Interview with Reuben Bolieu | RECOIL OFFGRID

Reuben Bolieu is a person who trades tents for tarps, drumsticks for jungle knives, and panic for a gradual pulse. A California native turned international adventurer, he’s whittled his journey life all the way down to a 4.5-pound pack and a philosophy cast in frostbite, bear chases, and seismic shakes. From Huge Bear’s campsites to Peru’s rain-soaked jungles, Reuben’s path — half ultralight backpacker, half survivalist scribe — spans a long time of errors and triumphs. With a digital camera in hand and a narrative to inform, he’s much less about mastering the wild and extra about studying from it, one regular, deliberate step at a time.

Interview with Reuben Bolieu

You’ve been on some wild adventures. What sparked that curiosity?

Reuben Bolieu: I’ve been hooked on tenting since I used to be a child. My grandfather would haul me, my cousin, my brother, and a gaggle of mates as much as Huge Bear, California. We’d wrestle with this huge canvas tent — poles, mud, the works. I cherished these journeys, however, man, I hated the setup and teardown — moist, heavy chaos. Even so, I couldn’t give up tenting.

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As I received older, I made a decision to rethink the entire recreation. I needed to go lighter, sooner, less complicated. That’s after I dove into ultralight backpacking — tremendous ultralight, like 20 kilos base weight. I used to be coaching for giant hikes: Grand Canyon, Mount Whitney, stuff like that.

When did you make that shift from clunky child tenting to ultralight?

Highschool was the turning level. I’d had sufficient. I’d by no means been so chilly or scared as I used to be in these huge tents. You’ve received all this airspace you possibly can’t warmth, and each squirrel rustling outdoors seems like a bear — or a serial killer. I’d lie awake, freaking out over chipmunks. It wasn’t enjoyable anymore. I needed to like the method, not simply the surroundings. So, I began trimming weight — all the way down to 10 kilos of base gear, four-season prepared. Excessive altitude, snow, no matter. Finally, I crunched it to 4 and a half kilos. That’s my candy spot now. I’m at all times snug, at all times dry — one thing to sleep on, in, and underneath. Finest sleep in camp, assured.

4 and a half kilos? No tent? How does that work?

Tents are historical past for me — I haven’t owned one in years. I’m a tarp man now. Lean-to or A-frame setup, relying. Why? If you hear a noise, you flick in your gentle and see it’s only a squirrel or an owl. No extra mendacity there, creativeness working wild, picturing a grizzly. I’ve misplaced rely of what number of occasions I’ve heard one thing creeping shut, flipped the sunshine, and laughed — it’s a raccoon, not a monster. That visibility issues to me.

What about snakes, mosquitoes, creepy crawlies?

Mosquitoes? Worst bites of my life have been in tents — they get trapped inside. Beneath a tarp, they simply buzz by. Within the tropics or summer season swamps, I’ll use a hammock with a internet, or a kind of field nets you tuck round you. Bugs don’t faze me a lot. I’ve by no means met anybody killed by one. Snakes? Rising up within the Southwest, I’ve slept on the bottom eternally — desert tenting, rattlesnake nation. By no means wakened with one curled on me. I used to be a hammock hanger for 12 years, however I ditched it to go lighter. Now I’m ground-only, until I’m instructing in Alabama or Georgia in August — jungle vibes — or someplace like Peru or the Philippines. In any other case, no points. Animals don’t care about us half as a lot as we expect.

That city delusion about snakes snuggling up for heat? Busted?

Completely. Folks swear it occurs, however in a long time of sleeping on the bottom in rattlesnake territory, it’s by no means as soon as been true for me. I’m not naive. I do know they’re on the market, however I don’t sweat it. Tents aren’t the reply anyway. They lure bugs, get dirty, and if a bear needs in, that zipper’s not stopping it. It’s a false safety blanket. I say take what makes you cheerful outside, however I’ll be over right here with my 5-minute setup, no moist tent to pack, only a tarp and a mesh-sided pack. Works for me.

How did you go from ultralight tenting in highschool to freelance writing and jungle journeys?

