When I go backpacking, I usually hang a bear bag, even if I end up spending the night in a maintained trail shelter. Although I’ve had a few bear visitations at night, I’ve never actually seen a bear on a backpacking trip or lost any food that I’ve hung. I attribute this to good bear [...]
Ursack Bear Bag: Long Term Gear Review
Ursack Bear Bag in a Tree, New Hampshire I've owned an Ursack bear bag for 4 or 5 years now and I still use it on a regular basis. If you're not familiar with them, they're bear bags with made out of kevlar fabric, the same stuff that bullet proof vests are made out of. [...]
How to Hang a Bear Bag
I had to laugh when I watched this video about hanging a bear bag and all of the things that can go wrong in the process. If you’ve tried this yourself, you’ll know exactly what I mean. How many times have you tried to hang a bear bag, with darkness approaching, and had it taken [...]
A Bear Encounter in the North Country
I had a benign bear encounter this weekend at Lower Gentian Pond on the Mahoosuc Trail, way up in the northern part of New Hampshire, near the Maine state line. I stupidly left some beef jerky in my rain jacket which was hanging inside my tent vestibule overnight. At about 4am, I felt a big [...]
Assembling an Ultralight Bear Bag System
I've bought a few commercial bear bags in my time and found them lacking in various ways. So I assembled the following bear bag system that I've been using very successfully over the past 2 years. It has 5 components: a ultralight stuff sack capable of holding 4-5 days of food, 40 feet of [...]
Beginner Tip: Go on Practice Hikes
It doesn’t matter if you are a day hiker or a backpacker, it’s really important to go on a lot of practice hikes to test new gear and to understand how your body reacts to different trail conditions, before you get into the backcountry. I still go on one or two practice hikes a week between [...]
Tips and Tricks: How to Pack a Food Bag
One of the secrets of successful backpacking is learning how to become extremely organized and to stay organized throughout your trip. That might sound obvious but it’s actually a skill that requires a lot of practice and the development of a set of rituals that you can “do in your sleep”, regardless of the weather [...]
Gear Discounts
Backcountry.com: The 4th of July Sale! Up to 40% Off. Ends July 5.
EMS: Summer Sale: 40% Off Cool Gear and Apparel at Eastern Mountain Sports
Campsaver: 10th Anniversary Sale. Some discounts up to 75% off! Click here to shop the sale.
OMCgear.com: 20% off full price items at OMCgear.com. Coupon Code: TAKE20![]()
Golite.com: 50% Off at Golite on Backpacks, Tents, and Sleeping Bags. All the Time
Moosejaw.com: 10% off regularly-priced merchandise at Moosejaw
CleverHiker.com: 10% Off Lightweight Backpacking Tutorial Videos with Coupon Code: SectionHiker
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