Section Hikers Backpacking Blog Hiking and Backpacking for Beginners and Experts

Ultralight Adventure Equipment (ULA) is one of the oldest and most respected ultralight backpacking gear manufacturers. Their backpacks are quite popular with long distance backpackers and weekend warriors in the United States and are a frequent sight along our National Scenic Trails and in the backcountry. I like ULA’s backpacks because they’re very durable …

A compass is one of the 10 essentials and while many hikers and backpackers carry one, many don’t know how to use it to navigate in the backcountry. This is something I hear often when I teach map and compass skills courses and describes my experience as well: I carried …

Climbing Mt Israel is close to becoming a spring pilgrimage for me. Located in the White Mountains Sandwich Range, it’s a 52-with-a-view summit with great views of Sandwich Dome, Mt Whiteface, and the rocky summit of Mt Chocorua. I climbed Israel via the Mead Trail, coming up the more remote north …

The Princeton Tex Helix Backcountry Rechargeable Lantern is an excellent luxury item for camping that’s lightweight enough for family or couples backpacking. It’s also a remarkably well-designed product that can be used in many ways: as a hanging lantern, a spotlight with its glow-in-the dark lampshade removed, propped up on …

A trekking umbrella is a useful piece of backpacking gear for rain and sun protection. But an umbrella can be a real pain in the butt if you have to hold it up for hours at a time using one arm, especially if you use trekking poles to hike. Here’s …