It began with backpacking — these grueling Whitney hikes within the late ’90s, early 2000s. I’d be out with match, gear-heavy mates, coaching in any respect altitudes for six months. At some point, I tossed out a query: “What if our packs slid down this hill?” No one had a solution. That bugged me. I hated feeling depending on stuff. What if my tent rips? The place’s the duct tape? So, I made a decision to ditch the gear crutches and study actual abilities.
Again then, pre-YouTube, I ordered VHS tapes, Ron Hood’s The Woodsmaster collection, mid-’90s stuff. You’d see an advert in {a magazine}, ship a examine, and wait. I devoured these, plus old-school books just like the SAS survival manuals. John “Lofty” Wiseman was my hero — jungle badass. The tropics turned my holy grail. I believed, I can’t go there clueless, so I constructed abilities, took pictures — crappy ones, simply to recollect — and stored at it.

In the meantime, I used to be a professional drummer, gigging worldwide for Disneyland. That allow me pattern wildernesses — Spain, New Zealand, Egypt — and return to dig deeper. I’d fumble abilities, make errors, study. Grand Canyon, SoCal peaks, Whitney once more. Then, in September 2007, my cousin requested, “What’s subsequent?” I stated, “The jungle.” Ten minutes later, I’m on the telephone with Mike Perrin from Randall’s Journey & Coaching. He goes, “We’ve received a November journey, one slot left.” Most individuals overthink and discuss themselves out of it. Not me. I had a bizarre two-week break from drumming, so I stated sure. Picked up from Disneyland, gear packed, subsequent cease: Lima, Peru. Life-changing doesn’t cowl it.

What was that first jungle journey like?

A riot. 5 of us: an Alaskan survival teacher, a Maryland bartender hooked by Survivorman, a Google coder who’d by no means camped however matched my gear from discussion board posts, me, and Jeff Randall, co-founder of the varsity. Newbies thrived, no unhealthy habits. Expertise carry over, certain, however the jungle’s a reset. We made errors — tons — and discovered quick. Jeff, {a magazine} author I’d learn for years, sat throughout from me for hours and stated, “It is best to do that — write.” I laughed. “I don’t learn about cameras or writing.” Two days after we received again, I’m drumming once more, however his phrases caught.

How’d you leap from drumming to writing and pictures?

Jeff hounded me, gave me editors’ contacts, stated my discussion board posts about gear and journeys have been gold. I’d documented every part — Whitney prep, desert hikes, talent flops — with pictures. He instructed me, “Shoot every part. You by no means know who’ll want it.” Additionally: “Don’t ask permission — simply shoot. Apologize later if you must.” That clicked. No posed smiles, simply uncooked pictures. I received into guide pictures, metering from the hip, constructed a wild library — grizzly scat, delivery docks, you title it. An editor as soon as requested, “Acquired animal feces pics?” I did. Shoot every part paid off.
I resisted writing at first. Worry of rejection, the unknown. However Jeff pushed: “Inform your story, tough as it’s. Editors’ll repair it.” So, I pitched. Gear critiques, journey tales. They stated sure. Drumming pale; this grew. Errors fueled it. Each screwup taught me greater than success ever did.

Why are errors so key for you?

You study extra out of your errors than your successes, you already know. Once we train lessons, one of many issues I wish to say at first is, “The one distinction between you guys and us is you’ve in all probability made 100 errors within the woods. We’ve made hundreds and hundreds of errors.” In order that’s why we’re in a position to do that and launch data on this means. So, this weekend, let’s make all of the errors we are able to collectively. We’ll get it proper. A good friend, Amanda Kay from TV, put it higher: “Follow until you possibly can’t get it incorrect.” That’s it. No triumph with out the flops. It’s life, not simply the woods.

Again to the jungle — any shut calls?

That 2008 Amazon journey for Dutch TV, Strive Earlier than You Die. I’m coaching a director, star, and cameraman. We end by 5 p.m. — jungle’s darkish at 6, raining until daybreak. I arrange my hammock 1 / 4 mile off, cozy underneath the rain’s white noise. Then, CRASH, like a automotive wreck. An hour of that, getting nearer. Stay bushes dropping, roots too shallow in Peru’s soil, wind and rain toppling giants. Widow makers, random and ruthless. No protected spot to maneuver — simply crossed fingers. Morning confirmed the carnage, fallen titans in every single place. I’d made it, nevertheless it was pure luck. Wind’s no joke.

