If you head into the wilderness I’m sure you know to that if you pack it in, you should pack it out. But what else do you need to know to protect nature (and avoid being an a-hole)? Learn how to Leave No Trace when hiking and camping to keep the wilderness wild. What is …
Backpacking
Living on Canada’s wet West Coast, I’m not very familiar with dry desert landscapes. I’ve done quick trips to Moab, Utah and California’s Joshua Tree National Park to go camping and hiking in the desert. But honestly, I feel a bit out of my element there (despite the beauty). Thankfully Andy Lowry of Thousand Mile …
There are so many moving parts to planning a backpacking trip: permits, weather forecasts, gear packing… And of course the meal plan. It can be tough to figure out what to eat in the backcountry. You’ll be exhausted at the end of the day and you want something delicious and filling. But how do you …
Many women agree that women’s hiking gear and clothing kind of sucks. Most gear is designed for men and women’s gear is often an after thought. Some gear companies think they can make the same gear in pink, purple and teal and call it women’s gear. Nope! We need stuff that fits our bodies! Some …
Recently there’s been lots of buzz online about how women’s hiking clothing and gear is inadequate. It’s something I’ve written about before. This great article from Hannah Weinberger explains that historically there hasn’t been much gear designed to fit women’s bodies. In recent years the outdoor industry has tried to fix that, with varying degrees …
I have eaten a LOT of pre-packaged backpacking meals in my days (and nights) on the trail. Unfortunately most of them are full of ingredients I can’t pronounce and don’t recognize. I have also tried my hand at dehydrating my own backpacking food at home, but that can be time consuming. (And despite my best …
If you’ve been shopping for hiking or backpacking gear recently, you may have noticed some women’s specific gear. I’m not talking about clothing or shoes (obviously we need those)… I’m talking about backpacks, sleeping bags and more. Often this stuff seems to follow the same tired formula: “Shrink it and pink it”. Brands make the …
Recently I wrote a post called “You Killed A Bear” that ended up getting way more online attention than I had anticipated. My message in that post was that less experienced hikers should read up about bear safety before they head out for a hike or go backcountry camping. Lots of people asked questions about …
As part of my “Ask Taryn” series D. from the Rockies messaged me on my Facebook page to ask about backpacking hygiene. She writes: My partner and I are planning to do the full 180km Sunshine Coast Trail in September and were hoping you had some tips in regards to hygiene…How can we cleanse without …
So you want to go winter camping… but you’re not sure how to stay warm, what gear you’ll need or how to pitch camp in the snow. No worries: I’ve got you covered in this guide to winter camping for beginners. Winter camping can be pretty daunting but it can be lots of fun. If …