2021 Holiday Gifts for Hikers

2021 Holiday Gifts for Hikers

There's still time to get holiday gifts for the hikers in your life. I went through all of my newer clothing, gear and accessories and came up with my top picks for 2021, along with a short description of what I love about each item. Everything on this list is...

Leave No Trace: How to Backpack Responsibly

Leave No Trace: How to Backpack Responsibly

Whether you’re backpacking alone or with a group, it’s important to be responsible to preserve natural landscapes and hiking trails. Having a respect for Mother Nature can help future generations enjoy the great outdoors as well. One of the primary ways to do this is...

How to Handle Animal Encounters

How to Handle Animal Encounters

Out on the trail, I regularly run into two kinds of hikers: those who are hoping to have some animal encounters, and those who decidedly are not. I fall somewhere in between. I enjoy seeing wildlife on the trail, even potentially dangerous animals. However, I prefer...

Best Hiking Gifts for Father’s Day

Best Hiking Gifts for Father’s Day

Father's Day is looming, so it's time to think about hiking gifts for fathers – or for any special man in your life. Various stores and consumer sites regularly come up with lists of what are supposedly the best hiking gear, clothing and equipment. But I prefer to ask...

Setting Up Your Tent in the Wind

Setting Up Your Tent in the Wind

One of the first things I discovered when I started backpacking was that it's not easy to set up a tent in the wind. Or take one down, for that matter. In fact, strong winds are one of the most destructive elements Mother Nature can throw at your tent. Because of...

Valentine’s Day Hiking Gifts for Him

Valentine’s Day Hiking Gifts for Him

Valentine's Day is around the corner. If you need to find a cool gift for your honey – who loves hiking, backpacking and camping – here are some great ideas, both practical and fun. MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Mini Stove Kit I've got this pocket rocket stove, and it's...

The Story Behind Seek Dry Goods

The Story Behind Seek Dry Goods

Amanda and Larry McMahon are the owners of Seek Dry Goods, a Wisconsin-based business providing quality lifestyle items. Think clothing, hats, travel mugs. They partner with the Ice Age Trail Alliance, Continental Divide Trail Coalition and other hiking groups to...

Art of the Trek: New Hike-Planning App

Art of the Trek: New Hike-Planning App

Art of the Trek contacted me a few months ago to pick my brain about hiking and trip planning. The company opened shop in 2017 and offers a free trip-planning app for hikers that's currently in beta mode. So the company is hoping to obtain feedback from people like...

Hiking White Sands National Monument

Hiking White Sands National Monument

White Sands National Monument is one of the most beautiful spots in the world. It ranks up there with the scenery I saw in New Zealand and along Iceland's Laugavegur Trail. That is, it's a place of fairy-tale-like beauty. The prettiest views occur at sunset, when...

Hiking Spain’s Sierra Nevada with a Guide

Hiking Spain’s Sierra Nevada with a Guide

Spain is home to the Sierra Nevada mountains, the second-highest mountain range in Europe after the Alps. Surprised? You're not alone. Most people in North America only know about the Sierra Nevada that lie in the U.S., running along California's eastern edge from...

How to Cross Water Safely

How to Cross Water Safely

When you're hiking, it's not uncommon to have to cross water at some point. Typically, this is a creek, stream or river.While many water crossings are safe and easy, others are not. In fact, it's not uncommon for hikers to perish in water crossings. And even "easy"...

What to Know About Hiking Cairns

What to Know About Hiking Cairns

If you're a hiker, you've seen hiking cairns. Hiking cairns are small piles of stones stacked together. Typically, they're used to show hikers the correct way to proceed along a path when it's not clear. They're a way to say to hikers, "Hey, guys! Go this way!" Why do...

Preventing and Treating Blisters

Preventing and Treating Blisters

Blisters are probably the #1 foot problem hikers face. So if you plan on taking a hike, you need to think about how to prevent them. You also need to know how to treat blisters if, and when, they arise. Because if your feet aren’t happy, YOU won’t be happy.

Should You Wear Hiking Boots or Shoes?

Should You Wear Hiking Boots or Shoes?

One question I'm frequently asked is what kind of footwear I recommend for hiking – namely, shoes or boots. If you poll 100 hikers about their chosen footwear, you'll get 100 different, impassioned answers. People are so sure they have found the magic hiking footwear....

Tips for Hiking the Florida Trail

Tips for Hiking the Florida Trail

The Florida Trail, or FT, is one of our 11 National Scenic Trails. Experienced hikers sometimes are wary about tackling this trail, believing that any path running along mostly flat terrain isn't worth hiking. But once they hike the whole thing, they typically change...

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