It’s an exhilarating experience. You have walked into the woods carrying everything you need to survive and are now going to eat, sleep, and live outdoors. The backcountry is now your home. But there is a lot to consider before you can safely savor a night in the woods. Whether you’re new to backpacking or …
Backpacking
Anybody who has attempted an overnight backpacking trip will have been through the same dilemma: making sure they are safe on the trail whilst keeping pack weight to a minimum. Some seasoned backpackers will opt for a “bare minimum” shelter, whilst others value the comfort of their cozy tent at the end of a long …
If you spend enough time in the outdoors, chances are pretty high that you’ll hear about the Pacific Crest Trail. This 2,650 mile (4,264km) trail stretches from Mexico to Canada and crosses three states, vast deserts, and seemingly endless mountain peaks along the way. A thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (or PCT, for short) …
The Great Trail is formally known as The Trans Canada Trail. It is exactly 14,996 miles long as of 2018 and runs all the way from the Atlantic Ocean in St. Johns, Newfoundland, then west to the Pacific Ocean in Victoria, British Columbia. From there, hikers head north to the Arctic Ocean at Tuktoyaktuk in …
Planning a thru-hike can be part of the excitement of the trip. Researching trails and vistas or reading stories from hikers past. When you’re considering hiking the Appalachian Trail end to end, you may be wondering how long it will take you. There are a lot of factors involved in overall hiking time, and it …
One of the most overlooked parts of any good outdoor gear list is one’s water purifying system. Without a solid water purifying system, one can easily expose themselves to a whole host of diseases, thanks to the little pathogens floating around in natural water sources. When you’re out and about in the wilderness, you need …
People like me can talk about tents and tarps all day long. In fact, I could talk about tents and tarps, even if you filled my mouth with marbles, taped it shut and put me underwater. And to prove it, we have gone as far as analyzing the main fabrics used to make these products, …
The world we live in today has long been crisscrossed on foot by trails walked on since well before the industrial revolution. Some of these trails even existed before the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Therefore, there are many hiking trails throughout the world that are extremely long, continuous, and thankfully are still …
Often considered the testpiece long-distance thru-hiking trail, the Pacific Crest Trail (or PCT, for short), is one of the most well-known thru-hikes in the world. Thanks in part to the popularity of the book, Wild, and it’s associated movie, the PCT is seeing more and more hikers each year. If you’re considering a thru-hike of …
Getting a great sleep is of paramount importance to your backpacking trip. While you may be able to function properly after one restless night in the wild, imagine that happening day after day and potentially week after week. Therefore, what you decide to sleep on at night when camping out becomes a very important choice …