Frequently Asked Questions

When should you switch from trail runners back to waterproof or insulated hiking boots when the temperatures drop in autumn? I get asked this question frequently, and it’s something I wrestle with when the weather changes. The easy answer is when temperatures …

When sizing a day pack, you want to aim for 20-30 liters of volume in order to carry drinking water, extra clothing, food, and other essentials. The easiest way to decide how much capacity (in liters) you need is to ask yourself …

A Puffer Jacket also known as a “Puffy” is a lightweight jacket insulated with down or synthetic insulation used as a warm layering garment by hikers and backpackers. It’s so-called because the insulation is sewn into small pockets called baffles that trap …

Water filtration and water purification are as important in freezing weather as they are the rest of the year. Giardia, bacteria, and cysts don’t go to sleep when temperatures dip near or below freezing, nor do beavers, mice, deer, rabbits, and all …

Jacket pit zips are zippered openings located under the armpits on many rain jackets and winter shells. They’re designed to help you vent excess body heat, so you perspire less when wearing waterproof/breathable or non-breathable jackets. Pit zips are positioned in your …

Learning to use a compass to tell if you’re hiking in the right direction is quite simple and useful for any hiker. For example, if you get turned around on a hiking trail and don’t know which direction you’re facing (north, south, …

There are two types of electronic devices you can use to augment a map and compass for hiking navigation: dedicated GPS Handhelds or Smartphone Navigation apps that use the GPS reception technology built into Smartphones and can be used even if you …

One of the most important backpacking skills is learning how to take care of yourself if you have to hike in sustained rain. Foot care, campsite selection, thermoregulation, pacing, layering, cooking, hydration, packing, and gear selection are all factors in learning how …

The lightest weight ultralight backpacking shelters are tarps, including flat tarps and catenary curve tarps, sometimes called “flat cut” or “cat cut” tarps for short. They both have their pros and cons as we discuss below, but if your goal is wilderness …

You can buy two types of rain jackets for hiking and backpacking: waterproof/breathable rain jackets and waterproof but non-breathable ones. While waterproof/breathable rain jackets will repel rain, you’re still likely to get wet inside from perspiration buildup because the breathable membrane can’t …

Permethrin is an insect repellant and insecticide that bonds to fabric and can be used on your clothes, tent, or hammock to prevent Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, or the Zika Virus by killing ticks, mosquitos, and insects that land on …

Hot spots and hiking blisters occur when increased friction from your footwear causes the outer layers of your skin to separate from the inner layers, a process called “shear.” When the layers of skin separate, the resulting void is filled with fluid …

Many state parks, national forests, and national parks have campsites with wooden tent platforms. If you’ve ever tried to set up a tent on one of these, you know what a challenge can be if you have a tent that’s not freestanding …

Poop takes longer to decompose in the desert than it does in more humid places. Studies show that there can still be harmful bacteria present in the human fecal matter even after a year in the desert soil. Because of this, there …