Frequently Asked Questions

It’s important to clean and sanitize your backcountry water filter or purifier before storing it away during the winter months. There’s a simple three-stage process for this that involves cleaning the filter to improve its flow rate, sanitizing the filter to kill …

Tent vestibules are like mudrooms at the front of a tent or along its sides. They provide extra space to stash your gear out-of-the-way in a cramped multi-person tent, or a place to change out of wet, muddy gear before you get …

If you’re into Freezer Bag Cooking, then you should consider bringing along a freezer bag cozy to keep your food warm while it re-hydrates. This is particularly helpful in the early spring, autumn, and wintertime when colder weather will quickly cool hot …

Topographic maps are used by hikers and backpackers to plan routes, estimate travel times, find water, good campsites, and track their progress on hikes. They’re designed to depict the three dimensional shape of the world (mountains, valleys, plains, etc.) in two dimensions …

“You need to buy the tent footprint if you want the fast pitch option,” is the common refrain of tent manufacturers and retailers. But you wonder, “When would I use the fast pitch option and what am I giving up if I …

The timing of when a child is ready for a tent of their own is going to be different for every family and every child. Children mature at very different rates so its important to be realistic about where your child is …

Accurate navigation, sighting and triangulation with a magnetic compass is a skill that the responsible outdoorsman should never allow to lapse. The accuracy of a magnetic compass and the information presented depends on land characteristics, the quality of the compass, and the …

I’d always heard that you can carry Esbit Fuel Tablets on an airplane in checked baggage. It’s one of the main arguments people use to recommend them for international travel. While that may have been true before 9/11 and the creation of …

Have you even opened your backpacking food bag and lost your appetite at the prospect of eating the same boring meal again? Do yourself a favor and increase the variety of food you bring on backpacking trips. Develop a menu that keeps …

If you hike in the mountains or above-treeline, you’ll find frequent mention of the term “diurnal heating” in mountain weather forecasts, often accompanied by thunderstorms, hail, and high wind. What is diurnal heating and why should you be cautious when it’s in …

When the pilots of small aircraft fly in clear weather, they often orient themselves by referring to visible landmarks like roads, buildings, or obvious terrain features rather than flying by navigation instruments. They can still refer to their instruments if they’re uncertain …

I’ve been getting a lot of emails this year from beginner backpackers who want guidance about how to estimate that time it takes to backpack a long section of trail. Here are some examples: I plan to hike the Presidential Range and the …

Metatarsal pain, also called Metatarsalgia (met-uh-tahr-SAL-juh) occurs when the ball of your foot becomes inflamed as a result of jumping, running, or hiking. The feeling is similar to having a pebble in your shoe under the ball of your foot. This is …

Buying a backpacking or camping tent is a big investment, but you can extend your tent’s lifetime and get many years of use from it by spending a little time on tent maintenance, repair, and cleaning. While there are many types and …