Philip Werner Bio

Lochnagar, Scotland - 2010

My name is Philip Werner and I am the author of Section Hiker. I started this site in 2008 to learn about blogging and discovered that I like writing and conversing with my readers almost as much as I like hiking and backpacking. I can’t hike everyday, but I can write, so I indulge myself by posting frequent articles here. I also write about hiking and backpacking for Trailspace.com, Eastern Mountain Sports, and Seattle Backpackers Magazine.

The name of this site, Section Hiker, refers to the Appalachian Trail which I’ve been hiking section by section since 2007. I’ve completed about 825 miles of the trail and hope to complete all of the sections between New Jersey and Maine by the end of September, 2012. I’ve also hiked the 272 mile Long Trail in Vermont, climbed all of the 4000 footers in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and completed a 172 mile coast-to-coast backpacking trip across the Scottish highlands to raise money for Leukemia research.

Stewardship and Volunteer Activities

I’m a US Forest Service volunteer trail maintainer in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, a Long Trail Mentor for the Green Mountain Club in Vermont and a member of Crew 46 (Adirondacks) of the Boy Scouts of America. I also actively support the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Randolph Mountain Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Summit of Mt Monroe, Winter 2011, White Mountains

Outdoor Leadership and Training

In addition, I hold leadership positions with the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Random Hikers Meetup Group. I hold a Level 1 AIARE certification from the American Institute of Avalanche Research have taken wilderness medicine and winter mountaineering courses with SOLO, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School, and the International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway, New Hampshire.

Fells Press Content Marketing

By day, I run a boutique content marketing consultancy called Fells Press that helps outdoor retailers and manufacturers use company blogs and social media to communicate with customers. I help clients with content strategy, content licensing, performance metrics, technical infrastructure, and training on blogging and social media best practices. In addition to my own blogging chops, I have over 20 years of Internet technology management, product management and strategic marketing experience (see my LinkedIn profile), and I find it rewarding to help companies that are so committed to the outdoors.

Contact Information

If you’d like contact me about reviewing a product, speaking opportunities, or just to ask a question, please use this contact form and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook.