For Beginners

When purchasing an insulated jacket for backpacking, should you buy one with a hood or without? I think it really depends on how you plan to use it with the other clothing you carry. In three-season weather, I bring a hoodless insulated jacket on all of my trips which layers …

Thru-hiking is a very-specialized form of backpacking that’s more focused on long distance and high daily mileage in order to complete a trail within a given time frame than most backpackers who take weekend or weeklong trips. It’s kind of like the difference between a Greyhound who’s bred for racing and a German Shepard …

Winter day hiking and snowshoeing require a higher degree of physical fitness than hiking during the rest of the year because you need to carry more clothes, gear, emergency supplies, food and all of the water you need in sub-freezing weather. How much more depends on the type of terrain, …

I became a peakbagger sort of by accident, but I am a full fledged convert and climb a lot of mountains year-round on day hikes and backpacking trips. It all started when I hiked the New Hampshire section of the Appalachian Trail. That 160 mile stretch of trail runs over dozens …

Winter can be a dangerous time to hike or camp in the backcountry, but with planning and proper preparation, a winter hike can be a safe and enjoyable experience. Please keep the following in mind when planning an outing: For safety, never hike alone in winter. The potential consequences are …

If you’re renting mountaineering boots for the first time or you’ve just bought a pair, here are a few tips for avoiding blisters at the back of your foot on top of your Achilles tendon. These blisters are incredibly painful and will really slow down your pace during winter, which …

Ultralight backpacks tend to be a lot lighter than more mainstream backpacks with internal or external frames and generally fall under 2 pounds in weight. There are exceptions to this and some UL packs are heavier than two pounds, but it’s a pretty good rule of thumb. Historically, ultralight backpacks …

This article’s focus is on helping you further reduce your pack weight by selecting backpacking gear that can be used for multiple functions. If you can bring less gear, it will weigh less, and you can further cut down on pack weight by carrying a lower volume backpack. Let’s start …

You know you’re a hiker when… when you look at a bar of chocolate in the store and put it back because it doesn’t have enough calories. when you measure everything in your life in liters and grams. when you can accurately judge your mileage after walking all day. when your …

Here are the 10 most popular items that Section Hiker readers bring along on trips: Zeiss Binoculars Frisbeee Hip Flask Kindle GSI Outdoors French Press Coffee Maker Helinox Camp Chair Therm-a-Rest Z Seat UCO Candle Lantern NEMO Camping Pillow Exped extra thick sleeping pad This was a popular survey. Check …

What is the most important skill that a beginner backpacker has to master? Is it pacing, packing, how to use trekking poles, proper hydration, footwork, or navigation? While those are all essential, none is as important as planning: planning before your trip and planning each day as it comes. In …

One of the secrets of successful backpacking is learning how to become extremely organized and to stay organized throughout your trip. That might sound obvious but it’s actually a skill that requires a lot of practice and the development of a set of rituals that you can “do in your …

The most important feature on a hiking headlamp is a locking on-off function that prevents the headlamp from accidentally being turned on when not in use. It’s just common sense. Your headlamp won’t do you any good if it gets turned on accidentally inside your backpack and batteries drain. The locking …

Many winter hikers use a four layer clothing system: A base layer, consisting of a synthetic wicking long sleeved shirt and long underwear. A fleece sweater as an insulating midlayer. A hard shell jacket and pants as a wind-proof/waterproof layer. A puffy down or synthetic jacket and pants for even …