Backpacking Skills

An inverted canister stove is a canister stove that can burn canister gas (an isobutane/propane mix) in lower temperatures than a regular canister stove. It’s good for winter camping when the nighttime temperature drops below 15 degrees (F). That’s the temperature at …

With spring hiking and backpacking season on the horizon, here are some important gear maintenance tasks for you to perform to prepare for your next trip. If you have other spring gear maintenance tips you’d like to share, please leave a comment …

Backpackers are split about 50/50 when it comes to using a backpack rain cover or lining the inside of their backpacks with a plastic bag or backpack liner designed for that purpose. When I started backpacking, I used a backpack rain cover …

Winter hikers carry several pairs of gloves and mittens and layer them in different combinations for warmth, wind protection, increased dexterity, and moisture management. No one pair of handwear can satisfy all of these needs, so it’s best to carry of collection …

Plantar Fasciitis is an overuse injury of the foot that is associated with heel pain and severe foot cramping.  The pain is caused by the inflammation of the ligament that connects your heel bone to the ball of your foot. I suffered …

Kahtoola’s KTS Crampons are a winter traction aid designed for use with soft-soled shoes. This is important in spring when the base of peaks have no snow, but you need to bring along traction to deal with lingering ice on high ledges …

The heaviest items in your backpack are water, food, and fuel. They’re called consumables because you use them up as your trip progresses, as opposed to “base weight” which measures the weight of non-consumable items like a backpack, tent, unworn clothing, a …

There will probably come a time in your hiking career where you need or want to do a big day hike or a backpacking route that requires hiking longer daily distances than you’re used to. While training for bigger mileage in advance …

There’s an expression used in many hiking guides called book time. Also known as Naismith’s rule, it refers to the minimum time that it would take an inexperienced hiker to complete a trail segment. It’s based on the following metric: 30 minutes …

Many waterproof and more durable ultralight backpacks are made with Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) or X-Pac, another high-tech laminate fabric similar to DCF but less expensive and easier to make backpacks with. Below, we explain the tradeoffs between these DCF and X-Pac …

There are four different types of ultralight bug shelters suitable for cowboy camping, sleeping in a lean-to, or underneath a flat tarp: Bivy Sacks Bug Bivies Net Tents Floorless Tarps w/ no-see-um Skirts While they’re all similar in certain respects, they have …

Bushwhacking is a form of off-trail navigation through forested areas, so-called because the trees and ground vegetation whack back when you try to push through them. While expertise with a map and compass is a prerequisite skill to become an expert bushwhacker, …

I’ve developed a case of Plantar Fasciitis in my left foot this summer, a painful repetition injury often caused by hiking or running that presents itself as chronic heel pain. The pain is caused by the inflammation of the ligament that connects your heel …

Ultralight backpacking tents and shelters come in all shapes and sizes, but each type has pros and cons for different camping conditions. It’s best to understand these before you waste money on a tent or shelter that doesn’t suit your needs or …