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Learn critical backcountry skills for your next hike! This section is dedicated to teaching ultralight backpacking knowledge with actionable advice to help improve your experience on the trail. Learn from three different categories: Gear Technology, Backpacking Food, and Backcountry Skills.

Backcountry Skills

From ultralight techniques and training to photography and layering, our Backcountry Skills Section covers an array of subjects to help you get better at hiking and backpacking.

Ultralight Hiking Clothes as part of a layering system for cold mountain weather

Ultralight Hiking Clothes, Best Layering System 2026

How To, Clothing

Ultralight hiking clothes will drastically improve the overall trip experience by making you comfier, faster, and especially safer. As they say, there is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing!

Backpacking Alaska mountains using ultralight gear

Gear For Backpacking Alaska Ultralight & Fully Prepared

Gear Lists, Recommended Gear, How To

This guide will help you prepare for the rigors of backpacking in Alaska with optimal ultralight gear, food, and techniques.

Ultralight backpacking Glove System laid out make for great hiking gifts

Ultralight Backpacking Glove System For Cold Weather

How To, Gear Tech, Winter Gear

This guide explains our ultralight backpacking glove system for all-weather use in conditions ranging from 0-100F, rain, snow, and sun.

train for hiking and backpacking quickly and efficiently

How to Train for Hiking & Backpacking Endurance

How To

Learn how to train for hiking and backpacking as efficiently as possible with a 12 week plan based on current exercise science.

How to Cut Liners Out of Running Shorts & Why You Should

How To

Learn how to cut liners out of running shorts and why you should. We give step by step instructions, and fully explain the reasoning.

Zpacks Tents – How To Choose

Learn how to choose the best Zpacks Tent for you needs. We dive deep into specs, features, and materials to help inform your decision.

GAIA GPS wildfire map | Wildfire Safety | Hiking & Backpacking

7 Tips for Wildfire Safety Hiking & Backpacking

How To

7 Wildfire Safety Tips for Hiking and Backpacking. Be sure you have the proper knowledge, equipment, and navigational resources be safe!

wildlife photography | chimpanzee nursing in uganda

Wildlife Photography 101 a Beginner’s How To

Beginners, Cameras & Photography

This post will get you taking great wildlife photos in no time. We give you the 7 basic tips for wildlife photography as well as some pitfalls and beginner mistakes to avoid. And of course, we’ll also advise you on the best photo gear for wildlife pics.

How to Choose Hiking Shoes

Footwear, How To, Clothing

How to choose hiking shoes that work for you just got a lot easier! We'll give you the lowdown on different factors that affect your shoe choice

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Gear Technology

Our Gear Technology Section features content designed to help readers understand the latest and most cutting edge tech in outdoor gear design.

Thinking about How to tell how warm a down jacket is while wearing one

How To Tell How Warm a Down Jacket Is Without Trying It On

Gear Tech

Here are 4 methods for how to tell how warm a down jacket is. Interpret observations, use math, and look to the future!

Ultralight Backpacking Glove System For Cold Weather

How To, Gear Tech, Winter Gear

This guide explains our ultralight backpacking glove system for all-weather use in conditions ranging from 0-100F, rain, snow, and sun.

SuperStove For Optimal Backcountry Cooking

Cooking & Stoves, Food & Cooking, Gear Tech

A SuperStove combines a pressure regulated, wind resistant, high BTU burner with a heat exchanger pot for max efficiency in wind and cold.

testing Water bottles for ultralight gear trend of 2025

Ultralight Gear Trends, 2025 in Review

Gear Tech

This article highlights the five largest ultralight gear trends of 2025, most of all the dethroning of Smartwater.

Ultralight Gear Trends, 2024 in Review

Gear Tech

This review explores the two major ultralight gear trends of 2024 -proliferation of vestpacks, and sturdy ultralight freestanding tents

Best Water Filtration and Storage System For Backpacking

Hydration & Water Purification, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Gear Tech, Accessories

The combination of two .6L BeFree's and one 1.5L Smartwater is the most efficient water filtration and storage system for backpacking.

testing challenge ultra fabric on a hike

What is Challenge ULTRA Fabric?

Gear Tech

This article explains everything you need to know about Challenge ULTRA™, a relatively new-to-market, best-in-class outdoor fabric, and what makes it the highest performing textile for backpacks.

GAIA GPS the Best Hiking GPS and How to Use It

Navigation, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Gear Tech, Accessories

Smartphones like an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy outperform a conventional GPS in almost every way. This post has all the information you need to use your smartphone as the best backpacking GPS, including getting up to 7+ days of battery life without recharging. Best of all, you can do this for less than $20!

New Hi-Tech Hiking Shoes Could Make You a Lot Faster

Footwear, Clothing, Gear Tech

Ever wanted to go faster on the trails? Now you might be able to with the new technology of Hi-Tech Hiking Shoes!

