The Granite Gear Vapor Trail 60 is a remake of a vintage ultralight-style backpack that was retired about ten years ago and is no longer made. At one time, the Vapor Trail was the most popular backpack used by thru-hikers on the …

The Sierra Designs High Side Tent is a single-person, double-wall tent that’s a big step up in comfort from a bivy sack. In addition to its low weight, one of the biggest strengths of this tent is its flexibility. The inner tent …

Jack Frost has arrived in the White Mountains, coating all of the peaks and big hills with a blanket of ice and snow. November can be a frustrating time for hikers here, when it’s hard to decide whether to carry full winter …

Mount Moosilauke is the first big mountain that Appalachian Trail northbounders encounter when they climb through the White Mountains. The 10th highest four thousand footer in the White Mountain 48, it has a very different profile and personality than most of the other …

The North Country of New Hampshire does not disappoint. That’s what I was thinking about 5 miles into a grueling backpacking trip I took last weekend along the Kilkenny Ridge, covering 32 miles and climbing 9,000 feet in two days. The Kilkenny …

“Oh crap. I forgot to bring my spoon,” said a backpacker I’d just met at the campsite. I know that exact feeling. I’ve left my big plastic backpacking spoon at home on the drying rack next to the kitchen sink too many …

Frugal hiker that I am, really, I picked up a couple of pairs of REI Sahara Convertible Pants on sale. They’re quite thin nylon pants with color coded zip off legs and lots of pockets, including side cargo pockets. I’ve never been …

Mt Chocorua has a number of sub-peaks including Blue Mountain (2540′), Blue Northeast (2370′), and Blue Northwest (2380′). I’ve been thinking about climbing them since last Autumn and now that the snow has melted off most of the peaks under 3,000 feet …

In August 2009, I set out to hike the 100 mile wilderness in Maine. This is the last big section that AT thru-hikers have to hike before they arrive at Baxter State Park, home of Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the …

The NEMO GoGo Elite Inflatable Bivy Tent is a 1-person minimalist shelter that’s more spacious and comfortable than a bivy sack, but far more compact than most 1-person tents making it ideal for trips that require carrying a low volume load like …

Introduction This is the third, and final trip report describing my Appalachian Trail section hike from Mohican Outdoor Center through New Jersey, through all of New York State, and into Connecticut in, April 2011. About the Connecticut Appalachian Trail While the Connecticut …

I didn’t pay much attention at school. But I do remember being told something about the majority of communication being non-verbal rather than verbal. Sure, our mouths make sounds, but the real truth is in the eyes (liars, of course, tend to …

The Gregory Amber 44 is an adjustable-length women’s backpack that’s large enough for overnight backpacking trips but also suitable for more technical hikes when you need to carry extra gear or layers, such as winter hiking. Weighing just 2 lbs 11 oz, …

Blueberry Mountain is in the Caribou Speckled Wilderness (of the White Mountain National Forest) in Evans Notch on the border between New Hampshire and Maine. It has great views of the North and South Baldface, East and West Royce, Basin Pond and …