Philip kayaking in New Hampshire I was reading the Japanese version of the Montbell site last night and came across an interesting sport I’d never heard of that has a following in Japan, called Sawanobori, or Shower Climbing. It combines all of …

There was a time when I would never have considered bringing a bowl on a backpacking trip. But now that I’ve tried the Orikaso Big Bowl, I’m going to start bringing this on my longer trips. Eating freezer bag meals and drinking …

My friend Chris and I drove up from Boston on Saturday morning to hike a short section of the AT up on Kinsman Ridge, just west of Franconia Notch. This was another one of those sections where I got to hike 10 …

Brain Vargo makes some really nice Titanium camping cookware that’s lightweight and very functional. This little pot has a capacity of 0.9 Liters and weighs 3.9 oz on my digital scale, but a 1.3 Liter model is also available for $10 more …

Dehydrating your food is an incredible way to add variety to your backpacking menu and improve the quality and quantity of food that you can bring along on strenuous hikes. Here’s a sample 9 day menu for the 100 mile Wilderness which …

The area above treeline in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is called the Alpine Zone. It is an inhospitable place for plant life which is exposed to extreme conditions including high wind, heavy cloud cover, high precipitation, low temperatures and a …

When I was hiking a section of the AT recently near Crawford Notch in New Hampshire, I came across this bear bag hanging on a tree at the Ethan Pond Shelter. I was stunned when I saw it because it’s one of …

I hiked past a moose skeleton on my last  Appalachian trail section hike through the Mahoosuc Range, which crosses the border between New Hampshire and Maine. Moose are big animals and it was a pretty impressive sight. The picture above is of …

I just got back from the hardest hiking I’ve done in the past year, hiking southbound on the notorious Mahoosuc trail section of the Appalachian Trail, from Grafton Notch in Maine to Gentian Pond in New Hampshire. This section ranks right up there …

The best toilet paper for backpacking is a paper towel. Regular toilet paper just doesn’t stand up to the humidity. I like using Brawny paper towels: they’re scored down the middle of each sheet, so it’s easy to tear off a half …

My friend Chris and I drove up to the Whites this morning looking for a therapeutic hill to climb. I picked her up at North Station in Boston, just a few miles from my house, and we arrived at Franconia Notch by …

The guys at RVOps in the UK publish a lot of really great gear reviews and how-to videos on YouTube. Here’s one that caught my eye last week about how to use LineLocks, an ultralight guy line tensioner. I’ve owned these for …

The problem with using very lightweight titanium stakes for pitching a tent or tarp is that they are so darn easy to lose. But, why pay more for high visibility tent stakes when you can easily make your own? All you need …

  I got a pair of Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots a few weeks ago and have been testing them out ever since. I have been looking for a lighter weight hiking boot that dries faster than my leather Asolo boots but …