Editorials

My head leaks knots. I learn to tie them and forget them in a few days. At one time I wanted to study mathematical topology. It’s probably good I did something else. My solution is to learn as few knots as possible …

Adventures in crafting a 2 person down quilt. For the last two years Sherpa and I have been using a winter weight down sleeping bag opened in a quilt fashion as our nightly backpacking insulation. This allowed us to cut the weight …

Rock climbing is more than just another outdoor sport and another excuse to accumulate an entire closet worth of gear. It’s a way to form incredible bonds with others, an excuse to travel to beautiful places, and a way to learn more …

There was a time, before the advent of cuben fabric, when going ultralight or lightweight backpacking meant taking less stuff on trips and on developing your backcountry skills to make up for the smaller safety margin. The simplicity of the activity was …

Bog Bridge in Southern Maine I just wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation to the Maine Appalachian Club (MATC) for the outstanding work they do maintaining the 267 miles of Appalachian Trail under their stewardship. Last month, we had …

I often bring along a plush (we used to call them stuffed) animal when I go hiking. A surprising number of other hikers and backpackers do this as well. Why? Well it started as a prank that my wife would play on …

Most people don’t realize that hiking trail design is a spin-off from landscape architecture where trail designers deliberately plan vistas and trail features to heighten our experience of natural beauty. Given that background, some element of the pleasure we experience hiking and …

I love hiking in the forests of New Hampshire, especially in the White Mountains where it’s solid trees as far as the eye can see. But there was a time in the not to distant past when the area was entirely clear-cut …

I was out today doing some gear testing, trying to figure out the best way to carry snowshoes on one of my existing backpacks. It looks like the system shown here is pretty workable: I’ve stowed the bottoms of my Atlas 830 …