The Best Time to Fine-Tune Your Backpacking Gear is During a Backpacking Trip
Next time you’re out on the trail, take note of what’s working and what isn’t in your backpacking gear. Then, work on fine-tuning it.
Big SEKI (Sequoia/Kings Canyon) Loop
The Big SEKI Loop is a 155-mile loop in the High Sierra in California that can be modified in multiple ways. The route was created originally as an alternative to John Muir Trail and can be hiked in 7-17 days.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a popular 42.4-mile trail that follows the shoreline of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It offers picturesque views of the lake, a lighthouse, unique rock formations, and prominent cliffs along the shoreline
Cohos Trail
The Cohos Trail is a 170 mile point-to-point trail from the US/Canadian Border in New Hampshire south to Crawford Notch. Hikers will find maintained shelters, White Mountain National Forest tent sites and hiker-friendly campgrounds. It is routinely hiked SOBO or NOBO in 10-16 days during fall or summer.
Lost Coast Trail
The Lost Coast Trail is a 26.4-mile point-to-point backpacking route along California’s North Coast. It is a rugged trail that traverses sandy beaches, boulder fields, and coastal bluffs, and it can be hiked in 2-3 days
Loyalsock Trail
The Loyalsock Trail is a 59.2-mile point-to-point hike in north-central Pennsylvania. The trail features over a dozen waterfalls and can be hiked in 4-6 days.
Where Did Your Gear Come From? Triaging Ethical Consumerism in the Outdoor Community
Should consumers take more responsibility in the ethics of our purchases? After discovering the unethical origins of a piece of his gear, Jacob examines this idea in triage scenarios for ethical consumerism
I’ve Finally Found Stability. Will Long-Distance Backpacking Upend That?
Now that thru-hiking and backpacking travel is back on the table, one hiker grapples with her newfound stability against the desire to finish the PCT.
Collegiate Peaks Loop
The Collegiate Peaks Loop is a 160-mile loop trail that circles the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness in central Colorado. The route traverses high-elevation terrain and can be completed in as few 10-20 days
Uinta Highline Trail
The Uinta Highline Trail is a 104-mile high-elevation route with a high degree of physical difficulty but moderately easy logistics. It’s best hiked in the late summer/early fall, and can be accomplished in 5-10 days.