Backpacking Guides
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West Coast Trail Transportation: How to Get There
Organizing transportation to the West Coast Trail can be one of the most complicated parts of the hike. There are a few different options for getting to the start and getting back from the finish, and it can be hard to figure out which one makes the most sense for…
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West Coast Trail Camping: Your Complete Guide
The West Coast Trail is a wilderness experience: each night you’ll pitch your tent on a remote beach and listen to the waves crash as you fall asleep. I’ve hiked the West Coast Trail twice and visited all of the campgrounds. And I can tell you… some of them are…
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West Coast Trail Packing List: Everything You Need to Bring
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…
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7-Day West Coast Trail Itinerary (Plus More Itinerary Options)
Due to the way the campgrounds are spaced out, and the placement of the difficult trail sections, most people use a 6 or 7 day West Coast Trail itinerary. When I first hiked the trail in 2004, we just winged it. But when I was planning my 2019 trip I…
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West Coast Trail Section-By-Section Overview
The West Coast Trail is a 75km multi-day backpacking trip along the West Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Along the way, you’ll hike through the rainforest on rough trail, boardwalks and mud bogs, walk along sandy beaches, boulders, and slippery coastal shelf, cross rivers on high bridges and…
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How to Hike and Camp at Toleak Point in Olympic National Park
If you’re looking to explore some of Olympic National Park’s rugged coastline, I recommend hiking to Toleak Point from Third Beach. It’s a moderately challenging trail that travels along beaches and across steep headlands. The area around Toleak Point is dotted with dozens of offshore islands and sea stacks, making…
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What to Pack for the Berg Lake Trail
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…
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Wild Side Trail: Hiking and Camping Guide
When most people think of Tofino, BC, they think of surfing or walking on one of the many sandy beaches. But did you know that by taking a short water taxi ride you can escape the crowds in town and hike and camp on a remote wilderness beach? Head over…
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Shi Shi Beach Hiking and Camping Guide
There’s something special about hiking and camping on an isolated west coast with nothing between you and Japan but the wild Pacific Ocean. Shi Shi Beach in Washington’s Olympic National Park gives you that experience, and it’s a short and easy hike to get there. I’ve made several trips to…
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Hiking the Long Range Traverse in Newfoundland
Way back in the summer of 2006 I was living in Halifax to go to university. I figured since I was on the East Coast for a few years, I should explore the Atlantic Provinces. I booked some time off from my summer job and headed to Newfoundland with some…
