You do not have to vanish into the wilderness to practice survival. Sometimes the danger is walking through a crowd. Sometimes it is waiting in a parking lot, watching for an easy mark. The wilderness has its predators, but so do cities, and the Gray Man is the one who walks among them unseen.
You never expect the moment when everything goes wrong. One minute you’re following a trail, the next you’re watching daylight slip away, and the rain starts to fall. Panic creeps in fast when the mind loses order. That’s when you remember the Rule of Firsts: a simple, grounding way to bring clarity back into chaos.
In both combat and survival situations, making decisions under stress can be challenging. Many people freeze or “lock up” when faced with uncertainty. The Combat Rule of Three is designed to break that freeze and get you moving. At its core, the rule is simple: if you notice three things out of the ordinary, it’s time to stop and change what you’re doing.
Join Gabriel and me on our two-day trek across Big Rocky Row, one of the most breathtaking stretches of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. Starting at the Punchbowl Trailhead off the Blue Ridge Parkway, we summited Punchbowl Mountain (2,841 ft), Bluff Mountain (3,370 ft), and finally Big Rocky Row (3,400 ft) before camping at the top. The weather greeted us with 39° mist and clouds, then opened into sweeping mountain views as the sun set over the ridges. We brewed coffee with the GSI JavaDrip, roasted chestnuts by the fire, and shared trail meals from Peak Refuel and MeatEater under a sky painted orange and violet. The next morning, we rekindled the fire, made breakfast, and watched a sunrise that words can hardly describe. The hike tested endurance, spirit, and gear alike, but it rewarded us with peace, laughter, and a reminder that age doesn’t take strength away; it simply gives it new meaning.
This past weekend, Gabriel and I set out on one of our favorite stretches of the Appalachian Trail, the Big Rocky Row hike near Snowden, Virginia. The morning greeted us with mist, low clouds, and a brisk 39 degrees as we started at the Punchbowl Trailhead just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
