The best hiking daypacks are functional, fit well, and durable. They have to be because they’re your home away from home, carrying all of your essentials including outdoor gear, food, water, and survival gear. Many daypacks are also good for multiple sports including mountain biking, climbing, skiing or snowboarding. You …

With the exception of socks or underwear, most backpackers don’t bring multiple sets of clothing on backpacking trips in order to save weight. That means washing or rinsing clothes when they get stinky or crusty with perspiration and dirt. If you’re on a trail near a town, this means a …

The past few weeks have been frightening. There’s the fear that we or our loved ones will get sick and require hospitalization or die. There’s the fear that everything we’ve worked for all of our lives is forever gone, that we will run out of money to pay for food …

Adjustable length backpacks let you change the torso length of a backpack so it does a better job of transferring weight from the shoulders to the hips. Traditionally, backpack companies have dealt with torso length by forcing you to choose between small, medium, or large frame heights which may or …

One of the most useful items I carry on backpacking trips is a small pair of scissors. Scissors are great for trimming leukotape if I feel a blister coming on or for shaping a piece of tenacious tape if I rip a hole in a piece of gear. I also …

The NEMO Tensor Alpine Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad is a lightweight insulated air mat that weighs 17 ounces and is 3″ thick. It has a flat 2-way valve and includes an inflation sack so you don’t have to bust a gut blowing it up. This pad also has an R-value …

In 2020, most major sleeping pad manufacturers began using a common R-value testing standard to measure and rate the insulation values of their sleeping pads. This is a big win for backpackers because you can now compare the warmth provided by pads made from different manufacturers. Therm-a-Rest, REI, Sea-to-Summit, NEMO, …

Many backpackers think that “the trail” is probably the best place to avoid the coronavirus pandemic and they’re heading for the hills. But how much of this is wishful thinking, when many of the local services in rural communities that hikers take for granted may disappear? I’m not trying to …

One of the most important skills that you’ll want to develop for backpacking is a consistent camp routine so you don’t misplace important gear and you have plenty of time to get cleaned up at the end of the day, eat, and get a good night’s sleep. When the only …

The Granite Gear Dagger 22 is a technical daypack that’s equally at home on the trail, for traveling, or on the campus. It’s organized like Granite Gear’s multi-day backpacks with a long front stretch pocket, side water bottle pockets, and compression straps, only with much less volume.  The top opens …

March is the best month to climb the higher peaks in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range when temperatures warm up and the days are longer, but it’s still full-on winter conditions above treeline. This is home of Mt Washington, the White Mountains highest peak, which is on the same ridge with …

The REI Flash 1 Air Tent is a one-person ultralight trekking pole tent that weighs 20 oz and costs $249. It’s a single wall tent with a side entrance and a large vestibule for gear storage. Myriad venting options increase airflow to help reduce internal condensation and the interior has …

Ultralight trekking pole tents are a good option when you’re trying to reduce the weight of your backpacking gear because they eliminate the need to carry a set of tent poles that can only be used for a single purpose. Trekking pole tents have also become more popular in the …

Hiking rain pants are designed to protect you from the chilling effects of rain or wind. If you plan to hike in a climate where it rains frequently and/or you’re exposed to cold wind, carrying rain pants, rain chaps, or a rain kilt is advisable. If it does rain and …