What’s the most difficult facet of survival within the jungle?

Easy: attempting to sleep in 90-percent humidity, spending about 10 hours in a hammock or swamp mattress.

How do you supply meals throughout jungle expeditions?

Nothing is sacred! It’s unattainable to starve within the jungle in the event you’re keen to eat what presents itself. Most issues universally style like rooster, pork, or fish. The gag issue will get most individuals. Initially, guides are the most effective meals supply, as they see and scent issues we don’t. They’re eager at gathering wild edibles, snakes, sloths, fish, and bats. Finally, these abilities will switch over to your psychological arduous drive. Generally, a easy journey in a dugout canoe or tuk-tuk boat will actually trigger fish to leap into the boat. I name that good residing.

What’s the one software you depend on most within the jungle?

I’m inclined to say your mind. This works all over the place, together with any jungle. Nevertheless, the extra tangible alternative is a machete in Latin American jungles/rainforests. In Southeast Asian jungles, a bolo, parang, or golok can be the most effective software for that terrain — shorter and thicker.

As somebody who often travels to completely different components of the globe, what recommendation are you able to give to somebody who’s touring to a different nation for the primary time?

Obey the legal guidelines and by no means deceive officers overseas. Perceive that you’re out of your nation, and your nationality will not often get you out of the unhealthy conditions you bought your self in. Saying, “However I’m Canadian/American,” received’t get you wherever. Nevertheless, it should make you and your nationality look silly. Most significantly, keep in mind that the artwork of journey is being versatile.

Any standout skill-building journeys?

Jungle survival lessons at J.E.S.T. Camp within the Philippines (Jungle Atmosphere Survival Coaching). They educated U.S. and European troopers for Vietnam: bamboo fire-making, plant data, jungle warfare. No hypothermia danger there, simply humidity and consciousness. They’ll even train you to cook dinner rice in a bamboo chamber. Been again a number of occasions. It’s much less about gear, extra about doing. Expertise trump stuff each time.

Talking of doing, you’ve gotten a brutal frostbite story. What occurred?

First time was a wake-up name. December, instructing man-tracking and survival for U.S. Marshals in Alexandria, Louisiana — humid, 50 levels, no huge deal in path runners and deerskin moccasins. Then, I took a flight to go to my brother in New Jersey. A buddy says, “Snowstorm’s coming, let’s camp.” Snow as much as my thighs, 35 hours in skinny polyester costume socks, an ultralight trick, much less moisture, quick-dry. Ft went numb. Constructed a hearth, massaged my toes, warmed them — huge mistake. Rubbing smashes ice crystals into nerves, and fireplace burns numb pores and skin. Felt pins and needles, slept it off in my bivy. Morning: frozen footwear, hiked out. Bathe later, nonetheless numb. Two days on, one other storm, identical deal. Acquired worse.

Flew to Hawaii subsequent — path working Waimea Canyon with superficial frostbite. Skyped a good friend with a medical background in Ohio. He says, “Three to 4 months for the feeling to fade, however nerve harm stays. Chilly toes? It’ll flare once more.” Identical with my ears, nostril, fingertips — Grand Canyon, Huge Bear, no gloves or beanie in my youth. Dumb then, smarter now.

Your minimalist fashion could also be intimidating for some. How do you make it approachable?

It will possibly scare folks — deep wilderness, tiny pack. I get why. However I pack like a backpacker and lean on abilities, not stuff. It’s cozy for me, and I need others to strive it. Nice books and guides exist now; no person’s reinventing fireplace right here. I inform of us, “I did it, and you’ll too.”

Any second within the wild the place you thought, “This is perhaps it”?

By no means. Shut calls, certain, however I don’t assume I’m performed. Closest was with my cousin, the primary time I took him backpacking — Lytle Creek, California, November, 4,000 toes. Snow line’s often 6,500. We’re in hammocks, loving it, sun shades climate. Then, a freak storm hits — snow at ranges unprecedented in 20 years. Midnight, it drops to twenty levels. I’m equipped; he’s received steel-toe boots — horrible for chilly. By 1 a.m., I’m sloshing by snow to pee, realizing we’re caught. Path’s gone.

