There’s quite possibly nothing that bothers me more than finding single-use plastic water bottles lying on the beach or at the trailhead. It’s especially troubling when those bottles still have 90% of the water remaining after whoever used it only took a sip or two. While I still love my HydroFlask, Nalgene, and Tree Tribe …
I feel very fortunate that I grew up in a place with such easy access to the backcountry. Living in Truckee, CA, it’s absurdly easy for us to get on a trail and get away from town in under an hour. I recognize that this isn’t the case for many, many people out there living …
Wow! It feels like it has been forever since I’ve added any new content to The Backpack Guide. To those who may have been anxiously awaiting new gear reviews, trail info, or trip reports, I sincerely apologize. It has been a spring of transitions, and if you’re interested in what I’ve been up to, I …
So you want to get into sleeping elevated, do you? From experience, it takes some time and requires a degree of trial and error to dial in your hammock camping gear list and perfect your setup. Getting a good hang (as die-hard hammockers call it) takes some experimenting and can require different considerations depending on …
I’ve gone through a number of sleeping pads over the years. While I’ve previously found some comfort in inflatable sleeping pads, I’ve also had some that just didn’t hold air. All of a sudden I’d wake up in the middle of the night with a rock jabbing me in the back. So, I’ve pretty much …
Hammock camping is my preferred method of sleeping for any trips under a week in length. And I find myself leaning towards a hammock set-up that can function for even longer trips (like the JMT or PCT!). But for many hikers and backpackers, sleeping all night in a hammock either sounds uncomfortable or impractical. Today, …
I’m fortunate to have grown up in a place where most summer nights are clear and dry. Because of that, I’ve gotten to spend a considerable amount of time sleeping out under the stars. Over the years, I’ve really come to appreciate the benefits of carrying a hammock for backcountry sleeping, as opposed to lugging …
For experienced backpackers, the process of putting on a pack is probably second nature. But for all of you just getting into backpacking, it’s important to know that there is actually a preferable technique for putting your backpack on and adjusting it for comfort. In this article, I’ll cover some easy tips for how to …
My active lifestyle has led to many broken phones over the last five or six years. Because of this experience, I went a long time opting for the cheapest (and by proxy the most easily replaceable) phone available whenever I needed a new one. I failed to realize, however, that I could choose a nice …
As a former Wilderness First Aid instructor and certified waterfront lifeguard, I’ve heard this familiar saying often: “It’s not a matter of if [an emergency occurs], but just a matter of when.” To some, that might represent a brand of negative thinking that invites unexpected circumstances to sidetrack our hiking adventures. To others, it’s merely …