So, you want to hike the Appalachian Trail? Or wait, is it the Pacific Crest Trail? Both trails have their tall tales, making it tricky to know which one is more difficult. Is the PCT harder than the AT, or is it the other way around? First off, here is what these two trails have …
Backpacking
It is no secret: many people have converted to using trail running shoes as opposed to hiking boots. Why? The reasoning is simple: hiking boots are tight, painful, heavy, and stuffy. And, let’s get real here, breaking them in does not necessarily help. How many times have you heard someone say, “Oh, you have excruciating, …
Many thru-hikers consider the Pacific Crest Trail to be one of the crown jewels of the world’s long-distance hiking trails. Over the course of 2,600 miles, the trail travels from the scorching desert of the Southern California/Mexico border through the high Sierra and the Cascades to reach its terminus at the United States’ border with …
Even if you’ve never backpacked before, you can probably imagine that it’s pretty darn easy to be dirty, sweaty, and straight-up stinky when you’re outside for a day. Now imagine being outside for three, ten, or even thirty days straight without access to a modern shower and toilet – you’d be pretty smelly, huh? While …
We’ve all heard horror stories of people getting terribly sick from unsafe drinking water, sometimes even after they tried to filter or purify it. The good news is, as technology and science has progressed, humans have continued to advance water purifying methods. So, filtering and purifying water while backpacking from a natural source is quite …
There is nothing like a negative bear confrontation that can quickly turn any positive outdoor experience into a sour one. Personal safety is always number one, especially in the wilderness. It is exciting to see a bear in the wilderness, but it can be terrifying to have an encounter with one. Especially in Grizzly bear …
When you think of camping or backpacking foods, you usually don’t think of gourmet meals. Personally, plain pasta and tuna usually comes to mind. However, this can be both bulky and heavy to pack in. Not an ideal combination when you want to save those extra kilos and that precious space in your backpack. Not …
While many people might think that eating outside is all about freeze-dried food, cans of beans, and PB&Js, there’s no reason to suffer when it comes to your trailside culinary experience. Cooking up a nice, hot meal at the end of a long day on trail can be a sure-fire way to boost morale, relax, …
Depending on the context, mountain lions (also referred to as cougars) are scary. Their behavior can run the spectrum from benign to truly dangerous, and they live all over the country. Opportunist hunters, they are smart and strong enough to catch prey as large as adult humans. There have been several news stories of close …
With each new invention in the digital age, consumers are more connected to their technology than ever, but what happens when you need your device charged in the middle of nowhere? Hand crank chargers have been around for quite some time but now, they are more accessible than ever, and can even be used to …