When I started getting into lightweight backpacking, I spent a lot of time staring at my gear list to make sure I squeezed every ounce of weight out of it. That’s ok. It’s part of the process that every lightweight or ultralight …
Read More »Backpacking Skills
Backcountry Navigation with Incomplete or Out-of-Date Maps
It's important to understand the limitations of incomplete or out-of-date maps for backcountry navigation since so many mapping applications, GPS units, and GPS-enabled smartphone apps are built around them.
Read More »GLOP Backpacking Meals – Easy to Make, Easy to Clean Up
Many people like to eat freeze-dried backpacking meals on overnight trips or dehydrate their own food and make freezer-bag dinners because you just add hot water to them and they don’t require any cleanup. But I don’t mind cooking a hot dinner …
Read More »Avalanche Beacons and Companion Rescue
If you go into Avalanche terrain, you should always bring an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe with you, and know how to use them so that you can rescue your friends quickly if they’re caught in an avalanche. Learning and practicing companion …
Read More »Revivex Instant Waterproofing Spray Review
One of the main reasons people don’t reproof the DWR (Durable Waterproof Repellent) coating on outdoor clothing, hiking boots, and camping gear is that it’s inconvenient and requires multiple steps. For example, if you want to reproof a waterproof/breathable Gore-tex shell, it’s …
Read More »Twelve Ultralight Backpacking Tents and Shelters: Part 1
I’ve bought and owned 12 ultralight shelters in the past 6 years. Several of you asked what they were, and wanted to know why I bought them and then moved on to others (See also How to Choose an Ultralight Tent or …
Read More »Shakedown Hikes Aren’t Just for Backpacking Beginners
Shakedown hikes and backpacking trips are the best way you can train yourself to become a confident backpacker or day hiker. They provide a low pressure setting for you to practice new skills, learn how to use your gear, plan a hike, and …
Read More »Backpacking Tips and Tricks: Carrying a Backup Spoon
“Oh crap. I forgot to bring my spoon,” said a backpacker I’d just met at the campsite. I know that exact feeling. I’ve left my big plastic backpacking spoon at home on the drying rack next to the kitchen sink too many …
Read More »Lightweight Backpacking: The Big Three
The three heaviest items in your backpacking are your backpack, your sleep system (sleeping bag+pad), and shelter, often called the Big 3. Your sleeping bag and pad are treated as one item because you really can’t use them separately for sleeping. If you …
Read More »Water Caches, Trail Magic and Trash on the PCT
For most hikers, the Pacific Crest Trail begins in a blazing desert without encountering a sure water source for just over twenty miles. The trend continues – for the first 700 miles there is little shade, temperatures often reach over 100 degrees …
Read More »5 Essential Winter Survival Skills
Winter is when the training wheels come off for hikers, climbers, and backcountry skiers. When all of the planning and preparation you did before your trip won’t help you get out of the jam you’re in. When your buddy hits his head on …
Read More »Best Backpacking Stoves and Pots for Cooking Simple One Pot Meals
Simple one pot backpacking meals are a great option if you want more variety in your backpacking diet, you want to eat real food with less preservatives, or you want to adapt your meals to seasonal or locally available ingredients that you encounter …
Read More »Hiking in Hot Weather by Kevin Ortcutt
Like many others, my backpacking plans are dictated more by available time than by the weather outside! Getting on the trail means carefully orchestrating time away from all my “big kid” responsibilities. Once I request time off from work, get someone to …
Read More »Square Tarp Pitches
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 …
Read More »