By morning, a blizzard lashed us like indignant bees, with no rescue in sight, so we slashed our hammocks free utilizing a Swiss Military Trekker, the frozen ropes snapping as we salvaged what we may, abandoning the remainder within the snow. I opted to hike out relatively than hunker down, however we overshot the path, climbing above tree line the place disorienting white peaks surrounded us. He began shutting down — shivering at first, then claiming he wasn’t chilly, simply drained, the telltale indicators of hypothermia. I slapped him awake, pressured melted lemonade down his throat, and fibbed, “Discovered the path!” Bear tracks led the best way, and after 12 grueling hours, townsfolk stared in disbelief. Superficial frostbite, no hospital. By no means panicked — simply stored transferring.

How’d you keep calm by that?

Psychological toughness builds over years — lengthy hikes, unhealthy days. Every powerful slog makes the following simpler. After, I felt nice — not chilly, not drained, simply numb. Higher than freaking out. Coast Guard stat from my cruise-line days: solely 7 % of individuals panic in emergencies. Most freeze or observe; few act.

Any animal encounters rival that chaos?

Bears! It began at Mammoth Lakes, California, after establishing for a drumming gig. Nightfall settled in, 20 levels, snow blanketing the bottom as I roamed close to the cabins, telephone in hand. I hung up and caught sight of contemporary tracks, their edges crisp, laid down mere minutes in the past. My gaze traced them to a hulking brown “sofa” lumbering my means, a large black bear, curiosity glinting in its stare. I froze. Operating’s a idiot’s recreation. As a substitute, I eased again slowly, slipped beneath a bluff, then picked up tempo. Compass out, south to the cabin, straight into bear territory. I crept alongside, veering onto a snow-draped golf course. Then, 100 yards off, three bears burst into view — two giants and a cub — galloping proper at me. Laughing by the adrenaline, I fast-walked towards distant brake lights.

Then, there was Mount Whitney’s base camp, 8,890 toes, my second bear tango. A packed backpacker grid, meals stashed in lockers beneath, no scraps allowed up prime. Mid-chat with a stranger, I noticed a black bear nosing round campers sleeping uncovered — no tents, simply pads beneath a starry sky. We hollered, campers flung gravel, and it bolted like a scolded mutt. No spray wanted — numbers scare them off.

Climate or wildlife, what’s your actual foe?

Climate, arms down. Falling bushes in Peru’s jungle — wind and rain toppling giants — scare me greater than claws. Bear encounters want a cool head, however the climate’s untamed. Huge Bear’s received bears in title solely — by no means seen one. Mammoth’s 8,000 toes tempt destiny, however a tree limb’s my nightmare, not a growl. Robert Pelton nailed it: Individuals are the worst catastrophe. Climate’s shut second — rain, snow, wind. Stuff you possibly can’t outsmart.

One survival nugget from all this?

Decelerate — easy, however gold. Dashing screws me each time — spilled gear, botched fires, blurry pictures. Gradual it, assume it by. Music, shelters, pictures — mastery begins sluggish. A YouTuber’s on the spot fireplace took 50 fails off-screen. Cease, sit, rethink. I inform college students putting ferro rods too quick: “Again up, breathe, you’ve received this.” Works. Applies wherever — hikes, gigs, life.

Reuben’s EDC

• Armatus Carry EDC Pockets
• Wazoo Gear FireCard
• Griffin Pocket Software
• Mechanics keychain
• Thrunite Ti2 flashlight
• TOPS Knives whistle
• Pocket knife

About Reuben Bolieu

• Hometown: South Orange, New Jersey
• Training: MIT Music Faculty, Faculty of the Wilderness
• Really useful Studying: The SAS Survival Handbook by John “Lofty” Wiseman, Tenting and Woodcraft by Horace Kephart
• Favourite Meals: Shrimp fried rice
• Favourite Film: Princess Bride
• Favourite Quote: “The little issues. There’s nothing larger, is there?” -Vanilla Sky (2001 film)
• Social Media Deal with(s): @reubenbolieu

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Written by Patrick Diedrich