The November 2008 edition of Backpacker magazine is full of essential outdoor skills. Here is one of them:
Stay dry in downpour:
- Make sure the cuffs of your base layer are not exposed otherwise they will wick water up the sleeves
- Keep your jacket hem cinched snugly and shield your face by pulling your hood over a billed cap
- Don’t get wet from the inside out. If you are overheating, minimize sweat by shedding layers or slowing your pace.
They also host a skills section on their website. It covers topics like Food, Health, Survival, Fitness, Navigation and general skills. Some of the articles you may find handy, others may just give you ideas of the kinds of trips you might like to do later. Their skills section on the web can be found here:
http://www.backpacker.com/skills/