestmen, commonly…
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The Science of Cold Exposure: How It Impacts Your Body and Mind
You can discover the transcript, outline and ore at this link: https://naturereliance.org/blogs/blog/cold-exposure-calories-muscles-electrolytes-survival-benefits Discover the fascinating science behind cold exposure and how it affects your body and mind. In this episode, we explore how cold...
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From Novice to Tracking Mentor: Chris Lindsey’s Urban Tracking Journey
You can access the full podcast summary, and transcript at this link: https://naturereliance.org/blogs/podcast/urban-tracking Chris Lindsey, a practicing tracker since 2012, shared his journey with Craig Caudill, detailing his initial interest in tracking sparked by a $7 Tom Brown book. Chris...
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Mastering the Art and Science of Tracking: A Conversation with Mike Hull of Hull's Tracking Services
Please check out the link for this podcast on our website for the summary, links mentioned and more. Craig Caudill interviews Mike Hull, a renowned tracking instructor and owner of Hull's Tracking Services. Mike shares his journey from becoming a State game warden in 1980 to developing a passion...
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#130 LT Wright of LT Wright Handcrafted Knives Interview
In this episode, I sit down with my good friend and legendary knifemaker, LT Wright. Over the years, LT and I have teamed up on countless projects, and I’ve gained invaluable insights from him—not just about business or knifemaking, but about life itself. LT is one of the most genuine,...
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#129 Tuff Possum Gear, Jayberry Miller Interview
Join me as I interview my friend and regular student at NRS, Mr. Jayberry Miller. Jayberry is a young businessman who has an integrity that surpasses many in the industry. His gear is top notch, as well as his character. Listen in as we discuss his business strategy, details of how he makes gear...
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#128 World Renowned Bushcraft Instructor, Mr. Paul Kirtley
You don't want to miss this outstanding conversation with Mr. Paul Kirtley. I have admired Paul's work for many years, and it was a great pleasure chatting with him about his mentors, courses taught, and teaching/leadership insights. This one has a wealth of information from one of the most...
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#127 How to Avoid Ticks
Check out Brian Anderson and pick up some repellant at his site, The Tick Terminator: https://www.lymetickbughub.com/ The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Water Bottle Blowout. The NRS Online Membership is THE…
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#126 George Rogers Clark, Leader of the Long Knives
The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Water Bottle Blowout. The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Thanks for listening! Follow us…
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#125 Simon Kenton Frontier Scout with Dr. Mel Hankla
The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Water Bottle Blowout. The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Thanks for listening! Follow us…
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#124 Professional Mental Health Maintenance Insight from Jessica Wigginton
The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Water Bottle Blowout. The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Thanks for listening! Follow us…
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#123 Emergency Medical Services Insight for Disaster Readiness
Check out the NRS Online Membership for detailed educational content: https://bit.ly/41zxMAv Fire Maple Outdoor Stoves, Great Stuff!: https://shrsl.com/4b21i The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Water Bottle...
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#122 Ham Radio Insight For Disaster Readiness
Check out NRS Online Membership for more detailed information on disaster readiness: https://bit.ly/41zxMAv The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to get the most up to date content for our followers: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE Water Bottle Blowout. The NRS Online Membership is THE best way to…
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#121 SOBERING Grid Down Disaster Readiness Interview
Craig interviews Mr. Stephen Volandt with Resilient Projects Incorporated. Stephen is an incredible wealth of information on many topics related to disaster readiness. He has been significantly involved in helping others prepare for long-term "Black Sky" (aka Grid Down) events. He was part of a...
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#120 Building a Resilient Team with Doc K, Special Forces Soldier
In this interview Craig talks to Shane Kerwin aka Doc K. Shane is the Founder and Lead Instructor of Personal Survival Solutions, LLC. Shane lays out his extensive and impressive background first, which sets the stage for the rest of the discussion. Special Forces soldiers are the best in the…
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#119 Lineage, Teachers and Their Importance in Outdoor Education
This is our first podcast in a departure from where we have been thus far. No editing, raw. This first one Craig details his thoughts on the importance of remembering your teachers and mentors. He then discusses the men and women who trained him throughout his life. There are some surprises here...
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#118 Mindset and Mental Health Development for Daily Survival
In this podcast, Craig interviews Mr. Clark Pelphrey who has spent a career serving as a first responder, currently working as a mental health nurse. Clark shares invaluable information on how we can better take care of ourselves, how we can notice warning signs with friends and family, what role...
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#117 Where did the word Appalachia come from? Apalachee Indians is the answer
Listen in on this podcast as Craig shares more knowledge gained from a recent road trip. Craig traveled to Georgia Bushcraft to teach, and came across the Oconee River, studying that name and its origin, led him to learn about the little-known Appalachee Indians. Their story is one worth learning...
