The first time I went backpacking, I discovered that I hated oatmeal. But it’s probably the most common breakfast on the trail so for a while I suffered through. But over the years I’ve come up with lots of alternative backpacking breakfast ideas that are just as easy as oatmeal. I’ve been on hundreds of …
Backpacking
I go backpacking a lot (I’ve actually written two backpacking guidebooks), so that means I eat a lot of backpacking food. Over the years I’ve tried lots of meals, but one that I keep returning to is my recipe for dehydrated mushroom risotto. It’s a pretty simple recipe, but it’s got tons of flavour thanks …
When I started backpacking during university, I didn’t have much money and was appalled at how much packaged backpacking meals cost. So I decided to learn how to make them myself. In this post, I’ll teach everything I know about dehydrating food for backpacking. I’ve backpacked a lot over the last two decades (and I’ve …
It can be frustrating to be out for a hike in wet weather and have your jacket fail, which is called wetting out. But why do rain jackets wet out? And what can you do about it? I’ve been hiking and backpacking for two decades, mostly in the wet Pacific Northwest weather of British Columbia. …
If you’re shopping for hiking clothing you’ve probably heard all kinds of great things about Merino wool. But Merino isn’t perfect – to start with, it’s expensive. You might be wondering, is Merino wool worth it? I’ve been hiking and backpacking for two decades (I even wrote a hiking guidebook) and have tried a lot …
Despite being a meticulous planner, sometimes I don’t end up making camping reservations as early as I should. And that means the dates I want are often sold out. Recently I’ve been testing out some camping cancellation apps, and have been pleasantly surprised with the results. If you haven’t heard, these camping reservation notifiers send …
If you’re heading out for a hike in the winter, you are probably going to encounter ice and snow. But how will you stop yourself from slipping? Should you bring microspikes? Or crampons? Or snowshoes? And what’s the difference? In this post, I’ll break down microspikes vs. crampons vs. snowshoes. I’ve been winter hiking and …
I live in Squamish, BC on Canada’s wet, I mean West Coast and it rains a lot here. If I waited for it to stop raining, I probably would never get outside. Hiking in the rain can be really beautiful if you know how to stay safe, keep dry, and have fun. I’ve got tons …
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 …
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 …