Have backpackers on your Christmas list? Well, here are 12 stocking stuffers that will keep you on their nice list. Even if you are not a backpacker, there’s a gift idea or three on this list that will bring a smile Christmas morning and for years to come to that…
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Beyond the absolute essentials like shelter, sleeping bag, and food, a good backpacking multi-tool may be the most useful piece of outdoor gear that will accompany you. What’s more, a multi-tool’s usefulness and practicality is not limited to the outdoors. They are a one-stop tool kit for the home, office…
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Use your smartphone to identity the names of trees using a photo of a leaf. Don’t just watch birds, listen to them sing. Show you kids the stars and constellations in the night sky on your next camping trip. Create your own hiking trail and share it with friends and…
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Outfitter Kurt Wedberg is the founder of Sierra Mountaineering International. He leads mountain climbing trips to legendary natural areas all over the world including Mount Whitney in the U.S., Mount Everest in Nepal, and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Here’s one of his Facebook posts from a recent climb of Kilimanjaro……
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With all the modern day handheld tech gadgets, I almost never run across backpackers these days without them. Still an issue though, is limited battery storage and weight. Fortunately, recharging technology has also come a long way. Keep on reading for 4 different backpacking solar chargers that are popular which…
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Have you ever considered a down camping quilt instead of a traditional sleeping bag for your backpacking and camping sleeping system? Maybe it’s about time you did. The basic idea in the quilt vs sleeping bag debate is that down efficiently uses trapped air to keep you warm. Down sleeping…
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If you go to Amazon’s Best Selling Two-Way Radios, the Motorola MH230R Talkabout Two-Way Radio will invariably pop up in one of the top positions, frequently as the Number 1 Best Selling Two Way Radio. That has been the case for years, and for good reason. The Motorola 23-mile range…
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Hammocks for camping provide a lightweight, inexpensive alternative to tents. The nice thing about hammocks is, if there are places to tie off, the ground does not have to be level. Rocks and tree roots do not present obstacles. You can string up a hammock between trees or rocks. A…
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Hiking pants for both men and women have a variety of features ranging from zippers just above the knee that allow long pants to be converted to shorts, to small holes in the crotch that improve ventilation. Picking and choosing among these features to suit your own needs is a…
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If you are fortunate enough to be camping in winter you’re going to want to sleep in a tent that is up to the responsibility. Winter camping tents are known as “four season” tents to distinguish them from “three season” tents that tend to be lighter and cooler. Here are…
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If you’re headed out on a backpacking adventure, you have two basic choices about how you’re going to cook your food other than the traditional campfire. You can cook on a canister stove like the JetBoil or the MSR Reactor. Both are excellent stoves. Those two backpacking stoves and other…
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Backpacking is a trade-off between comfort and weight. The best backpacking chair may not be in the consciousness of the serious long distance backpacker who is cutting the handle off his toothbrush to save a few grams. He’s probably not going to be willing to add a pound or more…
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Portable solar power, and backpacking gadgets that can be powered by solar, have come a long way in recent years. Being able to relieve the little voice in your head when on the trail that worries about battery consumption is well worth it. And so is eliminating the need to…
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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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If you’re like me, you’ve been sleeping in tents for years without so much as a thought to how comfortable you were. The drain of the day’s activities usually wears me out so that I just wriggle into my sleeping bag and pass out. It wasn’t until I was lent…
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Remember the days when providing enough light at night in the undeveloped outdoors meant using a fuel-based, mantle camping lantern? Sure, they provide enough light as if having a mini-sun the size of a ping-pong ball, but the downside can outweighs the benefits: expensive fuel, delicate mantles disintegrate easily, not…
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Aside from your boots, you probably won’t find a more important factor of your hiking experience than your backpack. Choosing the right pack can ensure that you grind out those miles as comfortably as possible while choosing the wrong pack can make your hike miserable. I’ve had the opportunity to…
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If you’re a strong hiker who is just going out for a day hike, you may or may not choose to head outside with one or a pair of trusty hiking poles. If you’re joints are on the fritz or your hike includes several days, hiking poles are almost a…
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When you’re out there on the trail, you will inevitably encounter some not-so-optimal weather. Whether it’s wind, rain, snow, sleet, or hail, you need a rain jacket to protect you from the elements. If you haven’t splurged on your other gear, start here. A quality backpacking rain jacket can turn…
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