SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs

Before sleeping bags became popular, backpackers and campers used to sleep outdoors with wool blankets. Some still do. But for warm weather camping, there’s definitely something to be said for using a blanket filled with synthetic insulation rather than a more constrictive sleeping …

I like reviewing backpacking gear, in part because it gives me an excellent excuse to go backpacking and day hiking a few days per week. But I’m very picky about the gear I review because it has to be useful for the …

Ray Jardine once said, “If our journeys degenerate into battles, in terms of lost energy and mental buoyancy, then I think those battles are usually won or lost in the grocery stores, rather than on the trails.” I can further simplify this …

Some people can read a topographic map and visualize what the landscape should look like based on the shape of the contours lines shown. It’s a real skill to do it well, and while I’m pretty good at it,  I can miss details …