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#116 Challenges for Search and Rescue Teams during the Eastern KY Floods of 2022
Today's episode details the events of a 1,000-year flood that hit Eastern Kentucky in July 2022. One of the first responding teams to the area was the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Swift Water Boat Team. Our guests John May and Jim Cuppy detail the events of that early morning and the days to...
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#115 Five Incredible Wildlife Interactions
In this podcast, Craig discusses some incredible wildlife interactions he has experienced over his decades-long love affair with the outdoors. ===== Let us know what you think by sending us a message: [email protected] ===== Follow us at www.naturereliance.org ===== Support: Shop our...
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#114 Survival Instructors Discuss a Stressful Class
In this podcast NRS instructors Craig Caudill, Dave Robinson, and Sam Buhlig discuss a recent Level 1 survival class. They each discuss a great learning point from those in attendance as it relates to survival and emergency preparedness. This is the insight that is worth its weight in gold. The…
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#113 Women in the Wilderness, PNWBushcraft
Heather Saulsbury of PNWBushcraft is our first-ever female guest. We met Heather and her husband Todd this year after chatting with her a few times on social media. Not only does she and others make great waxed canvas products, but she also has some great insight about ladies in the outdoors. We...
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#112 Introduction to Amateur (Ham) Radio
Craig, Sam, and Tracy sit down to discuss the upcoming NRS class "Introduction to Amateur (Ham) Radio" topics. For more details follow NRS and be sure to look for online classes through Nature Reliance School online membership. US Amateur Radio Bands FRS/GMRS Channel/Frequencies/Power ===== Let…
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#111 What does Lineage have to do with Bushcraft and Survival?
We meet up with our friend Joe Flowers from Bushcraft Global to discuss lineage, books, teachers, and depth of training in the field of Bushcraft. Joe also tells us some great insider info on the Global Bushcraft Symposium. Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 Bushcraft Global Nature Reliance School…
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#110 John McCann - Survival Resources
Craig speaks with John McCann from Survival Resources. John has been, among other things, a Marine DI and started and ran several businesses including counter intel. Today he runs Survival Resources which specializes in quality products to ensure you are prepared for an emergency situation…
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#109 Coyotes - What I Learned Surprised Me.
Myth vs Fact related to coyotes. In this podcast, Tracy and Craig discuss some research Tracy has been reading up on related to coyotes. There are so many things that surprised both of them about the findings. We are sure you will be surprised too. ===== Let us know what you think by sending us a...
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#108 Mental Fortitude and Grit with Army Ranger Ryan Tibben
Ryan Tibben, the Founder and CEO of Alert Plan Training Systems LLC, has dedicated over 19 years to the profession of arms and the study of small unit tactics. Ryan spent 9 years in a Long Range Surveillance Unit assigned to a 6-man team. He started as a Scout Observer and worked his way to a…
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#107 Firearms Instructor Matt Underwood
Matt Underwood has worked as a public school history teacher, as a security agent for a nuclear power plant operation, and is now the Training Coordinator for Rochester Personal Defense of New York. In this podcast, we look at the connection between history and personal defense, Matt's personal…
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#106 US Marine to Fieldcraft Farmer, Fantastic Story
If you like a good story that starts out rough and points towards success this is it. We begin with Jon Turner and his service as a US Marine and land on his family farm in Vermont several years later. Helping kids learn how to handle single-digit cold and love it, utilizing and teaching others…
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#105 Interview with Casey Deming of Georgia Bushcraft
Georgia Bushcraft is a company focused on providing a venue for learning and inspiring wilderness and survival education. We host several classes and campouts throughout the year. They also offer several great products on their online store. In this podcast Craig and Casey Deming discuss the...
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#104 Self-Defense is Self-Reliance - Part 4 (Gear)
This 4 part series offers some help to those interested in getting started in self-defense. He follows the model, familiar to NRS regulars, of Mindset, Skills, Tactics, and Gear. Suffice it to say, as the title implies, that self-defense is self-reliance get yourself some training somewhere.…
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#103 Western Hunting and Hill People Gear
Many in the NRS community are fans of the Hill People Gear brand packs, kit bags, and more. In this podcast, Craig interviews Casey Gorsett, brand ambassador, and Kevin McDowell, director of marketing for HPG. We specifically wanted these guys on to discuss big game hunting in the Rocky Mountains...
