Frequently Asked Questions

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 …

There’s a hiking technique called the rest step that winter hikers and mountain climbers use to preserve their energy during a climb. It takes a little practice getting used to it, but after that, it’s a charm. It’s particularly useful for winter …

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, …

There are times when you need to wear ski goggles and a balaclava that provides full-face protection on winter hikes, especially above treeline when there’s wind and blowing snow. While it sounds simple, it takes some practice to make sure that your …

“I’ll never take my cell phone hiking or backpacking,” I said about 10 years ago. Famous last words. I now carry a Smartphone wherever I go, in part, because you can’t find a phone anywhere in the United States, Canada, or the …

Have you ever wondered why people say, Cotton Kills? Do you understand exactly why? Here’s an in-depth explanation as well as a list of other fabrics that you should avoid when shopping for hiking clothes. Insulation Clothing keeps you warm by trapping …

It’s easy to get carried away when organizing your backpacking gear and use more stuff sacks, dry bags, or compression sacks than you need. While stuff sacks are useful for keeping small items together, it’s beneficial and more space-efficient to use as …

If you’re experiencing a persistent chafing sensation in your groin that won’t go away, you may have jock itch (tinea crusis) a fungal infection  similar to athlete’s foot, common to hikers and backpackers (both male and female) that causes persistent itching, burning, cracking, and …

The Garmin inReach Mini (MSRP $350) and the inReach Explorer+ (MSRP $449) are satellite-based communicators that share a common set of capabilities in terms of emergency communication, two-way messaging, tracking, and navigation. Both units require the purchase of a satellite messaging subscription …

There are three different ways that lightning can harm you: direct cloud-to-ground strikes side flashes ground currents In a cloud-to-ground strike, two arcs of energy meet, an upward leader, emanating from a high point such as a tree or mountain top and …

What types of tents have bathtub floors? Most double-wall camping tents, so-called because they have an inner tent with bug netting and an outer rainfly, have a bathtub floor in the inner tent. In these tents, the waterproof fabric on the floor …

Rain pants. Now there’s a topic that I am sure many of us have different opinions about! I almost always wear my rain pants over my hiking pants, except when I am doing laundry in a trail town and rain pants are …

The camping “landscape” is often divided into frontcountry campsites, backcountry campsites, designated campsites, and dispersed camping. You’re likely to encounter these terms if you camp or backpack in National Parks, National Forests, and State Parks and it’s important to understand what they …

A GeoPDF Map is a PDF map that you can use for GPS Navigation on a Smartphone. You can easily make your own GeoPDF maps using a FREE online mapping tool called Caltopo.com (best used with a computer), email them to your …