Tonight's full moon is going to be the closest, biggest, and brightest of 2025.
Known as the Beaver Moon, this full moon rises just 221,818 miles (356,980 kilometers) from Earth - close enough to qualify as a supermoon.
Because it's at perigee, the point in its orbit where it comes closest to Earth, the moon looks unusually large and luminous in the sky. If you step outside just after sunset, you'll likely notice it looks bigger than usual - and it is.
The Beaver Moon gets its name from traditional North American sources, marking the season when beavers prepare for winter and trappers set their last lines before the freeze. It's long been a symbol of seasonal change and survival.
Supermoons can look up to 14% larger and nearly 30% brighter than a typical full moon, especially when low on the horizon. That's also when the "moon illusion" kicks in, making the moon appear enormous compared to objects on the ground.
It's the third and final supermoon of 2025. And the conditions tonight - cold, crisp autumn air and early sunset - make for perfect viewing. Clouds permitting.
Ol' pup's a-settin' sentry over camp like he's drawin' wages for it.
"I'm really surprised that any woodsman would be willing to go deep into the backcountry without this most important tool, which is a creature who can smell what you can't smell, hear what you can't hear, see what you can't see. Early warning system. It's just amazing.
They'll look off into the dark. You can't hear a sound. But they've heard something or they've picked up on something, and something is out there."
— The Practical Woodsman
Plan your day around water, not miles. Fill up at every good source, filter it or treat it if you want the extra insurance, and never pass up clear moving water because you think there'll be more ahead.
— The Practical Woodsman
Braving the Ol' Shawnee Appalachy - Pt 2: Ornery Gal
Folks'll lug one o' them so-called "portable" tent wood stoves clean back into the hollers, then spend the whole blessed night a-feedin' it like a colicky young'un. Give me a proper fire ever' time.
"A regular campfire is superior, requires less work, is more dependable, and about a million times less fickle. You can get a good campfire going, walk off and leave it to itself for two hours, come back and it's still good. A campfire allows you to turn your attention to other things.
These toy stoves need constant attention and babying, demand the majority of your time, attention and energy, and only spit out heat for brief periods, and will die if you walk away from them.
A regular ol' campfire and layers is the answer, not toy stoves."
— The Practical Woodsman