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#102 Self-Defense is Self-Reliance - Part 3 (Tactics)
This 4 part series offers some help to those interested in getting started in self-defense. He follows the model, familiar to NRS regulars, of Mindset, Skills, Tactics, and Gear. Suffice it to say, as the title implies, that self-defense is self-reliance get yourself some training somewhere.…
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#101 Wazoo
What is a Wazoo and what does it mean? Join Craig as he interviews the founders of Wazoo Survival. We will find out more about the name, the products they offer, and their incredibly unique backgrounds (one of them was a rocket scientist, sort of) that brought them together. Great story of...
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#100 Self-Defense is Self-Reliance - Part 2 (Skills)
This 4 part series offers some help to those interested in getting started in self-defense. He follows the model, familiar to NRS regulars, of Mindset, Skills, Tactics, and Gear. Suffice it to say, as the title implies, that self-defense is self-reliance get yourself some training somewhere.…
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#99 Herbalist and Chemist Mark Merriwether Vorderbruggen Ph.D Interview
Mark Merriwether Vorderbruggen is an absolute wealth of information on edible and medicinal plants. He is not just a casual part-time plants guy, he is living breathing edible and medicinal plants PhD. His research and formulations are at the heart of Medicine Man Plant Co that taps back into the...
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#98: Self-Defense is Self-Reliance - Part 1 (Mindset)
This 4 part series offers some help to those interested in getting started in self-defense. He follows the model, familiar to NRS regulars, of Mindset, Skills, Tactics, and Gear. Suffice it to say, as the title implies, that self-defense is self-reliance get yourself some training somewhere.…
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#97 Disaster Preparedness and Survival Author and Instructor Jim Cobb Interview.
Jim Cobb is one of the most well-respected and even-tempered individuals in the Disaster Readiness/Survival Community. He is editor-in-chief of two incredibly popular magazines in this space, author of several books, and has been a great mentor and friend to Craig. He and Craig discuss disaster...
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#96 Urban Survival Interview with Tony Torre of Urban Survival Craft
Craig takes a much-needed right turn towards Urban Survival in this podcast. With natural and man-made disasters happening quite frequently, there are varied needs for those in large cities. Mr. Tony Torre is uniquely positioned to discuss these issues. Living through several disasters in…
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#95 ESEE/Randall Adventure Training Interview with Shane Adams
ESEE Knives and Randall Adventure Training are synonymous with serious blades and training. Craig was pleased to sit down and talk to Marketing Director/Utility Player, Mr. Shane Adams. Shane is uniquely positioned to talk about the victories and challenges of working with this crew. He has an...
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#94 My Top 7 Classified Disaster Preps
Craig has been fortunate to train a significant number of first responders on the federal, state, and local levels. Considering the recent tornado event that happened in Kentucky, he shares 7 simple, yet critical things we can do before the next event happens. ===== Let us know what you think by...
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#93 Deer, Wild Turkey, Elk, Grouse and Mountain Lions in KY!
Craig sat down with Mr. Joe Lacefield, Regional Wildlife Biologist, for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife to discuss science and myth surrounding several species of wildlife. Lots to take in but in summary, we talked about grouse population, deer rut activity (several surprises here),...
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#92 Hacks Hacks and More Hacks
Today's episode has Craig and Tracy discussing survival hacks. Why people are attracted to them and should they be used. Let us know what you think by sending us a message: [email protected] ===== Follow us at www.naturereliance.org ===== Support: Shop our affiliation companies by...
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#91 All Hail the Survival Acronyms!
Craig recently taught some material to a large military unit. If you have ever been around military personnel, you know they love acronyms. In this podcast, he goes over some acronyms that NRS uses in our teaching and one really sharp new one that was picked up from another podcast. Put these to...
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#90 Survivorman - Les Stroud Interview
Craig is more than pleased to interview Mr. Les Stroud. There is no one like him. Filmmaker, musician, survival teacher he is these things and so much more. In this interview, Les talks about the differences in shooting video when he started vs. now, his music and the role it plays in his life…
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About this show
Welcome to the Nature Reliance Podcast, the ultimate audio destination for outdoor enthusiasts, survivalists, and nature lovers. Each episode delves into the heart of wilderness living and survival skills, guided by experts in the field. Join us as we explore a myriad of topics ranging from bushcraft and land navigation to wildlife tracking and naturalist studies. Our podcast not only educates but also inspires, empowering listeners to deepen their connection with the natural world. Whether you're a seasoned outdoorsman or just starting your journey into the wilderness, the Nature Reliance Podcast offers invaluable insights, tips, and tales to enhance your outdoor experiences. Tune in to join a community that reveres nature and thrives on adventure."
Get our free online survival course!: https://bit.ly/FreeMSTG
Join the NRS Online Membership here: https://bit.ly/NRSONLINE
Hosted by
Nature Reliance Media