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 …
Gear
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 …
While my addiction isn’t as strong as it used to be, I’m a bit of a gear junkie. As an outdoor writer and guidebook author, I pretty much hike for a living, so good gear is important. I also know waaay too much about gear since I spent three years working in an outdoor store …
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 …
If you’ve been to a Canadian national park, you know they are special places. I’ve been to 18 of the 48 national parks in Canada and am already planning which park I will visit next. If you’re looking for the perfect present for a national park lover, I’ve got you covered. This list of the …
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 …
As a hiker, my winter sport of choice is snowshoeing since it’s so easy to do. Snowshoeing has really grown in popularity in the last few years and I’m sure there are people on your holiday shopping list who love to snowshoe (or would love to try it). Give the gift of outdoor adventure this …
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 is a natural extension of day hiking as you trek further into the wilderness. The major downside is having to carry all that gear. I’ve been backpacking for 20 years and have come up with lots of ways to reduce your backpack weight. I’m definitely not an ultralight hiker (more on what that is …
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, …