Backpacking Skills

The majority of people who could benefit from carrying lighter weight gear balk when it comes to weighing everything in their packs and creating a spreadsheet. It’s a big time committment and it’s not clear that the results are meaningful for many …

How many of you have holed hiking pants laying around the house waiting for a generous sewer to repair them for you? Did you know that you can just as easily repair them with Tenacious Tape? I’m not talking about rain pants, …

Lyme Disease is reaching epidemic proportions on the Appalachian Trail yet hikers still insist on hiking in short sleeve shirts and short pants. The easiest way to protect yourself from Lyme Disease is to wear long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and hat …

“Better bring your passport,” said Kris, “in case we get stopped by the border patrol.” Good idea. We were headed up to  Northern New Hampshire, to bushwhack some trail-less mountains close to the US- Canadian Border. Hiking in Northern New Hampshire is hugely …

Outdoor Herbivore’s Vegan Cheddar Herb Sauce is a great way to dress up ramen noodles or instant mashed potatoes and turn them into a tasty powerhouse of a meal. Entirely vegan and non-dairy, you’ll swear there’s cheddar cheese  in this sauce even …

A lot of us wish we could go hiking everyday, but we have other responsibilities that require us to stick around like family and work. I’m lucky that I get to go on 3-4 day hikes a month and a half dozen …

Ray Jardine once said, “If our journeys degenerate into battles, in terms of lost energy and mental buoyancy, then I think those battles are usually won or lost in the grocery stores, rather than on the trails.” I can further simplify this …

Some people can read a topographic map and visualize what the landscape should look like based on the shape of the contours lines shown. It’s a real skill to do it well, and while I’m pretty good at it,  I can miss details …

One very important skill you need in winter is how to stake out a tent or shelter when the ground is frozen or covered with snow. You can do this with skis, ice axes, and hiking poles, but people also use a …

As I remember it, my first bushwhack in the New England woods was a fiasco. I was working at the Mt. Snow ski resort in southern Vermont during the snowless winter of 1979-1980, and I had plenty of time to hike because …

When packing food for a multi-day backpacking trip, I try to keep the space it takes up as small as possible so I can bring a smaller, lighter weight backpack. While bringing highly caloric foods helps (over 100 calories per ounce), it’s …

Many hammock hangers choose a continuous ridgeline for suspending their tarps between two trees. I used this technique after buying a Warbonnet Blackbird hammock and Superfly tarp from a friend who’d set up his tarp suspension system this way, but quickly discarded …

I get a lot of email from experienced day hikers and car campers who want to try backpacking and are looking for help on how to plan their first overnight backpacking trip. Here’s the advice I give them. 1. Buy a Local Guidebook and …

If you’ve ever been backpacking, you’ve probably heard people boast that their pack weighs 50 or 60 lbs. Those days are over. With a little knowledge, it is possible for anyone to reduce their pack weight to a comfortable 25 or 30 …