The Keys to Modern Survival | John Barklow, Special Ops Instructor, Sitka Gear Developer | Ep. 043

Joe Rogan may have said it best: If there was one human being I had to pick to help me survive a life-or-death emergency situation in the wilderness, without a shadow of a doubt, my choice would be John Barklow. That's the blurb on the cover of John Barklow's forthcoming survival book "Knowledge From Storms." John spent 20 years as a Navy diver, most of it around special operations -- after 9/11, he was one of twelve instructors sent to Kodiak Island to teach SEALs how to survive winter in the mountains, and he helped build the clothing system special ops still uses today. On this episode of the Backcountry Manifesto, John is swinging by the studio to talk backcountry survival and building the kit that will keep you safe, capable, and comfortable wherever your outdoor adventures take you.  This is not a Sitka ad. It's a top-to-bottom walk through a brand-agnostic backcountry kit from the dude who actually wrote the manual. What's the one piece of gear a survival instructor won't leave the truck without? Why is your 30-degree sleeping bag not actually a 30-degree bag? What the hell is a "possibles pouch?" Barklow's got answers.   LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE John's website: https://knowledgefromstorms.com/ John's IG: https://www.instagram.com/jbarklow/ PRE-ORDER Knowledge from Storms: https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Storms-Surviving-Toughest-Environments/dp/1250461707 John's survival class: https://outdoorclass.com/instructors/john-barklow/   Copyright Outdoor Visions Media LLC, 2025 #podcast #survival #survivalgear #wilderness #gear #backpacking