Stealth Camping has become a fashionable term in backpacking circles, but I’m convinced that most people don’t know what it means. They confuse it with pre-existing campsites, which are very different. Stealth Campsites Most stealth campsite have never been used before. They’re called stealth …
Read More »Backpacking Skills
Hiking into the Past with Historic Maps
When I plan hikes in the White Mountains, especially off-trail hikes, I try to research the history of the area that I’ll be hiking in before my trip. One of the richest, but rarest forms of information is in the form of …
Read More »Navigating with an Altimeter
If you’re a hiker or a backpacker, an altimeter can be a powerful navigation aid when used in conjunction with a map and compass. Altimeters aren’t new, but they have fallen in price in recent years and are commonly included as a …
Read More »Multi-Function Backpacking Gear for Wilderness First-Aid
I took a refresher course on Wilderness First Aid last weekend and we had a brainstorming session in class about how all the things in your backpack can be used for multiple purposes in a first aid incident. We never focus on …
Read More »Campsite Regulations: The 200 Foot Rule
I recently met a pair of new backpackers, Bill and Elena, and they asked me my opinion about the 200 foot rule. This is a a backcountry camping rule in many federally regulated forests. Check your local regulations for specifics because they vary accross …
Read More »What’s the Worst Weather You’ve Ever Hiked In?
Most of us have had to hike in bad weather at one time or another, on day hikes or backpacking trips. While there have been plenty of times when I’ve cancelled a day hike or postponed it do to bad weather, I’ve …
Read More »I Don’t Let the Weather Determine When I Hike
I saw someone write “I don’t let the weather determine when I hike” on a hiking message board recently, and it’s got to be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. The weather in the White Mountains kills people all year round because people …
Read More »How to Avoid Bugs and the Heat of Summer without DEET
How can you prevent bug bites without using DEET or other insect repellents, stay cool during day hikes or backpacking trips, and protect your skin from sun burn? Easy – wear long pants, a long sleeve shirt and a hat when you hike. …
Read More »How to Read a Topographic Map
Whenever you go hiking it’s important to bring a map with you. Ideally, this will be a topographic map, which is the kind with the squiggly lines on it. Called contour lines, they can tell you whether you’ll be hiking uphill, downhill, …
Read More »A Close Call with Heat Exhaustion
I didn’t put two and two together when I was experiencing the symptoms of heat exhaustion during a high exertion hike last week, but after a friend pointed it out to me, I realized that I’d had a close call. While I’d taken …
Read More »Backcountry Hygiene Tips: Or How to Eat without Touching Your Food
I don’t carry any hand sanitizer on day hikes and backpacking trips. I used to, but it’s pretty pointless when you get right down to it. Yeah, I’d slather Purell on after I filtered stream water or went to the bathroom, or before I …
Read More »What Backpacking Gear Should You Bring for Cold, Wet Weather?
Scenario Analysis On my latest Appalachian Trail section hike from Southern New Jersey to Southern Connecticut, I hiked 173 miles over a 14 day period in cold and wet weather. While I could give you a blow-by-blow account about each item on …
Read More »Pacing and Estimating Distance by Blake Miller
Many outdoors men and women measure distance in the backcountry by using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. GPS receivers are reasonably accurate, real time, and provide distance traveled and distance to a destination. But what does the hiker do if they …
Read More »Trip Planning Mistakes
When Wysteria, Sherpa, and I arrived at the trail head we found 4 foot snow drifts covering the trail. It was late March, and we’d planned to backpack north over Mt Greylock past the Massachusetts/Vermont border. We knew that there might be some …
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