Backpacking Skills
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What is the Rest Step?
There’s a hiking technique called the rest step that winter hikers and mountain climbers use to preserve their energy during…
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Winter Hiking Safety Tips
Winter can be a dangerous time to hike or camp in the backcountry, but with planning and proper preparation, a…
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How to Repair Gaiters with Tenacious Tape and Seam Grip
If you do a lot of winter hiking in high gaiters, sooner or later, they’re going to get punctured by…
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10 Backpacking Gear Maintenance Tasks for December
Here are 10 hiking and backpacking gear maintenance tasks to put on your to-do list this December. With the winter…
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How to Attach an Ice Axe to a Backpack
This is a serious issue because I see a lot of people do this improperly, opening themselves to a potentially…
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How to Keep Your Ski Goggles from Fogging on Winter Hikes
There are times when you need to wear ski goggles and a balaclava that provides full-face protection on winter hikes,…
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The Problem with Pac Boots for Winter Hiking
Pac boots, like the kind you get from Sorel, Kamik, Cabelas, or LL Bean, are not a good option for…
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Winter Traction and When to Wear It
Winter hikers use three different kinds of traction devices in winter: microspikes, mountaineering crampons, and snowshoes. Microspikes and mountaineering crampons are…
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Pre-Hike Hydration: The Key to Staying Hydrated for Winter Hiking
Winter hikers and snowshoers often have difficulty staying properly hydrated in cold weather because winter hiking is physically more challenging.…
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Autumn Hiking and Backpacking Gear List Extras
Autumn has arrived, and with it, fewer daylight hours, wet leaves, cold rain, and morning frost. It’s still a great…
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How to Prevent Camping Tent Condensation in Winter
Tent condensation manifests itself either as frost on the inside surface of your tent or moisture droplets that are transferred…
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How to Stay Hydrated on Winter Hikes
Have you ever wondered why you don’t get thirsty on winter hikes even though your pee turns yellow and it’s…
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9 Winter Navigation Hazards
Winter hiking navigation is different than three-season navigation because easy trails can become unsafe from avalanche danger, deep snow, or…
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12 Essential Winter Camping and Backpacking Hacks
Winter camping and backpacking have a much steeper learning curve than three season hiking and camping because you have to carry a…
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