A few winters ago I got an insulated skirt and it was a game-changer. (I’m not exaggerating!) My puffy skirt meant I could keep my butt warm on the trails – I simply put it on over my pants when I was cold and took it off when I wasn’t. In this guide, I’ll break …
Backpacking
If you’re buying presents, please consider choosing eco-friendly gifts for hikers. The hiker in your life will appreciate it and Mother Nature will too. You may not know this, but I used to work in the outdoor industry. I actually wrote product descriptions for a large outdoor retailer. As a result, I know a LOT …
There is no place I would rather be than on a backpacking trip. I’ve been backpacking for almost 20 years and used to work for a large outdoor retailer, so I know a lot about backpacking gear. In this post, I’ve got my recommendations for the best gifts for backpackers. No matter whether the person …
Have you seen those stocking stuffers for hikers posts online? Full of $300 gadgets or things that are clearly too large to physically fit in a stocking? Me too. They’re ridiculous. A stocking should be full of small, fun, inexpensive stuff. And chocolate. Some of my family is pretty outdoorsy (no surprise there), so I …
Getting outfitted for hiking and backpacking can seem overwhelming. When I was first starting out, I felt like there was so much gear on the market and that it was SOOO expensive. Plus I felt like the list of gear you need to buy for hiking and backpacking was never ending. That was two decades …
You’ve probably seen those news stories: “Search and Rescue finds Unprepared Hikers Lost/Injured in the Woods”. But that’s never going to be you right? Yup, we all think it won’t happen to us. But it definitely could. No one expects to get lost, get stuck hiking in the dark or hurt themselves, but they do. …
I do a lot of hiking (I’m a hiking guidebook author) and I live in British Columbia, Canada where we get dozens of wildfires each summer, so unfortunately, I’m well versed in safe hiking in wildfire season. It’s easy to hear about wildfires on the news and freak out. While wildfires are a real danger …
Summer is the best time to hike: the snow has melted, the flowers are blooming, and the skies are blue. But unfortunately, that also means it can often get ridiculously hot, so you need to know how to go hiking in hot weather. I’m really heat-sensitive, but I always want to go hiking even if …
I’ve been on countless backpacking trips over the years (I’m a hiking guidebook author), but somehow I still end up with blisters every few years. I know all the tips and tricks to prevent blisters when hiking – but I just need to remember to follow my own advice! Since I’m usually blister-free, here’s how …
We’ve all heard this advice: “Make sure you are prepared. Check trail conditions online before you go.” But how do you actually find trail conditions? How do you find out if the trail is muddy, snowy, unmaintained, full of bugs, or closed? I wish I had one easy answer for you. Wouldn’t it be great …