A single-walled tent has one layer of material – usually water-resistant or waterproof. A double-walled tent has two layers of material, an inner breathable layer and a rainproof fly. The decision about whether to buy a single-walled tent or a double-walled tent is largely a matter of tent weight. The…
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If you’re an occasional hiker – much less a frequent one – you’re going to get rained on from time to time. Some parts of the country like the Pacific Northwest are famously wet. Some parts of the country feature a regular afternoon thunder shower at certain times of the…
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In recent years, Yellowstone National Park has broken annual attendance records and 2016 was no exception with the park receiving 4.2 million visitors. Most of them only experience the grandeur of our nation’s oldest national park through a windshield. A few visitors take to some of the 900 miles of…
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Some years ago, you rarely saw a hiker using trekking poles. If you did it was reason enough to stop, take notice and maybe ask some questions. Today, the use of trekking poles is common. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates that trekking pole wielding hikers vary from ninety percent for thru…
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A backpacking breakfast is an important part of your trip and tends to be my favorite meal of the day. With a little creative thinking you can come up with great ideas to avoid a bland, boring breakfast. Potato Patties Instant mashed potatoes come in all sorts of flavors, from…
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“Layering” is a strategy for dressing for all types of outdoor activity in all seasons of the year. The idea is to stay comfortable by keeping your body as close to a constant temperature as possible. If you understand layering basics for winter hiking, you’ll be able to apply the…
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If there’s one thing that’s essential to the atmosphere of camping, it’s a good, sustainable campfire. It keeps you warm, wards off nasty bugs, and cooks your food. If you want to kindle the flames but don’t have a fire-starting kit, don’t fret. Even if you don’t have the conventional…
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A short backpacking excursion to Bear Lake in Emigrant Wilderness afforded my buddy Wade and I a chance to properly do a Sawyer water filter review, and give it a proper test outdoors. I’ve used a PUR (now Katadyn) Hiker for the last 15 years. After looking at all the best backpacking water filtration…
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Maybe you’ve been on hiking trip and glanced up at a scree slope that leads to a mountain top and thought: “I’d like to climb up there! It looks pretty accessible.” If you’ve never scrambled a peak or do so infrequently, below are some suggestions for your next day out….
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In 2005 I found myself lacing my boots, shouldering my pack, and heading out to Smoky Mountain National Park to hike a sixty-mile segment of the famous Appalachian Trail. Nestled in the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, the Smokies provide a very scenic, but very small segment of this…
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A seven-mile day hike in Northern California found myself and a fellow hiker casually meandering along a trail that wove through a dense patch of woods. Since I was hiking in the rear, I was the one to shout when a thin figure lunged from a nearby pile of brown leaves…
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You would be hard pressed to find a hiker who has never gotten a blister. I’ve taken off my Gore-Tex boot after a twelve-mile day to find several blisters all over my feet—everywhere from atop my pinkie toe to behind my heel. They are painful, irritating, and can make the…
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Not everyone agrees that the environment should be protected from the human footprint with no trace camping. But if you are a person who enjoys spending a lot of time great outdoors, then you probably want to make sure that the outdoors stays great. When you’re out there experiencing nature…
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Back in 2009 I was privileged enough to be a part of my Boy Scout troop’s first trip to Philmont Scout Ranch outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Eleven days of hiking through the most beautiful scenery in North America with nothing but what we could carry on our backs taught…
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Depending on where you live, you may or may not have encountered a poisonous plant or two in the wild. If you’re an avid camper like me, you definite have. Trekking along the Appalachian Trail through southern Tennessee, I’ve had my fair share of rashes and bumps from a lack…
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If you’re going to be spending time outdoors in bear country, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your property or supplies from harm. Bear safety should not be scoffed at or taken lightly, as the consequences are not worth risking. Without fear mongering, backpacker.com…
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In this video by Sierra Trading Post, John gives a great review of the general different types of sleeping pads available for backpacking. John mentions there are two main purposes for using a pad: To provide some cushioning from the hard ground to improve your nights’ sleep To provide some…
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Bring the Right, Rain-Proof Gear If there’s any chance of rain, you’ll want to be properly equipped and you’ll be much more likely to have a great time! Otherwise, you’ll be miserable at the very least or worse, be at risk for hypothermia. Follow these tips for backpacking in the…
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Outside of getting lost, there aren’t too many mundane things that can impact your hike as negatively as getting a blister. Depending on how many foot blisters you have, and their sizes, it may mean the end of your trek. In a previous article we talked about how to prevent…
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Depending on where you’re hiking or camping, you may be miles from the nearest road, and even further from modern first aid facilities. To make things worse, you may not have cell phone service. These factors can turn an injury that could have been treated in civilization into a life-threatening…
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If you’ve never had a tick, you’re lucky they absolutely suck, literally and figuratively. For those of us that have had the pleasure of a tick embedding itself in our flesh, then you’re familiar with how tough and painful they can be to pull out. Personally, I’ve had a tick…
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This video shows a great method bushcraft fishing using mostly natural materials from the wilderness. The materials you need are: Small container Fishing hooks Weights Fishing line – Twenty feet of six or eight pound test Safety pin (optional) Bobber (optional) An excellent way to store your fishing hooks are to…
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Bushcraft Tarp Shelter Configurations Using No Cordage While survival Lilly uses the Tatonka Tarp 2, you can use any inexpensive tarp you can find to make this bushcraft tarp shelter. First you want to locate two trees that are close enough to fit your tarp. Next search for two sturdy forked branches…
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External vs. Internal Frame Backpacks Below, Ryestudios discusses the different aspects of internal vs external frame backpacks. The two backpacks he reviews are Kelty Trekker 3900 ST external frame backpack and the Kelty Red Cloud internal frame backpack. The Kelty Red Cloud internal frame backpack is a better option for colder temperature…
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This is a great backpacking tip! John from IntenseAngler shows us his version of how to build a smokeless campfire. There is nothing worse than smoke in your face, or the smoke following you around when you’re just trying to relax and enjoy the warm campfire. As we all know, there are…
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If you have been looking for a better way to hang your food while backpacking, well here it is. In this video Joe Brewer teaches you how to hang a bear bag PCT Style (in case you are wondering, PCT stands for “Pacific Crest Trail”). The items needed to hang…
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This is Jason Hunt’s version of how to make a bushcraft chair using no cordage. You need several logs, about shoulder width apart. Two six to eight foot logs around the width of your wrist or a little bigger. A four to six inch diameter log and 2 more logs for…
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Video Tips for Ultra Lightweight Backpacking Gear Setup Here’s a great video by Will Wood on ultra-lightweight gear setup for your next backpacking trip. Will claims his base gear setup weights just 10 lbs, and the total weight for his pack comes in at 20 lbs, 5 ounces, including 7…
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Save money & weight with these yummy food & beverage mixes from your local grocery store that are perfect for backpacking 1. Folgers Classic Roast Coffee Singles If there’s one thing that I crave when backpacking, it’s coffee. You can’t beat sipping on a hot cup o’ joe in the…
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