Wilderness Navigation Tools

Every year, I like to recognize a piece of gear that has the biggest transformational impact on my hiking and backpacking experience by giving it the Section Hiker Gear of the Year Award. This year’s winner is the Casio PAG240-1CR Pathfinder Triple Sensor Multi-Function Sport Watch whose built-in barometric altimeter helped transform my …

I started using Caltopo.com to plan and document all of my hikes and backpacking trips about a year ago after my friend Matt (Matt’s Hikes) recommended it on the approach hike to Peak Above the Nubble. Matt raved about Caltopo’s ability to print out custom maps using the 1:24000 USGS scale …

The first thing I do when I evaluate digital mapping software is to look at the accuracy of the maps provided or available with the software. You can have the best user interface or software features in the world, but if the maps you provide are inaccurate or out of date, I’m …

Gmap4 is the free online mapping tool that I use for planning hike, backpacking, and bushwhacking trips. I like it because it has some of the most accurate digital maps available online and lets me rapidly compare different maps from several different sources. That is probably the most important feature …

Mountains Make their own Weather Have you ever planned a hiking trip in the White Mountains, the Adirondacks, or the Catskills, and tried to figure out what the weather is going to be like or what gear you need to bring along? It can be real frustrating, because mountains make …

I switched from a simple Suunto A10 base plate compass to a Brunton 15TDCL Sighting Compass last year because I wanted a compass that was more robust for bushwhacking, backpacking in open country across Scotland, and for avalanche prediction in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. While the A10 has been an …

I’ve owned the same Suunto A10 Compass for years and can recommend it highly for 3 season hiking. The markings on mine are  a little worn, as you can see, but it has all of the key attributes you need for following a bearing or orienteering with a map. The …

Piece of Mind I carry a Spot II Satellite GPS Messenger these days to give my wife peace of mind when I’m solo backpacking or winter hiking and mountaineering. It’s not a perfect solution, but it works well enough for me to still use it. Read on. While the Satellite …

Reader Poll I’m conducting an informal reader poll here (leave a comment). When was the last time you used a compass in the backcountry? Do you carry one with you whenever you go hiking or backpacking? Have you ever had to rely on your compass to get you out of …

I bought a Highgear Axio Mini Altimeter/Barometer watch a few weeks ago. This isn’t the first multi-function watch I’ve owned, but it is the first one I actually enjoy wearing because it is so small. I owned a Highgear Summit a few years ago but hated it because the watch …