Advanced Backpacking Skills

Winter hikers use three different kinds of traction devices in winter: microspikes, mountaineering crampons, and snowshoes. Microspikes and mountaineering crampons are used to provide traction on ice and packed snow while snowshoes are mainly used to provide flotation on top of unconsolidated snow.  However, putting on microspikes, mountaineering crampons, or snowshoes …

Closed-cell foam sleeping pads are quite popular with long-distance and ultralight backpackers who want to shave every ounce from their gear list and need gear that can’t fail. If you want to carry multi-purpose gear to save weight, you’re hard on gear or want to save money, closed-cell sleeping pads …

Ultralight bivy sacks are used by backpackers using floorless shelters to protect their sleeping bags or quilts from moisture and their heads from biting insects, as a kind of substitute for the inner tent that you find in more conventional double wall tent setups. They’re basically sleeping bag covers with …

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Road walking is a part of all long-distance hikes, section hikes, weekend backpacking trips, and even day hikes. Maybe the trail you’re hiking is still under development and you need to hike a stretch on roads, maybe a bridge has been washed out or a forest fire is blocking your …

Shaped tarps get boring after a time. Most are pre-cut with a specific shape in mind and they can only be pitched that way. If you are bored of the A-frame and pyramid pitches, then gather round and let me tell you about flat tarps. They can be pitched in …

I’ve been getting a lot of emails this year from beginner backpackers who want guidance about how to estimate that time it takes to backpack a long section of trail. Here are some examples: I plan to hike the Presidential Range and the Maine Appalachian Trail this summer. How long should …

There aren’t many peat bogs in the continental United States and it’s difficult to learn the skills for safely hiking across them in Scotland, England and other parts of the world without first-hand experience. While you can avoid peat bogs and stay on well-defined paths or tracks that circle around them, …

Many ultralight backpackers bring extra clothing on trips that they never wear and end up carrying for no purpose. Doing this has a ripple effect, because it means you need a larger backpack to carry the extra clothing, which is probably going to weigh more. Instead of bringing extra clothes, …

Good campsite selection is an important backpacking skill. Here are some tips to pick a safe and comfortable campsite that will enhance your enjoyment of the backcountry. 1. Plan campsites in advance If backcountry regulations require that you camp at designated campsites, reserve one in advance or make sure ones …

If you do a lot of hiking, climbing, snowshoeing or skiing in winter in the mountains and you haven’t had any avalanche training, I suggest you get some. In addition, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper. This is …

Have you ever noticed that the distances computed by digital mapping tools are substantially different from paper maps and guidebooks of the same area? I’ve been planning a 200 mile backpacking trip and the digital mapping tools I’ve been using, Caltopo and TOPO!, underestimate the mileage by 15% or nearly …

Have you ever noticed how incomplete and out of date digital maps are when it comes to hiking trails? At least on the free USGS maps you can download on the web and that come bundled with GPS devices or Smartphone navigation apps. In my neck of the woods, you still …

Backpacking and outdoor gear companies sponsor hikers and other athletes because it’s a very inexpensive form of advertising. The basic formula goes like this: they give you a piece of free gear or a steep discount on purchases you make through them, and you become a walking billboard for their …