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 …
Advice
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 nearly 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 …
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 …
Many people think backpacking season ends on Labor Day weekend. Well, they’re wrong! September and October can be great times to go backpacking, as long as you are prepared. Here are my top fall backpacking tips to make sure you have fun and stay warm. Research a Destination… and a Backup Plan (or Two) The first step of …
I’m not a parent, but thanks to some good friends with children, I’ve spent quite a bit of time backpacking with kids. I wanted to write a post about how to start backpacking as a family, but I realized that I knew someone much more qualified for the job: Elliott, a 12-year-old backpacker. I’ve been …
So you want to try backpacking… exciting right? But it can also be daunting as there is lots to learn. I’ve been backpacking for almost 20 years, but I still remember what it was like to start out. I’ll walk you through it in this guide to backpacking for beginners. This handbook for first-time backpackers …
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 …
Living on Canada’s wet West Coast, I’m not very familiar with dry desert landscapes. I’ve done quick trips to Moab, Utah and California’s Joshua Tree National Park to go camping and hiking in the desert. But honestly, I feel a bit out of my element there (despite the beauty). Thankfully Andy Lowry of Thousand Mile …
Summer is the best time to hike: the snow has melted, the flowers are blooming, and the skies are blue. But unfortunately, that also means it can often get ridiculously hot. I’m really heat-sensitive, but I always want to go hiking even if it’s way too warm out. After years of experience (and some not-so-awesome …