Frequently Asked Questions

How does knee replacement surgery affect your ability to hike? How painful is the recovery? When can you resume hiking after surgery? What advice would you give to hikers with arthritis of the knee? As a frequent hiker, I’ll share my first-hand …

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 …

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 …

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 …

When you boil water with a canister stove, it’s very easy to tip a top-heavy pot full of scalding hot water all over yourself or the ground. It’s dangerous because you can get seriously burned and it uses up precious stove fuel …

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 …

Many of us shy away from eating dried pasta on backpacking trips because it takes so long to cook and uses too much stove fuel. But did you know that you don’t have boil dried pasta using the amount of water recommended on the …

Most people pack way too much food when they go backpacking, especially for shorter trips lasting 1 to 2 nights in duration. While the rule of thumb is 2 lbs of food per day or 4000 calories, that number is based on …

Recommended Backpack Volumes How much volume should you get in a daypack, weekend backpack, multi-day backpack, or expedition backpack? Here are some volume guidelines and advice so you can start shopping for backpacks in the appropriate size range. Hiking Backpack Volume Guide Hiking …

Tent condensation happens to everyone. It’s one of the unavoidable consequences of camping or backpacking with a tent, but it’s usually just a nuisance and not the end of the world. Still, there are a lot of misconceptions about tent condensation and …

Plantar Fasciitis is a very common and painful foot condition experienced by many hikers. I know, I’ve had it. It is an overuse injury often caused by hiking or running and presents itself as chronic heel pain. This pain is caused by …

You don’t need a tent, specifically, for backpacking but you do need some form of rain protection and/or insect protection in most climates when camping out along a trail. It can be a tent, hammock with a tarp, a waterproof bivy sack, …

A backpack rain cover serves several purposes. It prevents rain from leaking through the fabric and making your gear wet. It also can protect your backpack from getting torn if you have to hike through dense vegetation. However, whether you need a …

The label ‘Hiker Trash’ is a term of endearment for those in the long-distance hiking community who have chosen to ditch social norms and live another way while on a trail journey. That ‘another way’ can be both wondrous and freeing, yet …