If you head into the wilderness I’m sure you know not to leave trash behind – Pack it in, pack it out, right? But what else do you need to know to protect nature (and avoid being an a-hole)? I’ve been teaching people about how to Leave No Trace when hiking and camping for decades. …
Camping
The best gift you can give is to make great memories together, but if you’re choosing Valentine’s gifts for hikers and campers, give something they will actually use. Chocolate and roses are nice, but outdoor gear is even better. (Or am I the only one with that mentality?) Here are my picks for the best …
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 …
Every few summers, I get stung by bees or wasps while hiking. Usually, it’s because I stumble across an underground nest I didn’t know was there. Stinging insects are a fact of life while hiking. But there are some ways to avoid them. After hearing reports of tons of wasp nests on my local trails …
The longest night of my life was on a cold camping trip. I didn’t sleep at all! Since then I’ve refined my approach on hundreds of camping trips and figured out how to stay warm in a tent in all kinds of weather. This post has over 40 tips for staying warm while camping. I’m …
Going hiking or camping while you have your period can seem a bit intimidating. Spending time away from toilets and running water is already unfamiliar for some, and adding in menstruation make it more challenging. I’ve been hiking, camping, and backpacking with my period for over 20 years. I’m also a Leave No Trace Level …
I have always been a bit outdoorsy, but it wasn’t until I met my husband that I got really into adventuring in the backcountry. He took me on my first backpacking trip (the West Coast Trail!) Being outdoors is something that has brought us closer and is something that is important to both of us. …
As a Leave No Trace trainer, I’m pretty passionate about teaching people the importance of keeping the wilderness wild and minimizing our impact. While I’m pretty well-versed in the theory behind leaving no trace while hiking with a dog, I don’t own a dog. So I didn’t feel qualified to write a post about how …
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 …
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 …