One of the most time consuming parts of the TGO Challenge, a 15 day coast-to-coast backpacking event held every May, is getting to the one’s start point on the west coast of Scotland. Challengers are required to start at one of 12 …

Guthook said, “I want to see how long I can lead a life without a fixed schedule” when we were hiking in the mountains the other day. We’d blown off work for the day, an easy thing to do since we both …

Yesterday was one on those perfect winter days in the White Mountains when it all came together – good friends, clear blue sky, gorgeous views, and a great climb. Our destination was Mt Nancy (3926′), a New England Hundred Highest Peak, which …

Buying a rain jacket for hiking and backpacking can be a very confusing process. If you look at the jackets that are available, it can be difficult to figure out which ones are best suited for hiking and which are really made …

The anvil-shaped spire of Mount Garfield stands an isolated sentinel at the north-western end of the Pemigewasset Wilderness with excellent views of the other peaks that ring the 182 square mile forest. Blasted by winds, its rocky summit provides meager protection to …

I got turned onto Helly Hansen baselayer garments and their wicking LIFA (pronounced LEEFA) synthetic baselayer fabric last winter, when I tested the HH Dry Stripe Crew (click for review.) I was blown away by LIFA’s ability to wick sweat away from …

Martin Rye, Grant Sible and I have been planning our Scotland coast-to-coast backpacking route for the past month. We’ll be walking together as a team in the 2013 TGO Challenge this May, an annual backpacking event, where 300 hikers hike from the …

HikeGoo has proven to be highly effective in preventing blisters and calluses for hikers using a wax-based lubricant that prevents blisters and protects your feet from moisture. Rick and Carl, the founders of Foot Kinetics, developed HikeGoo after trying almost every other …

Try as I might, I can’t put my finger on the one reason I enjoy winter hiking and mountaineering so much. While the views from the high peaks can be exhilarating, there’s also the satisfaction of intense physical exertion, using the technical …

Backpacking and hiking gear has a nasty habit of failing when you least expect it or you need it the most – in the dark, when it’s pouring rain, or in the middle of nowhere. Knock on wood, I’ve never been stranded …

The two most difficult winter 4,000 footer hikes in the White Mountains are Owl’s Head Mountain and the Bonds, consisting of Bondcliff, Mount Bond and West Bond Mountain. The difficulty in reaching these peaks stems from their remoteness. All of them are …

I went for the meteors, but stayed through the clouds and the cold. Somehow I loved the experience anyway and want to do it again. I hadn’t seen a meteor shower recently and really wanted to see the 2012 Geminids, which were …

My friend Martin asked me sheepishly, “Is it really true that you bring stuffed animals on backpacking trips.” No, I replied. “They bring me.”  

Every year, I like to recognize the piece of new gear that has had the greatest influence on my enjoyment of backpacking. This year’s winner is the Therm-a-Rest Alpine 35 Blanket (click for my review), a down quilt which I started using this …