For Beginners

How would like to reduce your backpacking gear weight by 10 pounds without spending a lot of money? Interested? The key to doing this is to remove all the stuff you really don’t need or replace it with smaller, more compact alternatives. This in turn can make it possible for you …

What packing and organizational tips would you give beginner backpackers or day hikers, that will help them fit all their gear into a backpack? Leave a Comment

In 2012, I participated in lightweight backpacking seminar for boy scouts that was hosted by the Capitol Area Council in Austin, Texas. The event was organized by my dear friend, scout and lightweight backpacker Alan Graham, and featured a number of scout masters, eagle scouts, myself (venturing), and demonstrations by our …

One of my readers, a guy named Tim, is having problems getting all of his backpacking gear into his backpack. This is something I’ve wrestled with too. I had a few breakthroughs this year though, based on some advice from a more experienced mentor that I thought I’d share. Feel free …

The Backpacker’s Field Manual, A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills is still the most complete and readable handbook of backpacking instruction available today. Written by Rick Curtis, Director of Princeton University’s Famous Outdoor Recreation Program, it provides a gear-agnostic approach to the skills and techniques required for enjoyable and safe backcountry …

How often you take rest breaks during a day hike or backpacking trip and how long you rest for. For example, is there a specific reason that you stop and rest? Please leave a comment.

This article’s focus is on helping you further reduce your pack weight by eliminating non-essential items including extra clothing or extra supplies that might be a convenience, but that you really don’t need to bring with you. This phase will require some more real world experimentation because you’ll probably need …

I got lost in the woods using a compass a few weeks ago when we were bushwhacking West Field, a seldom visited mountain peak near Crawford Notch in the White Mountains. I know how to use a compass quite well, so this experience was a real eye opener for me, …

I wear a pair of Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters in winter to keep snow out of my mountaineering boots and to provide some protection for my legs against self-inflected crampon strikes. I’ve owned a pair for going on 4 years and they are in rough shape, but rather than replace …

One of the most unsettling things you can hear on a backpacking trip is gunfire, especially during hunting season. I experienced this last month when I was climbing Mt. Greylock on the Appalachian Trail, just outside of North Adams, Massachusetts. It was kind of scary. The fact of the matter …

The most popular form of hiking in the northeastern United States is peakbagging, usually done as days hikes, where hikers set out to climb different mountains on the White Mountain 4000 footer list, the Adirondack 46ers, or the Catskill 3500s. While not as high elevation as their west coast counterparts, hiking …

If you’ve been smitten by hiking and all you can think about is your next trip, it’s time to rearrange your life to maximize your hiking time. Here are a few hiking and backpacking hacks to help you on your way. 1. Replace your entire wardrobe with hiking clothes. If putting …

I always carry a small fire-making kit when I go hiking. It contains a Light My Fire firesteel that can generate sparks and a small sandwich bag with vaseline smeared cotton balls as tinder that light easily and will burn for a few minutes, long enough to get the small sticks in my …

You’d think there was a simple answer to this, but it really depends. What you eat for breakfast depends on knowing what your body needs in the morning. It depends on external weather conditions, the number of daylight hours you have, the distance you need to hike that day, how …