advice
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Tips for Safe Hiking in Wildfire Season
I do a lot of hiking (I’m a hiking guidebook author) and I live in British Columbia, Canada where we get dozens of wildfires each summer, so unfortunately, I’m well versed in safe hiking in wildfire season. It’s easy to hear about wildfires on the news and freak out. While…
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Tips for Hiking in Hot Weather
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, so you need to know how to go hiking in hot weather. I’m really heat-sensitive, but I always want…
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How to Find Trail Conditions
We’ve all heard this advice: “Make sure you are prepared. Check trail conditions online before you go.” But how do you actually find trail conditions? How do you find out if the trail is muddy, snowy, unmaintained, full of bugs, or closed? I wish I had one easy answer for…
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The Best Camping Cancellation Apps: Campnab vs. Schnerp
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,…
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20+ Ways to Reduce Your Backpack Weight
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…
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How to Avoid Bees and Wasps While Hiking
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…
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How to Stay Warm in a Tent: Over 40 Tips
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…
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Fall Backpacking Tips: How to Stay Warm and Have Fun
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…
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Backpacking with Kids: Tips from a Tween and His Mom
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,…
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Backpacking for Beginners: Tips for Getting Started
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.…
