Meet the Owner of Sam's Outdoor Survival; Sam Kessler.
It is never really easy to just give a bio on yourself. So, I will start with what I feel has encouraged me to design a kit of this nature.
At a very young age I have always had a desire to question and explore. I would spend hours in the woods on Long Island exploring, building fortresses, wading through rivers for miles, and fishing the beautiful abundant Long Island Sound and many small lakes and rivers.
Then I found the Boy Scouts around 12 years of age. It was the perfect way for me to have a justified way to be outdoors and learn basic survival skills. I was also slightly motivated by the movie "Stand By Me". This would lead to many overnight trips with friends. Some approved by our parents and some not. We would find ways to live outdoors even in January for 2 or 3 nights in extreme cold conditions at ages of 15. Crazy when I look back on it. I would lock my kid up for weeks if they ever pulled a stunt like that. Yet we survived.
At 17 I wanted more. I joined the US Army in April 1989. I was only 17 for 4 months and already in basic training. I feel my adventures in scouts helped me to be prepared for what was to come. It instilled things like "On My Honor, Do My Best, Do my Duty, Be Prepared, Be Physically Fit, Morally straight" It provided me a Compass which lacked from my home environment. This combined with my new skills learned in the Army aided me in becoming the youngest team leader in my Battalion at age of 19. I have been deployed to many countries while serving. Fishing is something that is done in every country I have been to. The People in those countries did not always have the amenities that we do at home. Fishing was still very primitive. These folks had skill sets that are mostly lost in our society.
Fishing and survival have always stuck with me. I have always been the guy that had water, food and other comforts in bad situations. I have been Prepared for life and have helped others in those situations. I was " THAT GUY". Laughed at, then applauded when they realized I was right.
Well, I am 45 years old and about to retire from the Army. I have all these grandioso ideas of what I want to do. I want to hike, explore and adventure the things I have yet to do. One of the things I would love to do is hike the Appalachian Trail. So I began making preparations as prepared folks do. I wanted to be able to fish while on the trail as it would permit. I did not want to bring a rod with me. So I began designing a fishing kit that would cover all the ingredients for a successful outing. This would cover the ability to catch, prepare and cook in a simple kit. After much research, no kit out there provided all those ingredients. So here I am. I am veering slightly off my course to bring my Kit into the light for those who have similar plans of adventure and trekking. This kit may be the first of many. Who knows.
