Jacket pit zips are zippered openings located under the armpits on many rain jackets and winter shells. They’re designed to help you vent excess body heat, so you perspire less when wearing waterproof/breathable or non-breathable jackets. Pit zips are positioned in your …

The Outdoor Research Bugout Brim Hat (formerly called the Sentinel Brim Hat) is well suited for summer hiking and backpacking, rain or shine. It has a wide brim to protect your face from the sun, a UPF 50 rating,  mesh side vents, …

Leukotape Sports Tape is a sticky blister prevention tape with a strong zinc oxide adhesive that won’t come off, even in very wet conditions. It’s also highly breathable, so it can be safely worn by runners and backpackers for several days at …

River and stream crossings can be intimidating for many hikers, even on small streams where the consequences of getting wet or falling are minor. Here are 9 expert tips for river and stream crossings that can help you master this important wilderness …

You’ve written a hiking trip plan and left it with a responsible adult. But you’re overdue and possibly incapacitated. Who should they call to activate a search and rescue effort to come looking for you? The answer might not be as obvious …

The Tarptent ProTrail Li is a single-wall Dyneema trekking pole tent that weighs 15.95 ounces. It’s basically a very simple A-frame style rainfly with a floating bathtub floor that is attached to the sidewalls and ends with noseeum mesh. This lets you …

The Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt is an extremely light wind shirt that weighs close to 2 oz but still has all the features that hikers and backpackers need for temperature regulation in cool and windy weather. If you’ve never used a …

The Wild River Wilderness is the wildest designated wilderness area in the White Mountain National Forest spanning New Hampshire and Maine. I hadn’t been up that way for a few years so I planned a backpacking route that followed the river from …

Recommended Backpack Volumes How much volume should you get in a daypack, weekend backpack, multi-day backpack, or expedition backpack? Here are some volume guidelines and advice so you can start shopping for backpacks in the appropriate size range. Hiking Backpack Volume Guide Hiking …

South Shoal Pond Peak, also known as Twintop or Mt Quinn isn’t a popular destination in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. But I had a hankering to go climb it if only because it gave me an excuse to backpack out to the Thoreau …

The Gossamer Gear Silverback 65 is a multi-day ultralight-style backpack designed for thru-hiking with larger loads, bushwhacking, and winter backpacking. It’s very different from Gossamer Gear’s popular backpacks, the Mariposa 60 and Gorilla 50, in that it’s a pure roll top without …

The second most annoying sound in this world is the sound of insoles squeaking when you walk. If you’re a hiker or backpacker, listening to this sound while you hike, mile after mile, will drive you mad…not to mention your partners. But …

The Sierra Designs Backcountry Bivy is a spacious bivy sack that is large enough to hold a thick air mattress and a cold-weather sleeping bag. It has a U-shaped zipper that provides access at the head-end along with a mesh panel that …

Esbit Cubes are the simplest, lightest, and most reliable way to boil water or cook food on backpacking trips. There’s no extra container weight to carry with Esbit Cubes, like a white gas stove bottle or isobutane canister, and you can even …