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 …
Hiking
If you’re human, you sweat when hiking. And that makes your hiking clothing smell bad. But you don’t have to throw away your stinky clothes. I’ve got a complete guide to getting the smell out of hiking clothes. The advice in this guide covers hiking clothing like base layers (long underwear) shirts, pants, fleece jackets, …
Finding a weather forecast for hiking can be tough because most weather apps just have forecasts for cities and towns. Since it’s so important to know the weather when you hike, I’ve put together a complete guide to the best weather apps for hiking. I’ve been hiking and backpacking for several decades, usually in the …
Like many outdoor sports, there are a lot of confusing hiking terms to learn. I spend a lot of time writing about hiking and teaching hiking skills and it can be easy to forget that not everyone knows all the hiking slang, jargon, and terminology. To help everyone out, I put together a comprehensive glossary …
I’ve been hiking for over two decades, and for years I mostly wore hiking pants. Even though I wore leggings for running, yoga, and everyday life, I didn’t trust them for hiking since they kept getting ripped or they fell down. Enter hiking leggings! I got a pair of hiking leggings about five years ago …
So you want to go winter hiking or snowshoeing, but… What do you wear? How do you stay warm? And how can you transition your summer hiking wardrobe into the winter season? I definitely had all of these questions when I first started winter hiking and snowshoeing, and through years of trial and error (oh …
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. …
Over the years, I’ve done a lot of coastal hiking trips. I recently added it up, and I’ve been on 18 different beach backpacking trips in British Columbia and Washington. Coastal trails are in a totally different environment than the mountains or the forest, and they come with their own set of challenges. In this …
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you need to stop hiking. But it’s cold, dark and slippery out there, so you need to be prepare. In this post I’ve got my top top winter hiking tips. Hiking is a year-round activity for me and I’ve been winter hiking for over a decade. (If there’s …