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 …
Read More »Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fastpacking?
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 …
Read More »How to Clean, Sanitize, and Store a Water Filter in the Off Season
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 …
Read More »What are Zero-Drop Hiking Shoes
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 …
Read More »Do You Need a Fuel Canister Stabilizer?
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 …
Read More »How to Shit in the Desert
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 …
Read More »Forget Boiling: How to Cook Pasta and Save Cooking Fuel
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 …
Read More »How Much Food Should You Pack for a 1-2 Night Backpacking Trip?
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 …
Read More »How to Size a Backpack: Daypack and Backpack Volume Guide
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 …
Read More »How to Prevent Tent Condensation
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 …
Read More »Plantar Fasciitis: A Hiker’s Guide to Heel Pain
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 …
Read More »Do You Need a Tent For Backpacking?
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, …
Read More »Do You Need a Backpack Rain Cover?
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 …
Read More »What is Hiker Trash?
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 …
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