With lots of people stressing about backpacking reservations in BC, you might feel like you have to book backcountry camping months in advance if you want to go on a trip. But that’s totally untrue – there are tons of places to go backpacking in BC without reservations. I’ve been backpacking in British Columbia for …
Backpacking
I’ve lived in Squamish for a few years now, but before I moved here, I hiked in Squamish all the time. I’ve done tons of hikes near Squamish so I’ve put together a list of the best hikes in Squamish. Between hiking trails, mountain biking trails, and dirt bike trails, there are literally hundreds of …
There are two ways to hike the Ozette Loop in Olympic National Park. The first is as a day hike, which takes 4-5 hours. But I prefer the second way – as a backpacking trip. That way you get to camp on wilderness beaches and really savor the scenery. The Ozette Loop is gorgeous! I …
Like many outdoor sports, there are a lot of confusing hiking terms to learn. I spend a lot of time writing about hiking and teaching hiking skills and it can be easy to forget that not everyone knows all the hiking slang, jargon, and terminology. To help everyone out, I put together a comprehensive glossary …
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 …
Heads up: The Juan de Fuca Trail is closed in summer 2025 due to significant storm damage. It is not possible to hike the entire trail, but you can visit Mystic Beach and East Sombrio Beach. The Juan de Fuca Trail covers 47 challenging kilometres along the coast of southwestern Vancouver Island. I’ve hiked the …
Heads up: The Juan de Fuca Trail is closed in summer 2025 due to significant storm damage. It is not possible to hike the entire trail, but you can visit Mystic Beach and East Sombrio Beach. The Juan de Fuca Trail is a multi-day hike along the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, …
The North Coast Trail is a challenging 43km multi-day backpacking trip along the northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I hiked the trail twice (to research my book, Backpacking on Vancouver Island). I’ve put together a section-by-section overview of the North Coast Trail to give you a taste of the trail and help …
The North Coast Trail is a multi-day wilderness hike across the very northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It’s a challenging and remote hike through old-growth rainforest, along beaches, and across muddy coastal bogs. The 43-kilometre-long hike is difficult but beautiful. I hiked the trail twice (to research my book Backpacking on …