Frequently Asked Questions

Regular cleaning of synthetic insulated jackets and sleeping bags is recommended to maximize their performance and warmth. However, the use of lightweight exterior shell fabrics requires delicate handling. Here are cleaning and gear maintenance tips to help you clean and restore synthetic insulated garments, …

The goal of lightweight backpacking is to reduce the amount of gear weight you carry on backpacking trips without compromising on comfort and safety. The best way to approach this is to weigh your existing gear on a postal or kitchen scale …

Mildew destroys camping and backpacking gear so it’s important that you remove it with Gear Aid Revivex Odor Eliminator when it forms on your gear. Besides imparting a musty smell, mildew breaks down the materials in backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, tarps, and …

There was a time when Vibram outsoles were the best in the business and used on the majority of hiking boots made. Vibram was the first company to make a vulcanized rubber outsole in 1937, including a standard lug pattern called the …

Had a good question from a reader about camp security and keeping your gear safe during backpacking trips. For example: Do you hang your backpack up with others in the shelter? Do you leave your stove or your sleeping bag out when …

We called off our hike up to Mt Adams (5774′) this past Monday because conditions were just too severe. With subzero temperatures, -40 to -50 degree (f) wind chills, and winds blowing over 100 miles per hour, it would have been too …

Washing a Down Sleeping Bag Your down sleeping bag will loft better and keep you warmer if you wash it occasionally. I try to wash mine annually, but I also spend many dozens of nights out using it each year. If you don’t …

If you wear hiking boots and get blisters when you go hiking or if your boots don’t fit as well as you’d like, there are a handful of powerful hiking boot lacing techniques that you can use to dial in a good …

Fastpacking is a hybrid form of backcountry travel—think of it like a combination between trail running and backpacking—which means there’s no simple, satisfying answer to this question. Fastpacking means the athlete can cover big miles in the backcountry with a combination of …

Zero-drop shoes have become popular with hikers and backpackers over the past few years, thanks in part to Altra Running Shoes, a brand known both for their oversized toe-box and zero-drop style. Before Altra, many hikers had never considered the drop of …

Shit 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 …

Phone-based navigation apps like Gaia GPS, ViewRanger, and Backcountry Navigator are an incredible value compared to the old-school GPS-units sold by Garmin because they include a wide variety of highly detailed maps for free. Garmin still charges you extra money to get …

Most ultralight backpacking tents are made with one of the following coated fabrics: siliconized nylon, siliconized polyester, and dyneema composite fabrics, also called, silnylon, silpoly, and DCF respectively. Some ultralight tents are also made with nylon or polyester that’s coated on one …

What is the best backpacking tent or camping shelter for thru-hiking and backpacking all or some of the Appalachian Trail? Running over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail travels across heavily forested and mountainous terrain, with widely varying temperatures, …