Even in the age of the internet and social media, books are still one of my favourite ways to get info about hiking trails. I’m a bit of a hiking guidebook conoisseur. I own over 100 hiking guide books, most of them for British Columbia. In this post, I’ll give you my recommendations for the …
Gear
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 …
I’ve been backpacking for nearly 20 years, but I still remember my first backpacking trip. I had no idea what I needed to pack and the whole process of choosing gear seemed daunting. But it doesn’t have to be! I’ve put together a super-simple backpacking checklist for you. It lists out all the gear you’ll …
I love to read. Since I was about 5, I’ve fallen asleep every night of my life with a book no matter where I am: at home, in a hotel room, or in a tent. Each year, I read a few dozen books from a variety of genres, but outdoor adventure books are my favourite. …
If you’re stuck inside, watching films about the outdoors can help scratch your need-for-nature itch. With the proliferation of digital cameras and easy-to-use editing software, there are more adventure documentaries than ever before. And like always, most of them are about men. But thankfully, that’s changing. Even ten years ago it was unusual to find …
Packing for the West Coast Trail can be a little bit confusing. Your pack needs to be light, but it also needs to contain everything you need, including lots of food and waterproof gear. The first time I hiked the West Coast Trail in 2004 I was really inexperienced and used mostly borrowed gear. My …
Getting to visit Lake O’Hara in Canada’s Yoho National Park is likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (Mostly because reservations are SO hard to get!) And you definitely want to make sure you have the right gear on your once-in-a-lifetime trip so you can stay warm, dry and happy. I’ve been to Lake O’Hara twice: One more …
If you want an introduction to outdoor activities in Vancouver, pick up a copy of Active Vancouver by Roy Jantzen. It’s got local recommendations for hiking, trail running, paddling, snowshoeing, cycling and more. Each adventure has a really cool “Eco-Insight” section with fun info about some of the plants, animals, climate or geology you’ll see. …
You’ve probably seen those news stories: “Search and Rescue finds Unprepared Hikers Lost/Injured in the Woods”. But that’s never going to be you right? Yup, we all think it won’t happen to us. But it definitely could. No one expects to get lost, get stuck hiking in the dark or hurt themselves, but they do. …
I’ve done a fair amount of backpacking, but I had some trouble deciding what to pack for my trip on the Berg Lake Trail in early September. The trail is at a high elevation in the Canadian Rockies, so I knew the weather would potentially be colder and wilder than I am used to. As …