Backpacking Skills

The lightest weight ultralight backpacking shelters are tarps, including flat tarps and catenary curve tarps, sometimes called “flat cut” or “cat cut” tarps for short. They both have their pros and cons as we discuss below, but if your goal is wilderness …

Tarps are a great ultralight backpacking shelter option, provided they’re used in a climate where there’s no rain or occasional rain. To clarify, I’m talking about square or rectangular tarps with or without catenary cut ridgelines and sides, and not single wall …

Ultralight bivy sacks are used by backpackers for cowboy camping or under floorless shelters, such as tarps or pyramids, to protect their sleeping bags/quilts and sleeping pads from wind, insects, mice, and other creepy crawlers. Most are not waterproof and function more …

Winter boots are usually insulated with 200g or 400g synthetic insulation which is very thin but warm. The insulation varies but is usually Thinsulate, Primaloft, or a comparable synthetic fill or fiber. In addition, winter boots are almost always waterproof with waterproof/breathable …

The biggest mistake that new winter hikers make is overdressing by wearing heavy or medium-weight baselayers that are hard to remove if you start to sweat. You’ll be much better off wearing a very thin crew or quarter-zip shirt and adding additional …

Have you ever looked at the nutrition labels on freeze-dried or dehydrated camping and backpacking meals or Knorr Rice and Pasta packages. You’ll be appalled by the amount of sodium included in these meals, especially since most people eat other trail foods …

There are three kinds of winter boots: insulated winter hiking boots, mountaineering boots, and pac boots. Which kind of winter hiking boot is right for you? Here’s a detailed guide that explains the differences between these so you can pick the right …

REI’s Activator 3.0 Soft-Shell Pants, available for both men and women, are soft-shell pants for winter hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing. They’re water-resistant and highly breathable to prevent sweat build-up, with articulated knees and a gusseted crotch for freedom of movement. They’re rated …

Kahtoola’s KTS Crampons are a winter traction aid designed for use with trail runners and soft-soled shoes. This is important in spring when the base of peaks have no snow, but you need to bring along traction to deal with lingering ice …

There is really no substitute for experience when it comes to winter hiking, backpacking, and camping. You can read about it in books and watch videos, but the best way to learn is to go out with an experienced friend who can …

When you melt snow for drinking water in winter, your stove, if you use a liquid fuel (white gas) stove or an inverted canister stove, is going to get red hot and start to melt the snow it’s sitting on. Melting a …

Kahtoola Nanospikes are a lightweight winter traction device compatible with trail runners, most street shoes, and winter boots. They weigh about half as Kahtoola Microspikes and have much smaller traction points, resembling tire studs, that are designed to provide traction on trails …

Do you carry firestarters on winter hikes for use in an emergency if you have an accident and become immobilized or need to hunker down in bad weather? I have news for you. Starting a campfire in winter is devilishly difficult when …

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 is a Dyneema DCF daypack designed for rugged adventure hiking, peak bagging, and backpacking with very low-volume ultralight loads. The Waypoint is a classically designed roll-top backpack with a stretch mesh front pocket, side water bottle …