Backpacking Skills
-
Milk is the New Gatorade
Milk is the new Gatorade for backpackers. At least dehydrated milk is. What other energy drink weighs so little but…
Read More » -
Backpacking Meals and Cooking Preferences
What’s your cooking style on backpacking trips? Do you prefer to mix up your own freezer bag meals using store…
Read More » -
The Digital Map Conundrum
Have you ever noticed how incomplete and out of date digital maps are when it comes to hiking trails? At…
Read More » -
Insulated Jackets: Hood or No Hood?
When purchasing an insulated jacket for backpacking, should you buy one with a hood or without? I think it really…
Read More » -
Frozen Fingertips: A Case of 1st Degree Frostbite
My fingertips froze on a winter hike last February when I took off my gloves to adjust a pair of…
Read More » -
Winter Conditioning for Hiking and Snowshoeing
Winter day hiking and snowshoeing require a higher degree of physical fitness than hiking during the rest of the year…
Read More » -
Wilderness First Aid and Backcountry Emergency Care
“I never felt so helpless,” said a doctor friend of mine as we discussed the mock accident scenarios we practiced during…
Read More » -
Boiling Water for Winter Hiking
I used to get up extra early on the days when we’d drive to the mountains for winter hiking, so…
Read More » -
A Second Headlamp for Winter Hiking
I do a lot of winter day hiking in some pretty remote and mountainous locations, but I’ve only ever carried…
Read More » -
The Hiking Engine: A Maintenance Manual for your Feet and Legs
After many years of hiking and hiking with other people, I’ve concluded that the shoe industry is fundamentally broken and…
Read More » -
Some Basic Bushcraft Skills for Backpackers
My ultralight backpacking friends will roll their eyes in dismay when they hear I’ve started carrying a 9.4 ounce Silky GOMBOY 240…
Read More » -
Best Synthetic Baselayer for Winter Hiking and Backpacking
The function of a baselayer is to keep your skin dry and to wick perspiration up to an insulating mid-layer…
Read More » -
Winter Hiking Accident Analysis
I was introduced to accident analysis as a teaching methodology a few years ago when I took the Appalachian Mountain…
Read More » -
How to Prevent Heel Lift in Mountaineering Boots
If you’re renting mountaineering boots for the first time or you’ve just bought a pair, here are a few tips…
Read More »
