Life is too short not to enjoy a lot of different aspects of it. Even with medical issues, it is worth fighting for doing what you love to do. Luckily, in 2021 there is such amazing ostomy gear that being outside and enjoying harsh conditions is possible even with a stoma. Being outdoors is one of my favorite activities. I love smelling the fresh air and getting out and being with nature.
To me, it is a refreshing experience that gives me the motivation to keep on with life. It is a physiological and physical activity that keeps me healthy. So having a stoma and the ostomy supplies to go along with me is part of my life now. Did I stop bushcraft and being outdoors because of an ostomy? No, indeed I did not. If anything it only added to my obsession for gear. Yes, most bushcraft guys are gear nuts and that is part of the experience. Going out into the wild and testing your skills and playing with new or old gear. So I ended up landing on ostomy gear from a lot of different companies that end up coming with me for lots of my gear that comes along with me outdoors.
With needing to carry a lot of extra wood gear and also some possible stoma gear I needed to get in shape. So what do I end up taking on my bushcraft trips? Well, the normal things I guess. And lots of the gear depends on where I am going. If I am doing a full-day hike and plan on making a fire and putting in lots of mileage I will pack a little different than if I was just going into the woods for a few hours to practice making traps or fire-making skills. For a day hike, I would end up taking a bag that has belt loops and probably a moisture-wicking body belt that attaches to it. This is a great asset to me because I am going to be on the move and need my ostomy gear and my bag to stay in place with my backpack.
Now, what do you do when you are going for an extended stay? Since I will have a whole day’s worth of gear and plan on hiking all day I will have a larger backpack than normal. For me, I like a 30-liter pack and since I have a stoma now it has to be a custom fit. This means going out and getting an Osprey backpack and expecting the hip belt to fit perfectly to work is a big mistake. I made it and purchased a backpack that simply wouldn’t work with my body. So instead I went to a cottage shop backpack maker. They are essentially small businesses that specialize in ultralight backpacking. Once I told them what I needed they were able to specially make me a high hip belt that still helped transfer the weight from the pack to my back safely. I was able to get the size of the pack I needed, fit my ostomy gear in it, and get all bushcraft gear as well. I always take a saw and a good knife with me and sometimes a small ax for long trips. Now be safe and enjoy the woods.
Crohn's Chronicle 