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Backpacking Food

Hungry? Tired of the same old energy bars? Our Backpacking Food Section is dedicated to backcountry nutrition, meal planning, diets, cooking, ultralight kitchen equipment, and optimizing your calorie intake. Increase nutrition while decreasing volume and weight.

Best Freeze Dried Meals For Backpacking 2026

Backpacking Food, Food & Cooking, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Accessories

You're researching which are the best freeze dried meals for backpacking, and we've got recommendations! There have been lots of new brands and dietary options popping up in the freeze dried sector over the past decade, and this buyer's guide highlights a few of our favorites.

SuperStove For Optimal Backcountry Cooking

Cooking & Stoves, Food & Cooking, Gear Tech

A SuperStove combines a pressure regulated, wind resistant, high BTU burner with a heat exchanger pot for max efficiency in wind and cold.

Best Backpacking Food – Healthy & Nutritious

Backpacking Food

We've completely overhauled our Backpacking Food to the latest research and thinking on the best hiking food & nutrition. So whatever your diet, low carb, keto, omnivore, vegetarian, & vegan we give you the latest knowledge available to create a healthy and nutritious trail diet that will put a spring in your step.

How much food should I take? The detailed answer

Backpacking Food, Food & Cooking

There is no exact answer to this question. In my "The Best Backpacking Food - simple and nutritious", I threw out the best guess of 1.5 lb of food per day. But how but much food you need depends on who you are and what you do. You make Adventure…

Low Carb Backpacking Food List – 3 Day

Backpacking Food, Food & Cooking

Our Low Carb Backpacking Food List is nutritious & has all calories of traditional backpacking food but it’s healthier & 1/2 the weight!

Keto Backpacking Food List – 3 Day

Backpacking Food, Cooking & Stoves, Food & Cooking

Our Keto Backpacking Food List is nutritious & has all calories of traditional backpacking food but it’s KETO & 1/2 the weight!

Best Camp Coffee | Backcountry Barista Pour Over Coffee

Food & Cooking, How To

Our camp coffee is delicious! Try our pour over coffee method to make your next backpacking coffee and be pleasantly surprised!

Trail Designs Kojin Ultralight Alcohol Stove Review

Cooking & Stoves

By Alan Dixon, 2/21/2018: Based on extensive field and lab testing, I believe that the Trail Designs Kojin Ultralight Alcohol Stove is the best alcohol stove system for ultralight backpacking (when paired with a Caldera or TriTi Cone). The…

The Best Hydration | Drink When Thirsty

Cooking & Stoves, Food & Cooking, How To, Hydration & Water Purification

Drink When Thirsty debunks the many myths about hydration and dehydration like "If you are thirsty, it's already too late" and "If your urine is yellow, you are dehydrated." This article suggests that Drink When Thirsty is the best and healthiest strategy for hydration during exercise.

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Trip Guides

From high routes to world famous treks, check out our detailed trip guides and reports spanning multiple continents. From short local trips to adventures around the world, you are guaranteed to discover adventure inspiration.

best spring backpacking pnw enchanted valley

Best Spring Backpacking Washington, Oregon, & PNW Trips

Trip Guides, Adventure Travel

The 10 most scenic wilderness trips for spring backpacking in Washington, Oregon, and the greater PNW. These hikes are not to be missed!

Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon Trek | Africa’s Best Trek without Kilimanjaro Crowds

Trip Guides, Adventure Travel, Semi-Technical Backpacking

Also called the Mountains of the Moon the Rwenzoris have a dizzying array of spectacular plants, trees, animals, & varied landscapes that make you aware, at all times, that you are in a place like no other on the planet. And of course, you can stand on a glacier at over 5000m (16,000 ft) with world class views of Africa below you.

Huemul Circuit El Chalten Patagonia Guide

Trip Guides

The Huemul Circuit El Chalten Patagonia is one of a few ways for mere-mortal for hikers to see the vast Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the 2nd largest non-polar ice field.

Bikepacking GAP Trail & C&O Canal Trail

Trip Guides

Bikepacking the GAP Trail and C&O Trail from Pittsburgh to Washington DC is a superb mix of natural beauty, wooded trails, quaint towns, & American history. It’s the perfect introductory trip for those new to bikepacking. But it’s just as suitable and rewarding trip for accomplished riders. Virtually all of the trail is away from traffic on flat, wide, non-technical dirt trails (double track) that do not require great riding skills.

Finger Lakes Gorges Grand Slam Hike

Trip Guides

The Finger Lakes Gorges should not be missed. And don’t let their popularity dissuade you from hiking and exploring these gems. Like Yosemite or the slot canyons of Utah, these gorges are held in high regard for a reason so hike them!

Patagonia National Park Trek – Guide to a New World Class Trek

Trip Guides

Chile's new Patagonia National Park has it all — the high glaciated peaks of the Andes, wide valleys with ice cold glacial rivers, forests of southern beech hanging with moss, & startlingly green glacial lakes. It may soon be the "Yellowstone of South America"

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